Posted on 12/05/2011 10:55:52 AM PST by John Semmens
A recently passed Senate Bill—the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—grants broad new authority to the Department of Defense (DOD) to arrest and detain civilians who are suspected of being enemies of the state. In any area that the DOD declares to be a “zone of conflict” it would be empowered to apprehend and imprison suspected enemies “for the duration of the conflict.” The Bill explicitly repeals the 1878 Posse Comitatus ban on the use of US troops against civilians within the borders of the United States.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called the expanded authority “absolutely necessary tools for defeating those who would attempt to bring down our government—whether from external attack or internal sabotage.”
Panetta acknowledged that these new powers contradict protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, but asserted that “the threats we face today warrant extraordinary steps to counter them. After all, it’s not as if we’d be totally obliterating the protections against wrongful imprisonment. Those accused of crimes against the private sector would still be granted the privilege of a speedy trial before a jury of their peers. It would only be when then intended target is the government itself that this new emergency authority would be deployed.” The Secretary characterized fears that such sweeping powers could be abused as “overwrought.”
“Such fears postulate that the government itself would act against the people’s best interests,” Panetta observed. “But this overlooks the fact that the government is composed of persons who are of the people, elected by the people, and for the benefit of the people. An abuse of power would be a betrayal of trust that could only be contemplated by a tyrant. I assure you that I am not a tyrant and neither is President Obama.”
if you miss any of this week's semi-news posts you can find them at...
http://azconserv1.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/white-house-threatens-to-cancel-congressional-holidays/
>>They that would sacrifice Liberty for Security deserve neither and will lose both” Benjamin Franklin<<
The tree of liberty must be refreashed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson.
Tell me these guys did not have a divine foreknowledge!
Thomas didn’t say, should be or might be or ought to be.
Not advocating anything, just thought the quote was fitting.
Damn slow internet....prolly the feds...hehe
Well, hell; if they’re going to open up the borders to every form of vermin that crawls the earth, the Constitution ain’t going to be worth a roll of Charmin, anyway. We’ll all be toast at that point, just piling up the bags and hunkering down from the cross-fire. I’ll be glad as hell to snuggle up to U.S. troops against all other comers...... Better my snake than theirs.
It already passed in the house. It’s funding bill so it originated in the house as H.R. 1540, passed 322-96 on 5/26/2011. Paul voted no. Bachman voted aye.
It already passed in the house. It’s funding bill so it originated in the house as H.R. 1540, passed 322-96 on 5/26/2011. Paul voted no. Bachman voted aye.
It already passed in the house. It’s funding bill so it originated in the house as H.R. 1540, passed 322-96 on 5/26/2011. Paul voted no. Bachman voted aye.
@#$%. First multi-post and it’s a triple!
Is this why the socialist are allowing occupy to continue? An excuse to call martial law?
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