Posted on 03/01/2002 6:04:09 AM PST by blam
Shadow Government Ordered After Attacks, Post Says
Fri Mar 1, 1:42 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has set up a "shadow government" to ensure that the government would continue to operate in the event of catastrophic attack on the U.S. capital, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
The newspaper said in the first hours after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush deployed a "shadow government" of about 100 senior civilian managers to live and work outside Washington, in the first-ever activation of a classified "Continuity of Operations Plan."
The report cited three officials with first-hand knowledge of the operation as saying the Cold War era plan was enacted because of heightened fears that the al Qaeda network might somehow obtain a portable nuclear weapon.
The Post said U.S. intelligence has no specific knowledge of such a weapon, but officials thought the risk was great enough to justify the expense and deployment of a shadow government.
One participant told the newspaper that the first deployment came "on the fly" in the first hours of turmoil on Sept. 11 and that the plan has evolved into an indefinite precaution.
Under the plan, high-ranking government officials representing various departments have begun rotating in and out of the assignment at one of two fortified locations along the East Coast, the Post said.
A senior official involved in managing the program said the civilian force present in the underground bunkers usually numbers 70 to 150, and "fluctuates based on intelligence" about terrorist threats.
In the event of an attack, the underground government would try to contain disruptions of the nation's food and water supplies, transportation links, energy and telecommunications networks, public health and civil order, the report said.
The Washington Post said it agreed to a White House request not to name any of those deployed or identify the two principal locations of the shadow government.
Back at 7 for any further debate
Steve0113: "This sounds like nothing more than prudently having a backup."
KSCITYBOY: "...the continuation of the government in case of a major attack is a responsibility of the government."
All good points but they overlook one important fact: a "backup" government is unconstitutional. We already have a procedure to follow should something ever happen to the president, vice president, etc.
According to the article, "the underground government would try to contain disruptions of the nation's food and water supplies, transportation links, energy and telecommunications networks, public health, and civil order." What exactly does this mean? What kind of powers have these people been given? And why can't the states handle such issues? There was once a reason why individual states had their own militias comprised of private citizens.
The idea that we need a backup federal government is frightening. If, God forbid, every Washington politician were killed in an atomic blast, the Constitution would still be the law of the land and order would subsequently be restored. Frankly, I don't see how getting a fresh start in Washington could be at all bad for this country. (Yes, I'm being somewhat sarcastic.)
Praise God! Another soul who knows what the Constitution really is! The Constitution is the law of this land folks.
One more time, all together now...
The Constitution is the law of this land! Now, think about that. Come on, you can do better than that. REALLY think about it!
Learn it, love it, live it!
The idea that we need a backup federal government is frightening. If, God forbid, every Washington politician were killed in an atomic blast, the Constitution would still be the law of the land and order would subsequently be restored. Frankly, I don't see how getting a fresh start in Washington could be at all bad for this country. (Yes, I'm being somewhat sarcastic.)
What about regional/national networks? And how long would "subsequent" be? Who would be running the Department of Defense, Border Patrol, etc., during "subsequent"? Philosophically, what you're saying sounds nice, but not very realistic. I'd also like you to show me where the Constitution forbids it.
And this plan is designed to deal with that time between the beginning of your sentence and the end of it. It's about prudence, not politics.
Oooooo! Ow!
The Marines have taken care of that...
HMX-1 also provides helicopter emergency evacuation and other support as directed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
It doesn't work that way. In order for the government to do something it has to show where the Constitution allows it (see the 9th and 10th Amendments). Just because the Constitution doesn't specifically forbid something doesn't mean the government can do it. The founders were pretty clear on that point.
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