JIM LEHRER: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today President Bush had no authority to order military trials for terror suspects. That decision was 5-3. Chief Justice Roberts abstained because he'd ruled on the case as a federal appeals judge earlier.
Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the main opinion today. He said the tribunal's structure and procedures violate both military law and the Geneva Conventions. He also cited the absence of specific congressional authorization.
The decision came in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who worked as bodyguard and driver for Osama bin Laden. A military lawyer on Hamdan's defense team said it's a victory for the rule of law.
LT. CMDR. CHARLES SWIFT, Hamdan Lawyer: It's clear how to proceed, exactly as we've been asking from the beginning, in a regular court, be that a federal court the charge of conspiracy, or if there is a war crime, in a court martial. We have never contested that we could not be tried there; all we have wanted is a fair trial, and we thank the Supreme Court for ensuring that Mr. Hamdan will get one.
JIM LEHRER: Hamdan has been held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for four years. He was one of 10 suspects facing tribunals.
President Bush responded to the decision during a White House news briefing with the Japanese prime minister. He said he hopes to find a way forward.
GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: To the extent that there is latitude to work with the Congress to determine whether or not the military tribunals will be an avenue in which to give people their day in court, we will do so.
The American people need to know that this ruling, as I understand it, won't cause killers to be put out on the street.
JIM LEHRER: In Congress, Democrats renewed their criticism of the administration and its terror policy, but senators on both sides said they would work to pass a law dealing with terror suspects.
SEN. JOHN WARNER (D), Virginia: I'm sure we will look at other means to provide them justice under our laws and international law. We might look to the federal system and other means by which to provide that. But there also could be an acceleration of efforts to return them to their native countries, to the extent those countries will accept them.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), Senate Minority Leader: Every senator, Democratic senator, has been waiting for the administration to approach us to set up a procedure for handling these difficult cases. The Supreme Court says there is a way of doing that. We stand ready and willing to do that, but I think that the aura of power that the president thinks he has does not exist.
JIM LEHRER: There was nothing in today's decision about the status of the prison at Guantanamo where 450 men are still being held. But a White House spokesman said, "This will not mean closing down Guantanamo." We'll have more on all of this right after the news summary.
The flood evacuation order was lifted today for nearly 200,000 people in eastern Pennsylvania. Conditions improved around Wilkes-Barry. The Susquehanna River crested well short of predictions, and levees held.
But New Jersey declared a state-wide emergency. The Delaware River crested at near-record levels in Trenton late today, and the state police superintendent warned evacuees not to go home yet.
RICK FUENTES, Superintendent, New Jersey State Police: The Delaware is raging, and we don't know if these houses are structurally damaged. We don't know if the bridges are structurally damaged. And there's a lot of work that needs to be done.
The fact that the river is cresting today at 25 -- at just a little bit over 25 feet does not mean at this point that the situation is getting better. It will get better, but it's not going to get better today.
JIM LEHRER: Days of heavy rains triggered this week's flooding, from Virginia to New York State. The death toll rose again today, to at least 15.
In Iraq today, a suicide bomber blew up a car at a funeral in Kirkuk. He drove into a tent where the service was taking place. The blast killed four people, wounded 27. More than 20 other people died in attacks elsewhere.
Israel carried out more air strikes and shelling in Gaza today, but reports said officials delayed a major ground offensive to find a kidnapped soldier. Instead, Israeli troops arrested dozens of Hamas ministers and lawmakers in the Palestinian government.
We have a report from Jonathan Miller of Independent Television News.
JONATHAN MILLER, ITV News Correspondent: Day three of Operation Summer Rains, but only tank fire rained down on the restive ghetto of Gaza today, and it rained down all day.
Here in the south, close to the spot from which the teenage conscript was abducted, and it's the same scene in the north of the narrow coastal strip. The Israelis insisting their goal is defensive, the extraction of their soldier. A looming sense, though, that something much, much bigger is going on.
NABIL ABU RDENEH, Palestinian Spokesman: So far, the Israelis are attacking Gaza, the West Bank, and arresting ministers and parliamentarians. These acts are not going to safeguard the life of the prisoner or the abducted soldier.
JONATHAN MILLER: The arrest he's talking about happened in the early hours. A third of the Hamas cabinet rounded up, along with elected politicians and mayors. The rest have gone underground. There is no longer a functioning government. A pre-planned plot to bring Hamas to its knees, they claim.
MARK REGEV, Israeli Spokesman: We are now rounding up Hamas leadership. They must understand, Hamas, that if they're involved in terrorism, they can't stand up and say, "Oh, we're political people."
JONATHAN MILLER: This 19-year-old corporal, Gilad Shalit, whose capture in an audacious raid on Sunday by Palestinian groups, including Hamas, triggered this week's vortex of retaliation.
A spokesman for the consortium of kidnappers taunting Israel today. "He could be alive," he said. "He could be dead."
This afternoon, we watched shell after shell pounding northern Gaza. The aim: to stop militants firing rockets into Israel and to intimidate local Palestinians into abandoning their still widespread support for the kidnappers.
Well, in Rafah refugee camp, they like to think they're ready, these men, members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, and loyal to Fatah, now brothers in arms with their erstwhile foes, Hamas. They're promising unrelenting battle. For Israel, they say, it will be like entering a hornet's nest.
JIM LEHRER: We'll have more on this story later in the program.
The Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate again today, as expected. The federal funds rate went up another 0.25 point to 5.25 percent on overnight loans between banks. In a statement, the Fed said future hikes will depend on what the economic data says about inflation.
Wall Street took the Fed's statement as a sign it may pause in raising rates, and stocks rose sharply. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 217 points, nearly 2 percent, to close above 11,190. The Nasdaq added 62 points, nearly 3 percent, to close at 2,174.
There was word today a laptop computer containing military personnel data has been recovered. It was stolen two months ago from the home of a Veterans Affairs Department employee. At a House hearing today, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson insisted it will never happen again.
JIM NICHOLSON, Secretary of Veterans Affairs: This has brought to the light of day some real deficiencies in our department and the manner in which we've handled personal data and cyber information. And if there's a redeeming part of this -- and I believe there is -- it is that we can really turn this place around, and I sincerely think we can make it into the gold standard for information security.
JIM LEHRER: The computer had data on more than 26 million veterans and active-duty troops, but the FBI said there's no evidence anyone ever accessed that information. So far, no one's been arrested in the case.
Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman was convicted today of taking bribes for campaign donations. It happened between 1995 and 2003, during his terms as lieutenant governor and then governor.
A state court jury in Montgomery also convicted Richard Scrushy, the former CEO of HealthSouth. Prosecutors said he arranged half a million dollars in donations to get a seat on a state hospital board.
A federal advisory committee called today for routinely vaccinating 11- and 12-year-old girls against cervical cancer. The shots protect against a virus, transmitted by sexual contact.
The vaccine is made by Merck and Company. It's the first one designed specifically to prevent cancer. Today's recommendation goes to the Food and Drug Administration.
And that's it for the news summary tonight.
