Ashcroft Wants Broader Anti-Terror Powers
WASHINGTON - Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) asked Congress Thursday for expanded powers to hold suspected terrorists indefinitely before trials and to let him seek the death penalty or life imprisonment for any terrorist act.
Ashcroft told the House Judiciary Committee that the 2001 Patriot Act signed into law after the Sept. 11 attacks should also be expanded to let prosecutors bring charges against anyone who supports or works with suspected terrorist groups as "material supporters."
"The law has several weaknesses which terrorists could exploit, undermining our defenses," Ashcroft said.