Talks continue on future of British Camp X-Ray detainees

The future of two Britons among "enemy combatants" being held at Guantanamo Bay's Camp X-Ray was on the table today following another day of negotiations between US and British officials.

According to the Prime Minister's spokesperson, Mr Blair has been "satisfied with the progress of the discussions" relating to the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

The Attorney General was in talks again today on top of the two visits made to the US recently, and discussions are expected to continue.

Meanwhile, the US has said that six "enemy combatants" - including the two Britons - are "undergoing evaluation" to see if any should be charged and tried for war crimes under military-style legal proceedings.

The acting chief prosecutor for these military commissions – the body which will try the detainees – has also moved to scotch suggestions that as the accused will not be tried in civil courts, and outside the jurisdiction of the US, they will not be afforded proper representation – or even a fair trial.

The senior Army lawyer added that he was looking for "compelling facts" when weighing up whether to bring detainees to trial before military commissions.

"There are some bad people being detained down at Guantanamo Bay [who] present a very real danger to not only America, but everyone, because they're involved with terrorism," he said.

Most of the 660 detainees at Guantanamo Bay are not being held "for any view towards prosecution, but instead because they're enemy combatants who've been captured on the battlefield or [are] being detained" as part of the global war on terrorism, Col Borch added.

President George Bush said on July 3 2003 that there was reason to believe that each of the six "enemy combatants" was a member of al-Qaeda or was otherwise involved in "terrorist acts" against the US.

A total of 64 detainees have been released from Camp X-Ray and repatriated.

(gmcg)