US passes terror trial bill

2006-09-29 09:23

Anne Plummer Flaherty

Washington - The US senate on Thursday passed legislation that endorsed President George W Bush's plan to prosecute and interrogate terrorism suspects, all but sealing approval for a bill Republicans plan to use to spotlight their tough stance against terrorists weeks ahead of congressional elections.

The 65-34 vote means the bill could reach the president's desk by week's end to be signed into law.

The House of Representatives passed almost identical legislation on Wednesday by 253-168 and was expected to endorse the senate bill on Friday, then ship it to the White House.

"The senate sent a strong signal to the terrorists that we will continue using every element of national power to pursue our enemies and to prevent attacks on America," Bush said in a statement on Thursday night.

Wiretapping

The White House was less successful in gaining congressional approval of the president's wiretapping programme. Although the house approved by a 232-191 vote a bill that would grant legal status to the programme with new restrictions, the measure differed so much from the senate version that a reconciliation effort appeared unlikely before the November elections.

The detainee bill would create military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects. It also would prohibit blatant abuses of detainees but grant the president flexibility to decide what interrogation techniques are permissible.

The White House and its supporters have called the measure crucial in the anti-terror fight, but some Democrats said it left the door open to abuse, violating the US constitution in the name of protecting Americans.

- AP