An American citizen, accused of plotting to detonate a so-called radioactive 'dirty bomb' in the United States, has been charged with conspiracy to aid foreign terrorists.
35-year-old Jose Padilla has been detained, without trial, for the past three years.
Mr Padilla has languished off the coast of the US on a navy prison ship labelled as an 'enemy combatant' by order of US President George W Bush. This removed his right to have his case heard in a US court.
He was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in May 2002, suspected of planning to detonate a so-called radioactive 'dirty bomb'.
He has now been charged along with four non-US citizens of conspiring to aid foreign terrorists. There are no charges relating to any dirty bomb plot. He is being transferred to Florida so his case can be heard in a federal court.
Mr Padilla's lawyers had been preparing his case for an appeal before the Supreme Court to force the US government to either charge him or release him.
Yesterday they said they intended to continue the case to test if the anti-terror detention policies of the Bush Administration were constitutional.
