Thread: Congress Quietly Repeals Martial Law Provision

Congress Quietly Repeals Martial Law Provision
April 17, 2008 in News by James Bovard
96 comments

In late 2006, Congress revised the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act to make it far easier for a president to declare martial law. Those changes were repealed at the end of this January as part of Public Law 110-181 (HR 4986), the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (signed into law by President Bush on January 28, 200.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), who championed the opposition to the original law, was also the hero of the repeal. It helped that all the nation’s governors opposed the 2006 law.

Boise State Professor Charlotte Twight, the author of the excellent Dependent on DC, alerted me to the change last night. I checked on Nexis and the only news coverage I found regarding the repeal was a 322-word Gannett News wire story from February 1 that focused on how the repeal made governors happy.

I first wrote about the Posse/Insurrection peril for American Conservative a year ago. My most recent piece on the subject was an article for the January issue of the Future of Freedom Foundation’s (FFF) Freedom Daily. The law was changed between the time the piece was published and when FFF posted the January article online on April 9.

http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/04/17/ ... provision/

So does that mean it's not going to be as easy anymore? Forgive me.....I'm so used to political double-speak I'm not always sure what anything says.

It means Bush cant as easilly take over the country in one bold sweep. I still havent read the new law as it is written; but this was a huge set back to Bush and his New World Order Plans

We still have to fear this corrupt government creating the environment to impose martial law... with Bush in charge, anything is possible

Darnit. I was looking forward to somebody actually takin' action. But this is good, Obama won't introduce some Stalinist measures--- maybe.

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

It means Bush cant as easilly take over the country in one bold sweep. I still havent read the new law as it is written; but this was a hige set back to Bush and his New World Order Plans

We still have to fear this corrupt government creating the environment to impose martial law... with Bush in charge, anything is possible

Airborne you said a mouthful on Dubya and his corruption ! With our beloved country still being a police state . I'm afraid i'm much like crazybird . I don't know what to think

Airborne you said a mouthful on Dubya and his corruption ! With our beloved country still being a police state . I'm afraid i'm much like crazybird . I don't know what to think

Gotta be loophole in there somewhere. Sad when you can't trust anything in your government that it says. I know even if the ACLU steps in....it won't be for me.

Some how I just have a gut feel......Bush will invade Iran,,,,or someone will bomb us....so when it is time for him to leave office....he can't cause we are in a major emergency....he won't leave.....when we have a civil war to get him out he will enforce martial law and arrest all the citizens.....

I just feel he won't give up being KING>>>>>>>>

A friend I knew in college just tracked me down after 10 years. He just moved to Canada and he insisted that I leave the country right away. He said he's pretty sure that an Armageddon is about to take place in the US; that Russia and China will retaliate for a US attack on Iran. He claimed one of the "signs" (biblical?) would be unusual earthquakes right before this happens. Now, I've heard of end times before, but strangely enough, when I came to Alipac the first two articles I noticed were unusual earthqaukes in various parts of the country and Russia issuing a demand to lay off Iran. It was a very eerie coincidence, to say the least. He said this BEFORE these articles came out. I usually am pretty skeptical about Armageddon stories, but it seems to me the timing would be for this to happen during the summer and Martial Law will be declared to prevent the elections, keeping Bush in office. Anyone have any ideas on this? He was convinced enough to run to Canada, and he said it looks like it will happen in May.

Just maybe (and I emphasize JUST MAYBE)

They won't plan another terror attack.
They were gearing us up for it with 9-11.
But if they can't easily do Martial Law, then it takes out the incentive (well I think anyone- some of you probably know more....the Alex Jones listeners would know)

You mean something good and positive has finally happened in this country. All these laws are always take take take from us.

Sofedup - your friend better run further away than Canada. If US goes up in smoke we'll take Mexico and Canada down with us.

I think that they have a false sense of security up there.