LAT: GOP MAY TIE TORTURE BILL TO WARRANTLESS SURVEILLANCE BILL [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

Defense Lawyers Assail Legislation on Detainees
The bill faces scrutiny for stripping habeas corpus. Rights groups worry over vagueness.
By Richard Simon and Julian E. Barnes, Times Staff Writers
September 23, 2006

....Congressional Republican leaders, nonetheless, plan to move the compromise military tribunal bill to a vote next week. They may tie the bill, which has support among a number of Democrats, to a more controversial measure authorizing Bush's once-secret warrantless surveillance program.

Legislation introduced by the Senate GOP leadership Friday would make it clear that the president, in some cases, has the authority under the Constitution to unilaterally order surveillance without a judge's approval.

Both the tribunal and surveillance measures are centerpieces of the security-focused agenda the GOP wants to highlight before the November election, which is expected to determine control of Congress....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-tribunal23sep23,0,4114161.story?coll=la-home-nation