An Arabic-English translator quoted defendant Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul as telling the US war crimes tribunal, "I am from al Qaeda and the relationship between me and September 11"
At that point the tribunal's presiding officer cut him off. Court was recessed a few minutes later after a confusing conversation between the presiding officer, Army Colonel Peter Brownback, who spoke in English, and al Bahlul, who was listening through earphones to an Arabic-English translator.
Bahlul is among the first four suspected al Qaeda fighters held at a remote US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to face criminal charges of conspiring to commit war crimes, and the third to appear before a military tribunal this week for pre-trial hearings.
Washington's treatment of the Guantanamo prisoners has outraged human rights groups and angered some foreign nations. Most of the 585 prisoners were captured more than two years ago during the war against al Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan and have not been charged or given access to lawyers.
President George W. Bush authorised the tribunals to try foreign militants after the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed some 3,000 people. They are the first war-crimes tribunals held by the United States since the Second World War.
Bahlul asked to act as his own attorney. Brownback said no, telling Bahlul that court rules required defence attorneys to be US citizens and military officers licensed to practice law and with security clearance.
During confused exchanges, Brownback several times signalled to those who were speaking to slow down because the translators could not keep up. The translators also appeared to have trouble explaining complex legal terms.
At one point, a translator quoted Bahlul as saying that he had studied some law in Yemen. But another translator interrupted and told the court; "My understanding was he knew some people who practised law in Yemen."
Bahlul said in another exchange that he did not want any attorney to represent him. "If I do not have to attend the hearings, I would rather not attend." Then he said if attendance was required, he would sit silently.
According to the charges Bahlul went to Afghanistan in 1999, attended an al Qaeda training camp and pledged his allegiance to bin Laden.