Lindsey Graham: Obama Should Hold Bombing Suspect as ‘Enemy Combatant’

Lindsey Graham: Obama Should Hold Bombing Suspect as Enemy Combatant
Lindsey Graham: Obama Should Hold Bombing Suspect as Enemy Combatant

AP

With the manhunt for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev still underway, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Friday called for him to be held as an "enemy combatant"- a term President Barack Obama abandoned shortly after taking office in 2009.

The "enemy combatant" designation was a major part of the Bush administration's approach to dealing with terrorism suspects; while Obama did away with the specific term, he maintained the right to detain people who provided "substantial" support to Al-Qaeda or the Taliban.

Graham has previously said he believes the decision to determine who an enemy combatant is should reside with the president.