No Speedos - they could be fatal

The US military has ended an inquiry into who smuggled unauthorised underwear and a bathing suit to two prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

The investigators concluded more vigilance was needed to prevent contraband from entering the camp that holds 330 suspected al-Qaeda operatives, said Captain Pat McCarthy, the military's chief lawyer for the detention operation at Guantanamo.

Media reports of underwear smuggling prompted snickers when it came to light last month and Captain McCarthy admitted, "We laughed too."

But he said it was a serious breach because the Speedo bathing suit and the athletic-style briefs were made of strong fabric that could enable them to be used as nooses.

"[It] sounds funny until a guy is hanging at the end of a Speedo drawstring," he said.

Officials said they were also concerned by the security breaches the incident exposed.

Four prisoners have been found dead and hanging in their cells from makeshift nooses, three in June 2006 and one last May.

After the first deaths, the prisoners' underwear was switched from briefs with wide elastic bands to boxers made of flimsier fabric that rips under stress.

So camp officials were alarmed when two prisoners represented by lawyers from the same firm were found with the tough, stretchy Under Armour briefs favoured by athletes. The Office of the Navy Judge Advocate General sent the lawyers a letter in August asking if they had sneaked in the underwear.

The lawyers, Clive Stafford Smith and Zachary Katznelson of the British human rights group Reprieve, sent back a letter denying it and calling the question absurd. They said they had not seen the prisoners for many months. Stymied, the investigators closed the probe.

"The conclusion is we are unaware of how they got that matter," Captain McCarthy said. "We will continue to be vigilant to try to avoid a repeat."

- Reuters