To the Point

War on Terrorism Blurs Legal Lines for Detainees

Everyone may know the names of Jose Padilla, Zacarias Moussaoui and John Walker Lindh, but hundreds of other suspects who-ve been detained up since September 11 are being held under a shroud of secrecy. Since November, the government hasn-t uttered a word about who they are, why they-re being held, or what their future might be. Is this an abuse of power or is due process a justifiable casualty of the war on terrorism? We learn more about national security, the need for secrecy and the consequences for America-s justice system from constitutional law experts, civil libertarians and journalists in the US and abroad. Newsmaker:Israel to Seize Territory as Response to Bombings For the second day in a row, Jerusalem has been hit by a deadly terrorist attack. The suicide bombing, at a bus stop in an area that-s been a frequent target of terrorists, left at least seven dead and 37 injured. James Bennet, Jerusalem bureau chief for the New York Times, reports that Israel has announced that is it holding Yasser Arafat personally responsible and will begin seizing Palestinian territories in the Gaza strip. Reporter-s Notebook: Mexico-s President Unveils Secret Files With his election, President Vicente Fox broke 70 years of one-party rule by Mexico-s Institutional Revolutionary Party. Now, Fox has made good on a campaign promise by releasing 80 million intelligence files and appointing a prosecutor to look into cases of torture and murder. Sergio Aguayo, columnist for Reforma, assesses the substance and symbolism of releasing the files.