US to free suspects from Cuban camp

The United States government is preparing to free around two dozen terrorist suspects from its high-security prison in Cuba. The release is expected over the next few days, two senior Defence Department officials said, on condition of anonymity.

They denied that the release is the result of a complaint by the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who has pressed the Pentagon to move faster in determining the fate of prisoners at Guantanamo. Some have been held for a year and a half without charges or access to lawyers.

In what officials said was a "strongly worded" letter, Mr Powell told the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, that eight allies had complained about their citizens being held. He said failure to handle the prisoners correctly was undermining efforts to win international co-operation in the war on terror.

Pentagon officials said yesterday that the 14 April letter was not a factor in the upcoming release, which they said had been planned four weeks ago.

One official said that 20 to 30 prisoners will be released from the prison. Around 660 prisoners from 42 countries are being held, reportedly including several boys between the ages of 13 and 16.