From the ABC Australia news email service
The US military lawyer responsible for ensuring Australian terror suspect David Hicks receives fair representation if he goes to trial has admitted providing a robust defence will be challenging.
In his first comments to the Australian media, Colonel William Gunn told the ABC that it is going to be difficult for a military defence team to win the trust of Guantanamo inmates who may face charges.
Colonel Gunn also says he has told Pentagon officials he wants to see lawyer-client confidentiality standards upheld.
"There has been talk of conversations being monitored, we've made our views known with respect to that and we'll see what happens," he said.
He says the Guantanamo inmates may be extremely distrustful of their military defence teams.
"They may well look at us as the enemy and be very suspicious of our services," he said.
He plans to use consultants and civilian lawyers to open relations with defendants.
Four months ago, Mr Hicks was named as one of six people eligible for trial.
The Pentagon says the delay in processing the detainees is because of the need for everything to be done correctly.
There are moments when these people sound, well, almost OK. Then you realise that instead of standing outside the WH protesting the destruction of the Constitution they are sworn to uphold, they are part of the system, pretending that justice can be done when it is now already so long delayed that it is a farce.
And we have already been told that even if they are not found guilty, they will probably still be held until "the war against terror" is over.