Halting of terror attack trial angers US families

President Barack Obama yesterday sought to defuse the anger of families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks as well as relatives of the 17 sailors killed in the bombing of the USS Cole by explaining why he is closing Guantanamo Bay and why charges against the alleged mastermind of the suicide attack on the Navy were dropped. Groups representing victims' families were infuriated by President Obama's executive order to halt the terrorist court proceedings. They say they have already waited too long to see Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged al-Qai'da ringleader in the attack, brought to trial. Susan Crawford, the top legal judge for the military trials, ordered the charges against Mr Nashiri to be dropped. He is among terrorist suspects known to have been "waterboarded" by the CIA and says he confessed to the Cole plot only because he was tortured.

Leonard Doyle