McCain praises terrorism detainee deal

‘No vague terms’
Democrats have said they support the measure as long as the plan is sound.

“No blank checks, no vague terms,” said California Rep. Jane Harman, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. Harman, as the panel’s senior Democrat, is one of four members of Congress who had extensive, classified briefings on the CIA detention and interrogation program.

The agreement was hailed by human rights groups and seen by many as the president caving in when his usual Republican support crumbled. But White House officials said the end result includes enough legal protection for the CIA program to continue.

“The program will go forward” and “the men and women who are asked to carry out that program will have clarity as to the legal standard, will have clear congressional support, and will have legal protections as we ask them to do this difficult work,” said Stephen Hadley, the president’s national security adviser.

After weeks of stalled talks, Senate leaders Thursday morning demanded resolution of the impasse over the detainee legislation. Warner, McCain and Graham met with administration officials throughout the day, finally emerging with an agreement in which both sides claimed victory.

Other members had not been briefed and at least one House conservative is likely to oppose the provision requiring evidence be divulged to a defendant, out of concern it could expose classified information.

“We want to have the ability to have these tribunals to prosecute the terrorists who right now are waiting at Guantanamo,” Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But while a system must be put in place, “we want to do it right.”

Leading priority
The handling of suspects is one of two administration priorities relating to the war on terror. The other involves the president’s request for legislation to explicitly allow wiretapping without a court warrant on international calls and e-mails between suspected terrorists in the United States and abroad.

One official said Republicans had narrowed their differences with the White House over that issue, as well, and hoped for an agreement soon.

In its June ruling, the Supreme Court said Bush’s plan for trying terrorism suspects before military tribunals violated the Geneva Conventions and U.S. law.

The court, in a 5-3 ruling, found that Congress had not given Bush the authority to create the special type of military trial and that the president did not provide a valid reason for the new system. The justices also said the proposed trials did not provide for minimum legal protections under international law.

About 450 terrorism suspects, most of them captured in Afghanistan and none of them in the U.S., are being held by military authorities at Guantanamo Bay. Ten have been charged with crimes.

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