The White House has just posted a press release for a new executive order by Bush. It looks like the administration can simply start taking people's assets if they "hinder" political or econoomic reconstruction in Iraq.
It seems to allow the executive to seize the assets of any group or person who
(are) determined to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.
That quote was pulled from Bush's message to the Congress and United States. The actual order is extremely broad. I'm worried that it could be used to shut down all opposition to Bush's war.
Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Is a conspiracy anyone who has talked to someone who may have violated the executive order.
Sec. 3. For purposes of this order:
(a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;
(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; and
(c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.
Could this be used quiet opposition to the war from groupes like MoveOn or blogs like this one? I'm not a lawyer, am I just being paranoid?