[Mulder]

Do you think the police are equipped or adequately trained to protect our canals, power plants, reservoirs, nuclear power facilities, the power distribution grid, refineries, and dams? You will need the military to protect these if this war really takes hold as expected. Let's not make foolish decisions.

Armed volunteers (militia) or paid police can defend these targets. Not regular military. I support the men and women in our military, but I do not want them used for domestic law enforcement.

Of course, if our borders were secure, the point would be moot. It's a lot easier to secure 6000 miles of border than literally hundreds of thousands of potential targets. The fact that this isn't being done should raise some red flags.

What do you think about having foreign troops here? Because that's who will be guarding these assets eventually.

[NetValue]

Ridge did not say "domestic law enforcement". He said "the power to arrest" which in a domestic terrorist situation is very appropriate.

[cynicom]

Mulder...

Buried in the story was a short note that Rumsfeld declined to ask for any such power. That should tell some people here something. He would not stake his reputation and beliefs on any such scheme contrary to the law so they turned to Ridge to be the patsy and he was dumb enough to to float the balloon.

[NetValue]

"Of course, if our borders were secure, the point would be moot. It's a lot easier to secure 6000 miles of border than literally hundreds of thousands of potential targets. The fact that this isn't being done should raise some red flags."

The problem is that there are not enough police to do it all - borders, reservoirs, refineries, canals, power grids, dams, nuclear power generators, et al.

The reason this law change is needed is so the National Guard will not have to walk around with empty rifles, as they now have to do because of the posse comitatus law.

[old school]

"What do you think about having foreign troops here? Because that's who will be guarding these assets eventually."

"Today Americans would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order; tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told there was an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will pledge with world leaders to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenarios, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well being granted to them by their world government."

--Henry Kissinger in an address to the Bilderberg organization meeting at Evian, France, May 21, 1992. Transcribed from a tape recording made by one of the Swiss delegates.

[Betty Jo]

If the American Black Muslims sieze the central cities in a coalition with foreign terrorists,

If bios-chems and rads are let loose,

If all phone-cyber-water-electricity is gone,

Who ya gonna call?

Posse Come and Save Us!

If this current,piddlng little "war" on terrorism ever morphs into a real war on American soil,with Americans fighting against unknown,unseen enemies using WOMD I want the American military right here at my house giving me food, water,meds etc.,and running to kill the perps.

But the right action right now is KILL ALL TERRORISTS.

Seal all borders.

Deport all non-citizens.

If we dont do the latter,we sure as hell will wind up having the former.

[bloggerjohn]

"What do you think about having foreign troops here? "

Which, oddly enough, is why the Saudi terrorists say they hate us - since we are stationed on their soil. Well, the founding fathers warned us about "foreign involvements," but we have never learned.

Maybe we should take our troops out of Saudi Arabia and use them to protect our borders.