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Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security
Washington Post ^ | Monday, December 1, 2008 | Spencer S. Hsu and Ann Scott Tyson

Posted on 12/01/2008 7:52:18 AM PST by Historix

The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.

The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.

There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.

But the Bush administration and some in Congress have pushed for a heightened homeland military role since the middle of this decade, saying the greatest domestic threat is terrorists exploiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response -- a nearly sevenfold increase in five years -- "would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable," Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But the realization that civilian authorities may be overwhelmed in a catastrophe prompted "a fundamental change in military culture," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Miscellaneous; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: banglist; civiliantroops; dod; homelandsecurity; immigration; possecomitatus
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To: MeanWestTexan

Like these powers?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html


101 posted on 12/01/2008 1:10:23 PM PST by wolfcreek (I see miles and miles of Texas....let's keep it that way.)
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To: Historix

Two questions:

1. Will the U.S. Army and Marine Corps fire on American civilians if so ordered?

2. If the answer to 31 is “yes”: will American citizens fire on U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops ?

Sooner or later, we will know the answers.


102 posted on 12/01/2008 1:31:09 PM PST by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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To: B-Chan

Two questions:

1. Will the U.S. Army and Marine Corps fire on American civilians if so ordered?

2. If the answer to 31 is “yes”: will American citizens fire on U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops ?

Sooner or later, we will know the answers.


The answer to question one is no if the civilians are unarmed, but they would return fire. They might conduct operations against a domestic insurgent group though.


103 posted on 12/01/2008 1:36:32 PM PST by Sharrukin
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To: Constitutions Grandchild

Marines may be comprised of fine men.. However, after they go through indoctrination, it won’t matter.


104 posted on 12/01/2008 2:29:41 PM PST by LeoOshkosh (Crazy Leo is right again)
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To: rjp2005

ping


105 posted on 12/01/2008 2:31:52 PM PST by LeoOshkosh (Crazy Leo is right again)
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To: LeoOshkosh
I'm not certain the ones I know would stay through indoctrination. They tend to be very different from my previous estimation of them. We had a VERY long talk with son when he indicated he would like to pursue a military career. I have nothing but praise for the AF, Army and Navy, but his father and I helped him narrow his pursuit to the Navy or the Marines, and we told him if he didn't make it through as an officer, we wouldn't be interested in hearing any more about it. He was too old at the time of his quest for us to have anything more to say about it.

We simply indicated there had better be more to talk about round the future holiday tables and the sharing of a bit of holiday cheer than a new tattoo or how exciting his last exploits in the Taiwan bars had been and how well his new dental bridge was fitting in place of the $1400 worth of straight teeth we'd provided.

We indicated we expected him to actually take his place on the stage of world events and strategies and help devise policies, protecting and representing our country to the world as the best and the brightest. It's amazing how many other young people seem to have had the same chat with their parents. Just saying, they're coming from Ivy League and major universities and they have managed to retain their traditional values and take a larger look at what it means to serve their nation. They truly love it and each other.

106 posted on 12/01/2008 2:47:54 PM PST by Constitutions Grandchild
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To: Sharrukin

That sounds pretty much like one of Thomas Barnett’s “The Pentagon’s New Map” presentations or briefings.


107 posted on 12/01/2008 3:16:19 PM PST by happinesswithoutpeace (You are receiving this broadcast as a dream)
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To: Constitutions Grandchild

I wouldn’t be so sure....check out this site.

FEMA Concentration Camps:
Locations and Executive Orders
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/FEMA-Concentration-Camps3sep04.htm


108 posted on 12/01/2008 3:33:49 PM PST by LeoOshkosh (Crazy Leo is right again)
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To: Captain Kirk

I remember FReepers who wanted to give Bush unlimited powers after 911. I guess they thought he was going to become King Bush, never thinking that B. Hussein 0bama wax possible.


109 posted on 12/01/2008 4:36:00 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: HollyB

>I find it very strange too that Bush would do this.<

Why is it strange?


110 posted on 12/01/2008 4:37:58 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: meowmeow
Who is this Marshall guy and what is his law?


111 posted on 12/01/2008 5:04:02 PM PST by lonevoice (Ich bin ein plumber)
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To: Scythian

>I totally agree, even the Obama birth certificate story I read said they will not ask him to prove he is a citizen because the Gore/Bush fiasco of late. Basically, law doesn’t matter, the constitution has been discounted, we are off the tracks ... <

I figure if there’s not at least a 100,000 people standing around the Court House on the 5th they will figure we aren’t interested in the matter and let it slide.


112 posted on 12/01/2008 5:41:02 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: madison10

>An uncomfortable truth: George Bush stopped being the friend of the people on January 20, 2005.<

Why do you think that?


113 posted on 12/01/2008 5:43:02 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: AuntB
Do you realize Ron Paul voted against putting troops on the border? In fact, Ron Paul never made a move to do anything about the immigration mess until he ran for president.

I was making a joke about both Paul and Bush, and I worded it poorly, with the end result being that you typed up a whole lot of words about Paul and said nothing about Bush's lack of action on securing our borders.
114 posted on 12/01/2008 5:44:02 PM PST by af_vet_rr
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To: Kirkwood

Why are the LA National Guardmen acting as cops?


115 posted on 12/01/2008 5:44:57 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: Constitutions Grandchild

It sounds as if you had a “Be ashamed to die if you haven’t done something to improve mankind” talk with him. I’m glad to hear it.


116 posted on 12/01/2008 5:57:39 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: B4Ranch

Maybe it wasn’t that long ago. His Supreme Court choices were good. Maybe just this past year he’s done some rather unusual things for a President that was supposed to be conservative.


117 posted on 12/01/2008 5:59:52 PM PST by madison10
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To: madison10

The day I realized that he thought Muslims were fine and Mexicans were better is the day I started disliking the man.


118 posted on 12/01/2008 6:02:13 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
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To: happinesswithoutpeace
-It’s a good thing Bush sealed the border so we don’t have to worry about it as much.

LOL, this is my exact first thought (albeit 12 hours later).

Wait...why am I laughing? *sigh*

119 posted on 12/01/2008 6:02:25 PM PST by CAluvdubya (Sarah's my girl! Palin 2012)
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To: mvpel
I use to work as part time police officer when I was Active Duty in the town I lived in while assigned at Hill AFB.

I can tell you.. that the USAF Security Forces would not know what to do with some of the weapons we would find in hunters cars outside of the base..If those same hunters came on to the installation.. they would confiscate those weapons on the spot and have so many cars on scene.. it would look like a Chinese Fire Drill.

I am not knocking the Security Forces but their knowledge of what the laws were outside of the base was appalling and frequently would cause problems when someone tried to Flee the base etc.

120 posted on 12/01/2008 6:17:07 PM PST by Kitanis
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