Dean: Thoughts on the "Bringing Terrorists to Justice Act of 2006"

The Democrats must fillibuster this piece of trash!

FindLaw's Writ - Dean: Thoughts on the "Bringing Terrorists to Justice Act of 2006":

These, however, are only a few of the provisions in the legislation that are contrary to Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. In addition, and most tellingly, Bush seeks to retroactively amend the federal criminal provisions that the United States adopted to enforce the Geneva Conventions.
The Bush Administration's proposed legislation removes a thirty-nine word definition in the Federal Criminal Code defining 'war crimes' as including 'any conduct … which constitutes a violation of common Article 3,' and replacing that definition with a seven hundred and eighty-six word laundry list of what the Administration wants to define as war crimes.

Since 1949, when this accord was signed, Common Article 3 has prohibited '(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; (b) taking of hostages; (c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment; and (d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.' These, however, are only a few of the provisions in the legislation that are contrary to Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. In addition, and most tellingly, Bush seeks to retroactively amend the federal criminal provisions that the United States adopted to enforce the Geneva Conventions.