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Pentagon To Detail Troops To Bolster Domestic Security
This is indeed troubling...
The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.
The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.
There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.
But the Bush administration and some in Congress have pushed for a heightened homeland military role since the middle of this decade, saying the greatest domestic threat is terrorists exploiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response -- a nearly sevenfold increase in five years -- "would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable," Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But the realization that civilian authorities may be overwhelmed in a catastrophe prompted "a fundamental change in military culture," he said.
The Pentagon's plan calls for three rapid-reaction forces to be ready for emergency response by September 2011. The first 4,700-person unit, built around an active-duty combat brigade based at Fort Stewart, Ga., was available as of Oct. 1, said Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the U.S. Northern Command.
If funding continues, two additional teams will join nearly 80 smaller National Guard and reserve units made up of about 6,000 troops in supporting local and state officials nationwide. All would be trained to respond to a domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive attack, or CBRNE event, as the military calls it.
Military preparations for a domestic weapon-of-mass-destruction attack have been underway since at least 1996, when the Marine Corps activated a 350-member chemical and biological incident response force and later based it in Indian Head, Md., a Washington suburb. Such efforts accelerated after the Sept. 11 attacks, and at the time Iraq was invaded in 2003, a Pentagon joint task force drew on 3,000 civil support personnel across the United States.
In 2005, a new Pentagon homeland defense strategy emphasized "preparing for multiple, simultaneous mass casualty incidents." National security threats were not limited to adversaries who seek to grind down U.S. combat forces abroad, McHale said, but also include those who "want to inflict such brutality on our society that we give up the fight," such as by detonating a nuclear bomb in a U.S. city.
In late 2007, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signed a directive approving more than $556 million over five years to set up the three response teams, known as CBRNE Consequence Management Response Forces. Planners assume an incident could lead to thousands of casualties, more than 1 million evacuees and contamination of as many as 3,000 square miles, about the scope of damage Hurricane Katrina caused in 2005.
Last month, McHale said, authorities agreed to begin a $1.8 million pilot project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through which civilian authorities in five states could tap military planners to develop disaster response plans. Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Washington and West Virginia will each focus on a particular threat -- pandemic flu, a terrorist attack, hurricane, earthquake and catastrophic chemical release, respectively -- speeding up federal and state emergency planning begun in 2003.
Last Monday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered defense officials to review whether the military, Guard and reserves can respond adequately to domestic disasters.
Gates gave commanders 25 days to propose changes and cost estimates. He cited the work of a congressionally chartered commission, which concluded in January that the Guard and reserve forces are not ready and that they lack equipment and training.
Bert B. Tussing, director of homeland defense and security issues at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership, said the new Pentagon approach "breaks the mold" by assigning an active-duty combat brigade to the Northern Command for the first time. Until now, the military required the command to rely on troops requested from other sources.
"This is a genuine recognition that this [job] isn't something that you want to have a pickup team responsible for," said Tussing, who has assessed the military's homeland security strategies.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the libertarian Cato Institute are troubled by what they consider an expansion of executive authority.
Domestic emergency deployment may be "just the first example of a series of expansions in presidential and military authority," or even an increase in domestic surveillance, said Anna Christensen of the ACLU's National Security Project. And Cato Vice President Gene Healy warned of "a creeping militarization" of homeland security.
"There's a notion that whenever there's an important problem, that the thing to do is to call in the boys in green," Healy said, "and that's at odds with our long-standing tradition of being wary of the use of standing armies to keep the peace."
McHale stressed that the response units will be subject to the act, that only 8 percent of their personnel will be responsible for security and that their duties will be to protect the force, not other law enforcement. For decades, the military has assigned larger units to respond to civil disturbances, such as during the Los Angeles riot in 1992.
U.S. forces are already under heavy strain, however. The first reaction force is built around the Army's 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, which returned in April after 15 months in Iraq. The team includes operations, aviation and medical task forces that are to be ready to deploy at home or overseas within 48 hours, with units specializing in chemical decontamination, bomb disposal, emergency care and logistics.
The one-year domestic mission, however, does not replace the brigade's next scheduled combat deployment in 2010. The brigade may get additional time in the United States to rest and regroup, compared with other combat units, but it may also face more training and operational requirements depending on its homeland security assignments.
Renuart said the Pentagon is accounting for the strain of fighting two wars, and the need for troops to spend time with their families. "We want to make sure the parameters are right for Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. The 1st Brigade's soldiers "will have some very aggressive training, but will also be home for much of that."
Although some Pentagon leaders initially expected to build the next two response units around combat teams, they are likely to be drawn mainly from reserves and the National Guard, such as the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from South Carolina, which returned in May after more than a year in Afghanistan.
Now that Pentagon strategy gives new priority to homeland security and calls for heavier reliance on the Guard and reserves, McHale said, Washington has to figure out how to pay for it.
"It's one thing to decide upon a course of action, and it's something else to make it happen," he said. "It's time to put our money where our mouth is."
First of all, i dont see why this is neccessary. Thats what the national guard is for. Train them in whatever methods are needed.
Now as far as Posse cunnalingus, i thought that had to do with housing federal troops ion private homes and such? Regarding the fear that the military will be used for domestic police enforcement, it doesnt seem that way by what they are describing. THese arent going to be MP's on duty full time in cities and such. This is an emergency response team who will be called in the event of a terrorist attack.
Location: Aurora, OR by way of Maui It may be the only purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johny GTO
Now as far as Posse cunnalingus, i thought that had to do with housing federal troops ion private homes and such?
Uhhhhh, that would be the 3rd Amendment:
Quote:
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Posse Comitatus Act deals with using US Military forces in an LE role on US Soil:
Umm, well just maybe a large number of such "security force" could be usefully stationed along our southern border to prevent just any damn one from sneaking into the country...
Posse Comitatus Act deals with using US Military forces in an LE role on US Soil:
The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.
It realy says nothing about US troops taking on the role of LEO's but when we are attacked again it would only be a stroke of the pen to turn the dogs loose.
Regarding the matter in hand, it doesnt say there are any plans for the troops to be used as a police force. It talks about establishing a quick reaction force to be used in the event of a terrorist attack. That doesnt seem like a bad thing to me, although i can see the slippery slope that it presents. And any time there is the chance for the abuse of power byt congress or the pres, chances are it will be abused. if it is abused by a liberal, it will likely be in a very unamerican manner at that.
Why not train members of the national guard in whatever procedures and tactics they are converned about? That way, there is no concern about violating the Const?
I agree, but it is something that bears watching as it is a slippery slope awaiting one misstep. Active duty units have the training and equipment to deal with NBC situations. However, in a such a situation on U.S. soil, the majority of average Americans will go into panic mode requiring increased LE type efforts.
As for the OP, this is just assigning forces OPCON to a commander, in this case, NORTHCOM. As such, the forces can now tailor their training to support anticipated missions such as DSCA (Defense Support of Civil Authorities). This included both natural and man-made disasters. Guess who all the military support in Galveston during Hurricane Ike was working for. NORTHCOM. This is just letting forces know in advance, not 3 days prior what they will be doing.
Recall the stories about the Black Panthers with nightsticks on election day at polling places.
that was unbelievable!!
And nothing was done about it, to boot. The hypocrisy is overwhelming in this case. That is the equivalent of a KKK member standing outside (or a few of them) with nooses, claiming they are there to protect whites, not to intimidate blacks. How would that go over?
Location: SCIENTISTS STUDY THE WORLD AS IT IS! ENGINEERS CREATE THE WORLD AS IT HAS NEVER BEEN!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johny GTO
that was unbelievable!!
And nothing was done about it, to boot. The hypocrisy is overwhelming in this case. That is the equivalent of a KKK member standing outside (or a few of them) with nooses, claiming they are there to protect whites, not to intimidate blacks. How would that go over?
....like a fart in church! But we must be open minded and accept our brothers!
Location: All humans are vermin in the eyes of Guru
It seems that after Katrina, bush got a law passed that allowed the use of the federal government to restore order after a terrorist attack or natural disaster, and it was repealed in 2008.
Location: SCIENTISTS STUDY THE WORLD AS IT IS! ENGINEERS CREATE THE WORLD AS IT HAS NEVER BEEN!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guru_4_hire
It seems that after Katrina, bush got a law passed that allowed the use of the federal government to restore order after a terrorist attack or natural disaster, and it was repealed in 2008.
What part is disturbing? The fact that we need to be prepared for terrorists striking here in the U.S.? It's about time.
Name me one terrorist attack in the Continental US since 9/11?
Seems like the actions take by the government since then have worked so far. No need to have active duty military doing the job the National Guard is already mandated to perform.
well i've been saying for years now that the "authorities" in current form will not be able to respond to fidel the towelhead -- your smiling mohammedian knucklehead evil neighbor -- in time.
so we either take the law into our own hands (which is gonna happen anyway, pump a few shotgun shells or fully automatic weapons), and/or strengthen & augment the role of the "authorities". i say do both.
Pentagon To Detail Troops To Bolster Domestic Security
