WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (AFP) - The White House said Monday that it disagreed with a US federal judge's ruling that military tribunals for international terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base are unconstitutional.
"We respectfuly disagree with the decision. The Department of Justice will be looking at what would be appropriate next steps we ought to take on that matter," said spokesman Scott McClellan.
McClellan said the decision conflicted with another ruling that found such tribunals not to conflict with the US Constitution, but could not say what court had issued that judgment.
Judge Joyce Hens Green ruled, after considering appeals from 11 people held as "enemy combatants" at the base, that their detentions violate the prisoners' rights to due process of law under the fifth amendment to the US Constitution.
The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution states that no one under US jurisdiction can be "be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
The court also found that some of the detainees, are in fact, covered by the Geneva Conventions.
Some 550 suspects captured in the US-led war on terrorism, most of whom were taken prisoner in Afghanistan after US-led forces toppled the Taliban regime, or Pakistan, are being held as illegal combatants without Geneva Convention protections.
Detainees at Guantanamo were taken into custody beginning in early 2002, with some imprisoned now for nearly three years, while others were captured as recently as September of last year.
01/31/2005 18:27 GMT - AFP