US Congress bans inhuman treatment of detainees
The US Congress yesterday approved a law outlawing the use of torture, or cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees being held by the US military and civilian federal agencies
US President George W. Bush, who initialy opposed such a law, consented to it. Sponsored By Senator John McCain, who himself suffered severe torture as a detainee in Vietnam, the law bans "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" of detainees in the custody of the US military and civilian agencies anywhere in the world.
Also, the law requires the US military to use only those interrogation techniques listed in the US Army Field Manual on intelligence interrogations which uses wording that adheres to the Geneva Conventions protection for prisoners of war.
The measure also provides for limited judicial review of appeals from detainees seeking determinations of their enemy combatant status.