Joan Biskupic and Andrea Stone, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - President Bush’s long-awaited plan for military commissions to try foreign terrorist suspects was criticized Wednesday by fellow Republicans who said the proposal, which omits many of the usual safeguards of a military trial, doesn’t go far enough to protect prisoners.

“I do not think we can afford to again cut legal corners that will result in federal court rejection of our work product,” said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who with fellow Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and John Warner of Virginia has been most critical of the president’s position on tribunals.

…

Human rights groups offered the harshest criticism. They said Bush’s plan too closely mirrored the tribunal arrangement struck down by the Supreme Court on June 29.

“The draft may say it’s modeled on the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but it’s a pale imitation,” said Deborah Pearlstein of Human Rights First.

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