Guantanamo trial system underway

The military commission system has been as controversial as Guantanamo Bay. Now that the first case is finally under way, this analyst says the whole world will be watching. The chief prosecutor said this first trial is primarily about bringing Hamdam to justice but he also acknowledged it is a test of the military commissions system. This critic says there are still problems: in particular are the rules that allow the government to introduce evidence obtained through torture and other secret evidence. Defense lawyers lost the battle to delay the trial but they did win a small victory today when the judge told the government could not use some evidence obtained through torture. Still this critic says the start of the trial is a disappointment to human rights advocates. The Bush administration has always opposed using the federal courts for trying terrorists. But over time the Bush administration’s policies at Guantanamo became a lightning rod for criticism. This analyst says even if the trial goes well, the Bush administration will have a tough time changing minds.