You were saying something about seizures. Isn't that one of the things that scares all the loonies?
Can't this be turned on the gun-owners? Cigarette smokers? Can't president John Edwards use free-lancers to kick your ass, take your guns, house, marital aids and throw you in jail? Weren't the Contras Marque & Reprisal Guys?
No. Letters of Marque have to be directed at foreign attackers. Nationless rogues who commit acts of war on the U.S. Although, in many cases, the merchent ships of the nation which put up the pirates ( or terrorists in this case) were targeted.
The letter of Marque is basically a license to steal but all booty has to be presented in a court subject to claims of ownership by the rightful owners should the privateer take goods which were on their way to somebody who had already purchased them (merchant ships). Hey, if the government agents had to put up a bond before they could sieze the property of citizens i.e. drug busts, and were subject to suit should they perform this work in error I'd feel alot better.
Terrorists within our borders do NOT fall under this.