Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security

Washington Post ^ | Monday, December 1, 2008 | Spencer S. Hsu and Ann Scott Tyson

[Historix]

The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.

The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.

There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.

But the Bush administration and some in Congress have pushed for a heightened homeland military role since the middle of this decade, saying the greatest domestic threat is terrorists exploiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response -- a nearly sevenfold increase in five years -- "would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable," Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But the realization that civilian authorities may be overwhelmed in a catastrophe prompted "a fundamental change in military culture," he said.

[conqueror]

The best possible Homeland Defense, IMO, would to offer a concealed carry permit to every citizen who is not a felon.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

So we have lawyers interfering with military and intelligence operations, and now the prospect of the military interfering in law enforcement. Great.

BLOAT!!

[sam_paine]

They’ll send southern rural troops against the inner cities, and urban troops against the southern suburbs and rural areas.

Interesting. I think we did something exactly like that vis-a-vis JEB Stuart's rednecks in the north and Sherman's city boys in the rural south a while back.

[ExSoldier]

but it does give me pause having thousands of military assuming national law enforcement duties under the next President.

Remember the N.O. Police chief saying: We are taking the guns. Nobody will be allowed to have guns but the military and the police. Then they brought in combat hardened troops from gun control states like Illinois to go dough to dough and seize them evil weapoons.

Perfect timing for Prez Hussein. I'll bet he's got his list and he's checkin' it twice....

[PowderMonkey]

"I believe under Posse Comitatus, the military is allowed to be used for training civilian law enforcement and they are allowed to ‘loan’ their equipment, etc..."

Put simply, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 merely states that the Army cannot be used to fulfill a domestic role without the express authorization of Congress. I remain unimpressed by the tissue paper barrier imposed by congressional authorization.

[mvpel]

It’s hard enough to train local law enforcement in my state that open carry of defensive firearms is legal and not a valid basis for stopping and questioning someone absent any other element, so I can’t possibly imagine what it’d be like with military personnel.

[AuntB]

Any mention of putting some troops on the border?

[sam_paine]

let’s gear up from the eventual attack that we are going to just let happen. The USA doesn’t deserve to exist any longer frankly, it has forfeighted it’s inheritance ...

I recommend a dark short story titled "Diner" from Perpetuity Blues and other stories by Neal Barrett, Jr.

It really tempers my thinking on these things.

It's a disturbing prevision of a post-nuclear Southeast Texas fishing community, occupied by Chinese communist peacekeepers. Think of a day when illegal mexicans are the least of your worries, and hell, your trading partners for food.

The way I look at it, the USA doesn't actually exist anymore. We are living the beginning of the post-Constitutional period. Last true demonstration of the Constitution was BillJeff's impeachment.

[yorkie01]

This only makes it that much easier to move from capitalism to socialism/Marxism.

[Scythian]

The way I look at it, the USA doesn't actually exist anymore. We are living the beginning of the post-Constitutional period.

I totally agree, even the Obama birth certificate story I read said they will not ask him to prove he is a citizen because the Gore/Bush fiasco of late. Basically, law doesn't matter, the constitution has been discounted, we are off the tracks ...

[GOP Poet]

Ouch! That is quite a post. Thank you so much for posting it. I think the Executive, legislative, and judicial branches need to be shown your refresher course.

[PghBaldy]

Years ago, good friend of mine in a inner city hood used to talk about cops who acted like they were in a warzone. There is some truth to that- the problem is sometimes with things like the drug war, some cops forget not everyone is a thug.

[Dr. Marten]

“something like a pair of lightning bolts, perhaps?”

Nah, it’ll probably be more like blue helmets.

[madison10]

An uncomfortable truth: George Bush stopped being the friend of the people on January 20, 2005.

[PghBaldy]

The other issue is the failure this is- NOT preventing, but cleaning up the mess. They have been saying for years a nuke attack is not a case of “if,” but “when.” WHY even try to prevent, if you accept the inevitibily of it?

[Kirkwood]

“Combat and law enforcement are two entirely different undertakings. Anyone who equates the two as being even remotely similar has no business being involved in either one. Mixing the two has proven a disaster everywhere it’s been tried.”

I see military police on patrol nearly every workday as I commute through New Orleans East. Been that way since Katrina. It no longer seems unusual. I feel better with military police around than the regular police force which consistently fails to uphold the Constitution. Confiscation by the NO police of legally carried weapons is still an ongoing problem here.

[Kirkwood]

I should say that the military police I speak of are the LA National Guard, but I think most of you will know that already. I’m sure it seems strange to a visitor to see military police cars and Humvees patrolling the streets and issuing tickets, etc.

[PghBaldy]

Biden backs letting soldiers arrest civilians July 22, 2002

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/720228/posts

[Cyberrat]

“And this is why I shuddered when Bush created the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act.”

Me too. I never supported either, and I could never understand conservatives who did. Well, now people will begin to open their eyes, but it is of course much too late.

[PowderMonkey]

"It no longer seems unusual..."

I understand. However,you're talking about Military Police. The plan calls for the equivalent of 3 Army Divisions not to enforce law, but to impose order. Get back to us on that the first time it's you they pull from the vehicle, find on the street after curfew, or wind up on the receiving end of their "knock and announce" policy.