International Herald Tribune reports:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 — Republican lawmakers said today that the Bush administration had reached an agreement with three crucial Republican senators on legislation to clarify which interrogation techniques can be used against terror suspects and to establish trial procedures for those in military custody.
Representative Duncan Hunter of California, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said a “conceptual agreement” had been reached.
This announcement followed a meeting at the White House between Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser, and the three senators: John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John Warner of Virginia. Mr. Warner said “we did our duty” after confirming that an accord had been reached.
Neither Mr. Warner nor Mr. Hunter offered [sic] no details of the accord, and it was unclear whether it satisfied all the senators’ demands. Nor was it clear how Democrats – who have largely stood aside while the Republicans feuded – would react.
No details. We’ll see what the bill looks like when we get a chance to read it.
“We did our duty” = Now we can say we were against torture before we voted to legalize it.
IF the Democratic Party obtains to majority status in the November election, this bill to protect Bush and his Buddies can be immediately rescinded, since it is unconstitutional on the face of it.
It violates Article I and Article VI of our Constitution.
Not to mention the Magna Carta.
Not to mention the Geneva Convention.
Not to mention the Nuremberg Principles.
I am going to throw up. How can anyone, anyone, anyone EVER condone torutre? How do these war criminals keep getting ewverything they want from the congress? HOW? We’re fucked people. Time to start sa
ving for a one way ticket to somewhere other than here.
I already threw up.
And lots of luck trying to emigrate; it’s damn near impossible.
Filibuster. The Democrats HAVE to filibuster. Time to use all that dry powder.
Don’t hold your breath Susan. The Dems are too scared to do anything this close to the election. How can they stand by and do nothing?
For what, exactly, are they keeping their powder dry ? Re-instituting slavery ? Making women chattel property again ? Abolishing child labour laws ? Privatizing everything ?
There is plenty to be wary of in this proposed law. Professor Neal Kaytal of the Georgetown University Law Center, co-led the legal team which prevailed in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (the Supreme Court case about detainee trials prompting the new legislation). In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, he promoted courts-martial for the detainees and warned of severe legal consequences and enormous political costs should Congress legislate an entirely new system for military commissions — something nevertheless included in both the House and the Senate bills.
If the Republicans are so hungry for a new system to try detainees there’s something in it for them. I have two guesses:
(1) insulating the Administration against a lawsuit by detainees; (2) starting detainee trials ASAP — October Surprise.