NYT: New Army Rules May Snarl Talks With McCain on Detainee Issue

[Pirate Smile]

By ERIC SCHMITT
Published: December 14, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 - The Army has approved a new, classified set of interrogation methods that may complicate negotiations over legislation proposed by Senator John McCain to bar cruel and inhumane treatment of detainees in American custody, defense officials said Tuesday.

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The defense officials said the new guidelines could give the impression that the Army was pushing the limits on legal interrogation at the very moment when Mr. McCain, Republican of Arizona, is involved in intense three-way negotiations with the House and the Bush administration to prohibit the cruel treatment of prisoners.

"In a high-level meeting at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Army and other Pentagon officials raised serious concerns that Mr. McCain would be furious at what could appear to be a back-door effort to circumvent his intentions.

"This is a stick in McCain's eye," one defense official said. "It goes right up to the edge. He's not going to be comfortable with this."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/14/politics/14detain.html?hp&ex=1134536400&en=a7c8f18a1a4771c9&ei=5094&partner=homepage