The Congress has now passed and the Obama regime is now not going to veto a new Defense Authorization bill that gives the military the right to detain Americans indefinitely, without trial.
From CBS News:
The White House is signing off on a controversial new law that would authorize the U.S. military to arrest and indefinitely detain alleged al Qaeda members or other terrorist operatives captured on American soil.
As the bill neared final passage in the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday, the Obama administration announced it would support passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains slightly watered-down provisions giving the military a front line role in domestic terrorism cases.
The administration abandoned its long-held veto threat due to changes in the final version of the bill, namely that in its view, the military custody mandate has been "softened." The bill now gives the President the immediate power to issue a waiver of the military custody requirement, instead of the Defense Secretary, and gives the President discretion in implementing these new provisions.
"We have concluded that the language does not challenge or constrain the President's ability to collect intelligence, incapacitate dangerous terrorists, and protect the American people, and the President's senior advisors will not recommend a veto," the White House statement said.
The detainee provisions are just one part of the annual NDAA authorizing $662 billion in federal defense spending next year.
While the bill never expanded the authority to detain American citizens indefinitely without charges, proponents said the legislation would codify court decisions finding the President does have the authority to declare "enemy combatants," as commander-in-chief and under the post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military Force against al Qaeda and its allies. The administration, which has pledged not to use this power, believes the bill leaves this legal issue unresolved.
Oh gee, Obama says he is not going to use the power. I feel so much better. That is sarcasm, just in case anyone missed it.
The big discussion here is can this bill be used to indefinitely detain Americans arrested on American soil.
The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution provides for a “fast, speedy and public trial by jury.”
In addition, the right to a Writ of Habeas Corpus still exists. If our courts do not declare this bill unconstitutional as soon as it is used against Americans, we have a bigger problem than this bill. We have lost our Constitution.
If a terrorist is captured and he is not an American, who cares? Lock him up forever. If the terrorist is an American, they do get their Constitutional rights. American citizenship means something.
I am not shocked Obama would sign a law that violates the rights of American citizens in this way. I am appalled that a Republican House of Representatives would pass such a bill.
One thing is certain, we need a new President in 2013 and a new Congress and one of their first orders of business should be to rewrite this law so it is clear it does not apply to American citizens.
Permalink Reply by John Bowens on True! Attorneys are good at taking something simple and pure and dirtying it up!
Permalink Reply by heidi pascal on yeh heyh! attorneys charge over 3 bills an hour, I just love their hours in courts.
Permalink Reply by Natalie Fincik on Perhaps this bill would allow our military to take a certain Kenyan into custody for domestic terrorism. Otherwise, I'm especially dumbfounded as to why a patriot like Allen West is supportive of this bill.
Permalink Reply by Thomas Angle on Maybe the same reason he supported Homeland Security.
Permalink Reply by John Bowens on AHA! Another thing that should be FBI responsibility! You folks are good!
Permalink Reply by slotwing1@msn.com on Natallie, wouldn't that be something. Using the language to include the White House......brilliant.
Permalink Reply by Raymond Greenway on As a former MP in the US Army, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which prohibit the military to enforce laws off post. was drilled in us while stationed in the US. One MP Patrol observed and reported a domestic assault in progress and wanted to intervene, but was happening off post.. The Provost Marshall ordered the patrol not to leave post and then informed the local police department of the incident. All this due to the Posse Comitatus Act. And while in Korea, I told my soldiers that I would have a guilty man go free then have an innocent man go to jail. This was due to a rapist being freed from charges at the Article 32 (military version of a preliminary hearing) hearing due to lack of evidence. I guess that the Act is no more.
Permalink Reply by gm.shoemaker on Raymond, thank you for your insight into the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. We can hope that others will benefit from this act.
Gary
Permalink Reply by Debrajoe Smith-Beatty on Raymond the act is still active.
Permalink Reply by Agi Yaeger on I believe that our legislators know exactly what this means. Some agree with this policy because they hate America, some are paid off or threatened and the small minority is fighting it, but all in vain.
Welcome to the American iron curtain! And we still argue over minutia about our candidates.
We first have to secure our nation before we can fix it's economy. I don't see those who only have economic experience to be the one to fix this mess.
John Bolton stated on Greta's show that this candidate must be a visionary in homeland security first. We all know who that is. But its best to fight over all of them while Obama quietly takes over this country and jeapordise our national security, not to mention enslave us.
I'm also sick and tired hearing that Obama doesn't know what he is doing because he's inexperienced. He knows exactly what he is doing, fundamentally changing this country into a Marxist autocracy. That's the change and hope he wanted, and he got it! Those are the very people who want the candidate with a mediocre credential. We need someone who has a monumental Chutzpah to defeat him. And we all know who that is, too.
Permalink Reply by Debrajoe Smith-Beatty on Thank you Agi, I hope people are listening. I do not believe there will be elections in 2012. I believe the debates are to keep us occupied while Obama, and Harry Reid, and Holder take the nation over.
Permalink Reply by Dave Mason on I agree with the sentiments of you and Agi. America's iron curtain..no elections...
In addition, if Obama said he wasn't going to invoke the provision against Americans, Why is it in there??
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