"A former Boston cab driver once identified by authorities as a major terrorism suspect was kept in solitary confinement for more than eight months here without seeing a judge or being assigned a lawyer, according to court records, lawyers and advocates familiar with the case."

The government is falling under pressure for detaining suspects without trial.

Suspect Held 8 Months Without Seeing Judge (washingtonpost.com)

"British and European security officials are highly sceptical of American claims that the alleged "dirty bomb" plotter, Abdullah al-Muhajir, was preparing to unleash a radioactive attack."

EU security forces don't beleive 'dirty bomb' story

"Several Democratic lawmakers yesterday questioned whether the Bush administration was trying to deflect criticism of the FBI by revealing the capture of a "dirty bomb" suspect one month after his arrest."

Various lawmakers react to yesterday's announcement. Responses are highly varied. I did not realise until I read this article that they guy had been in custody for a MONTH.

Democrats suspicious of arrest announcement -- The Washington Times

"Attorney General John Ashcroft on Monday overstated the potential threat posed by ''dirty bomb'' suspect Abdullah Al Muhajir, Bush administration and law enforcement officials said Tuesday."

Threat of 'dirty bomb' softened, Ashcroft's remarks annoy White House

"legal analysts said Walker's capture raises a number of complex legal issues and could lead to allegations of disparate treatment of citizens and noncitizens under President Bush's plan to try noncitizens accused of terrorism before military tribunals, without the protections of criminal proceedings in civilian courts."

Old news, but comments here put some perspective on the questions raised in the previous article.

U.S. Taliban Fighter to Have His Rights, Rumsfeld Says (washingtonpost.com)

" The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized the government's military detention of a U.S. citizen as an "enemy combatant," saying that the action belies President Bush's earlier assurance that U.S. citizens would not be subject to military jurisdiction. "

If the courts agree to allow the administration to hold Jose Padilla, they will set an extremely dangerous precident in which U.S. Citizens can be denied any constitutional rights simply by defining them as "forgien combatants" without having declared a war. If the courts release Jose Padilla, an extremely dangerous terrorist will be rereleased into the community. It just doesn't get any uglier then this.

U.S. Citizen denied right to trial

"Now a series of legal actions has brought the debate into the labs, homes and offices of millions of programmers, prompting some of them to emerge from their cubicles and take action. This time, as they say, it's personal. "

Programmers enroll in political training - Tech News - CNET.com

"advisers determined it was not a good idea to move the FBI -- a critical arm of law enforcement -- away from the Justice Department."

Looks like they stopped a little bit short of completely changing the FBI's focus....

CNN.com - Source: Plan to move FBI to new department rejected - June 8, 2002

"Inadvertently or by design (no one is quite sure which), the new law will transform lobbying groups into the piggy banks of the political world. Parties will no longer be able to accept those unlimited donations called soft money, but trade associations and labor unions can take as much as they please. The more established the group, the more likely it will act as a conduit for advocacy."

Fortune Small Business - How to Get Cash and Influence People

"The European Parliament has voted to ban the sending of unsolicited commercial email. "

Europe Bans Spam