Joe Lieberman: “Let me ask this final question. This is the part of this discussion that I struggle with, which is what is the…”

“Let me ask this final question. This is the part of this discussion that I struggle with, which is what is the appropriate status in the context in which we are talking about permanent lawful residents of the United States. In other words, if I understand what the Military Commissions Act-- again, correct me if I am wrong--says, is that a permanent, lawful resident of the United States who is apprehended as part of the war on terrorism and alleged to be an enemy combatant does not have a right of habeas, or a right to have a case heard in Federal court. That concerns me. This is what I want to ask my friend from South Carolina who has had experience with this to clarify, as to whether that may be--if I can use the term a ``denial'' of equal protection--to say a permanent, lawful resident of the United States cannot have the same rights in these cases that a citizen of the United States has.”