Restore? Rights? B http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News <http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsec tion=Americas&month=June2007&file=World_News2007060882249.xml> &subsection=Americas&month=June2007&file=World_News2007060882249.xml US Senate moves to restore detainee rights Web posted at: 6/8/2007 8:22:49 Source ::: REUTERS
WASHINGTON . Guantanamo prisoners and other foreigners got a step closer to regaining the right to challenge their detention in the US courts in a bill approved in a US Senate committee today. The Judiciary Committee voted 11-8 to send the proposal to the full Senate for debate, with Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania the lone Republican joining the Democratic majority. Congress last year revoked the rights of foreign terrorism suspects labeled "enemy combatants" to challenge their detention by the United States. The Bush administration said it was necessary to prevent them from attacking Americans if freed. The move affected about 380 suspected Al Qaeda and Taleban captives held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. It could also affect 12m legal residents of the United States who are not US citizens, said the committee chairman, Democratic Sen Patrick Leahy of Vermont."I hope the Senate will reconsider the historic error in judgment," Leahy said. The proposal would restore the right of habeas corpus, which has been the foundation of Anglo-American justice. It prevents the government from locking people up without review by a court. Leahy said the bill removing that right violated the US constitution, ignored centuries of legal practice and conflicted with US calls for other nations to respect human rights. "I implore those who supported this change to think about whether eliminating habeas truly makes America safer in the world, and whether it comports with the values, liberties ad legal traditions we hold most dear," he said. "It makes us less safe." The removal of habeas rights was part of the Military Commissions Act, which also created new military tribunals to try the Guantanamo prisoners on war crimes charges. Congress was led by Republicans when it was rushed through, shortly before elections that put Democrats in control. There was no opposition expressed at yesterday's committee meeting. But aides said that should not be construed as a sign of support from several Republicans who missed the meeting to take part in an important debate on immigration reform. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
