Senate Defies Bush On Terror Bill

(CBS/AP)  A rebellious Senate committee defied President Bush on Thursday and approved terror-detainee legislation he has vowed to block, deepening Republican conflict over terrorism and national security in the middle of election season.

Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, normally a Bush supporter, pushed the measure through his Armed Services Committee by a 15-9 vote, with Warner and three other GOP lawmakers joining Democrats. The vote set the stage for a showdown on the Senate floor as early as next week.

Joining Warner was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who told CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric that the president's bill as it stands could put U.S. soldiers in danger. "Men and women in the military could be placed in jeopardy if we amend the Geneva Conventions," McCain said.

When asked if he envisioned a damaging political rift in the Republican party over the issue, McCain told Couric he is mainly concerned with the safety of soldiers. "Day-to-day politics pale in comparison to that situation," he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Bush had journeyed to the Capitol to try nailing down support for his own version of the legislation.

"I will resist any bill that does not enable this program to go forward with legal clarity," Mr. Bush said at the White House.

The president's measure would go further than the Senate package in allowing classified evidence to be withheld from defendants in terror trials, using coerced testimony and protecting U.S. interrogators against prosecution for using methods that violate the Geneva Conventions.

The treatment of detainees has long dogged the Bush Administration. ever since abuses at Abu Ghraib. Since then the military has gone out of its way to show detainees at Guantanamo are treated humanely, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

The internal GOP struggle intensified along other fronts, too, as Colin Powell, Mr. Bush's first secretary of state, declared his opposition to the president's plan.

"The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism," Powell, a retired general who is also a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a letter.

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Colin Powell's letter to Sen. John McCain (.pdf)

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Powell joined opponents to that legislation who argue it would undermine the Geneva Conventions, further hurt America's image in the world and put future American POWs at greater risk, CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports.

Firing back, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Powell was confused about the White House plan. Later, Snow said he probably shouldn't have used that word.

"I know that Colin Powell wants to beat the terrorists, too," he said.

Countering Powell's letter, the administration produced one from the current secretary of state to Warner. In it, Condoleezza Rice wrote that narrowing the standards for detainee treatment as Bush has proposed "would add meaningful definition and clarification to vague terms in the treaties."

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[mjv2944]

They, meaning politicians are not honorable people. In all of my 60+ years I've never witnessed such disregard for the American people and the Constitution. It is time to take back our country. VOTE THE SCOUNDRELS OUT. They do not deserve to be there. Now is when you can really see justification for term limits.

[book54552134]

Sorry RonnieHM, but your analogy is all wrong. Presidential power proceeds unchecked only when allowed to do so by a compliant Congress. This story has been unfolding for 5 years. The Senate, (controled by Republicans,) could have put a stop to these crimes, almost immediately, if it had wanted to do so. Your partisan attempt to hold Republican Senators blameless for allowing these crimes to continue unchecked for 5 years just doesn't hold water.

[actsmarter]

Further clarification of the comment by Colin Powell....."The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

I am sure Colin Powell began to doubt the moral basis of the fight against terrorism when he resigned his position. Furthermore, the world began to doubt the moral basis of the fight against terrorism when German Engineers produced this website...
http://home.debitel.net/user/andreas.bunkahle/defaulte.htm

Furthermore, the French produced this website titled Hunt the Boeing: http://webplaza.pt.lu/strasjkl/pentagon.html

The British BBC reported the Supposed Hijackers were alive and well at this website....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1559151.stm

Do you really believe the "world" is just beginning to doubt the morality of our war against terror? Wake up, because they questioned it much much earlier.

[hayesmikej]

I hope that there will be bipartisan support for legislation to continue the Geneva Convention protections by the US government, so that actions by any government which fails to observe the conventions will be regarded as unacceptable (and illegal).

Mike Hayes

[actsmarter]

What happened to great republicans like Abraham Lincoln, who would tell us the truth, with no ambition for private enterprise, he was a great public servant, whose focus was on the government of the United States with no ties to "big oil"

Why in this time are there over 1,500,000 views of loose change 911 on the internet? The fact is that in the long run, truth reaches everyone.

I was one of those thinkers that believed that after the end of the cold war that there would be no need for espionage. No need for lies or strategic actions against officials of other nations, and that peace on earth was a definite reachable possibility. I am grateful to the Republicans that oppose any actions that violate the Geneva Convention. Colin Powell's statement should be slightly modified to read... the world has doubted our moral basis in our fight against terrorism since January of 2002, and many Americans are growing to doubt the moral basis in our fight against terrorism due to Internet free speech. Does anyone want to question the morality of Blessed are the peacemakers! or Thou shalt not kill? If the Government will not come forward with the truth, and the bravery to do the right thing, there are plenty of Americans in this country who will. Our constitution was written to prevail, and truth will always win.

[lukebize]

Posted by jRBrook at 10:00 PM : Sep 14, 2006:

"Hurrah! And I thought all Republicans were corrupt, greedy and without moral principles."

No, you have mistaken craven Republican politicians currently holding office with real Americans who adhere to Republican values. They are not the same.

I could introduce you to real Americans (who just happen to be Republican) who are some of the most interesting, charitable, neighborly and honest people I have ever met. Many have lived their lives supporting their President and they are not about to change now.

Many of them have good judgement, high IQs and endless common sense. They deserve to be heard and their opinions given serious consideration.

They are the reason I cannot believe this President was honestly elected.

[mac2499-2009]

If the country, that believes has the right to impose democracy on those countries it feels are a danger to the world and itself and its people, decides that the Geneva convention is not its cup of coffe then I am afraid that country has began the path towards loosing its democracy. I know that the U.S goverment is fighting its so called war on terrorism but your are not going to do it by saying its ok to torture your enemies. That makes the U.S no different than Cuba or China or Syria. My fear is that the U.S. is going to become like China. Capitalistic but a the same time very controlling of its people. And it has already started by tapping into peoples phone, monitoring bank accounts and having trials in secret.

[jrbrook]

Hurrah! And I thought all Republicans were corrupt, greedy and without moral principles.

[skypilotman62]

If you were there seeing all the people that Hitler had ordered to be tortured and killed, you would understand why the Geneva Convention was created. No human being deserves to be treated in such a inhumane way. If you change the Geneva Convention laws and by-laws, you will be allowing any nation to do unto their prisoners what ever they want and America would be looked at as a unmoral country. We may even lose our allies in the near future, which America can not afford to lose.

[pm761]

The truth of the matter regarding "Terror Bill" is that Bush & Co. is in violation of the Geneva Conventions. After he ordered the torture of the prisoners, the secret prisons, etc., it makes him a war criminal. This is why he is pushing this legislation like his life depends on it, because it does.

However, Bush & Co. knew the law before he ordered the torturing of prisoners. He knew he was in violation and he ordered the torture anyway. Prisoners have died due to his orders, which then opens him up to the death penalty.

Bush doesn't care about our troops, he cares about saving his own skin. Hence, this is why he wants this legislation, and the NSA legislation passed. These are impeachable offenses, and in violation of international law.

Don't be confused by any of this. Bush will put our troops at risk to save his own skin. He led us into an illegal war and put our troops at huge risk. America should honor the Geneva Convention AS IT STANDS NOW. Bush should honor the fact that he broke the law and he will have to answer to an international court of law, and so will all of those who followed his illegal orders.