U.S. opposes delay in Hamdan trial

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Prosecutors have told a civilian judge he would "hamper the government's war efforts" if he delayed the Guantanamo military commission trial of Salim Hamdan, Osama Bin Laden's one-time personal bodyguard and driver.

The military trial is set to begin Monday at Guantanamo Bay. On Thursday the U.S. District judge in Washington will consider arguments on whether to intervene and force a postponement. Hamdan's lawyers have asked Judge James Robertson to review the military commission procedures, claiming they violate his constitutional rights.

In court documents filed overnight, government lawyers told the court that Hamdan "will not be harmed by allowing his criminal proceedings to move forward, but the harm to the United States and the public interest would be significant."

–From Justice Producer Terry Frieden