Originally published January 6 2006
McCain closing deal with the White House to pass proposed torture legislation
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The New York Times reports that Senator John McCain's torture law stands a good chance of becoming law, once he completes negotiations with White House national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley concerning the prosecution of covert agents.
The White House has all but abandoned its effort to persuade Senator John McCain to exempt Central Intelligence Agency employees from legislation barring inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners in American custody.
But a top presidential aide continued to negotiate a deal on Tuesday that would offer covert officers some protection from prosecution, administration and Senate officials said.
McMenamin refused to discuss the negotiations, saying they were private conversations.
But administration officials concede that Mr. McCain's provision, which would also require a uniform standard on how to interrogate detainees, stands a strong chance of becoming law, despite a White House threat to veto any legislation containing it.
The measure has already passed the Senate, 90 to 9, and senior House Republican staff members say it would probably pass by a large margin in the House.
Faced with that reality, administration officials said, Mr. Hadley has now retreated to seeking narrower language that could make it harder to prosecute intelligence officers charged with violating torture standards.
His spokesman, Scott McClellan, refused Tuesday to discuss how Mr. Bush defines torture, or to say how the United States ensures that prisoners it turns over to foreign nations are not tortured.
Four top House and Senate negotiators, meeting Tuesday to hammer out a military budget bill in conference committee, discussed Mr. McCain's measure and a handful of other contentious issues.
But one of the negotiators, Representative Duncan Hunter, a California Republican who heads the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters earlier in the day, "We think we're going to have a good outcome for all parties."
As the House returned to work after a two-week recess, a bitter partisan fight continues to rage over the war in Iraq.
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