| Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen being held as an enemy combatant in the war on terror, continues to provide valuable intelligence to the government and will not be allowed access to a lawyer until those collection efforts cease. Senior Justice Department officials said Padilla eventually will be allowed a lawyer but that a delay was essential because of national security concerns. An order issued by President Bush in November 2001 allows captives to be detained if they were members of al-Qaida, engaged in or aided terrorism or harbored terrorists or if it is "the interest of the United States" to hold an individual. |