Is indefinite detention a part of NDAA? (National Defense Authorization Act)

SPC Charles Brown — Fri, 23 May 2014 22:02:25 -0400

I came across this story in one of my news sites and I was wondering if anyone else has seen or heard about this particular piece of legislation? Please don't call me an idiot for reading and believing this article as my belief in this country has been seriously shaken by the possibility that something like this could actually happen here.

House Passes Dictator Obama’s NDAA; Critical Amendments Fail, Others Succeed

23 May, 2014 admin

NDAA Prison without proof website
Posted May 23, 2014 by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D |The New American

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Of the 100 or so amendments that lawmakers attempted to add to the legislation, two — one approved and one rejected — went nearly unnoticed, despite their attempt to force the federal government to adhere to core constitutional principles.

First, there was the unsuccessful attempt by Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) to “eliminate indefinite detention in the United States and its territories.” The amendment benefited from bipartisan sponsorship (it was cosponsored by Georgia Republican Paul Broun) but was ultimately defeated by a vote of 191-230.

Response by LCpl Steve Wininger made May 23 at 2014 10:37 PM

LCpl Steve Wininger — Fri, 23 May 2014 22:37:49 -0400

For a president that blames Bush a lot, he sure does a good job of extending his policies. It is never ending Charles. This saddens me to my core.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made May 23 at 2014 10:50 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Fri, 23 May 2014 22:50:37 -0400

Charles, if you are referring to the part of the bill that authorizes indefinite detention of US citizens by the military without trial, my understanding was that it passed as part of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, and has been renewed since. Strong supporters for the original amendment included Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham, who claimed that the bill simply recognized that the global US war included action in the United States, and that it would be unlikely to actually be used against US citizens, and only against enemy combatants found in the United States. President Obama came out publicly against the amendment at the time, but eventually signed the bill. To be fair, his only practical alternative would have been to defund the entire US military.

https://www.aclu.org/national-security/president-obama-signs-indefinite-detention-bill-law

By the way, I see your news story has the headline "House Passes Dictator Obama's NDAA" -- I would suggest to you that any "news site" that has the words "Dictator Obama" is probably not a particularly trustworthy source in general. I would also add that perhaps nobody is more at odds with the President than the Republican Congress, so I wouldn't blame the President for actions taken by the Congress. In this particular case, the President's only practical option is to not sign the bill at all, which would effectively defund the entire US military. Only Congress has the power to include or exclude specific amendments, such as the one about indefinite detention without trial.

President Obama Signs Indefinite Detention Bill Into Law

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