Britons' terror hearings halted

Moazzam Begg and Feroz Abbasi are among nine Britons held

The United States has agreed to suspend controversial military court proceedings against two Britons held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba pending talks with British authorities.

The move, disclosed by a UK Government spokesman, follows Thursday's summit in Washington between Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush.

A statement from the Foreign Office in London said: "This shows that the President of the United States has listened to the concerns of the Prime Minister."

A joint US-British statement, due to be released later on Friday by the White House, would confirm the decision, the spokesman told reporters in Tokyo, as Mr Blair arrived on an Asia tour.

I am doing OK and trying as patiently as possible to overcome despair Moazzam Begg to his father Letters from Guantanamo Bay

Civil rights campaigners, and some UK cabinet ministers, have expressed concern that the men - Moazzam Begg and Feroz Abbasi - might not have a fair trial when they go before a US military court, which has the power to sentence them to death.

These concerns were intensified on Thursday, when the US president, during a joint press conference with Mr Blair, said the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are "bad people".

BBC Washington correspondent Nick Bryant says the suspension is a significant climb-down by the Bush administration which has been reluctant to try terror suspects in open courts out of fear of compromising intelligence sources.

Flood gates

UK Attorney General Peter Goldsmith is heading to Washington on Sunday for two days of talks on the future of the two men who were among the first to be threatened with a military trial.

BRITISH DETAINEES Shafiq Rasul, 24, of Tipton, West Midlands Asif Iqbal, 20, of Tipton Ruhal Ahmed, 20, of Tipton Martin Mubanga, 29, from north London Jamal Udeen, 35, from Manchester Richard Belmar, 23, from London Tarek Dergoul, 24, from east London Moazzam Begg, 35, from Birmingham Feroz Abbasi, 23, from south London

They are among nine Britons held at Camp Delta.

Lord Goldsmith is to ask US justice and defence officials that "if any of the nine British citizens currently detained eventually face charges they will get a fair trial", his spokesman said.

He said Lord Goldsmith would reinforce London's opposition to the death penalty.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says US authorities have to be seen to be acting fairly to avoid facing similar requests that would "open the flood gates".

Other countries supporting the US war on terror - like Yemen and Saudi Arabia - may threaten to withdraw their co-operation if similar action is not taken over their nationals, our correspondent says.

'Bad people'

On Thursday, Mr Bush promised to "work with the British Government" on the Guantanamo Bay issue.

He went on: "These were illegal combatants. They were picked up off the battlefield aiding and abetting the Taleban.

"The only thing we know for certain is that these are bad people."

Blair's pressure appears to have paid off

The description of the men as "bad" was attacked by Mr Begg's father, Azmat.

"If he is found guilty here [in the UK] I will say that my son is a bad man but if he's tried there under military jury or in America I will have a different opinion altogether," he said in a television interview.

UK Home Secretary David Blunkett is thought to favour a civil trial in America, while Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said he wants the men to be repatriated to Britain for trial.

More than 200 British MPs have signed a parliamentary petition calling for the men to be repatriated.