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Images that shame
US
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Backed by a
Republican majority, a controversial bill on the treatment of detained terror
suspects finally passed the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday.
The House endorsed the bill by a 253-168 vote after
limited debate, with the Republican majority hoping to send it to U.S. President
George W. Bush before the weekend.
The goal is now within reach as senators have agreed
to limit debate on a similar bill, which is set to pass Senate on Wednesday or
Thursday.
The bill will establish a military court system to
prosecute terror suspects and while granting defendants more legal rights than
they had under the administration's old system, it eliminates rights usually
granted in civilian and military courts.
It also provides extensive definitions of war crimes
such as torture, rape and biological experiments, but gives Bush broad authority
to decide which other techniques U.S. interrogators can legally use.
The provisions are intended to protect CIA
interrogators from being prosecuted for war crimes.
Human rights groups and many Democrats said the bill
gave Bush too much latitude to allow harsh interrogations and to deprive
detainees of legal rights.
The passage of the bill spelt the end of a
pre-election internal fight within the Republican camp.
For nearly two weeks the GOP have been embarrassed as
the White House and leading Republican senators debated on the content of the
bill.
The two sides reached a compromise last Thursday, and
Republicans are regarding the passage of the bill as a booster for their effort
to cast the party as strong on national security, a hot issue in the November
midterm elections. Enditem
Related:
Bush urges Congress to adopt proposal
on detainee law
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President Bush on Friday urges Congress
to adopt his proposal on a new law defining the treatment of detained
terror suspects. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President
George W. Bush urged the Congress again on Friday to adopt his proposal on a new
law defining the treatment of detained terror suspects. >>>
Compromise reached on detainee
treatment
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The White House and
several key Senators on Thursday reached a compromise on the proposed detainee
treatment legislation, ending a Republican internal conflict ahead of the
November elections. >>>
Bush appeals for support to try
suspects in Guantanamo 
BEIJING, Sept. 8 -- US President George W. Bush has
urged Congress to pass legislation as quickly as possible, to authorize new
military tribunals to try terrorism suspects at the military prison in
Guantanamo. >>>
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- By announcing transfer
of 14 key terror suspects from secret CIA custody to U.S. naval base at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged on Wednesday
the prisons' existence. >>> US urged to close all secret detention
centers
GENEVA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A UN human rights panel on
Friday urged the United States to close all secret detention centers and allow
access to those detained in connection with the "anti-terrorism war." <<Full story
CIA operating secret prisons abroad:
newspaper report
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Immediately after The
Washington Post revealed last week that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
has been operating a secret prison system abroad, the spy agency sent a report
to the Justice Department requesting a review of the story to determine whether
classified information was leaked. <<Full story
U.S. military expects Guantanamo
tribunals to resume
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military
expects military tribunals could resume at Guantanamo base as soon as early 2007
once the U.S. Congress approves new legislation for trying terror suspects. >>>
3 Guantanamo detainees commit
suicide 
WASHINGTON, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Three foreign
prisoners being held at the U.S. navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, committed
suicide by hanging themselves with clothing and bedsheets on Saturday, the U.S.
Defense Department said. >>>
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