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OVERLOOKED STORY OF THE DAY: Senate Approves $91 Billion For Wars In Iraq and Afghanistan
The Senate late Thursday easily passed a $91 billion spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After stripping it of funds to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and placing restrictions on the transfer of its detainees, the bill was adopted 86 to 3.
The Senate included an amendment to prevent the public release of photographs that reportedly document the mistreatment of post-Sept. 11 detainees in U.S. custody.
The language is aimed at preventing a court from ordering their release in response to a freedom of information lawsuit.
President Obama, who initially wanted the photos released, changed his mind earlier this month — saying the release of the images could endanger U.S. troops and civilians by inciting violence in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The measure was sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican, who said releasing the inflammatory photos would stoke resentment against the U.S. It blocks the photos’ release for five years and gives the Secretary of Defense the ability to keep them under wraps longer.
The supplemental spending bill funds the wars through October. It needs to be reconciled with a House version of the plan before it is sent to President Obama.
