Three inmates die in suicide pact at Guantanamo camp

The US military was last night investigating how three detainees at Guantanamo Bay were able to commit suicide - apparently in a pact they undertook in protest at the ongoing operation of the prison camp.

The bodies of the three men - two from Saudi Arabia and one Yemeni - were found in their cells early on Saturday morning "unresponsive and not breathing". The military said efforts were made in vain to revive the men.

Later,Rear Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of the detention centre, said the men used nooses made of sheets and clothes to hang themselves.

The suicides are the first deaths at the camp despite more than two dozen attempts by prisoners - most of whom have been held without charge for almost four and a half years. The prison has been the subject of increasing condemnation from foreign government and human rights groups.

Earlier this year a report by the UN called for the prison to be immediately closed - a view later echoed by Britain's Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith.

Last night, Moazzam Begg, 37, the Briton who was held at the prison for more than three years before being released without charge, told the Associated Press: "We all expected something like this but were not prepared. It's just awful. I hope the Bush administration will finally see this is wrong."

The prison, established in the aftermath of the US operation against the Taliban in late 2001, currently holds around 460 men.

Independent reports based on the Pentagon's own documents estimate that fewer than 55 per cent of the prisoners are even accused of committing actions against the US.

The US has said it plans to release around 150 of the prisoners it no longer considers a security risk. It has not set a timetable for their release but this week President George Bush repeated his claim that his administration wishes to see the camp emptied.

"We would like to end the Guantanamo - we'd like it to be empty," he said. "[But there are] some that, if put out on the streets, would create grave harm to American citizens and other citizens of the world."

Many lawyers who have worked on behalf of prisoners held at the base believe the Supreme Court will rule later this month that all the detainees have the right for their cases to be held in the civil courts. If so, some experts believe the authorities will decide to release many of the prisoners.