Today's paper "Intel arm expands Rumsfeld's reach: Defense chief directs Pentagon group that has CIA's powers without oversight" by WashPost's Barton Gellman, along with another article "Army commandos take on new domestic roles: Members of super-secret unit aid law enforcement anti-terrorism efforts, stood by at inauguration" by NYT's Eric Schmitt both show that history is repeating itself.
Martin Luther King's assassination, and investigation of it, revealed the Military Intelligence Group's domestic involvement in the '60's of surveillance and harassment of dissenting groups and individuals. Back then, the Army Security Agency and MIGs 111th and 902nd (see
http://www.copi.com/articles/copa_mlk_pr1.html ) gives us ample evidence the lack of oversight and extra-legal measures that occur when the military is turned inward by political powers-that-be for their own benefit and not the country's.
The former Army Security Agency was erased in the '70's due to the shame of revelations related to the MLK assassination. Now we learn that project "Power Geyser" is the code name for the new elite counterterrorism force and that the Pentagon's new spy unit Strategic Support Branch (with special missions units) essentially supercede the CIA's tasks in order to circumvent Congressional oversight and budgetting requirements.
Congress was circumvented in the past along with the MLK actions with Iran-Contra actions. DoD lack of accountability has resulted in arrangements that encourage ignoring the War Powers Act of 1973 in order to provide 'pretext' for desired actions, essentially steamrolling Congress.
The duplication of the CIA's capabilities (the "Farm" is being duplicated -- as proposed by DoD) is going to cost a fortune. The targetting of legitimate dissenters and political opponents of the 'war time' administration is going to cost even more. Just as Nixon turned his goons on to opposition, so to the temptation to do the same will prove too much for the President who feels heady with a "mandate".
History will judge harshly.
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