U.S. Senate approves detention of Americans indefinitely without trial
The Senate voted Tuesday to keep a controversial provision to let the
military detain terrorism suspects on U.S. soil and hold them
indefinitely without trial -- prompting White House officials to reissue
a veto threat.
The measure, part of the massive National Defense Authorization Act, was also opposed by civil libertarians on the left and right. But 16 Democrats and an independent joined with Republicans to defeat an amendment by Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) that would have killed the provision, voting it down with 61 against, and 37 for it.
“I’m very, very, concerned about having U.S. citizens sent to Guantanamo Bay for indefinite detention,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of the Senate’s most conservative members.
Rand’s top complaint is that a terrorism suspect would get just one hearing where the military could assert that the person is a suspected terrorist — and then they could be locked up for life, without ever formally being charged. The only safety valve is a waiver from the secretary of defense.
“It’s not enough just to be alleged to be a terrorist,” Paul said, echoing the views of the American Civil Liberties Union. “That’s part of what due process is — deciding, are you a terrorist? I think it’s important that we not allow U.S. citizens to be taken.”
And this -
I doubt that the President will blow up the bill. Too many liberal
democrats, including Senate Arms Services Chair Carl Levin, support it,
so the president cannot charge political extremism.
Via
The American Convervative.
How long before those who oppose this and other infringements upon our liberties are branded as "terrorists?"
ReplyDeleteSee ya in Gitmo.
halfway down the slippery slope and the congress just poured oil on the surface.
ReplyDeleteso i guess this is no longer america huh. It's amazing how everything that we used to stand for is being pushed back 150 yrs +. amazing.
ReplyDeletebtw, I'm liberal democrat and DO NOT approve of this. I think this is the opposite of what defines a liberal democrat
ReplyDeleteSenators who support subversion of the 14th Amendment should be considered enemies of the United States.
ReplyDelete(Which would be great because that same amendment would nullify their claim to office whenever they attempt to abrogate our rights...)
You guys used to have a nice country....
ReplyDeleteRevolting!
ReplyDeleteLuckily new congressmen can be elected into office and rewrite laws and practices such as this,
ReplyDeleteI wonder: if some of the laws and political utterances that come this country were attributed to an external source, how then would they be received?
ReplyDeleteI thought Obama was going to CLOSE Gitmo!!!! Skroo him!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteComment accepted with the understanding that the term is used in reference to voting against Obama in the coming election.
ReplyDeleteWell, Michelle, if you thought Obama was going to close Gitmo, you must have known he did order it closed Dec 15, 2009. Good American that you are, you must also know the Supreme Court said detainees need protections under the Constitution. But did that stop Congress from passing a law that kept them from being tried on the US mainland? No, but you must have known that. That put the provision in a defense spending bill, forcing Obama's hand in signing the bill during a period of 2 wars.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Michelle and Stan, I really crossed the line.
ReplyDelete