So reports the AP:
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – A judge on Wednesday quickly granted President Barack Obama's request to suspend the war crimes trial of a young Canadian in what may be the beginning of the end for the Bush administration's system of trying alleged terrorists.
The judge, Army Col. Patrick Parrish, issued a one-sentence written order for the 120-day continuance, without even holding a hearing on the question. Another judge was expected to rule later Wednesday on a similar motion to suspend the trial of five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks.
This ruling opens the way for the suspension of all pending cases, although the best case would be for all charges to be withdrawn.
Update: More suspensions: Judge suspends Guantanamo trial of alleged Sept 11 plotters:
GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AFP) – A judge at the US Guantanamo Bay prison camp on Wednesday suspended the trial of five alleged September 11 attack plotters, after a request by President Barack Obama.
As mcjoan noted in the wee hours:
The best possible course of action, from a rule of law and human rights standpoint, would be what the ACLU is calling for--the withdrawal of charges and an end to the military commissions process, with cases that warrant prosecution proceeding in regular federal criminal courts. Should the military commissions judges refuse this request, unlikely as it seems, the administration should take more definitive action, such as ordering that the charges be withdrawn.
Human rights groups are cautiously optimistic about Obama's order, but it remains to be seen how this whole thing will play out:
Jamil Dakwar, director of the human rights program at the American Civil Liberties Union, said it was a positive step but "the president's order leaves open the option of this discredited system remaining in existence."
And as the WaPo reported earlier, it is still not known exactly how President Obama intends to proceed with the detainees:
The legal maneuver appears designed to provide the Obama administration time to refashion the prosecution system and potentially treat detainees as criminal defendants in federal court or to have them face war-crime charges in military courts-martial. It is also possible that the administration could reform and relocate the military commissions before resuming trials.
"We would rather have seen the charges withdrawn, but it's a good indication that military commissions will not go forward," said Stacy Sullivan, counter-terrorism at Human Rights Watch.
It is to be hoped that President Obama will do the right thing and close GTMO, end the MC, withdraw charges, and prosecute in our extant court system, military or civilian.
In any event, today's ruling is still good news for the detainees and offers some hope for legitimate trials, I suppose, should such a thing even be possible after years of torture, injustice, and unlawful action on the part of the Bush administration.