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Forum Post: Congress wants to give the president power to order the arrest and imprisonment of ANY civilian, without a charge, or a trial

Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 26, 2011, 1:03 a.m. EST by Kozzmic (0)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/senators-demand-military-lock-american-citizens-battlefield-they-define-being/

While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.

Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a “battlefield” and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial.

The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Lawl (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.

The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.

I know it sounds incredible. New powers to use the military worldwide, even within the United States? Hasn’t anyone told the Senate that Osama bin Laden is dead, that the president is pulling all of the combat troops out of Iraq and trying to figure out how to get combat troops out of Afghanistan too? And American citizens and people picked up on American or Canadian or British streets being sent to military prisons indefinitely without even being charged with a crime. Really? Does anyone think this is a good idea? And why now?

The answer on why now is nothing more than election season politics. The White House, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have all said that the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act are harmful and counterproductive. The White House has even threatened a veto. But Senate politics has propelled this bad legislation to the Senate floor.

But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.

In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

The solution is the Udall Amendment; a way for the Senate to say no to indefinite detention without charge or trial anywhere in the world where any president decides to use the military. Instead of simply going along with a bill that was drafted in secret and is being jammed through the Senate, the Udall Amendment deletes the provisions and sets up an orderly review of detention power. It tries to take the politics out and put American values back in.

In response to proponents of the indefinite detention legislation who contend that the bill “applies to American citizens and designates the world as the battlefield,” and that the “heart of the issue is whether or not the United States is part of the battlefield,” Sen. Udall disagrees, and says that we can win this fight without worldwide war and worldwide indefinite detention.

The senators pushing the indefinite detention proposal have made their goals very clear that they want an okay for a worldwide military battlefield, that even extends to your hometown. That is an extreme position that will forever change our country.

Now is the time to stop this bad idea. Please urge your senators to vote YES on the Udall Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

8 Comments

8 Comments


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[-] 2 points by stuartchase (861) 12 years ago
[-] 2 points by Nevada1 (5843) 12 years ago

Hi Kozzmic, Thank you for post. The control freaks never rest. Best Regards, Nevada

[-] 1 points by JadedCitizen (4277) 12 years ago

You can go to ACLU website. On homepage, "Our Works: News and Updates". it is the second story. open it and it will take you to their report on it. In the second paragraph of story find the link "Senators need to hear you". You will be directed to a page where you can e-mail your senator. Hope this helps. Terrible bill if it passes.

[-] 1 points by dingy58 (172) 12 years ago

I'll call/email them and ask Obama to veto, but my heart tells me they will pass this bill. The call to protest has come just in time, at least I hope so. We are moving up to the mountains to escape...time to go.

[-] 1 points by richardkentgates (3269) 12 years ago

http://www.facebook.com/upwithchris go there and like my post about it or mention it again. maybe we can get this on the news by morning.

[-] 1 points by JoeyDee115 (12) 12 years ago

What will they think of next! Wow! finally found something they can all agree upon: public suppression of constitutional rights and Martial Law. We were sold out!!! Brace yourself and buckleup this could get ugly!

[-] 0 points by economicallydiscardedcitizen (761) 12 years ago

This is as bad as allowing China to form a country within our country just outside of Boise,Idaho I think the Chinese company is 'Sinomach' This would mean Chinese military presence and anyone who enters the Chinese Reservation in this city within a city in Idaho would be subject only to Chinese law. With plans for expansion easy to imagine maybe this is why Congress is considering this. Next: Maybe we will see the 'Blue Hats'/UN for whatever mass unrest occurs in the future especially if water and food supply is impacted by any number of events.

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