A US military tribunal at Guantanamo formally convicted Australian David Hicks today of providing material support for terrorism.
The tribunal judge accepted Hicks' guilty plea as part of an agreement that limits his sentence to seven years in prison, in addition to the five years he has already been detained at Guantanamo.
The deal allows for at least part of that sentence to be suspended.
Appearing at the US military's war crimes tribunal court at Guantanamo today, Hicks acknowledged that he trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and fought with its forces against US allies in Afghanistan in late 2001 for two hours and then sold his gun to raise cab fare and tried to flee to Pakistan.
He denied having any advance knowledge of the September 11th attacks.
The former farmhand from Adelaide pleaded guilty on Monday to providing material support for terrorism. He will serve his prison term in Australia.
He is the first person to be convicted in revised military tribunals created by the US Congress after the Supreme Court struck down an earlier version that President Bush authorised to try foreign captives on terrorism charges.
Rights groups and foreign governments have long condemned the prison at the US naval base on the eastern tip of Cuba for what they say is abuse of prisoners' rights.
Washington has argued the camp is necessary to hold detainees in the "war on terrorism" it declared after the September 11th attacks more than five years ago.