Thursday, September 20, 2007

43 Republicans Vote Against Habeas Corpus

Senate Rejects to Expand Detainee Rights "The Senate narrowly rejected legislation on Wednesday that would have given military detainees the right to protest their detention in federal court. The 56-43 vote against the bill, by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., fell four votes shy of the 60 needed to cut off debate."

"Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), one of the architects of the law, said the system includes checks and balances to determine whether a person is being held unlawfully." Two US military lawyers say otherwise in a GQ article.

Sen. Jon Kyl, (R-AZ) said "Never has such an unprecedented legal right been granted to a prisoner of war or detainee." The problem is if they were prisoners of war the Geneva Conventions would clearly apply. As we have been repeatedly told, the War on Terror is different. For example, it's a war on a tactic not a nation, so when does it end? With no end we do what, hold these people prisoners in limbo in another country forever?

Sen Arlen Specter (R-PA) gets it right. "The lone Republican to cosponsor the bill, has said he anticipates the court will rule the ban unconstitutional. Habeas corpus "is a constitutional right that has existed since the Magna Carta in 1215," he said."

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