The Ashcroft Offensive

While Attorney General John Ashcroft's long-awaited appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week didn't turn out to be quite the explosive confrontation that many Senate observers expected, he did lay down some very clear views about how he views the legal and constitutional basis for the Bush administration's war on terrorism.

But some of those views are disturbing, to say the least.

Both in words and demeanor, Ashcroft's unyielding stance while testifying before his former colleagues signaled the Bush administration's intention to keep Congress at arms' length while expanding its powers of law enforcement beyond anything the United States has seen since World War II.

After calling for "honest, reasoned debate", Ashcroft challenged the patriotism of those who criticize the administration for its draconian measures such as trying non-citizens suspected of terrorism in secret military tribunals and refusing to release the names of hundreds of people held as possible suspects after Sept. 11.

The Missouri Republican said such critics "only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends. They encourage people of goodwill to remain silent in the face of evil".

Whether Ashcroft's offensive was aimed at Senate Democrats, civil libertarians or the press, it raised troubling doubts about his sensitivity to civil liberties concerns of many Americans, even those who wholeheartedly support President Bush's antiterrorism efforts.

Ashcroft's appearance highlights the need for congressional vigilance against any erosion of civil liberties in the pursuit of suspected terrorists.