A judge in the United States Military court that is overseeing the trials in Guantanamo Bay has rejected the request by President Obama to delay the trials.Army Colonel James Pohl, the Military judge that oversees the situation said that the decision was difficult but necessary to “protect the public interest in a speedy trial.”
The current court case against Abd Al Rahim Al Nashiri regarding the bombing of the USS Cole, a US Navy Destroyer in Yemen in 2000 will go forward.
The Yemen bombing killed 17 soldiers and damaged the USS Cole very heavily.
The administration of Barack Obama wishes to look at how criminals and others are being tried in the US and in Gitmo and to examine the whole trial process. The ruling took the Pentagon and the White House by surprise, they did not expect to have their wishes turned back by a military court judge.
According to sources at the Pentagon, there will be no issues with following the Presidents executive order, but it will be interesting to watch considering the judges ruling. The military prison in Cuba has been ordered by President Obama to be closed within a year.
