Ruling OKs secrecyin terror detentions

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A federal appeals court panel ruled yesterday that the Bush administration acted legally in withholding the identities of at least 762 persons detained after the September 11 attacks.

Rejecting arguments by civil liberties groups and media interests, the 2-1 decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said a terrorism investigation justifies the secrecy, citing an exemption in the Freedom of Information Act.

"The Constitution would indeed be a suicide pact if the only way to curtail enemies' access to assets were to reveal information that might cost lives," the majority said in an opinion written by Circuit Judge David B. Sentelle, who was nominated by President Reagan.

In declaring that tactical decisions in the war on terror must be made by "the government's top counterterrorism officials," not judges, Judge Sentelle was joined by Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, a nominee of President Bush in 1990.

Dissenting Circuit Judge David S. Tatel, who was nominated by President Clinton, said it may be legitimate to withhold information, but that the Justice Department should not get blanket deference and can be required to distinguish what can "reasonably be expected to interfere" with an investigation.

The action overruled District Judge Gladys Kessler's August ruling, which called the secrecy "profoundly antithetical" to democracy and ordered the government to identify 762 of those who had been held and to name their lawyers.

Judge Kessler's order was stayed during the appeal and was not implemented.

Attorney General John Ashcroft called the ruling "a victory for ... careful measures to safeguard sensitive information" and the privacy of the detainees.

"We are pleased the court agreed we should not give terrorists a virtual road map to our investigation that could allow terrorists to chart a potentially deadly detour around our efforts," Mr. Ashcroft said.