Al Qaeda prisoners to go home

The US has admitted that very few, if any, of the 500 prisoners captured in the Afghanistan war will be prosecuted by military tribunal.

In a dramatic reversal of policy, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that due to a lack of evidence, Taliban and al Qaeda suspects from more than 20 states are more likely to be returned to their home countries for prosecution or tried in US civilian or military court.

Some could be held in US custody indefinitely, while others may be released outright.

Mr Rumsfeld said: "We, in most cases, prefer to have people go back to their own countries and be tried there." The final decision over their fate rests with President Bush.

The Pentagon has faced fierce criticism from human rights groups since it first announced its plans to prosecute the terror suspects in military tribunals.

Opponents feared that prisoners would lack the legal protections offered in criminal courts.

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