Congressional Panel Votes To Extend Rights To Terror Suspects

AHN ^ | May 26, 2007 11:35 a.m. EST | Christopher Rizo - AHN Staff Writer

[TaxPayer2000]

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Legislation aimed at extending legal protections to terror suspects cleared a Congressional panel this week with the backing of Democrats, who worry that detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may be denied due process.

The proposal, approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee, would, among other things, restrict the type of evidence that could be used against terror suspects. It would also narrow the legal definition of an enemy combatant and give detainees access to lawyers. That would help the approximately 380 detainees at the naval instillation.

Currently, only so-called high-value terror suspects selected for prosecution are provided legal counsel and access to the evidence used against them. Other detainees undergo reviews by a panel of military officials to assess whether they still pose a security threat.

Critics of the proposal, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, see the bill as an impediment to intelligence gatherers and other military operations.

"Any changes have to meet the test for me that they will not compromise our ability to wage war," the South Carolina Republican told The Associated Press on Friday.

[I_Like_Spam]

This seems to be a new way of fighting a war, one which the US military is not accustomed to.

Treating the enemy as if they are criminal suspects is a totally novel approach, I’ve never seen it in any of the war movies I’ve watched over the years.

Just doesn’t seem very smart, if the goal of the war is victory.

[Tzimisce]

In our country we treat lawbreakers like citizens. In other countries, they treat lawbreakers like criminals. :D

[TeenagedConservative]

Ok. Because if the Democrats were voting to eliminate section 208 of the Patriot Act that states that citizens can be detained in this manner as well, I’d be all for it. But damn, the Demos seem to choose the worst possible battles to show their “principles.”

[El Gato]

who worry that detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may be denied due process.

They are already due process Military tribunals are due process, regardless of what the "we loathe the military" crowd might insinuate.

Certainly more than Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., found in the Euphrates river with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and evidence of being whipped on his back. I guess they didn't have time to remove his head, probably because US and Iraqi forces were closing in, and they valued their own a$$es more than his head.