House and Senate seek deal on torture amendment

By Vicki Allen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House of Representatives negotiators
have largely accepted Sen. John McCain’s amendment banning the
torture and inhumane treatment of detainees, but talks on other
provisions could undermine the measure, congressional aides
said on Wednesday.

House and Senate negotiators hoped to reach agreement this
week on a final defense authorization bill where the detainee
issue was being thrashed out.

“It appears the House is willing to accept the McCain
amendment with no changes,” a congressional aide said of the
measure pushed by the Arizona Republican that cleared the
Senate on a 90-9 vote despite a White House veto threat.

But aides said other language included in House-Senate
talks with the White House dealing with detainees was still
being discussed and an agreement had not been reached.

McCain has said he would not accept any weakening or
exemptions from his amendment that came in the wake of abuse
scandals at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and questions over the
interrogation methods of terrorism suspects at the U.S. prison
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and elsewhere.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, a
California Republican who staunchly supports the Bush
administration, has said the United States does not engage in
torture and the McCain language was not necessary.

But Hunter told reporters on Tuesday he expected the McCain
amendment “will be strongly manifested” in the final bill.

The McCain measure also has majority support in the House,
with backing from Democrats and a number of Republicans.

Vice President Dick Cheney had led an unsuccessful White
House bid to exempt the CIA from the torture ban, arguing it
would hamper the U.S. war on terrorism.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Kiev, Ukraine,
on Wednesday the United States had explicitly banned its
interrogators around the world from treating detainees
inhumanely.

Rice has faced questions on her European trip over the U.S.
treatment of detainees and reports that the CIA has run secret
prisons in Eastern Europe for its war on terror.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, top Democrat on the Senate
Armed Services Committee, said Rice’s statement showed backing
for McCain’s amendment. “This is the heart of the debate over
Senator McCain’s amendment, and I am glad the administration
finally realizes that Senator McCain is right,” Levin said.