President Bush has designated six prisoners for possible trial by military tribunal.

Unlike traditional criminal trials, the proceedings of military tribunals can be kept much more secret. The United States has not convened such a tribunal since World War II. The prospect of secret trials drew criticism from the chairman of the American Bar Association's task force on the treatment of detainees in the war on terrorism.

"The State Department issues a report every year in which it criticizes those nations that conduct trials before secret military tribunals," said Neal Sonnett, also a former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "What I'm hearing sounds alarmingly like something similar."

"If they're going to be charged by military tribunals then they have a right to full due process and the public has a right to know who's being tried and what the charges are and the government has an obligation to run these tribunals in a fair and transparent way."

Bush won't identify the six. It's possible they could go to trial and be convicted without anyone knowing who they are. The Defense Department will only say they are all in U.S. custody.

"It's a Draconian system of justice that is almost guaranteed to get convictions, including a possible death penalty," Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights said Thursday.

Update: Don't miss Patrick Nielsen Hayden of Electrolite on the decison.