Detainee Trials --

The New York Times has reported that the Pentagon set rules Thursday for detainee trials that could allow terror suspects to be convicted and perhaps executed using hearsay testimony and coerced statements, setting up a new clash between President Bush and Congress. At a Pentagon briefing, Dan Dell'Orto, deputy to the Defense Department's top counsel, said the new rules will ''afford all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized people.'' Of course, coerced statements are not allowed in other trials and hearsay testimony is severely restricted. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he planned to scrutinize the manual to ensure that it does not ''run afoul'' of the Constitution. The new manual can be found here.