Bush frustrated in anti-terror law calls
President Bush insists the proposed laws are essential
Also In The News
|
V2 Records, out September 18th. |  |
Friday, 15, Sep 2006 06:48
President George Bush made an impassioned plea to the US Congress to accept new anti-terror laws in a speech delivered this lunchtime in Washington DC.
President Bush's administration has been blighted by bipartisan opposition to his new proposals, which call for the adoption of two pieces of legislation designed to help America's security "professionals" fight the terrorist threat.
The first bill in question would allow terror suspects to be tried by military commissions rather than in the US civil courts. The second would protect intelligence operatives from persecution under American law by clearly laying out guidelines over what actions are permissible.
"Both these bills are essential to the war on terror," President Bush said in his speech.
"If it were not for this [interrogation] programme our intelligence community believes that al-Qaida and its allies would have succeeded in launching another attack against the American homeland. in other words, it's vital."
The US president's angry tone throughout much of the speech reflected his frustration with Senate leaders, who have opposed his proposed legislation because they believe the laws contravene human rights.
Even senior Republican party leaders, including potential presidential nominee Senator John McCain, have come out against the bills, creating a split within the Republican party which could prove damaging in the forthcoming mid-term Congressional elections.
"I want to preserve the Geneva conventions which have provided protections for our men and women in uniform and out of uniform," Senator McCain told the BBC this morning.