US President George W. Bush on Wednesday had harsh words for the Supreme Court's recent decision allowing inmates at the Guantanamo prison to challenge their detention in civilian courts.

"With this decision, hardened terrorists, hardened foreign terrorists, now enjoy certain legal rights previously reserved for American citizens," Bush said at a Republican party event.

"This is precisely the kind of judicial activism that frustrates the American people and the best way to change it is to put Republicans in charge in the Senate and John McCain in the White House," said Bush, whose successor will be chosen in November elections.

In a major setback for the Bush administration, the high court ruled last week that detainees being held without charge at Guantanamo enjoy the constitutional right of habeas corpus.

For years the Congress and Bush have sought to deny them the key right on the grounds that they are "enemy combatants."

The landmark ruling should now give the prisoners and their legal teams the right to demand to know on what basis they are being held.

The Bush administration so far has refused to unveil the evidence it has to justify the prisoners' open-ended detention, saying doing so would endanger national security.

Bush and Republican allies in Congress have pushed for trying some of the detainees by extraordinary military tribunals in Guantanamo. The tribunals created by Bush were declared illegal in June 2006 by the Supreme Court and then re-established under new legislation adopted by the then Republican-led Congress.

The latest ruling by the high court has cast doubt on the future of the controversial tribunals.

Bush had already reacted to the court's five to four decision during his tour of Europe last week, saying he would abide it though he disagreed with it. He added that he would consider seeking new legislation in response.

The leading presidential candidates disagree over the court's decision. Democrat Barack Obama welcomed the move, saying the court restored the rule of law while McCain said it was one of the worst rulings in the history of the United States.

AFP