US refuses to name men at Guantanamo Bay court

The Pentagon has refused to reveal which of its 14 "high-value" detainees were being examined by military lawyers in closed proceedings in Guantanamo Bay.

The military said the Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRT), which began yesterday, were being held to assess 14 men transferred to the prison last September from secret "black hole" prisons operated around the world.

The decision to hold the hearings in private session, with the media and the men's lawyers excluded, has drawn criticism from campaigners. The Pentagon says it has taken the steps to prevent leaks of classified information and that it will publish an edited transcript of proceedings. But it refused to say which of the prisoners was to appear first or whether any had refused to participate.

"The hearings started this morning and the purpose of [them] is to determine whether the detainees meet the criteria to be designated as an enemy combatant," said a Pentagon spokesman yesterday.

The 14 include the alleged September 11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the suspected conspirator Ramzi bin al-Shibh; an alleged aide to Osama bin Laden, Abu Zubaydah; and Hambali, who is alleged to have orchestrated the 2002 Bali bombings.