The judge set another hearing next month in a long-running drama that suggests Obama's plan to close the offshore prison by January is overly optimistic.
Obama has pledged to keep the military tribunals for at least some Guantanamo detainees, but the turmoil in a case that was once days away from trial shows how even small issues can stall the system for prosecuting terror suspects. Eleven detainees are facing charges, including five men accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks.
Obama has asked the military judge to freeze all pending cases until mid-September as his administration reviews strategy for prosecuting terror suspects. Some are expected to be transferred to US federal court, and Obama is modifying the Guantanamo system with new rules meant to give detainees stronger legal protections.
Khadr is accused of killing US Army Sergeant 1st Class Christopher Speer of Albuquerque, with a grenade during a 2002 battle in Afghanistan.
The chief defense counsel, Air Force Colonel Peter Masciola, has been trying since April to fire an attorney for Khadr, Navy Lieutenant Commander William Kuebler, whose aggressive tactics and impromptu news conferences have riled military superiors. The judge called yesterday's hearing after Kuebler insisted Masciola can't dismiss him without the trial judge's permission.
Khadr said he wanted to fire all three of his American lawyers. Told he needed to keep one or represent himself, Khadr chose Kuebler. But the detainee said he trusts only his Canadian lawyers and wants to consult them before the next hearing on July 13.
Khadr, the son of a slain Al Qaeda financier, was 15 when he was captured following a battle at an Al Qaeda stronghold. He faces up to a life sentence if convicted on the charges, including murder and conspiracy.
In Washington, meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the United States to publicly reveal unclassified versions of its allegations and evidence justifying the continued imprisonment of more than 100 detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay.
The Justice Department had been filing unclassified versions of its legal documents under seal, so that they could only be seen by judges, attorneys and government officials.
