U.S. Reasserts Right to Declare Citizens to Be Enemy Combatants

[Khephra]

The Bush administration on Wednesday reasserted its broad authority to declare American citizens to be enemy combatants, and it suggested that the Supreme Court consider two prominent cases at the same time.

The Justice Department, in a brief filed with the court, said it would seek an expedited appeal of a federal appeals court decision last month in the case of Jose Padilla, jailed as an enemy combatant in 2002.

The divided Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York, ruled on Dec. 18 that President Bush lacked the authority to indefinitely detain an American citizen like Mr. Padilla who was arrested on American soil simply by declaring him an enemy combatant. Mr. Padilla has been held incommunicado at a military brig in South Carolina. American authorities say he plotted with operatives of Al Qaeda overseas to detonate a "dirty" radiological bomb in the United States.

But the Justice Department said in its brief that the ruling was "fundamentally at odds" with court precedent on presidential powers.

more................

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/08/politics/08COMB.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Padilla today. Tomorrow it could be YOU!

Holding a peace sign at a Bush event will land your ass in jail. Tomorrow it may well land your ass inside a dog cage at Guantanamo.

[Zhade]

10. No kidding.

When this goes to the USSC, they'd damn well better uphold the Constitution. Not that they have a history of doing so...

If they allow this, we are no longer free at all.

[dusty64]

28. True and scary.

Any dissent from the extreme right party line is considered treason these days by our regime and their propaganda shills. Where do you draw the line at citizens being enemies of the state? I certainly do not trust them to make that call, especially when I trust them to do nothing else. Funny also how rightwing terrorists are never called such by our cabal and their media puppets.

[punpirate]

2. Presidential powers, my ass.

This is one citizen against the entire administration. If the guy's a suspect, then he should be brought to trial in open court. The security issues can hashed out in conjunction with trial.

Until he's convicted in open court while being represented by counsel, he's one of us--he's a citizen. Anyone fighting for his continued indefinite incarceration without trial, or fighting his right to open trial, they're the real enemy, not this person.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Bush is saying that he, and he alone, has this power,

Bush is saying that he, and he alone, has this power; the power to suspend all civil liberties for any individual, or groups of individuals, that he so chooses. Such concentration of power in one individual is not unlike the one that Hitler had as Fuhrer.

[Journeyman]

19. It was also the power claimed. . .

by Mr. Abraham Lincoln. What shall we make of that?

[Zhade]

12. AMEN.

NT!

[54anickel]

3. What about the couple in Tyler TX? Why doesn't it apply to them?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Nope they are just good INTERNAL

Terrorists

Nothing to see here

Oh and by the way, NO American should be subjected to this... something about the rule of law.. try to explain this to Connies.

[54anickel]

17. Agreed - "NO American should be subjected to this"

Guess you could infer from my post that I did not question Shrubs new rule. I took that part of it for granted, sorry for not being clear on that.

[0rganism]

5. Just remember, bush is NOT a nazi

So Stop Saying That! :crazy:

[IndianaGreen]

6. And Guantanamo is not a concentration camp

and there is no truth to the rumors that there is a classified construction program to build a death chamber designed for mass executions.

I know nothing!

[0rganism]

8. Ees Korrect, Komrad. Guantanemo Bay ees Muslim Vacation Facility.

Vee Know Nozink! Nozink!

[IndianaGreen]

7. Why has the US government imprisoned Captain Yee? (Sept 2003)

CPT Yee has already been released, having been charged with having an affair and having "porno" on his computer. No one has been able to see or speak to CPT Yee, who seems to have become a non-person.

Why has the US government imprisoned Captain Yee?
By Bill Vann
23 September 2003

The media has reported recently that these interrogations have been stepped up as Washington prepares to conduct drum-head military trials of at least some of the detainees. It has also been reported that a death chamber is already being prepared at Guantanamo.

It is possible that Yee knows more about the illegal and appalling treatment of the prisoners at the US concentration camp in Cuba and was prepared to make it public. Have prisoners been subjected to outright physical torture? Have some already suffered extra-judicial executions? Yee, held incommunicado at the navy brig in Charleston, cannot say; and the public, having no constitutional oversight over the extraterritorial prison in Cuba, does not know.

The major media outlets have treated Yee’s arrest largely as a one-day story, dutifully publishing the unsubstantiated allegations by unnamed authorities branding him as a spy and saboteur—charges that could lead to the captain’s execution.

Working people, students and intellectuals who are concerned with democratic rights must reject the preposterous charges of the government, echoed by the media, and demand that Captain Yee be released and allowed to speak to the public.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/sep2003/yee-s23.shtml

[jpgray]

11. Bush reasserts right to crap all over the Constitution (nt)

[Newsjock]

13. And we wonder why dirty bombs are back in the news

All grandstanding to create a manufactured media groundswell about "dirty bomb" fear so that there won't be any outrage over this appeal.

All hail the homeland. George W. Bush is out of control.

[aquart]

16. George W. Bush is in perfect control.

He doesn't deviate from his masters' agenda.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Could you just imagine Bill Clinton and Janet Reno having these powers?

The FreeRepublican Timothy McVeigh types would be blowing up federal buildings all across the USA. And Rush Limbaugh would be cheering them on.

Don

[aquart]

15. THIS is an impeachable offense.

To assume the right to strip CITIZENS of their guaranteed rights?

This is treason against the American people.

This is a criminal act.

This is tyranny.

[sventvkg]

18. I agree........

[ConcernedCanuk]

20. Watching how the US treats it's CITIZENS, . convinces me to

.
.
. Stay the hell on MY side of the border !!

Having lived in southern California back in the 70's, my dream was to retire in the sunny south.

No more ! !!!

not even a remote consideration

I'll put up with Canada's cold winters

Better that than the cold-hearted American Administration !!

. . . . . . . . . .

[truthisfreedom]

21. Enemy Combatants Reassert Rights to Declare to Be U.S. Citizens

[kayell]

22. Combine this with Perle and Frums book advocating

stripping US citizenship and requiring all citizens to carry national ID cards and we are all in very deep shit. Exactly why are the bushies not like 1935 nazis?

[ConcernedCanuk]

23. "Exactly why are the bushies not like 1935 nazis? " - - Hmmmmmm - -

.
.
. . Well,

They haven't invaded their neighbours

Yet . .

[kayell]

25. Looks like you all have about 3 more years

And I was looking to Canada for my escape route. Darn.

[ConcernedCanuk]

27. I just had a terrible sobering thought - -

.
.
. An invasion in the near future ??

Now THAT would explain our insane Gun Registry thingy !!

Yikes - -

I HATE thinking so much --

[dusty64]

29. They have however invaded

another country. Canada does have oil reserves don't they, and I had considered going there if things got worse. Unfortunately, I fear they are just starting and I can't shake that bad feeling as this new year begins.

[KayLaw]

24. God!

How can decent Republicans stand for this and still call themselves conservatives and patriotic Americans, or Americans at all?

[kayell]

26. They're not exactly decent republicans, but here's the freepers take

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1052049/posts?page=73

Let's say that they are a little divided on this issue.