Terrorism Fight on the Front Burner

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Republicans are eager to push legislation on the legal rights of terrorism suspects, after a June 29 Supreme Court ruling that the current system of secret military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. But Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told reporters yesterday that his chamber is unlikely to act until at least September.

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Some GOP members are seeking a partisan showdown on the tribunals, to try to show midterm-election voters that Democrats are soft on terrorism, but some powerful Republicans have rejected that approach.

"The whole world is watching how our country handles this issue," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner. "Our committee will proceed on any legislation very carefully, in a bipartisan way, to ensure America's credibility."

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Meanwhile, lawmakers are increasingly concerned about the course of the Iraq war. Sens. Jack Reed (R.I.) and Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), two prominent Democratic voices on foreign policy, traveled to Iraq over last week's recess and are expected to speak out this week about the intensifying sectarian violence and increased strain on the U.S. military.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071001034.html