Today when Bootlick Atty Gen. Mukasey gave his speech he asked for Congress to issue a new AUMF for the Bush admin. If this doesn't send out warning bells to every citizen, then they are just plain braindead.
As part of the plan, the administration also wants Congress to "reaffirm," nearly seven years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, that the United States "remains engaged in an armed conflict with al Qaeda" and other terrorist groups. The administration used Congress’s original affirmation of an armed conflict, three days after 9/11, not only to invade Afghanistan, but also to incarcerate enemy combatants without trial and to conduct wiretaps on Americans without a court warrant.NYTimes
Over the last couple years many have called on Congress to rescind the current AUMF since Bush uses it as a excuse for many illegal acts including Torture.
I watch Mukasey give his speech today and he was not real clear about the need for this new AUMF when asked about it by one of the reporters present. His excuse for the new AUMF is it is needed to keep prisoners from being brought into the USA while at the same making the District Court in DC the only court able to hear any new trials. I have yet to figure out how a Detainee could have a court date in DC, and appears for the case if denied entry to attend.
Mukasey said the bill should provide procedures for protecting sensitive national security information and should bar habeas proceedings from delaying military commission trials for detainees, the first of which began today at Guantanamo Bay.
Mukasey said the bill should explicitly state that the United States remains in armed conflict with the Taliban and al Qaeda and can detain enemy combatants for the duration of the conflict. ( His stated reason for a new AUMF) He said the bill also should state that habeas proceedings should be handled by the federal court in Washington.Mukasey Asks Congress to Clarify Detainee Rights
Sen. Leahy has already come out with his "strong statement", similar to those strongly worded letters we hear so much about. One has to wonder if the Republicans can shame the Dems into buckling yet one more time with a new AUMF?
Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a statement indicating congressional action is likely, but "Congress must not rush to pass yet another piece of ill-conceived legislation."
Leahy, in his statement, echoed that sentiment, saying that "the administration made this mess by seeking to avoid judicial review at all costs, causing years of delay and profound uncertainty. It has been rebuked four times by the Supreme Court. Habeas corpus is the ultimate guarantee of fairness and a check on executive excess." He also chided Mukasey for not informing or consulting with his committee about his request for congressional rule-setting. CNN
Emptywheel over at FireDogLake is looking at this from a different perspective. http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/...