What rights??

[Outonowhere]

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/29/senate-defies-obama-veto-threat-terrorist-custody-/

Defying a veto threat from President Obama, the Senate voted Tuesday to preserve language that would give the U.S. military a crack at al Qaeda operatives captured in the U.S., even if they are American citizens.

Led by Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, senators voted 61-37 to preserve the language that gives the military custody of al Qaeda suspects, rather than turning them over to law enforcement officials.

?We are at war with al Qaeda and people determined to be part of al Qaeda should be treated as people who are at war with us,? Mr. Levin said.

He and Arizona Sen. John McCain, the ranking Republican on his committee, had struck a deal earlier this month on giving the military priority custody, while allowing the administration to waive that and give civilian authorities priority if it deems the waiver in the interests of national security.

The White House and its Senate allies objected and tried to block the changes, instead calling for the issue to be studied further.

They argued giving the military priority could complicate investigations into terrorist suspects in the U.S., and said it opens the door to indefinite military detention of U.S. citizens.

?We?re ignoring the advice and the input of the director of the FBI, the director of our intelligence community, the attorney general of the United States,? said Sen. Mark Udall, Colorado Democrat, who led the effort to block the compromise.

The White House earlier had threatened to veto the bill over the provisions, saying they amounted to an effort to micromanage the war on terror.

?Any bill that challenges or constrains the president?s critical authorities to collect intelligence, incapacitate dangerous terrorists and protect the nation would prompt the president?s senior advisers to recommend a veto,? the White House said in a statement.

But 16 Democrats, one independent and 44 Republicans joined together to defy Mr. Obama?s threat. Two Republicans ? Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mark Steven Kirk of Illinois ? voted to strip out the detainee language.

The fight was part of a broader debate over the annual defense policy bill, which is considered one of the few must-pass pieces of legislation Congress considers each year.

The House has already passed its version with strict detainee language, so the Senate vote makes it likely whatever final bill reaches the president?s desk will contain the provision.

[CrystalHunter1989]

Every sword cuts both ways. They fail to see the unintended consequences this might trigger.

[gapatriot]

There are never unintended consequences to anything the government does   [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

[goodnightChesty1775]

hossy boy made a good vid on this

Conspiracy? You Decide

and yeah ill throw in on those beers too, anyone like mickeys?

[JohnyMac]

I think Ben Franklin said it best, ?They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.?
I just can't understand why folks can't get this through their thick skulls.

Please write your Seanator TODAY in your opposition of this bill. If it passes you can only blame the sheeple who didn't let their Seanator's know of your opposition. Politicians do what will get them elected. I do believe that 1/3+ of the Senate is up for reelection in November 2012.

Please, take 5 minutes to e-mail your Seanator.

[Outonowhere]

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-lawyers-citizens-targeted-war-us-154313473.html

Obama lawyers: Citizens targeted if at war with US

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. citizens are legitimate military targets when they take up arms with al-Qaida, top national security lawyers in the Obama administration said Thursday.

The lawyers were asked at a national security conference about the CIA killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen and leading al-Qaida figure. He died in a Sept. 30 U.S. drone strike in the mountains of Yemen.

The government lawyers, CIA counsel Stephen Preston and Pentagon counsel Jeh Johnson, did not directly address the al-Awlaki case. But they said U.S. citizens do not have immunity when they are at war with the United States.

Johnson said only the executive branch, not the courts, is equipped to make military battlefield targeting decisions about who qualifies as an enemy.

The courts in habeas cases, such as those involving whether a detainee should be released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, make the determination of who can be considered an enemy combatant.

Late last year, a judge threw out a lawsuit filed by al-Awlaki's father, saying that the courts do not have the authority to review military decisions by the president aimed at protecting the country from terrorists. The cleric's father, Nasser al-Awlaki of Yemen, was suing to prevent the U.S. from targeting his son.

[Colombo]

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-lawyers-citizens-targeted-war-us-154313473.html

Obama lawyers: Citizens targeted if at war with US

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. citizens are legitimate military targets when they take up arms with al-Qaida, top national security lawyers in the Obama administration said Thursday.

The lawyers were asked at a national security conference about the CIA killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen and leading al-Qaida figure. He died in a Sept. 30 U.S. drone strike in the mountains of Yemen.

The government lawyers, CIA counsel Stephen Preston and Pentagon counsel Jeh Johnson, did not directly address the al-Awlaki case. But they said U.S. citizens do not have immunity when they are at war with the United States.

Johnson said only the executive branch, not the courts, is equipped to make military battlefield targeting decisions about who qualifies as an enemy.

The courts in habeas cases, such as those involving whether a detainee should be released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, make the determination of who can be considered an enemy combatant.

Late last year, a judge threw out a lawsuit filed by al-Awlaki's father, saying that the courts do not have the authority to review military decisions by the president aimed at protecting the country from terrorists. The cleric's father, Nasser al-Awlaki of Yemen, was suing to prevent the U.S. from targeting his son.

Rather interesting when compared to the rules of engagement our military is tied up with when the "combatants" are of a different country of birth.

As shown by history the most abused, oppressed and often
"cleansed" people are those very citizens of the country that the government considers enemies or subversives.