The trials of five men charged with plotting the 11 September attacks has been suspended by a military judge after Barack Obama requested the halting of all military trials at Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The request came soon after Obama was sworn in as president and will give the new administration time to review the system that was put in place by the Bush administration. Obama's inauguration speech on Tuesday promised "mutual respect" for the Muslim world and described the US as "a friend to all nations". Today, Obama pledged an "era of openness" and "transparency" in decision-making.
toD verdict: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man who allegedly masterminded the 11 September attacks, was one of the five men due to stand trial. Mohammed said he opposed the trial's suspension as he wanted to confess, as did his four co-defendents. This follows the earlier suspension of the trial of Omar Khadr, a 15 year-old Canadian citizen charged with killing a US soldier with a grenade. Military trials at Guantanamo are technically being suspended until May. Although it is up to the military judges to decide whether to heed the call for suspension of trials, defense lawyers believe the break in proceedings will be final.
Whilst some families of 11 September victims have opposed the suspension of trials, the move has been celebrated by human rights groups, with Amnesty International calling it a "positive sign". Admissions of the use of torture on Guantanamo detainees, normalisation of detention without charge, and abuses of prisoners have caused outrage amongst human rights organisations since the facility was established by the Bush administration in the wake of 11 September and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan. There are currently 245 inmates at the prison camp, only 21 of whom have actually been charged.
News came this evening that an order calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay within one year is being circulated under the new Administration. It is as yet unclear what the plans are for freeing prisoners and whether the 21 who have been charged will stand trial.
President Obama will soon meet with his Security Council to discuss how the US will move forward with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The new administration has said all troops will be out of Iraq within 16 months with the US military concentrating instead on the Taleban in Afghanistan.
Israel to investigate use of phosphorus in Gaza attacks
Israel has said it will investigate allegations - including allegations made by the UN - that white phosphorus was used by the Israeli army illegally in attacks against Palestinians in densely populated areas. Several sources claim to have witnessed Israeli phosphorus shells falling on Gaza, but Israel continues to deny the use of any unlawful weapons. An independent investigation into the suspected use of phosphorus has been opened by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This comes after Israel announced that its troops had completely withdrawn from the Gaza strip. After a recent visit to Gaza, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said he is "appalled" at the scale of the destruction, and has demanded a full investigation, showing sympathy and remorse for the plight of the Palestinians.
US investigates deaths of Afghan civilians
The US has launched an investigation after Afghan news agency Pajhwok claimed 25 civilians had been killed in a US-led attack. US and Afghan officials say no civilians died in the attack which allegedly killed nineteen anti-government rebels including a Taliban leader. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called on western troops to minimise the number of civilian casualties caused by their operations. Obama is planning a "surge" of 30,000 troops for Afghanistan in the coming months.
Violence continues in Sri Lanka, army designates "safe zones" for civilians
A bomb blast has killed two people and injured eleven more in the town of Batticaloa. Tamil Tiger rebels are thought to be responsible. Four schoolchildren are amongst the injured, according to a police spokesperson. The bomb attack came as the navy captured four Tamil Tiger boats and at a time when the Sri Lankan army is closing in on the rebels' few remaining strongholds. The Sri Lankan army has designated "safe zones" for civilians in the northeast of the country with the view of enabling the army to continue seeking out separatist rebels in the region. There are thought to be about 250,000 civilians living in areas occupied by the rebels.
Rwandan troops enter Congo in joint offensive against Hutu militia
An estimated 2,000 Rwandan troops entered the Democratic Republic of Congo today, according to UN peacekeepers. The move is thought to be part of a joint operation between Rwandan and Congolese authorities against the Hutu rebel group FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda). This comes after dissidents of the Tutsi rebel group, the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People), announced an end to their war against DRC forces. It is alleged that Congolese soldiers are preventing UN forces and aid workers from entering the area.
A "dark day" for Zimbabwe as talks fail
Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks today hit a brick wall after twelve hours as Robert Mugabe refused to give up control of key security ministries. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who won the country's last free election, has been pushing Mugabe for a compromise. The security ministries in question played a big part in stifling Mugabe's political opposition, and facilitating his hold on power. With the country suffering from food shortages and a cholera epidemic, Tsvangirai is adamant that power-sharing is the only solution.
