Introduction
Saudi-born physician Al-Badr Al-Hazmi of San Antonio, Texas, is greeted by family and friends after being held for 13 days, often in shackles, as a possible material witness in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was cleared of any link in the attacks and released from federal detention in New York City on Sept. 25. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the Bush administration and Congress acted forcefully to deter future incidents. A new law was passed giving the government more authority to conduct surveillance and track Internet communications. The administration also detained more than 600 possible suspects and announced it might use military tribunals to try alleged foreign terrorists. But civil libertarians say the tough, new procedures abridge fundamental constitutional rights like due process and the attorney-client privilege. Some media-watchers, meanwhile, contend that journalists are not aggressively reporting about the war in Afghanistan and the crackdown on terrorism out of fear of seeming unpatriotic during wartime.
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