LIBERTIES ADVOCATES FEAR ABUSE OF SATELLITE IMAGES... Aug 17, 2007
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the active-duty military forces from conducting law enforcement missions on American soil, and Mr. Allen underscored that the new information-sharing would not violate that ban. Mr. Allen said that the new program would be especially useful for disaster planning, and for policing land and seaports. (The Drudge Report)
Looking Toward Home Aug 16, 2007
Officials have been mulling the plan for a couple years, but often bumped up against questions about whether this kind of snooping would violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars military for engaging in law-enforcement activity within the U.S., since the satellites are built for and owned by the Defense Department. The decision was made three months ago by Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnel, and OKed in May by DHS chief Michael Chertoff. (CBS News)
NYPD Warns Of Mounting Homegrown Terror Threat; Radical Ways... Aug 16, 2007
Um, have any of you complaining about our military being abroad ever bothered to learn what the posse comitatus act is ... When congress passed the Patriot Act provisions were put in that would allow the President to suspend posse comitatus as well as the insurrection act ... Derek get your facts straight, it is true that you swear an oath as you stated but that does not give the right for the US military to act as a police force in the US. Technically Posse Comitatus does not totally prevent... (The Drudge Report)
U.S. expands domestic use of spy satellites Aug 16, 2007
Some experts have questioned whether domestic use of such satellites would violate the Posse Comitatus Act. The act bars the military from engaging in law-enforcement activity inside the U.S., and the satellites were predominantly built for and owned by the Defense Department. (Xinhuanet, China)
Dentist on way to getting license reinstated Aug 3, 2007
In the flap that followed, the board took issue with a felony vehicle theft charge pending against him in Wisconsin, and required he receive a mental health evaluation because of the correspondence he sent to board members that included documents espousing antigovernment theories similar to those held by the Posse Comitatus group. Hanus later apologized for the correspondence. (Waterloo Courier, IO)
White House calls meeting on al Qaeda threat... Jul 11, 2007
The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.138). A defacto repeal of Posse Comitatus Act has been engineered and signed. (The Drudge Report)
Bush Challenged Over National Guard Control Jul 7, 2007
And the 19th century Posse Comitatus act further barred the use of the military as a domestic police force ... "It did overturn Posse Comitatus," Leahy said. (WCAX.com, VT)
Responsible Democracy Award given to Mayor S. Fred Simmons Jul 5, 2007
We the people protect our communities through the elected sheriff and come to the aid of the sheriff in enforcing the laws through the 'hue and cry' system and the posse comitatus ... The posse comitatus requires all those 15 years of age and older to be prepared to come to the aid of the sheriff to enforce the laws when needed. (PR Newswire)
FBI audit finds widespread abuse in data collection...Terrorist watch list swelled to half a million names... Jun 15, 2007
Marginalize the 9/11 conspiracy theorists, put them in the same place as UFO believers and other mental midgets (I'm paraphrasing here but that is the gist of your post) and then turn the conversation to a "real" problem facing we Americans,the paranoids and those bad middle easterners that force us to buy the oil we so highly desire to fuel our enviable life here in the "land of the free and the brave" Pre PATRIOT ACT , and all the evil that only this administration and it's enablers could... (The Drudge Report)
Lendman: Free Expression May 11, 2007
" What he's likely saying is TALON's activities will be rebranded and continued, the same way all improperly intrusive domestic spying activities drawing flack are carried out in impressive Orwellian style. What he's not saying is all Pentagon domestic spying/surveillance programs violate the Posse Comitatus Act's prohibitions against them. However, last year's Public Law 109-364 (HR 5122 - Defense Authorization Act) revised the 1807 Insurrection Act and 1878 Posse Comitatus allowing... (Zmag.org)
1) Fascist America in 10 easy steps Apr 25, 2007
"Critics see this as a clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act - which was meant to restrain the federal government from using the military for domestic law enforcement. The Democratic senator Patrick Leahy says the bill encourages a president to declare federal martial law. It also violates the very reason the founders set up our system of government as they did: having seen citizens bullied by a monarch's soldiers, the founders were terrified of exactly this kind of concentration of... (Guardian Unlimited)
Working for the Clampdown Apr 24, 2007
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 tightened these restrictions, imposing a two-year prison sentence on anyone who used the military within the U.S. without the express permission of Congress. But there is a loophole: Posse Comitatus is waived if the president invokes the Insurrection Act. (The American Conservative)
A Story of Intrigue Mar 31, 2007
Then there's the whole alleged tie to the Posse Comitatus. And, there's political corruption. (Forest Republican, WI)
Exclusive Interview With Gov. Jim Gilmore -- Part II Mar 27, 2007
Gilmore: Yes, well no, not exactly -- Posse comitatus being a prohibition against using the regular military in the homeland which we have found all kinds of ways to get around. But frankly, the more serious problem of a national catastrophe which would lead the President to throw away all the traditions including posse comitatus and go into a state of martial law. (Human Events Online)
• Militarize, not unionize,Homeland Security Mar 20, 2007
Some will say that it's inappropriate to use soldiers on the home front, citing the Posse Comitatus law of 1878. Yet, aside from the common-sense principle that our 21st century security needs should not be dictated by a 19th century statute, it's worth recalling the cynical origins of Posse Comitatus; it was enacted by racist Southern Democrats to protect the "freedom" of the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize blacks, free from interference by the Union Army ... Today, a tacit pro-Posse Comitatus... (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Officials use large force to search lot, make arrests Mar 16, 2007
Agents don't believe the Sundsmos have any link to the anti-government group the Posse Comitatus, as some media reports suggested, Babcock said ... Lorri Frisch, a daughter of the Sundsmos, said her parents support common-law beliefs but aren't connected to the Posse Comitatus. (Watertown Daily Times, WI)
Iraq, Katrina and other issues liberal letter writer was wrong about - Part I Feb 14, 2007
This was because of Posse Comitatus passed in 1878, prohibiting the use of federal troops with civilians. The good Democratic governor stubbornly refused to call for federal troops. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Letters to the editor Feb 1, 2007
The show of (non)force on the border Those of us who have had experience in law enforcement have an understanding of the meaning of the term "posse comitatus." We understand why our military is proscribed from taking action against citizens, but the Arizona National Guard leaving its post after spotting armed men approaching is a different situation; in this case, the guard would have been involved in an action against criminals who were not American citizens ("Border retreat called right move,"... (Washington Times, DC)
Lendman: Democrat Agenda Omissions Jan 20, 2007
It means anyone can be charged with "terrorism" for what Orwell called a "thoughtcrime" making us all "enemy combatants, unsafe from the reach of "Big Brother" residing in the White House with the power of life and death over everyone everywhere in the world. This new law allows the chief executive the right to order anyone arrested, interrogated, tortured and incarcerated in a secret prison anywhere in the world, subject to the justice of a harsh military tribunal with no competent counsel... (Zmag.org)
The man who would be defense secretary Dec 5, 2006
In view of the predictions that America is likely to experience further terrorist attacks on its soil and that these attacks are likely to be multiple in number and executed nearly simultaneously, do you believe the doctrine of posse comitatus, which prohibits the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement, should be revised. - William S. Cohen, secretary of defense from 1997 to 2001. (International Herald Tribune)
Missing Marine Causes Security Alert During President's Trip... Nov 30, 2006
TOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES. Missing Marine Causes Security Alert During President's Trip. (The Drudge Report)
Lendman: Imperial Arrogance Nov 21, 2006
He privately and quietly signed into law a provision revising the Insurrection Act of 1807 that along with the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of federal and National Guard troops for law enforcement inside the country except as allowed by the Constitution or expressly authorized by Congress in times of a national emergency like an insurrection. The new Public Law 109-364 (HR 5122) called the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 allows the chief... (Zmag.org)
UT Student Sues School, Says It Slandered Her Nov 1, 2006
for a teacher to say to a student your answer is not right, or it is false, or it is not true, is the day we close the door to every university in the United States," said John Campbell, a lawyer for the Tampa firm Constangy, Brooks & Smith, which represents the university. Knight was given an F grade for the paper, and the plagiarism charge remains on her record. She denies the allegation, arguing that her professor held a grudge against her, and her sources were properly cited in a... (Tampa Bay Online, FL -- News)
Gunfight at the OK Corral (cont'd) Oct 27, 2006
The Mexican government protested vehemently, but the Posse Comitatus Act, passed in 1878, prohibited federal troops from acting in a law enforcement capacity and threw the border- crossing problem back on the county sheriffs. Sheriffs like John Behan, in many cases friends of the cow-boys, had no inclination to stop their activities. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Plots traced to prison Sep 19, 2006
Right-wing groups connected with "Christian Identity" ideology, including Posse Comitatus and Aryan Nation, have long existed in prisons. Most prison converts are not potential extremists, the report notes. (Newsday -- Nation)
Lendman: Imperialism pt. 1 Sep 17, 2006
As congressionally mandated, this report is a "comprehensive examination of the national defense strategy, force structure, force modernization plans, infrastructure, budget plan, and other elements of the defense program and policies....for the next 20 years." The review covers the military's main missions of homeland defense - which, if implemented, even by federally mandating National Guard troops to patrol our southern border as has been done, will violate the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878... (Zmag.org)
Explosive Gel Was to Be Concealed in Sports Drink... Aug 11, 2006
And then herd us into those FEMA camps and put an end to Posse Comitatus. During the CLinton administration patriots called foul on big government, on Clinton's intended role as our national Fathe,r we scoffed at the idea of needing Big Government to protect us from what. (The Drudge Report)
Homeland security Jul 22, 2006
It s amusing how Posse Comitatus* is something you care nothing about as long as you have a Democrat over running Americans on American soil to burn these women and children to death ... Posse Comitatus is a law that was at least stretched to it s very limits if not obliterated by the actions in Waco and you claim I am the one not concerned about the law. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Calif. National Guard working border Jul 20, 2006
Because of that, as well as existing Posse Comitatus laws, Guard units won't be patrolling the border or apprehending illegal immigrants. The plan is expected to commit up to 6,000 National Guardsmen, including some from non-border states, to work along the 2,000-mile-long border for two years. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Power of the Pen Jun 28, 2006
Bush s signing statements also imply that he considers the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which prohibited using the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement null and void. Congress passed laws in 2004 and 2005 prohibiting the military from using intelligence not lawfully collected on American citizens. (The American Conservative)
Davis looks to unseat McKinney Jun 23, 2006
Catherine Davis, a newcomer to Georgia politics, has joined the race for the 4th district seat, citing McKinney's "dismal legislative record and her outrageous behavior, which she calls an embarrassment to the hard-working folks in the district. A single parent, Davis currently serves as Sprint-Nextel s human resources manager for the South. She was educated at Tufts (graduated Magna Cum Laude in three years with a double major) and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Bridgeport. A... (Townhall.com)
Congressmen concerned about using Guard at border May 25, 2006
Other lawmaker asked if the Guard deployments would violate the posse comitatus law against federal troops engaging in domestic law enforcement and worried that under-trained Guardsmen would end up in jail for improper use of deadly force, similar to the prisoner abuse charges against Army Reservists in Iraq. The administration officials tried to assure the skeptical lawmakers that the troops sent to the Mexican border would be trained for their missions. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
The White House May 24, 2006
Under posse comitatus, if governors call up the National Guard, they are allowed to actually engage in police activities. And there are trained units in the National Guard, trained MP units. (Harper's Magazine)
So Much For Separation of Powers May 24, 2006
Its methods and policiesan illegal war based on lies, the use of torture, secret prisons and kidnappings, the denial of due process and habeas corpus rights, a vast and secret program of warrantless spying on the American people, the repeated refusal to hand over documents to Congress or allow White House officials to testify in congressional investigations, the use of the military for domestic policing operations in violation of the posse comitatus actconstitute preparations for police state... (Ocnus.net)
Remarks by President Bush on the Global War on Terror May 23, 2006
It's posse comitatus, you know. I'm not a lawyer, but nevertheless, that's what the lawyers tell me. (PR Newswire)
Yes, we're going bananas May 22, 2006
May 22, 2006 Commentary. By Mark Steyn May 22, 2006. (Washington Times, DC)
Bilbray touts stance on immigration May 20, 2006
About Bilbray wrote on May 19, 2006 10:35 AM:"A lot of talk, lets see some action. Build a wall, with office space in it. For the Border Patrol to be where they are needed. The border! Build a fence south of that and everything in between is no go zone. If you cross into this country in that zone, you are shot! Put signs up and loud speakers telling they will be shot so its fair. Then have border agents patrolling our interior north of that wall and get the illegal's out. That is not wrong, it... (North County Times)
FLW PAO confirms Big Louie’s ban includes all uniformed personnel around the world May 20, 2006
Chapter 3-3, Army policy, states the MPs working off post must be thoroughly familiar with the Posse Comitatus Act in the continental United States and host nation agreements in areas overseas. The Posse Comitatus specifically prohibits the use of Army and Air Force personnel for the purpose of posse comitatus or civil law functions unless specific constitutional provisions are in effect which deal with a declared state of martial law, the regulation explains. (Waynesille Daily Guide, MO)
Bush: National Guard to Assist Border Control May 19, 2006
" Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman stressed that the military already has been helping other government agencies in some border-security functions, namely surveillance with unmanned aerial vehicles. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 largely forbids the U.S. military from becoming involved in domestic law-enforcement actions. The Coast Guard and National Guard troops under the control of state governors are excluded from the act, however. "This county has always had a certain level of discomfort... (The Journal -- National Naval Medical Center)
Battlefield U.S. May 18, 2006
What's at stake here is the erosion of the principle, embedded in the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, that the U.S. military not be used for domestic law enforcement. When the administration declared the United States to be a theater of military operations in 2002, it created a U.S. Northern Command, which set up intelligence centers in Colorado and Texas to analyze the domestic threat. (Los Angeles Times)
Radio Interview with Assistant Secretary of Defense McHale on the Mark Davis Radio Show May 17, 2006
Mark, ask him about Posse Comitatus, which is some 1878 post-Reconstruction thing about prohibiting federal troops from supervising elections and since then takes on a larger notion of what the military can do in a non-military realm ... The 1878 statute, Posse Comitatus, says that we can t use active duty military forces for purposes of law enforcement ... And number two, the status of the National Guard, we call it Title 32, is exempt from Posse Comitatus. (DOD DefenseLINK -- News)
Troop deployment not viewed as fix May 16, 2006
She noted that the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 "expressly prohibits the military from doing domestic law enforcement." Bush said in the speech that the guard troops will not be given direct law enforcement responsibilities. Sen. (Pawtucket Times, RI)
Bush sending Guard to border May 16, 2006
Posse Comitatus Military personnel are prohibited from acting as civilian law enforcement under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, but the National Guard, when under the command of a governor, is exempt. Posse Comitatus is frequently cited in arguments against militarizing the border, though various policies have limited the act. (Arizona Daily Star)
Border Patrol: National Guard would have little effect May 16, 2006
Under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, National Guardsmen are prohibited from performing direct law enforcement, said Lt. Col. Mike Milord, spokesman for the National Guard Bureau. Guardsmen only carry out a direct law enforcement mission under state control as was the case in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (McAllen Monitor, TX)
Guard's new mission May 16, 2006
The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act has been commonly understood to prohibit the use of the military for police work ... Members of the National Guard aren't covered by the Posse Comitatus Act while acting under state control, the Congressional Research Service noted in a report last year. (Sacramento Bee -- Politics)
Frist: Guard troops the best short-term border fix May 15, 2006
Active-duty U.S. troops are barred from domestic law enforcement by a Reconstruction-era law known as Posse Comitatus, but National Guard troops under state control can perform some law enforcement functions. Frist restated his confidence that an immigration bill proposal will be completed before Memorial Day, May 29. (Yahoo News -- Immigration)
Pentagon weighs border deployment May 14, 2006
Active-duty U.S. troops are barred from domestic law enforcement by a Reconstruction-era law known as Posse Comitatus, but National Guard troops under state control can perform some law enforcement functions. Earlier Friday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, told CNN Espanol that he would support calling in the National Guard if necessary to secure the border, but that the states should make that decision. (CNN International)
Pentagon Exploring Border Control Patrols May 14, 2006
Under the Civil War-era Posse Comitatus Act, federal troops are prohibited from performing law enforcement actions, such as making arrests, seizing property or searching people. In extreme cases, however, the president can invoke the Insurrection Act, also from the Civil War, which allows him to use active-duty or National Guard troops for law enforcement. (Newsmax)
Feature Story May 13, 2006
Federal law bans the use of military troops for law enforcement, under the Civil War-era Posse Comitatus Act. But the president can authorize the military to provide other support to law enforcement agencies. (Investors Business Daily)
Easter bunny gossip Apr 19, 2006
Of course, typically his posse comitatus of three or four will be right there to rush to his defense and try to help gloss things over. (For example: I don t find Andy particularly obnoxious , which is an incredible but true post from a few days ago. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
McKinney: Pariahor people's voice? Apr 16, 2006
" McKinney's maiden speech on the House floor in 1993 was not about DeKalb County, but Haiti. She called on President Clinton "to embrace, in the most literal sense," Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Later, from a seat on the House International Relations Committee, McKinney focused her legislative work on Africa and human rights causes. "As a new member of Congress, I know what it is like to be pigeonholed into stereotypes fighting a constant struggle against how others would like... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Military: Panel to study role of National Guard Mar 7, 2006
No subject affecting the Guard and reserves will be outside the commission's purview, including the touchy issues of whether federal or state officials should control Guard troops called up for domestic service and the applicability of the post-Civil War Posse Comitatus law that limits the active military's law enforcement role inside the United States, Punaro said. The commission's task has taken on greater significance in light of the massive and prolonged mobilization of Guard and reserve... (San Diego Union-Tribune)
White House Katrina Report Proposes Future Fixes Feb 24, 2006
Townsend said the "bright lines" should be preserved, referring to an 1878 law, The Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the government from using the military in a law enforcement capacity within the United States. But the president can waive the law in an emergency. (Planet Ark, United States)
Bush's Mysterious 'New Programs' Feb 23, 2006
Despite the Posse Comitatus Act's prohibitions against U.S. military personnel engaging in domestic law enforcement, the Pentagon has expanded its operations beyond previous boundaries, such as its role in domestic surveillance activities. The has reported that since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the Defense Department has been creating new agencies that gather and analyze intelligence within the United States. (AlterNet.org)
Is George Bush Opening Your Mail? Feb 7, 2006
And he refused to answer a question from California Democratic senator on whether he believes the posse comitatus act could be suspended. That act prohibits the military from intervening in domestic affairs. (Village Voice)
Read More... Jan 17, 2006
President George W. Bush has signed executive orders giving him sole authority to impose martial law, suspend habeas corpus and ignore the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits deployment of U.S. troops on American streets. This would give him absolute dictatorial power over the government with no checks and balances. (Disinformation)
