Guantanamo chaplain charged

Captain Yee is one of three former Guantanamo staff to be arrested

A Muslim chaplain at the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay has been charged with improperly handling classified information.

Army Captain James Yee, also known as Youssef Yee, is one of three former staff at the high-security base in Cuba - where hundreds of al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects are held - to be arrested in connection with suspected security breaches.

Two translators, Senior Airman Ahmad al-Halabi and civilian Ahmed Mehalba have already been charged.

Earlier, the White House was forced to defend its treatment of prisoners at the camp following fierce criticism from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Senior ICRC official Christophe Girod said it was unacceptable that the detainees should be held indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay without legal safeguards.

But White House spokesman Scott McClellan said they were treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions - and that the US was "at war on terrorism".

'Additional charges'

Captain Yee was arrested on 10 September as he arrived at Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida.

Customs officials became suspicious of documents found in his baggage, law enforcement officials said at the time.

The 35-year-old has been charged on two counts of failing to obey a lawful general order - specifically, for taking classified material to his home and for wrongly transporting the classified information.

GUANTANAMO BAY United States Navy base in south-eastern Cuba Leased by Washington since 1903, but not regarded as US territory Houses more than 600 al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects Inmates not covered by US constitutional guarantees Detainees' status

Conviction on each charge carries up to two years in prison, dishonourable discharge and a forfeit of pay.

"The Army continues to investigate Yee's conduct, and if warranted, additional charges could be forthcoming," said a statement from the US Southern Command.

Convert

A Chinese-American born in New Jersey, Mr Yee graduated from West Point military academy and converted to Islam more than 10 years ago while serving in Saudi Arabia following the first Gulf war, said the Washington Post newspaper.

He then left the US Army and lived for four years in Syria, where he learned Arabic and Islamic practice, before rejoining the army and being appointed last November to work with the Guantanamo prisoners.

The charges against Captain Yee are lesser than those against the other two.

Mr Halabi, a translator of Syrian origin, faces 32 charges including espionage and helping the enemy.

Mr Mehalba, a US citizen of Egyptian origin, has been charged with lying to federal officials and is accused of handling classified information.

Officials reportedly suspect that Arabic translators may have sabotaged interviews with some of the 680 prisoners.

Both men's lawyers say their clients will contest the charges.

Depression

Meanwhile, the ICRC - the only organisation outside the US Government with access to the detainees - made an unusually blunt public statement about the lack of action over the prisoners' situation.

Security has been stepped up following suspected breaches

Mr Girod said he was concerned by the impact on the mental health of the detainees - 21 of whom have reportedly attempted suicide and many more treated for depression.

He said his team were constantly asked by the detainees what was going to happen to them.

"It's always the number one question," he said. "They don't know about the future."

During a visit to the base, Mr Girod said: "One cannot keep these detainees in this pattern, this situation, indefinitely."

Washington says the alleged fighters will get a fair legal hearing in due course.

Camp officials have said most of the detainees' mental health problems existed before they arrived.