Bush Wants Right To Use Military If Bird Flu Hits

Reuters ^ | 10/4/05

[areafiftyone]

WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush asked Congress on Tuesday to consider giving him powers to use the military to enforce quarantines in case of an avian influenza epidemic.

He said the military, and perhaps the National Guard, might be needed to take such a role if the feared H5N1 bird flu virus changes enough to cause widespread human infection.

"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?" Bush asked at a news conference.

"It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?" Bush added.

"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have."

Bird flu has killed more than 60 people in four Asian nations since late 2003 and has been found in birds in Russia and Europe.

Experts fear that the H5N1 bird flu virus, which appears to be highly fatal when it infects people, will develop the ability to pass easily from person to person and would cause a pandemic that would kill millions.

"And I think the president ought to have all ... assets on the table to be able to deal with something this significant," Bush said.

He noted that some governors may object to the federal government commandeering the National Guard, which is under state command in most circumstances.

POLICE DUTIES BANNED

"But Congress needs to take a look at circumstances that may need to vest the capacity of the president to move beyond that debate. And one such catastrophe or one such challenge could be an avian flu outbreak," Bush said.

The active duty military is currently forbidden from undertaking law enforcement duties by the federal Posse Comitatus Act.

That law, passed in 1878 after the U.S. Civil War, does not prohibit National Guard troops under state control from doing police work. But, unless the law is changed, it would keep them from doing so if they were activated by Washington under federal control.

While the law allows the president to order the military to take control and do police work in an extreme emergency, the White House has been traditionally reluctant to usurp state powers.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters he was not aware of any current planning by the military to help respond to a flu pandemic.

But he noted that after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf region, Bush had asked Congress to consider giving the military control over initial response in dealing with major natural or other domestic disasters.

"Obviously the (Defense) Department has a tremendous amount of capability in a lot of areas. And we are a large force," Whitman said, noting also that the military had deployed field hospitals to Louisiana after the hurricanes.

Health experts are working to develop vaccines that would protect against the H5N1 strain of flu, because current influenza vaccines will not.

And countries are also developing stockpiles of drugs that can reduce the risk of serious disease or even sometimes prevent infection -- but supplies and manufacturing capacity are both limited.

Bush said he was involved in planning for an influenza pandemic, which experts say will definitely come, although they cannot predict when, or whether it will be H5N1 or some other virus. (Additional reporting by Maggie Fox)

[Protagoras]

I see no proof anywhere anyone has cited so far. Proof please.

[wolfcreek]

I don't think that would be cause for evacuation. You would be better off staying at home to avoid contraction.

[headsonpikes]

Bush Wants Right To Use Military If Bird Flu Hits

Damn straight! Chickens tend to be insubordinate - they don't obey orders worth sh*t!

Gonna need guns.

[little jeremiah]

Not surprised - do you have a link I could read up? Was it on the link I posted? If so, duh; haven't read every word on it.

[Protagoras]

HIV always leads to AIDS, and AIDS is a 100% fatal disease.

Proof please.

[BenLurkin]

Good reminder that x42 was/is a truly evil b@st@rd.

[mysterio]

How can Bush be oblivious to the precedents he's setting? This is dangerous ground.

[bayourant]

isn't the point of govt to help that not happen like anarchy. The whole reason why Bush is talking about this.

[bayourant]

isn't the point of govt to help that not happen like anarchy. The whole reason why Bush is talking about this.

[little jeremiah]

If could cite a source I'd appreciate it. Maybe post it on the thread I linked to above, everyone there would like to see it too.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[Artemis Webb]

That was not my quote.

How would you like it if found a quotation that said "I love Bill Clinton" and tried to pin it on you?

[AMERIKA]

"HIV always leads to AIDS, and AIDS is a 100% fatal disease."

"Proof please."

Life is 100% fatal, however I digress...

"AIDS is a 100% fatal disease." Then why is Magic Johnson still alive?

[A.Hun]

Try these, it is important to be correct.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02040501/Earlier_Human_Transmission.html

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-2-2004_pg4_7

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6912

[wyattearp]

From my understanding, it has passed between family members in South East Asia.

The only way that this virus can be "passed between family members" is if somebody says "pass the chicken, please". I did read where an entire family caught the disease, but it was from eating off of the same undercooked bird.

[processing please hold]

Can bird flu be passed from person to person?

The ability of bird flu viruses to infect humans throws up this worrying possibility. A bird flu virus could merge with a human flu virus to create a new virus. This new virus could then be passed between humans. If this happens with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, the result could be a pandemic of highly contagious flu.

AVIAN FLU

[William Terrell]

So, if a pandemic broke out, killing say...50% of CA's population, you would not want martial law declared and CA quarantined?

Martial law is only supported when the civilian authority collapses. What you cite is a medical problem within civilian control. Military patrols would be appropriate only on the border in case of quarantine, not internally.

But what Mr. Bush envisions is not such a dramatic scenario. He proposes a military response to the threat of bird flu. Beware of the military response. Once in place it can be awfully hard to get rid of, and it can metastasize.

Also, what the President seems to mean, by the wording I heard, is the feds gong in without the governor's, or acting governor's, express invitation. That, my friend, is very dangerous. People die and more people are born, but military control, by it's very nature, can make the prospect of dying less important.

[processing please hold]

No, it was on the link I posted.

[Cold Heat]

I see no proof anywhere anyone has cited so far. Proof please.

Here's the deal..... A pandemic has not yet occurred. It is only expected, based on prior histories of this sort of flu virus.

It's possible the thing could morph into a safe local aggravation, or it could become the worst since 1918, which is the benchmark.

The worry is legitimate, but each year we see this getting more and more likely to go into overdrive and people should be informed and we should make whatever preparations we can.

It is becoming less a matter of "IF" and more of a "WHEN" question. There is no point in trying to debunk something that has not yet occurred, but is increasingly likely. There is loads of good info from WHO and other agencies that are meant to inform.....not to scare. The few instances where they believe this has crossed species are isolated at present, but the fact remains that it can and is expected to do so in the near future and it could get out of control. (some think it will)

[PresbyRev]

Not to worry - George has an (R) by his name.