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Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Objects to Provision of Detainee Bill

By Nedra Pickler
Associated Press
September 24, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday he has a problem with the Republican agreement on rules for the interrogation and trial of suspects in terrorism cases.

President George W. Bush is pushing Congress to put the agreement into law before adjourning for the midterm elections, but Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, said Sunday he "vigorously" disagrees with a provision of the bill that would allow legal counsel and a day in court only to detainees selected by the Pentagon for prosecution.

Other terror suspects could be held indefinitely without a hearing.

"The courts have traditionally been open to make sure that individual rights are protected, and that is fundamental," Specter said on CNN's "Late Edition.

Specter scheduled a hearing on the issue for Monday. Otherwise, he said, most of the legislation is a "big improvement" over what Bush originally proposed.

The White House was forced to make concessions by a group of Senate Republicans who objected to the harsh treatment that would be allowed against detainees. The Bush administration agreed to drop one provision narrowly interpreting international standards of prisoner treatment and another allowing defendants to be convicted on evidence they never see.

The bill lists acts that would constitute war crimes, including torture, rape, biological experiments and cruel and inhuman treatment. White House officials said these provisions would provide the CIA the clarity it needs to continue with the interrogation of its most valued suspects.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, said Sunday he expected the bill would pass before Congress adjourns.

"It's very important, because right now these detainees that we have down in GuantanamoBay right now, we can't even try them now," Frist said on ABC's "This Week." "Right now, unless we pass this bill, we cannot have an interrogation program continue that we know has been lifesaving that has uncovered terrorist attacks against the United States."

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