WASHINGTON: Congressmen were busy this week rejecting the transfers of Guantanamo prisoners, narrowly rebuffing a Republican bid to force commanders to testify on Afghanistan and accepting new changes to the Patriot Act.
Congressmen voted Thursday to reject a proposal to allow detainees the Guantanamo prison to be transferred to the United States where they could face trail or be jailed in maximum-security prisons.
The 258-163 vote puts leading Democrats, and potentially President Barack Obama, in a difficult spot and it prompted senior lawmakers to postpone unveiling a House-Senate agreement on a homeland security funding bill.
Eighty-eight Democrats broke with Obama and House leaders on the nonbinding recommendation, a dubious indication for Democratic leadership on where they stood on future votes.
To date, the administration has yet to reveal its plan for closing the prison. Those supporting the transfer ban want to keep Guantanamo prisoners at the US Naval base in Cuba.
Those who support the closing of the facility and the lengthy detention of suspects who have been held years without trial say the detentions have dishonored the reputation of the US. Thay also say that that fears of bringing the detainees onto US soil are exaggerated.
Meanwhile, over on the other side of Capitol Hill, senators on Thursday narrowly voted to allow the president some breathing room to focus on his Afghan strategy.
The Senate narrowly rejected Republicans' attempt to force Obama's hands on Afghanistan and instead backed the Democrats' amendment that delays any hearings from US military commanders until after the president makes his final decision on a new strategy in Afghanistan.
Republicans had wanted Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to testify in Congress before the president articulated his plans for the region.
McChrystal has yet to send the president a specific troop request, and Obama says he's waiting for that information before he concludes his deliberations.
The vote came as the Senate debates its defense-spending bill. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain proposed the amendment requiring military commanders to testify in the matter.
But, in a letter to the Senate, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it would be "inappropriate" to discuss the advice they are giving the president until after Obama concludes his deliberations.
Also in the Senate, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Thursday that she dropped her previous reservations over proposed modification of the USA Patriot Act, the nation's primary counterintelligence law that is now up for review in Congress.
California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who heads the committee, said modifications added to the bill would "protect both our safety and civil liberties" and would not jeopardize "the biggest (anti-terrorism) investigation since 9/11."
Another Democrat disagreed.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, said more protection is needed against unwarranted searches of personal and business records and unwarranted electronic surveillance. The government needs to establish a terrorism connection before they can invade Americans' privacy, he insisted. The current law and proposed changes don't always require that standard.
