Senate again votes to block release of detainee photos

October 1st, 2009 House votes against releasing detainee abuse picsWASHINGTON — The House is backing the Obama administration's refusal to release new photos showing U.S. personnel abusing detainees held overseas.

October 1st, 2009 House votes against bringing Gitmo detainees to USWASHINGTON — The House went on record Thursday against allowing detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba to be transferred to the United States, even to face trial or to be jailed in maximum-security prisons. The 258-163 vote on a nonbinding recommendation put Democrats controlling the House in a difficult spot and prompted senior lawmakers to postpone unveiling a House-Senate agreement on a homeland security funding bill.

September 14th, 2009 Guard photos could harm US effort in AfghanistanWASHINGTON — A member of a commission investigating wartime spending says photos of private security guards in various stages of nudity at parties flowing with alcohol may be as damaging to U.S. interests in Afghanistan as images of detainee mistreatment at Abu Ghraib were in Iraq.

August 7th, 2009 Justice asks high court to block release of photosWASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to block the release of disturbing pictures of detainee abuse on grounds their disclosure could incite violence in Afghanistan and Iraq and endanger U.S. troops there.

June 29th, 2009 White House confident Senate will pass energy billWASHINGTON — The White House says it's confident that the Senate will pass comprehensive energy legislation. President Barack Obama's top energy adviser, Carol Browner, made the comment in an interview with a small group of reporters.

June 18th, 2009 War-spending bill may face difficulty in SenateWASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday agreed to prohibit the release of photos depicting the abuse of detainees by U.S. troops, clearing a choke point to congressional approval of a $106 billion war-spending bill.

June 12th, 2009 War-funding bill back on track for passageWASHINGTON — Briefly held up in a battle over detainee abuse photos, a crucial war-funding bill appeared back on track for passage Thursday evening, coincidentally aided by a federal appeals court in New York. House-Senate negotiations on the war-funding bill first stalled as Senate Democrats balked at demands from House liberals that Congress allow a pending lawsuit to force the release of photos of U.S.

June 11th, 2009 Democrats close in on war funding agreementWASHINGTON — Capitol Hill Democrats are closing in on agreement on a war funding bill that's now likely to cost taxpayers well over $100 billion with the late addition of more flu-fighting funds and money to subsidize new car purchases. And, under a compromise revealed by House and Senate aides Wednesday, detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay prison could be transferred to the U.S.

June 11th, 2009 Congressional negotiators reach a war-funding dealWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama would be allowed for the next four months to order Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States to face trial under a compromise reached Thursday by House and Senate negotiators struggling with a war-funding bill. Transferring detainees from the U.S.

June 9th, 2009 CIA urges judge to keep detainee papers secretWASHINGTON — CIA Director Leon Panetta told a federal judge Monday that releasing documents about the agency's terror interrogations would gravely damage national security. Panetta sent a 24-page missive to New York federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, arguing that release of agency cables describing tough interrogation methods used on al-Qaida suspects would tell the enemy far too much about U.S.

June 8th, 2009 War funding bill gets sidetrackedWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's penchant for last-minute demands, and a rebellion by liberal allies over his efforts to block the release of detainee abuse photos, have combined to sidetrack his bill to pay for an expanded war in Afghanistan as well as continuing military operations in Iraq. The $100 billion measure is awaiting a House-Senate conference committee after winning easy approval last month in both chambers, but an emerging compromise on the bill has become caught in the crosscurrents coming from both Obama's left and right on Capitol Hill.

June 5th, 2009 GOP leader not ruling out blocking SotomayorWASHINGTON — The Senate's top Republican said Friday that it's "way too early to know" whether his party will try to block a vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation. Sen. Mitch McConnell appeared to break with others in his party who have said they don't foresee using Senate rules to try to stop President Barack Obama's first high court nominee.

May 13th, 2009 Obama seeks to block release of detainee photosWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is seeking to block the immediate release of hundreds of photos showing U.S. personnel allegedly abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.

May 13th, 2009 Pentagon: Abuse photos may cause problemsWASHINGTON — The top military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan are telling President Barack Obama that their troops could be in greater danger if new detainee abuse photos are released this spring. The Pentagon has said it will release the pictures this month.

May 13th, 2009 Obama seeks to block release of abuse photosWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is seeking to block the release of hundreds of photos showing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan being abused, reversing his position after military commanders warned that the images could stoke anti-American sentiment and endanger U.S. troops. The pictures show mistreatment of detainees at locations beyond the infamous U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.