Posted on 10/04/2005 12:02:27 PM PDT by 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)
I was just reading an article online about that. They say they've tested for SARS, Avian Flu, regular flu, etc., and can't find the cause.
I wonder if it's Avian flu, but it's changed so much the tests don't recognize it...
Brrrr! I just scared myself!
As with every other illness, soap and water are the first step to good health. Currently there is immigrations occurring worldwide in numbers never before seen. Many Third World immigrants move into countries we consider 2nd class or 1st class but bring 3rd class habits with them.
Many of these people work in service type positions to take care of us ist class people and they do bring their poor health habits and infections with them.
Hire a maid or a baby sitter from the mountains of Pakistan, the hills of Uraguay, Guatamala or Mexico and guess what you have opened your home to. Someone with a much stronger immune system than you have who will survive diseases that will kill you.
Open borders along with Catch and Release of OTM's (Other than Mexicans) only furthers this problem.
Thank you, Mr. President for your open stance on immigration control.
As long as you bathe more frequently I don't have any problems with your bi annual showers. Bath tubs can become very slippery and need cleaning regularly so do be careful.
Sometimes I don't even like to touch the railing in the subway in Manhattan :( Not to mention all the spitting that goes on right on the street. TB is making a big comeback and I guess it doesn't matter in the light of cheap labor.
No mention of the chicken manure, fallen feathers or bird mites. Hmmm? I wonder when we will announce it is not a good idea to allow your chickens to roost beside your bed?
I will bet you dinner that your immunity system is much stronger than mine simply because I intentionally avoid mass transit areas. I had TB when I was a kid 50 years ago, once was enough.
Tamiflu could be modified to match the chemistry of the evolving flu virus. Takes funding for evolution based studies though so don't hold your breath.
Here is the thread about the use of the military during a pandemic. Interesting, if frightening, read.
Regarding Tamiflu...
It takes a year to make a batch. Production capacity of the current formula is at the max. I don't see any changes happening...:-(
Let's pray to God it's not. Typing that I just got the chills.
Thanks for the chuckle on such a heavy thread. :-)
Clinton?
Say a couple of million people caught it. The entire system was shut down. Hospitals were overflowing, people dying in the street. No food, no water, no medicine, no law. Imagine it that way. Wouldn't you be glad the military was there to bring supplies and medicine?
NO!
I take care of myself.
use the military to enforce what?! Not only NO but.....
Hurricanes.
Ask me about it when they die of totally obscure cancers or massive lung problems. They all die, and they all die badly. With current drugs, their deaths by AIDS can be prolonged. Wait and see, mister "prove it". It takes time.
LMAO!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.