A U.S. federal court ruled Monday that Osama bin Laden's driver was entitled to a legal hearing on whether he is a prisoner of war — a landmark opinion that could prevent military trials of alleged enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay.
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"Unless and until a competent tribunal determines that petitioner is not entitled to protections afforded prisoners of war under Article 4 of the Geneva Convention ... of Aug. 12, 1949, he may not be tried by military commission for the offenses with which he is charged," U.S. District Judge James Robertson said.
Of course, the article goes on to explain that the government will appeal because the Geneva Convention does not apply to al-Qaida members. There are 550 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, some who have been there for almost three years. Only four have been charged.
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