Posted on 11/12/2005 5:50:03 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
This past Thursday, US Senate Republicans voted to bar terror suspects being held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba military detention center from challenging their detentions in US federal courts.
The bill proposal is a result of a Supreme Court 5-4 ruling last year that gave terrorists access to American courts even though they are terrorists or enemy combatants captured during the global war on terrorism.
With the Senate's 49-42 vote, the provision written by Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, was added to the military budget bill.
On the floor of the Senate, Sen. Graham said, "For 200 years, ladies and gentlemen, in the law of armed conflict, no nation has given an enemy combatant, a terrorist, an Al-Qaeda member the ability to go into every federal court in this United States and sue the people that are fighting the war for us.''
However, Democrats didn't see things that way. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat, called the provision a major mistake and said it deserved closer scrutiny by lawmakers. "It's contrary to the way the court decisions have come down already. It is an extraordinary step for this Congress to be taking,'' he said.
However, most counterterrorists, military and law enforcement alike, believe it to be a slap in the face to American citizens to have citizenship rights extended to those who would kill, maim and imprison them.
Only three Democrats sided with 46 Republicans to insert the provision in the overall defense bill. Surprisingly, four Republicans voted against the amendment. These four members of the GOP are said to be RINOs or Republicans In Name Only by Republican loyalists.
Even more disturbing is that the overwhelming majority in the Senate voted to mandate National Intelligence Director John Negroponte to provide the Senate and House intelligence committees with details of any clandestine facilities where the United States holds or has held terrorism suspects. This is disturbing since this would jeopardize sources and methods as well as national security. In Washington, most leaks of classified material come from the US Congress. In fact, some lawmakers are known to be Washington's biggest leakers such as Senator Patrick "Leaky" Leahy.
The mandate is an overreaction to a recent Washington Post story that alleged the CIA is operating secret prisons for terror detainees in some Eastern Europe countries and elsewhere. In spite of pressure by the Democrats, the Bush administration continues to neither deny or confirm the existence of these so-called secret prisons, which house the most dangerous terrorists and those likely to have valuable information on terrorist plots and activities.
One intelligence officer told this writer, on deep background, that he believes it was Senator John McCain who leaked information to the Washington Post in order to pressure the White House into agreeing with his anti-torture legislation. A former Vietnam POW, McCain is know to be very sensitive to issues regarding prisoners of war and enemy combatants. In a recent interview, Senator Trent Lott, a GOP stalwart, claimed that the secret prisons leak came from a Republican.
This has caused a rift between conservatives and the Republicans who are seen as cooperating with the Democrats in giving aid and comfort to the enemy. The confrontation between the President and some Republican Senators is seen as another example of the Republicans allowing themselves to be manipulated by the Democrats, liberal groups and the mainstream media.
More distressing is the Senate Democrats attempting to bully the Republicans into cooperating with them on a proposal requiring Bush "to outline a timetable for a phased withdrawal of US forces."
Bush refuses to set a timetable because to do so would provide aid to the enemy in developing their terror strategy. Once the enemy knows the exact timetable for troop reductions, they can plan accordingly.
The anti-war politicians, activists and news media -- some operating covertly -- have achieved the first part of their plan which was to turn public opinion against the military action in Iraq. Now they are ready to start pushing for withdrawal which emboldens the terrorists to fight harder and kill more American and coalition soldiers. As usual the left is working vigorously to thwart an American victory in the war on terrorism, even if it means giving aid and comfort to the enemy through the legislative process and the US courts.
This was an act commited by a gaggle of socialist America haters that dream of America losing this important conflict. Either they're crazy or they, like the Muslims, are our enemies.
I think the answer lies in the latter.
They're more sympathetic to terrorists than our soldiers.
FDR and Truman would be hanging their heads in shame.
This is somewhat confusing - the title says one thing, but the body of the text says that the senators voted by a slim margin to prevent terrorists held at GTMO from using US courts to sue the US for their detention... confusing ...
Just a little tidbit on what we were puzzling over.
He must have been tortured to do that, since he is such a hero to the liberals and MSM he would not do this willingly.
The Bass turd.
[This is somewhat confusing - the title says one thing, but the body of the text says that the senators voted by a slim margin to prevent terrorists held at GTMO from using US courts to sue the US for their detention... confusing ...]
Yeah, it is cornfusing. Maybe the author was tipsy?
We must remember that McCain has a history. Low ranking military officer, prisioner, Senator, Keating five, Soros man. How dare he weaken US security?
enemies.
Plain and Simple!!!
The US Senate is a Terrorist loving org.
Was also hated by his fellow prisoners. I wonder why? Perhaps the gooks gave him a matress and other goodies.
And who told McCain ????
The part that the title is referring to is the aditional provision inserted by the Senators requiring the Nat Int Dir to tell congress all about any "secret" overseas detention facilities.
There are ways to insure the executive is not building an anti-democratic arm within the government, to act against the people, without every national security secret being divulged to Congress.
What Congress seeks is simply further extension of its "legislated" powers over the executive.
Who knows, Mo. The thing gives me whiplash trying to figure this one out. On the whole though I have decided that our Senators are a pretty disgusting bunch. This began to dawn on me with the emergence of C-Span.
It sounds JUST like McCain. He uses dirty tricks to get what he wants and then turns around and accuses others of working behind HIS back.
Ever notice how people accuse others of the very same tactics they use?
And, btw, I'd love to know what McCain calls torture. Because what I saw about Abu Grahib wasn't torture. It was humiliation and fear.
With Anti-American Socialists like Ted Kennedy and Pat Leahy in the Senate, and Pelosi in the House, this bill could be deep trouble for our intelligence gathering. They'll no doubt leak anything they can to our enemies, especially if it discredits Republicans.
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