It's Back!!

Reuters (09.30.05):

"The White House on Friday threatened to veto a $440.2 billion defense spending bill in the Senate because it wasn't enough money for the Pentagon and also warned lawmakers not to add any amendments to regulate the treatment of detainees or set up a commission to probe abuse." Bush threatens defense bill veto, warning on prisoners

An amendment addressing detainee treatment has been simmering on the back burner for a while now. Back in July, John W. Warner (R - VA), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, John McCain (R - AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R - SC), attached an amendment to the fiscal 2006 defense appropriations bill which would have:

• Barred the military "from hiding prisoners from the Red Cross";
• Prohibited "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees"; and
• Required that "only interrogation techniques authorized in a new Army field manual" be used.

The White House sent Dick Cheney over for a little arm-twisting. The Senate threw down the gauntlet, and attached the amendment anyway. The good Dr. Frist, after first trying unsuccessfully to block the amendment, just pulled the whole bill. Back then, the White House "threatened to veto the defense-spending legislation if it contained" the provision. Sounds like the threat has been renewed, eh? If the White House thinks it's bad now, just wait until these come out. Seymour Hersh knows what they show.