The Pentagon has dropped charges against a Saudi citizen alleged to have been the "20th hijacker" in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.
Mohammad al-Qahtani was one of six Guantanamo Bay inmates charged with murder and war crimes in February.
The Pentagon said the case against the other five defendants would proceed.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against the suspects in a case before military tribunals at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay.
'Torture'
A Pentagon official said the charges against Mohammad al-Qahtani had been dropped "without prejudice", meaning they Government to lift Baghdad curfew ...
Oil prices fall on Saudi comments ... could be reinstated.
Lawyers for the defendant say they believe the charges were dropped because he "was tortured" under interrogation.
The decision could have implications for the other five suspects, whose lawyers claim that similar treatment was meted out to them, the BBC's Adam Brookes reports from Washington.
Authorities say Mr Qahtani failed to take part in the 9/11 attacks because he was denied entry into the US by an immigration official.
In 2006, he recanted accusations he had made against fellow detainees of having links to al-Qaeda.
His lawyer told Time magazine the statements had been extracted under torture.
The Saudi was reportedly submitted to stress positions, sleep deprivation and humiliation at Guantanamo.
(BBC)
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