The first US war crimes trial since the Second World War was beginning today at Guantanamo Bay.

A military trial will hear the case of Salim Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden. He is accused of conspiracy and supporting terrorism.

Mr Hamdan, a Yemeni who was captured in Afghanistan in November 2001, pleaded not guilty as today's proceedings got under way.

Military prosecutors are keen to use the case of Mr Hamdan to showcase a tribunal system that has seen several legal obstacles. The Australian David Hicks was to face a military trial in March 2007 but his case was halted after he pleaded guilty in a pre-trial hearing.

The US Government has already flown witnesses to Guantanamo and gathered a pool of American military officers, 12 of whom will sit on Mr Hamdan's jury. Such preparations were not made in the case of Mr Hicks.

The Bush Administration set up the special military commissions in Guantanamo after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The commissions were declared illegal by the Supreme Court in 2006 but were reinstalled by the US Congress a few months later.

Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the Bush Administration for detaining prisoners for years at Guantanamo without trial. There have also been concerns over alleged mistreatment of detainees, including the controversial “waterboarding” technique used during interrogation.

Mr Hamdan has been at Guantanamo since 2002 and has spent much of his time in isolation. US journalists who attended his preliminary hearings describe him as appearing haggard, with back pain causing him difficulty walking.

A series of attempts by Mr Hamdan's lawyers to halt his case have failed and they have confirmed they will appeal. The trial is expected to last about three weeks.

Of the 260 detainees currently in Guantanamo, the US Government plans to put between 60 and 80 of them on trial.

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