CIA Interrogation Compromise Is Expected

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration and holdout GOP senators expressed confidence yesterday that they could reach a compromise on rules for CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists. Neither the president's national security aides nor some of the lawmakers who are resisting White House pressure would say how they could reconcile their deep differences after a week of public sparring.

As a result, it is unclear if Congress quickly can pass legislation authorizing aggressive methods against suspected terrorist detainees, as President Bush has requested. Congress is likely to adjourn in two weeks for the fall elections.

Mr. Bush says CIA personnel should be able to resume tough interrogation techniques to extract information from detainees. Several senators from his own party are standing in the way, seeking changes.They say that America must adhere strictly to international standards in the Geneva Conventions and that setting harsher ones could put American troops at risk if they are captured.

"We have to hold the moral high ground," Senator McCain of Arizona said. "We don't think Al Qaeda will ever observe those conventions, but we're going to be in other wars."