Should the Military Be Allowed to Detain Americans Indefinitely?

17 as a civilian in the US Army Corps of Engineers.

You?

 

Rand Paul single handily killed Amendment 1274 to this bill. That amendment would have made it legal for the Government to detain you even if you are found NOT guilty in a criminal court.

Screw Democrats and Neocons.

 

Behind Closed Doors: Congress Trying to Force Indefinite Detention Bill on Americans

The Senate voted last Thursday to pass S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would authorize the president to send the military literally anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial. Prison based on suspicion alone. The power is so sweeping that the president would be able to direct the military to use its powers within the United States itself, and even lock up American citizens without charge or trial.

No corner of the world, not even your own home, would be off-limits to the military. And there is no exception for American citizens. Section 1031 — one of the indefinite detention provisions — of the Senate-approved version of the NDAA has no limitations whatsoever based on geography, duration or citizenship. And the entire Senate bill was drafted in secret, with no hearing, and with committee votes behind closed doors.

I'm not sure which was more surprising — that the majority of senators ignored the pleas of countless constituents, or that they also ignored every top national security official opposed to the provisions. Opposition to the detention provisions came from Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, CIA Director David Petraeus, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, White House Advisor for Counterterrorism John Brennan, and DOJ National Security Division head Lisa Monaco. The Senate ignored them all.

Back in May, the House of Representatives passed its own version of the NDAA, which had a provision authorizing worldwide war wherever any terrorism suspect resides, even if there is no threat to America or Americans. Buried in the bill is a sentence that lets the president order the military to lock up without charge or trial American citizens and anyone else he decides is a suspect, even if the person is right here in America or in such friendly countries as Canada, Great Britain, or France.

Now, the two bills are in conference committee. The chairmen and ranking members of the Armed Services Committee — known as "the Big Four" — have been having one secret meeting after another over the past few days to quickly write a final bill. Who are the Big Four? From the Senate, it is Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) who were the very two who had secretly written the Senate indefinite detention provisions. The third member is the House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), who is the person who wrote the House indefinite detention provisions without so much as a hearing. And the fourth member is the House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who courageously fought the indefinite detention provisions on the House floor.

That's 3-1 for indefinite military imprisonment without charge or trial. There's good reason to worry about what the Big Four do in their secret meetings.

What happens next? First, there will be a more formal House-Senate conference in the next few days to put an official stamp of approval on what the Big Four wrote in secret. And then the bills will be on the floors of the House and Senate by early next week.

Their plan is to move very, very fast. Congress certainly has earned a reputation for being slow, but the plan for the NDAA is to jam it through the House and Senate with as little debate as possible.

Amazingly, as soon as a week from today, a final bill could be passed by Congress and headed to President Obama's desk.

...Secret deals for indefinite military detention without charge or trial? Tell Congress we are better than that. It's not who we are as Americans, and it is not the country or the world we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren.

Now is the time to act and contact your senators and House member. Tell them vote "NO" on the NDAA if it includes indefinite detention without charge or trial.


http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-s...ing-force-indefinite-detention-bill-americans

 

Amendment 1274 was a planned diversion. The approved bill still completely obliterates The Fourth Amendment.

 

...America and the Constitution is being gutted like a pig

 

I was looking for the armed forces aspect, not the postal service. The Army Corps of Engeneers do some very brave stuff, but I dont recall seeing civilians present at the time, they came in with the PX. (yes that was a slight jest)

Myself, nothing serious. Four years USCG, half SAR norpac, the other half TDY security, E5/po1, CPO offered for re up and declined.

The kids doing the heavy stuff are the guys I admire. The shame is we will have all these kids heading home to no jobs and an admin that wants to cut military benifits.

 

Very nice post Brian. The sad thing is there are a lot of guys that fail to prepare for the outside. The military needs to do a better job of getting these guys ready it. The wait for any type of help for PTSD is 30 days give or take five. when most these guys get out they get papers a final pay and a ride home, period.

Being close to Operation Homefront, and getting a feel for the average, rather than the exception, has opened my eyes somewhat.

 

ok, i dont believe "a long weekend" is going to cut it for most these guys, fk most will be trashed for a month when they get out. anyone seeing combat will take years to stop twitching. this is the worst time to be a soldier returning home sense ww2. with no jobs, there will be a lot of very bad decisions made.

 

Killing strangers at the bequest of the 1% never appealed to me.

If I ever feel I have to kill strangers, I'll need a better reason than their wars for profit.

USACE provided me the opportunity to respond to many emergencies such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Tillamook flood, Mt St Helens explosions and flooding...genuine threats to the survival of Americans. Not some power-grab halfway around the globe.

 

An unfortunate choice of words.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...acknowledged/2011/12/07/gIQAT8ybdO_story.html

 

not to mention a few years of combat in actual, you know, wars, killing and being killed.

 

And indefinite forced servitude at the military's option.

And the "voluntary" surrender of your rights as an American citizen.

And the "voluntary" surrender of your individual identity, personality, and anything else that would distinguish you from a japanese wind-up toy.

On the plus side, you get to benefit from the super-bennies provided by the most socialist branch of our government, making your actual income close to double that of the average American.

 

wow bro, when you go over the top, you really go over, lol

wont bother to point out the obvious, just one thing alone blows you outta da water. Volunteers serve

 

I'm against this rule. Terrorism on our soil is a crime and should be fought by law enforcement. There's a big problem with saying you have rights unless you are a "terrorist" because the terrorist label can be applied so liberally.

For example, in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, american journalist Greg Palast (a guy who had written things very critical of the Bush administration) was taking photos of the FEMA camps and was actually charged by our federal government with DOMESTIC TERRORISM. This is a true story.

We just can't have it.

The department of homeland security was set up in the aftermath of 9-11 with the pretense that it was an extra layer of security needed to protect us from terrorism, but it is already being abused, as they are targeting American citizens who fall outside of the political norm. One girl was being tracked simply for being a Ron Paul supporter.

 

What you really mean is, as usual, you can't back up anything with facts so you'll just made empty declarations of victory.

I dare you to debate whatever in my post it is you think is "obvious".

 

All libertarians are spied on by DHS.

The goal is No American Left Free.