US Senate approves rules for treatment of terror suspects

Washington, Sep 29 (UNI) The US Senate has approved a legislation establishing rules for the treatment and trials of terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.

The legistation was passed last night after narrowly rejecting a provision that would have allowed suspected terrorists to challenge their detention in federal court.

The Senate turned down the amendment, sponsored jointly by a Republican and a Democrat, by 51 to 48 votes seeking to eliminate from the bill a provision that rules out habeas corpus petitions for foreigners held in the war on terrorism.

The amendment was supported mainly by Democrats, but sponsored by the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Arlen Specter.

The Senate voted 65 to 34 for the main legislation, which establishes military commissions to try terror suspects, setting limits on the techniques used to interrogate detainees.

An identical bill was passed by the House of Representatives a day earlier.

The Senate approval followed after President George W Bush had met its Republican members at the Capitol to make a personal appeal for swift passage of the measure, which he said would give him an important tool to fight terrorism.

''Our most solemn job is the security of this country. People should not forget there is an enemy out there that wants to do harm to the United States,'' Mr Bush said.

The legislation follows the rejection by the US Supreme Court earlier this year for the Bush administration's provision of military tribunal system for the trial of terror suspects. The Supreme Court had held that it violates the US and international laws.

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