Federal Judge Orders Release Of 5 Algerian Terror Suspects

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - A federal judge ordered Thursday the immediate release of five Algerian terror suspects detained at the Guantanamo Bay prison because the source of evidence against them was not credible.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon issued the ruling as he was not convinced that the five suspects are connected to al-Qaeda or the Taliban as claimed by a single unidentified witness. The judge urged the justice department not to appeal his ruling.

However, Leon ruled that a sixth Algerian remain detained because of sufficient evidence identifying him as an al-Qaeda operative who recruited men to fight against U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

The five Algerians were captured in Bosnia in 2001. They will be deported there if Leon's ruling will not be contested by the government.