Judge gives military commission go-ahead

WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- A military judge ruled the U.S. Military Commission's one-day hearing on torture can proceed as scheduled after Memorial Day.

U.S. Army Col. James Pohl, the military judge, wrote in the two-page ruling last week that defense lawyers had enough time to prepare for the May 27 hearing, The Miami Herald reported Monday after obtaining a copy of the order.

Pohl ordered the defense to book travel to the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the first commission session since President Barack Obama took office and imposed a 120-day freeze in the war court proceedings.

The hearing is to determine how much evidence will be presented during a military trial for Saudi Arabian Ahmed Darbi, 34, in his attempt to prove he was tortured into confessing crimes he now denies.

The military said Darbi is the brother-in-law of a member of a suicide crew that forced a hijacked airplane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, even though he isn't accused in that incident. Charges against him also allege Darbi conspired with al-Qaida in a 2000-02 plot to bomb vessels at sea in the Straits of Hormuz, a plan that never was carried out. He also allegedly met Osama bin Laden and trained in an Afghan al-Qaida camp.

Defense lawyers had asked to submit the award-winning documentaries "Taxi to the Dark Side" and "Torturing Democracy" into the court record.

Defense lawyer Ramzi Kassem said the Pentagon should withdraw charges against Darbi without prejudice so the Obama administration has time to decide how to proceed.