In the previous part of this article the new National Defence Appropriation Act 2012 and its potential effects on the U.S. civilian population was discussed, as well as the impact of increasingly draconian legislations that curtail the civil rights of all human beings on this planet. In this section, we will discuss through which institutional and legislative measures such curtailments could effectively and practically take place.
The envisioned possibility of a national disaster within the United States, and its containing, solving and/or quelling, would be an enormous administrative, practical and operational undertaking. In 1979, under Jimmy Carter's Executive Order 12148, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created as an extension of the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency, initially created under General Ford's Executive Order 11921.
FEMA's original mandate, as specified in its original charter, called for the planning and training activities pertaining to "natural disasters, nuclear war, the possibility of enemy attack on U.S. territory and incidents involving domestic civil unrest". In the eventuality of any disaster, whether it be natural, due to armed conflict or nuclear war, or massive civil unrest, FEMA would be the centralised command post to administer, supervise and organise all other Federal agencies. During the 1980s, under Ronald Reagan's administration and the directorship of Louis Onorato Giuffrida, FEMA focused on applying the vast majority of efforts to develop policies, and acquire resources and power, to deal with the eventuality of "domestic civil unrest". This predisposition led to the eventual joint drafting of a position paper with the Department of Defence and the Pentagon entitled "The Civil/Military Alliance in Emergency Management" in January of 1982. This document indicated that FEMA had been given emergency power to acquire and requisition resources from virtually all federal and state agencies and institutions, including the National Guard, as well as the private sector (such as transportation, communication, banking etc.) for utilization in "civil disturbance operations".
The plan was considerably reinforced by Reagan's top secret National Security Decision Directive (NSDD 26) during the spring of 1982, a pronouncement which appears to have formally interlocked FEMA, not only with the military but with the National Security Council (NSC). Perhaps most importantly, however, the paper also effectively abolished and rescinded provisions of the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act.
The Posse Comitatus Act is an essential piece of U.S. legislation which prohibits military intervention in civil unrest without an express majority vote by the U.S. congress. In addition, it prohibits civilian law enforcement agencies from becoming militarized and using military grade equipment and tactics. These provisions, however do NOT apply to the United States Navy and Coast Guard, which will eventually become an important exclusion as it is now the section of the U.S. defence forces which would mostly be involved in deployment under FEMA directives. In essence, the act follows the wise perspective that the civilian law enforcement agencies are intended to serve and protect the civilian population, while the military is intended to fight the enemies of the state. When the police becomes the military (or vice versa) the people become the enemies of the state.
Rex84 - Paving the Road for Matial Law
As a continuation of its draconian and oppressive domestic national security policies, in the month of April 1984 Ronald Reagan signed Presidential Director Number 54 allowing FEMA to activate a secret national readiness exercise named Rex84. Declassified documents pertaining to this plan indicate that FEMA, in conjunction with 34 civil departments and agencies (both at state and federal level) conducted a civil readiness exercise between April 5th and 13th of the same year. This exercise was enormous and, to date, the largest one yet. It was conducted in coordination and conjunction with a Joint Chiefs exercise and the Nigth Train 84 operation, and included coordination of all worldwide military command posts (including Continental U.S. Forces) in order to address the consequences of the envisioned scenario both home and abroad.
The Rex84 exercise was envisioned to anticipate large scale and spontaneous civil disturbances, major demonstrations, and massive strikes that would adversely affect the continuity of state and federal government activities and/or resource mobilization To fight subversive activities, there was authorization for the military to implement government ordered movements of civilian populations at state and regional levels, the arrest of certain unidentified segments of the population, and the imposition of martial rule. The operations of the exercise were implemented and supervised by FEMA and the DoD who led the other federal agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Secret Service, the Treasury, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Veterans Administration through a gaming exercise to test military assistance in civil defence and to test FEMA's ability to assume military authority and included the simulation of the suspension of the U.S. constitution and the declaration of martial law which would appoint military commanders to run all levels of federal, state and local governments.
http://www.publiceye.org/liberty/fema/Fema_3.html
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/FEMA_WC_JVW.html
In the history leading up to the original topic of this multi-part blog post about the National Defence Appropriation Act of 2012 and our further coverage of FEMA, the Rex84 executive order and exercise are fundamental. Perhaps the three most permanent and pertinent effects were its indirect ones. For example, the E.O. allowed numerous military bases to be closed down and be turned into military run prisons for civilian populations, which eventually would lay the foundations for the FEMA internment camps we will be talking about later on. Additionally, two offshoot operations originated from Rex84: Operations Cable Splice (whose existence has not yet been officially acknowledged) and Garden Plot (Executive Order 12919, a.k.a USAF Civil Disturbance Program 55-2). These two sub programs were envisioned to be implemented once the Rex84 program was initiated. The former of the two was intended as a population control measure while the latter was intended to lay out the guidelines for the orderly takeover of the state and local government by federal government and the military. FEMA would head up all operations. The Presidential Executive Orders already listed on the Federal Register also are part of the legal framework for this operation.
So how much money goes into an organization like this? Well, on its official budget the agency receives multi-billion dollar (US$5.8 billion) budget. However, about 6% of that budget goes into the relief effort.
The development of FEMA and the events that led to the most recent NDAA were slowed for a number of years until the presidency of G.W. Bush, the most regressive president ever to take seat in the Oval Office. Under the Bush administration, three of the most regressive legislation of our time: the U.S. Patriot Act, the Civilian inmate Labour Program, and Executive Orders NSDP51 and HSDP20.
I'm not going to get too much into the Patriot Act as numerous people have already written extensively and in depth on this subject and is somewhat more well known than the others (and I need to shorten this post!) but I will explain the other two as they are also currently relevant. In essence, however, the Patriot Act authorizes law enforcement and intelligent agencies to spy on, record, and keep a database on the activities of every American citizen.
Civilian Inmate Labour Program and
FEMA Concentration Camps
In 2005 the Civilian Inmate Labor Program (CILP) was established as a means to utilize inmates in civilian federal detention installation, such as FEMA internment camps covered later,
In May 2007, Bush signed new Executive Directives NSDP51 and HSDP20 (National Security Presidential Directive NSPD 51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-20) to replace REX84. The significance of this development is alarming, as it further concentrates emergency executive power in declared emergencies within the hands of the President of the United States. In essence, the two bills established that the White House administration would take over all local governments under a national state of emergency, instead of Homeland Security. Articles One and Six of that directive state that:
In essence, the directive states that in the event of catastrophic emergencies ( "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions) the U.S. President can declare state of emergency, automatically instate martial rule, and become the only person responsible for the running of the nation, under a regime in which your civil liberties are completely worthless. If you think that removing your civil liberties is NOT the first priority of such bills, you only need to look at the report on National Emergency Powers that the Bush Administration compiled for Congress, which in its second paragraph states:
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/FEMA_WC_JVW.html
In the history leading up to the original topic of this multi-part blog post about the National Defence Appropriation Act of 2012 and our further coverage of FEMA, the Rex84 executive order and exercise are fundamental. Perhaps the three most permanent and pertinent effects were its indirect ones. For example, the E.O. allowed numerous military bases to be closed down and be turned into military run prisons for civilian populations, which eventually would lay the foundations for the FEMA internment camps we will be talking about later on. Additionally, two offshoot operations originated from Rex84: Operations Cable Splice (whose existence has not yet been officially acknowledged) and Garden Plot (Executive Order 12919, a.k.a USAF Civil Disturbance Program 55-2). These two sub programs were envisioned to be implemented once the Rex84 program was initiated. The former of the two was intended as a population control measure while the latter was intended to lay out the guidelines for the orderly takeover of the state and local government by federal government and the military. FEMA would head up all operations. The Presidential Executive Orders already listed on the Federal Register also are part of the legal framework for this operation.
So how much money goes into an organization like this? Well, on its official budget the agency receives multi-billion dollar (US$5.8 billion) budget. However, about 6% of that budget goes into the relief effort.
The development of FEMA and the events that led to the most recent NDAA were slowed for a number of years until the presidency of G.W. Bush, the most regressive president ever to take seat in the Oval Office. Under the Bush administration, three of the most regressive legislation of our time: the U.S. Patriot Act, the Civilian inmate Labour Program, and Executive Orders NSDP51 and HSDP20.
I'm not going to get too much into the Patriot Act as numerous people have already written extensively and in depth on this subject and is somewhat more well known than the others (and I need to shorten this post!) but I will explain the other two as they are also currently relevant. In essence, however, the Patriot Act authorizes law enforcement and intelligent agencies to spy on, record, and keep a database on the activities of every American citizen.
Civilian Inmate Labour Program and
FEMA Concentration Camps
In 2005 the Civilian Inmate Labor Program (CILP) was established as a means to utilize inmates in civilian federal detention installation, such as FEMA internment camps covered later,
"This regulation provides Army policy and guidance for establishing civilian inmate labour programs and civilian prison camps on Army installations. Sources of civilian inmate labour are limited to on– and off–post Federal corrections facilities, State and/or local corrections facilities operating from on–post prison camps pursuant to leases under Section 2667, Title 10, United States Code (10 USC 2667), and off–post State corrections facilities participating in the demonstration project authorised under Section 1065, Public Law (PL) 103–337. Otherwise, State and/or local inmate labour from off–post corrections facilities is currently excluded from this program."
In May 2007, Bush signed new Executive Directives NSDP51 and HSDP20 (National Security Presidential Directive NSPD 51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-20) to replace REX84. The significance of this development is alarming, as it further concentrates emergency executive power in declared emergencies within the hands of the President of the United States. In essence, the two bills established that the White House administration would take over all local governments under a national state of emergency, instead of Homeland Security. Articles One and Six of that directive state that:
(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies.
(6) The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government. In order to advise and assist the President in that function, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity Coordinator
In essence, the directive states that in the event of catastrophic emergencies ( "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions) the U.S. President can declare state of emergency, automatically instate martial rule, and become the only person responsible for the running of the nation, under a regime in which your civil liberties are completely worthless. If you think that removing your civil liberties is NOT the first priority of such bills, you only need to look at the report on National Emergency Powers that the Bush Administration compiled for Congress, which in its second paragraph states:
"There are, however, limits and restraints upon the President in his exercise of emergency powers. With the exception of the habeas corpus clause, the Constitution makes no allowance for the suspension of any of its provisions during a national emergency. Disputes over the constitutionality or legality of the exercise of emergency powers are judicially reviewable."
These institutions were intended to house massive "immigrant influx" or U.S. citizens in the eventuality of natural disasters. Lately, an even more worrying development has taken place, as FEMA has place and received orders for millions and millions of plastic burial vaults (seriously astonishing sight), coffins and body bags. Remember that this agency, which receives nearly US$ 6 billion only spends 6% of it on relief efforts. What does the rest go into? Building additional facilities, keeping them staffed and well maintained, and purchasing these things. What would FEMA need millions of burial coffins and body bags for? Obviously none of us can say for sure if the U.S. government and military are preparing for massive uprising and civil unrest, and whether they would resort to these methods of repression and incarceration through Mashall law should that happen. What has become disturbingly clear is that the infrastructure is in place, the legislation has become law and is real and the American people seem to be content with watching it happen.
Please, do your own research on this! There is plenty of crap amongst conspiracy theories, but also a few diamonds in the rough.
End of Part 2...
UPDATE:
I have just recently discovered that the U.S. military is actively recruiting individuals as Internment / Resettlement Specialists. If you think these are will be used for the relocation of Afghani victims, or for natural disasters, think again. The job description on the U.S. military recruitment website describes it as:
"Internment/Resettlement (I/R) Specialists in the Army are primarily responsible for day-to-day operations in a military confinement/correctional facility or detention/internment facility. I/R Specialistsprovide rehabilitative, health, welfare, and security to U.S. military prisoners within a confinement or correctional facility; conduct inspections; prepare written reports; and coordinate activities of prisoners/internees and staff personnel.
Some of your duties as an Internment/Resettlement Specialist may include:
UPDATE:
I have just recently discovered that the U.S. military is actively recruiting individuals as Internment / Resettlement Specialists. If you think these are will be used for the relocation of Afghani victims, or for natural disasters, think again. The job description on the U.S. military recruitment website describes it as:
Some of your duties as an Internment/Resettlement Specialist may include:
- Assist with the supervision and management of confinement and detention operations
- Provide external security to confinement/corrections facilities or detention/internment facilities
- Provide counseling and guidance to individual prisoners within a rehabilitative program
- Prepare or review reports and records of prisoners/internees and programs"
Am I the only one that finds the utilization of U.S. military in civilian detention facilities appalling and a gross violation of the Posse Comitatus Act?
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