Obama administration moves to keep hearing into treatment of force-fed Guantanamo inmate secret

The White House wants a court hearing into a Guantanamo Bay prisoner held without trial since August 2002 held in secret.

Abu Wa'el Dhiab, from Syria, has been on hunger strike and claims that attempts by medics to force feed him are abusive.

However, the Obama administration claims that much of the information about Dhiab is highly classified and cannot be discussed in open court.

The Justice Department claims that 'an open hearing risks unauthorized disclosure of classified or protected information. The record in this case is large, with classified and protected information often inextricably intertwined with unclassified information'.

Dhiab's legal team claims that their client has to be forcibly removed from his cell by guards, and strapped to a chair where the force feeding is carried out.

The Defense Department counters that they only force feed patients against their will to keep them alive.

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