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Planning Under Way For POW Trials
Announcement Could Come This Week

Sunday, March 17, 2002
(11:16 AM ET)
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON
The Pentagon is preparing an announcement on the plans for possible U.S. military trials of prisoners from the war in Afghanistan.

The announcement could come as early as this week.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to tip his hand on Friday. He would only say work has been completed on the rules for how the military commission will operate.

Rumsfeld insists these military commissions will have a just, fair, and balanced outcome.

Some 300 suspected al-Qaida and Taliban fighters now are being held at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba. More than 200 others are at U.S. military facilities in Afghanistan.

But only a small number of those are expected to face trial before the new military commissions.
(Cleveland/Akron NewsNet5.com News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan