Al-Qaeda Commander Could Escape Prosecution

24/7 News Source - The lawyer for a prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay wants his client classified as a "soldier" under international war rules.

The change could allow the suspected terrorist to escape prosecution. The U.S. State Department says the prisoner was chosen by Osama bin Laden to oversee al-Qaeda's operations in Iraq. The man was captured in 2007 and sent to Guantanamo as a "high-value detainee."

The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that al-Qaeda members cannot be classified as "lawful combatants" or soldiers.