THE two-year imprisonment, without trial, of the terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay shows the United States in poor light.

It also reflect badly on Britain, whose government has made only lightweight representations on behalf of its detained citizens.

The international community expects better from two countries which have waged war in the name of freedom and justice.

The treatment of the Guantanamo detainees represents a blatant abuse of human rights and international law, which both the US and Britain would condemn had it taken place in the former regimes of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The release of the five British citizens is to be welcomed. It is right that they are dealt with according to the principles of our legal system. If they are suspected of committing a crime then they should be taken through the appropriate legal process. If they are deemed innocent and not a danger to society then they should be released as swiftly as possible.

The same principles of fairness and justice should apply to the four Britons and the other terrorist suspects still held at Guantanamo Bay.

After two years of captivity and interrogation, the cases against the detainees must surely be complete.

There must no further delays. Either the US authorities should put them on trial, or release them.

If the British Government is unable to receive such assurances from the United States, then it must insist on the repatriation of its citizens so they can be held to account under our system of justice.

If we are prepared to undertake military action to overthrow tyranny and impose our values of justice on others, then we have to practise what we preach.

If we fail to do so, then our opposition to repression and terrosism has no credibility whatsoever.