Senate votes to restrict military interrogations

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Republican-led Senate voted overwhelmingly last night to impose restrictions on the treatment of terrorism suspects, delivering a rare wartime rebuke to President Bush.

Defying the White House, senators voted 90-9 to approve an amendment that would prohibit the use of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" against anyone in U.S. government custody, regardless of where they are held.

The amendment was added to a $440 billion military spending bill for the budget year that began Oct. 1.

The proposal, sponsored by Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, also requires all service members to follow procedures in the Army Field Manual when they detain and interrogate suspects. Bush administration officials say the bill would limit the president's authority and flexibility in war.

But lawmakers from each party have said Congress must provide U.S. troops with clear standards for detaining, interrogating and prosecuting terrorism suspects in light of charges of mistreatment at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

"We demanded intelligence without ever clearly telling our troops what was permitted and what was forbidden. And when things went wrong, we blamed them and we punished them," said Mr. McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam.

"Our troops are not served by ambiguity. They are crying out for clarity, and Congress cannot shrink from this duty," Mr. McCain said.

The Senate was expected to vote on the overall spending bill by week's end.

The House-approved version of the spending bill does not include detainee provisions, and it was not clear how much support the measure has in the Republican-run House.