US Top Court Refuses to Hear Guantanamo Wiretap Case (Agence France Presse)

A member of the US military mans the guard post before sunrise at Camp Delta. (AFP)

Oct. 4, 2010 -- WASHINGTON (Agence France Presse) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday threw out a plea by 23 lawyers for Guantanamo Bay detainees to be informed whether conservations by their clients had been subjected to wiretaps.

The nation's highest court refused to hear the case, without giving a reason, dismissing claims from the detainees lawyers that the possibility that their clients had been subjected to eavesdropping was complicating the cases.

Intelligence services were given the authority to carry out wiretaps without first obtaining court approval after the September 11, 2001 attacks. But the existence of such tapes was only brought to light in 2005.

Pointing to U.S. law on the freedom of information, the lawyers for the detainees held in the U.S. military base in Cuba, asked to be given any relevant documents by the National Security Agency (NSA).

READ MORE: Common Dreams