A US federal judge has rejected the US Defence Department's argument for suppressing the names of Guantanamo Bay detainees, but stopped short of ordering that the names be released. Judge Jed S Rakoff's order was a victory for the Associated Press (AP), which sued the Pentagon in April 2005, seeking the names of detainees and transcripts of US military hearings to determine whether they were properly classified as enemy combatants. The Pentagon tried to block the APs attempt, arguing that publishing detainees names could imperil them or their families, should they be released and return to their home countries. In a six-page order, Judge Rakoff wrote, "The Department of Defence has failed on this motion to establish ... any cognisable privacy interest on the part of the detainees... Accordingly, the defendant's summary judgment motion is denied".
Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mark Ballesteros said, "We're reviewing the order with the Department of Justice. He declined further comment. A lawyer for AP has welcomed the ruling. "Many of these detainees are begging for the world to know where they are," AP assistant general counsel Dave Tomlin said.