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Faces seven-year term

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE (Cuba): An Australian detenu held for five years at Guantanamo Bay was found guilty on Friday of providing material support for terrorism, the first conviction at a U.S. war-crimes trial since World War II. David Hicks, a 31-year-old Muslim convert, faces a prison sentence of up to seven years under a plea agreement revealed on Friday that also requires Hicks to drop any claims of mistreatment by the U.S. government since he was captured in Afghanistan and taken to Guantanamo Bay, said the judge, Marine Corps Col. Ralph Kohlmann. The plea agreement also calls for an unknown portion of the sentence to be suspended. Hicks had pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday but was not convicted until Col. Kohlmann accepted his plea during Friday's session. The agreement calls for Hicks to be returned to Australia within 60 days of his sentencing, which is expected within days. The U.S. government had previously agreed to let him serve any sentence in Australia.

AP

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