Scalia: It is "extraordinary" to assume that the U.S. Constitution's ban on "cruel and unusual punishment" also applies to "so-called" torture. Top court's Scalia defends physical interrogation 12 Feb 2008 Reichwing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said on Tuesday some physical interrogation techniques [torture] can be used on a suspect in the event of an imminent threat, such as a hidden bomb about to blow up. In such cases, "smacking someone in the face" could be justified, the outspoken Scalia told the BBC. "You can't come in smugly and with great self satisfaction and say 'Oh it's torture, and therefore it's no good.'"

Scalia says 'so-called torture' may not be unconstitutional 12 Feb 2008 US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Tuesday defended the use of harsh physical interrogation techniques, saying in an interview with Law in Action on BBC Radio 4 that they may be justified to deter an immediate threat. Scalia argued that "so-called torture" may not necessarily be prohibited by the US constitution, as he said the Eighth Amendment bar against "cruel and unusual punishment" was only intended to apply to criminal punishments...

Executions may be carried out at Guantanamo 13 Feb 2008 If six suspected terrorists are sentenced to death at Guantanamo Bay for the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. Army regulations that were quietly amended two years ago open the possibility of execution by lethal injection at the military base in Cuba, experts said Tuesday. In January 2006, the Army changed its procedures for military executions, allowing "other locations" to be used. The new regulations say that only the president can approve an execution and that the secretary of the Army will authorize the location. "Military executions will be by lethal injection," the regulations say.

'There's absolutely no question about the UK Government's commitments in respect of torture, which is illegal, and our definition of what torture is.' Miliband 'concerned' by Guantanamo trial 13 Feb 2008 David Miliband has admitted that Britain has "some concerns" about the move by the United States military to bring charges against six men suspected of orchestrating the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The Foreign Secretary echoed the concerns of human rights groups who are worried that the six, who could face the death penalty, will not get a fair trial from the military tribunal and claim they were tortured at Guantanamo Bay.

Senate Authorizes Broad Expansion of Surveillance Act 13 Feb 2008 The Senate yesterday approved a sweeping measure that would expand the government's clandestine surveillance powers, delivering a key victory to the White House by approving immunity from lawsuits for telecommunications companies that cooperated with intelligence agencies in domestic spying after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Senate Passes Bill to Expand U.S. Spying Powers 12 Feb 2008 After more than a year of heated political wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory Tuesday by voting to broaden the government's spy powers after giving legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President [sic] Bush's [illegal] warrantless eavesdropping program. Republicans were able to garner the support of 19 DemocRATs and Senator Joseph I. LieberBush of Connecticut Israel. Democratic leaders charged that the tactics the Republicans used smacked of fear-mongering.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 2nd Session 12 Feb 2008 Question: On Passage of the Bill (S.2248 as Amended ) An original bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to modernize and streamline the provisions of that Act, and for other purposes. List of 19 traitorous DemocRATs who voted to preserve 'retroactive immunity' for Bush's spying telecoms: Baucus (MT), Bayh (IN), Carper (DE), Casey (PA), Conrad (ND), Inouye (HI), Johnson (SD), Kohl (WI), Landrieu (LA), Lincoln (AR), McCaskill (MO), Mikulski (MD), Ben Nelson (NE), Bill Nelson (FL), Pryor (AR), Rockefeller (WV), Salazar (CO), Webb (VA), Whitehouse (D-RI). And, last but not least, Joe LieberBush (Israel). Not Voting: Clinton (NY) and Obama (IL), missing/useless.

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