USS Cole

A long-pending case at the Guantanamo Bay war court is finally moving to trial, but observers note unusual procedural and legal issues surrounding it. The case relates to the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and the New York Times reports that extraordinary problems in the proceedings stand out as the trial approaches. The case has dragged on for years without resolution, drawing criticism over the military commission system.

A military judge at Guantanamo Bay cut short a pre-trial hearing in the case against the alleged mastermind of the 2000 USS Cole bombing after a health emergency arose. The proceedings, part of the long-running military commissions process, were adjourned early, adding another delay to a case that has dragged on for more than a decade without trial.