AP News Alert:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A federal appeals court has sided with the Bush administration and ruled that "dirty bomb" suspect Jose Padilla can be detained without charges.
More on the decision from
al-Reuters:
A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that U.S. President George W. Bush has the power to detain Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen who has been held for more than three years as a suspected enemy combatant without any charges being brought against him.
"The exceedingly important question before us is whether the president of the United States possesses the authority to detain militarily a citizen of this country who is closely associated with al Qaeda," appeals court Judge J. Michael Luttig wrote for the three-judge panel.
"We conclude that the president does possess such authority."
Luttig, I should point out, is one ofthe names I keep hearing for a SCOTUS nomination. If he gets the nod, you can be sure that this subject will come up again.
