No more ‘enemy combatants’

The Obama administration plans to drop the term “enemy combatants” to describe detainees held at the Guantánamo Bay prison, but claimed the right to detain without charge suspects who provided “substan

In a symbolic break with the Bush era, the Obama administration has disclosed in a court filing that it would drop the term “enemy combatants” to describe detainees held at the Guantánamo Bay prison. At the same time, the administration asserted that it had the right to detain without charge suspects who provided “substantial” support to al Qaida or its allies—claiming that Congress gave it that power when it authorized the use of force after 9/11. President Bush had argued that the right to detain terrorists wasn’t Congress’ to give, but was inherent in the president’s powers.

Attorney General Eric Holder said the change in terminology was intended to make administration policy conform with international law. But some civil-liberties activists complained that the administration was essentially maintaining the same policy and merely changing the terminology.

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