Supreme Court changes mind on detainees

WASHINGTON, June 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court reversed course Friday and agreed to hear the appeals of detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison on Cuba.

The justices vacated an April order in which they decided not to hear the appeal from two detainees who wanted their cases heard in the civilian justice system instead of before military tribunals.

The Supreme Court said it will hear the case in its term that begins Oct. 1.

The reversal is rare for the Supreme Court and last occurred in 1968, court sources told the Web site scotusblog.com

Yemen-born Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden, and Canadian Omar Khadr are the terror suspects whose appeals were before the court.