McCain, Lieberman Attempt To Ban Civilian Trials For ‘Enemy Combatants’

March 4th, 2010 (6) Posted By Pat Dollard.

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Fox News:

The legislation by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., would result in banning all civilian trials for terror suspects who have been classified as enemy combatants and forcing their cases into military commissions

Two senators from opposite sides of the political aisle are set to unveil sweeping legislation that will prevent “enemy combatants” from being Mirandized, Fox News has learned.

The legislation by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., would result in banning all civilian trials for terror suspects who have been classified as enemy combatants and forcing their cases into military commissions.

The bill lays out “comprehensive policy for the detention, interrogation and trial of suspected unprivileged enemy belligerents who are believed to have engaged in hostilities against the United States by requiring these individuals to be held in military custody, interrogated for their intelligence value and not provided with a Miranda warning,” according to a release from McCain’s office.

“Unprivileged enemy belligerents considered to be a ‘high-value detainee’” would be required “to be held in military custody and interrogated for their intelligence value by a High-Value Detainee Interrogation Team established by the President,” the release states.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed reservations about the bill, saying he “understands what John and Joe are trying to do.” But the former military lawyer added, “I just don’t feel comfortable with it. There is a role for the civilian courts to play.”

A senior Senate Republican aide with knowledge of the legislation told Fox News that the legislation is not designed to have any retroactivity.

That means the bill would not affect the case of the Christmas Day bombing suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutullab.

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  • thrasymakhos

    Yeah…ok…insofar as it goes. When these two “mavericks” are involved I don’t know whether to duck or pucker.

    And what in the hell is Graham up to? Where is common sense. Enemy captured on the field are not entitled to Constitutional Rights. Enemy captured on United States soil should be presumed to be terrorists and liable to execution. In either case, military tribunals can handle and decide that distinction.

    • Bobby E

      :beer: :beer: :beer: … and, that is an odd statement by Graham. WHAT role do the civilian courts have to play?

  • richwill

    Lindsey Graham is over the edge. He is hell bent on passing cap and trade. He should change the R to a D or a S for socialist or C for communist. If he was black I would suggest he run for governor of New York. Maybe if he moved to Harlem, he could fake it using black face.

  • Phil Byler

    The McCain-Lieberman bill is a good bill. As in 2007, when they fought the Democrat Party effort to lose the Iraq War, John McCain and Joe Lieberman now are taking steps to bring sanity to how we deal with radical Islamist unlawful enemy combatants. With respect to foreign policy, military matters and national security, the two know what they are talking about. We are at war, and they know it. Give them credit.

    I am puzzled by Lindsey Graham’s statement that there is a role for federal civilian trials. Graham has his own bill cutting off funding for civilian trials for KSM and four other top operatives of al Qaeda in detention.

  • GRIZZ

    Diaper check

  • GRIZZ

    Nancy graham should open a pie shop