Facing revolt, Bush defends terror proposals

CIA at center of debate
The vote set up a legislative showdown during an election year in which Republicans hope to protect control of both houses of Congress by appearing strong on fighting terrorism.

The main debate is over White House efforts to write definitions of what would be inhumane treatment under the Geneva Conventions, giving CIA interrogators guidelines on what interrogation methods may be used for a program it credits for breaking up eight terrorism plots.

Bush said the Geneva Conventions’ Common Article 3 is vague and must be clarified to protect CIA interrogators from prosecution by other countries. Article 3 requires detainees be "treated humanely" and bars "outrages upon personal dignity."

Bush wants Congress to pass legislation interpreting the conventions as barring "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment, rather than the "personal dignity" phrases which, he argues, are so vague that they leave interrogators open to prosecution for a wide variety of techniques.

The Washington Post wrote in an editorial on Friday that Bush was basically lobbying for torture and that the CIA wants permission to interrogate detainees “with abusive practices that in the past have included induced hypothermia and ‘waterboarding,’ or simulated drowning.”

Critics of Bush’s proposal argue that reinterpreting the Geneva Conventions would be seen as  weakening the treaty and be an invitation to other countries, including Iran and Syria, to attempt to change language they find objectionable.

"What is being billed as 'clarifying' our treaty obligations will be seen as 'withdrawing' from the treaty obligations," Graham said. "It will set precedent which could come back to haunt us."

How legislation differs
The Senate committee bill would require that defendants have access to classified evidence used against them, limit the use of hearsay evidence and restrict the use of evidence obtained by coercion.

The president’s measure would allow classified evidence to be withheld from defendants in terror trials, using coerced testimony and protecting CIA and other U.S. interrogators against prosecution for using methods that may violate the Geneva Conventions.

Friday's news conference is the president's first since Aug. 21, when he said the Iraq war was “straining the psyche of our country” but that leaving now would be a disaster.

Bush has made the struggle against terrorism and the war in Iraq the top issues in the November elections, hoping to persuade voters that Republicans are better than Democrats at protecting the country.

Bush’s voice rose and he chopped the air with his right hand several times as he spoke on Iraq. He denied anew that the surge in sectarian violence meant a civil war.

On other subjects, Bush:

• All but acknowledged one of his top domestic priorities — immigration law overhaul — was essentially dead for now amid disputes on Capitol Hill. When will there be action, he was asked. “I don’t know the timetable. ... My answer is as soon as possible is what I’d like to see done.”
• Said he will signal at the United Nations next week firm U.S. opposition to delaying nuclear negotiations with Iran. He said he won’t meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who also will be at the United Nations next week.
• Cited a “level of frustration” with the United Nations, both on dealing with the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and with spending its money wisely.
• Responded that “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way” when asked if he agreed with comments by House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, that Democrats “are more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people.” But, he said, “there’s a difference in attitude” between Republicans and Democrats.

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