Some of you may have read Paul Rieckhoff's book "Chasing Ghosts" (a great read that I suggest to anyone who hasn't picked it up) in his book Mr. Rieckhoff makes no bones about his unit (the 3rd Infantry Divison or 3ID) being a warfighting unit, usually referencing those who stay out of combat as "pogues" (the ranks of which most likely include me) and describes his time in Iraq. As of October 1st the 3ID is now attached to NORTHCOM as the Consequence Managment Response Force (CCMRF or sea-smurf) which according to the wikipedia page for the Posse Comitatus act they may be "called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) attack." My problem of course is with the civil unrest and crowd control part.
Some of you may have read Paul Rieckhoff's book "Chasing Ghosts" (a great read that I suggest to anyone who hasn't picked it up) in his book Mr. Rieckhoff makes no bones about his unit (the 3rd Infantry Divison or 3ID) being a warfighting unit, usually referencing those who stay out of combat as "pogues" (the ranks of which most likely include me) and describes his time in Iraq. As of October 1st the 3ID is now attached to NORTHCOM as the Consequence Managment Response Force (CCMRF or sea-smurf) which according to the wikipedia page for the Posse Comitatus act(1) they may be "called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) attack." My problem of course is with the civil unrest and crowd control part.
You see the Posse Comitatus Act kept the military off our streets, that law of course was signed out of law in 2007 with the John Warner Defense Authorization Act which allowed the "use of the Armed Forces in major public emergencies". "It provides that: The President may employ the armed forces to restore public order in any state of the United States the president determines hinders the execution of laws or deprives people of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law or opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws"(1)In 2008 that law was repealed however President Bush left a signing statment effectively leaving the repeal useless "stating that the executive branch did not feel bound to it's law." (1)
This leaves us with the U.S. Army under direction of the President of the United States and according to a Democracy Now interview with Army Colonel Michael Boatner the future operations divisions chief of USNORTHCOM "potentially the Secretary of Defense would allow them to carry their weapons, but it would only be for self- and unit-defense."
he later states that "the primary purpose of this force is to provide help to people in need in the aftermath of a WMD-like event in the homeland." (2) So effectively we have a combat trained ready force standing by to patrol U.S. cities in the event that the President deems it pertinent to quell any action he deems to "hinder the execution of laws". If this is not the definition of militant fascism than I don't know what is. Given recent events, it seems that every day moves us closer to a scenario where I actually can see a real revolt happening. Some one please talk me down here.
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/...
(2) http://www.alternet.org/...