Australia terror suspect in court

David Hicks was "an inventor" says his father

A 29-year-old Australian, David Hicks, is to appear on Wednesday before a military tribunal to face war crimes charges at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

He is the second person to appear as proceedings continue for the first four of the 585 men detained at the base.

Mr Hicks' parents have travelled from their home city of Adelaide to view the case and possibly see their son for the first time in nearly five years.

He is expected to face charges of making war on the United States.

He will also be charged with the attempted murder of US soldiers.

Mr Hicks is one of two Australian citizens held at Guantanamo Bay. His father, Terry Hicks, has been campaigning for two years for his son to return to Australia to face the charges.

Mr Hicks doesn't believe that his son was involved with al-Qaeda.

"David has been an inventor all his life," he said.

"He always wanted to see what was over the next fence and I think as he got older that the fence got taller. He ended up in those circumstances.

"But, you know," he added, "the circumstances he was so-called involved with I don't think was right anyway."

The prosecution alleges David Hicks received weapons training at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan.

His Australian lawyer says the young man will plead not guilty at his preliminary hearing.

And the defence legal team is expected to challenge the impartiality of the commission that may eventually try their client.

The case could come to trial later this year.

Two more accused al-Qaeda members, a Sudanese and a Yemeni, are to appear before the commission later in the week.

Another Yemeni, who admits to being Osama bin Laden's driver but denies war crimes, was the first to appear in what are essentially preliminary hearings.