*EPF302 07/07/2004
Defense Department Report, July 7: Detainees linked to al-Qa'ida
(Nine More Detainees Ordered Eligible for Military Tribunals) (300)

Washington, D.C. -- President Bush has determined that nine more enemy combatants held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, are eligible to be tried by a military tribunal because there is "reason to believe" they were members of the al-Qa'ida terrorist network or were involved in terrorism against the United States, the Pentagon said in a statement.

However, since no formal charges have been lodged against them nor has a trial date been set, their names will not be released, the Pentagon said July 7.

This brings to 15 the number of detainees Bush has determined is subject to a military tribunal. Six detainees were previously determined to be subject to the president's military order concerning terrorists on July 3, 2003, the Pentagon said.

"Military commissions have historically been used to try violations of the law of armed conflict and related offenses," the Defense Department statement said. "Offenses that may be charged include those listed in the 'Crimes and Elements for Trials by Military Commission.'" This document, produced by the Office of the General Counsel of the Department of Defense in 2003, spells out some of the crimes that military commissions may try.

The decision to add nine detainees to the trial list is based on the quality of evidence, the completeness of intelligence gathering and the desire to bring closure to individual cases, the Pentagon said.

"There is evidence that the individuals designated by the president may have attended terrorist training camps and may have been involved in such activities as: financing al-Qa'ida, building explosives, planning or facilitating maritime operations, and providing protection for Osama bin Laden," the Pentagon said.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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