When Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act on New Year’s Eve, the president stated in a signing statement that he wouldn’t use the power afforded him to indefinitely detain, without due process, persons considered threats to national security on American citizens. But what if the president had the authority to strip an American citizen of their citizenship?
If the Enemy Expatriation Act passes in its current form, the legislation would allow the government to revoke the citizenship of anyone suspected of engaging in or supporting hostilities against the U.S. Of course true to form the bill would let the government shred our constitution without formally bringing charges against individuals or presenting any evidence in a court of law.
Under the legislation, “hostilities” are defined as “any conflict subject to the laws of war” and does not explicitly state that charges against suspects go to court.
The National Defense Authorization Act drew widespread opposition despite the corporate media largely turning a blind eye. Under NDAA, the government can indefinitely imprison anyone deemed dangerous by Washington and hold them without trial.
Some are now saying that Obama’s attempt at discrediting the NDAA by insisting that he would not use it against American citizens came only as a precursor to this latest Act. By adding his signing statement to the NDAA, the president insured that legislation such as the Enemy Expatriation Act would make any limitations placed on his power to detain citizens negligible at best.
“I hope I’m wrong, but it sounds to me like this is a loophole for indefinitely detaining Americans,” Stephen . Foster, Jr. writes on the AddictionInfo.org website. “Once again, you just have to be accused of supporting hostilities which could be defined any way the government sees fit. Then the government can strip your citizenship and apply the indefinite detention section of the NDAA without the benefit of a trial.”
The bill, currently being passed through Congress, is sponsored by Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Charles Dent (R-PA).
Watch as Charles Dent tries to justify what can only be viewed as the federal government’s latest trampling of our civil liberties.
