Somewhere, Jack Bauer Is Smiling

From the "compromise" between Bush and the wayward Republicans over torture, the Geneva Conventions, and the trials of the hostages at Guantanamo:

IN GENERAL. No person may invoke the Geneva Conventions or any protocols thereto in any habeas or civil action or proceeding to which the United States, or a current or former officer, employee, member of the Armed Forces, or other agent of the United States, is a party as a source of rights, in any court of the United States or its States or territories.

That's one way to take care of allegations of violations of the Geneva Conventions: make it illegal for the prisoners to make those allegations. And in case you were wondering who gets to decide what the Geneva Conventions really mean:

(3) INTERPRETATION BY THE PRESIDENT. (A) As provided by the Constitution and by this section, the President has the authority for the United States to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions and to promulgate higher standards and administrative regulations for violations of treaty obligations which are not grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.

The weird thing is that this is being spun in the news like Bush backed down, when in reality the compromise protects US personnel from being punished for violating this international agreement, and also officially strips the detainees' habeas corpus rights. Maybe the Democrats will filibuster it.