Conflicting military commissions bills moving through congressional committees News
Conflicting military commissions bills moving through congressional committees

[JURIST] The US House Armed Services Committee [official website] approved [press release] its version of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 [text] Wednesday, a bill that would permit the use of military commissions [JURIST news archive] for terror detainees and enemy combatants. President Bush presented [JURIST report] the legislation [PDF text; White House fact sheet] to Congress last Friday.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Warner (R-VA) [official website], chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee [official website], said his committee will consider the compromise military commissions bill [JURIST report; PDF text] he has co-sponsored with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) [official website] and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) [official website] when it meets on Thursday. The three senators take issue with several provisions in the Bush administration's proposed bill, particularly as it conflicts with prisoners' rights guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions [ICRC materials]. A meeting with CIA Director Michael Hayden [official profile] and acting Assistant Attorney General Steven Bradbury [SourceWatch profile] Wednesday failed to persuade the senators to adopt the administration's view.

The full House and Senate are not expected to vote on the military commissions bills until next week at the earliest. AP has more.

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