Terrorism Fight on the Front Burner

Congress will weigh tough questions this week about combatingterrorism and the war in Iraq.

Republicans are eager to push legislation on the legal rights of terrorism suspects, after a June 29 Supreme Court ruling that thecurrent system of secret military tribunals violates U.S. andinternational law. But Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)told reporters yesterday that his chamber is unlikely to act until atleast September.

In the meantime, House and Senate committees will have hearings onestablishing standards for military tribunals that will pass courtmuster. The first session is scheduled tomorrow before the HouseArmed Services Committee. On Thursday, the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee takes up the matter.

Some GOP members are seeking a partisan showdown on the tribunals,to try to show midterm-election voters that Democrats are soft onterrorism, but some powerful Republicans have rejected that approach.

"The whole world is watching how our country handles this issue,"said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner (R-Va.). "Our committee will proceed on any legislation very carefully,in a bipartisan way, to ensure America's credibility."

Also today the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a secondconfirmation hearing on the nomination of Defense Department GeneralCounsel William J. Haynes II to the federal appeals court. In aletter to the committee, 20 retired military officers said they have"deep concerns" about the nomination because of Haynes's role as thePentagon's top lawyer when controversial policies were adoptedregarding interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects, includingthe use of dogs to "exploit phobias."

Meanwhile, lawmakers are increasingly concerned about the courseof the Iraq war. Sens. Jack Reed (R.I.) and Joseph R. Biden Jr.(Del.), two prominent Democratic voices on foreign policy, traveledto Iraq over last week's recess and are expected to speak out thisweek about the intensifying sectarian violence and increased strainon the U.S. military.

And in a potentially lively House session, Rep. Christopher Shays(Conn.), a moderate Republican who is in danger of losing his once-safe seat because of his strong support for the war, plans a hearingto evaluate the administration's "National Strategy for Victory inIraq." The witness list includes David M. Walker, U.S. comptrollergeneral, and national security analyst Anthony H. Cordesman of theCenter for Strategic and International Studies.

Cordesman has been openly contemptuous of the administration'sconduct of the war and reconstruction efforts, while Walker has beenmore than willing to fire broadsides at the administration for itsfiscal management.

The House expects to act this week on legislation to ban Internetgambling, six years after disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and asenior aide to then-Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) conspired to derail asimilar measure.

The bill would cut off the money flow from online gamblers toInternet gambling sites by prohibiting the use of banking instrumentssuch as credit cards, checks or fund transfers in settling wagers.According to analysis by the Congressional Research Service,Americans wager up to $6 billion per year online, but few safeguardsexist to prevent underage gambling, money laundering and fraud. Mostsites are based overseas.

The bill does allow online state lotteries, and the horse- and dog-racing industries won a key exemption to protect parimutuel wagering,which relies on similar electronic communication technology.

On July 17, 2000, a similar gambling ban was offered on the Housefloor. Even its sponsors were surprised when it failed.

But as it turns out, the 2000 vote was rigged. According to pleaagreements in an ongoing federal corruption inquiry, Abramoff workedto defeat the bill with the help of Tony C. Rudy, a senior aide toDeLay, who was then House majority whip. Rudy pleaded guilty in Marchto conspiracy charges related to the gambling bill and other officialacts.

After an embarrassing setback last month, House leaders will tryagain this week to extend key provisions of the landmark VotingRights Act of 1965. But conservatives who object to the law'smultilingual-ballot requirements say they will continue to fighttheir leadership.

A reauthorization of the act -- widely credited for helpingthousands of African Americans gain access to the ballot box -- wassupposed to sail through Congress with huge bipartisan majorities.But a few Southern Republicans slowed that march, complaining thattheir states are being unfairly tarnished by a requirement that theJustice Department preapprove changes in voting practices in statesthat used techniques to discourage blacks from voting in the 1960s.

Republicans in Georgia and Texas got a boost when a broader swathof conservatives demanded changes to a section that requires localjurisdictions to print ballots in languages other than English. HouseMajority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) hopes to build support byoffering Southerners the chance to amend the act. But English-ballotsupporters say they have not agreed to go along.