1. Executive Summary
The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency has numerous detainment
camps throughout the United States. Some camps have been recently constructed
and/or renovated and are fully staffed.
The
existence of the camps coupled with Presidential Executive Orders giving the President
and Department of Homeland Security (of which FEMA is now part) control over
‘national essential functions’ in the event of ‘catastrophic emergency’ have
resulted in concerns that the camps will be used to forcefully detain American
citizens for unconstitutional purposes.
2. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
History
FEMA was created on April 1, 1979 pursuant to President Jimmy Carter’s
Executive Order 12127.
It
amalgamated,
·
the
Federal Insurance Administration
·
the
National Fire Prevention and Control Administration
·
the
National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program
·
the
Federal Preparedness Agency
·
the
Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities formerly carried out by
the Department of Housing and Urban Development
·
it
also took over Civil Defense from the Department of Defense, which was in
charge of preparing citizens for military attack [1]
In
1993 Bill Clinton turned the directorship of FEMA into a Cabinet
position. In 2003 FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security’s
Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate. [2]
Stated Purpose
The stated purpose of FEMA is to,
“reduce
the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including
natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading
and supporting the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management
system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation.” [3]
Recent Operations
FEMA’s most notable large-scale operation in recent times was in the
aftermath of August 2005 hurricane Katrina, which occurred along the
north-central Gulf Coast, particularly affecting New Orleans, Louisiana.
FEMA’s
response to the disaster was widely criticized due to a slow and inadequate
response, blocking external private and public assistance from individuals and
groups including the Red Cross, [4] banning photographs of the dead [5]
and confiscating reporter’s equipment [6] and homeowner’s registered
firearms. [7]
The 2006 Congressional report on FEMA’s handling of Katrina stated that it was,
"…a
national failure, an abdication of the most solemn obligation to provide for
the common welfare," [8]
Criticisms
Some have criticized FEMA’s failure as being due to is focus on ‘civil defense’
continuity of government and terrorism response programs to the detriment of
its natural disaster response readiness.
It
is further alleged that hurricane Katrina was used to test run of a continuity
of government program, allowing FEMA to rehearse rounding up and relocating
large numbers of people to camps, suspending their constitutional rights and
militarizing the region [9] with the help of private military
contractors (mercenaries).
Black Water USA, a
private security company, was used in the aftermath of Katrina. [10]
3. Powers and Preparations for a Declared State of Emergency
REX-84
and Operation Garden Plot
Readiness Exercise 1984 (REX-84) is an emergency
response program involving the implementation of martial law, the movement of
civilian populations and the arrest and detainment of segments of the
population.
A
rehearsal of the program was carried out April 5-13, 1984. It was led by FEMA
and the Department of Defense and involved the coordination of 34 other Federal
departments and agencies. [11]
REX-84
was mentioned during the Iran-Contra hearings [12] and publicly
exposed by the Miami Herald on Sunday July 5th, 1987. [13]
Similar large-scale emergency preparedness drills have taken place regularly
since then. The most recently announced, organized by NORTHCOM, are scheduled
for October 15-20. [14] Some assert that the drills continue to
include preparations for the suspension of the Constitution and the implementation
of martial law. [15]
Operation Garden Plot is a United States Army
and National Guard program under control of the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to provide Federal military support
during domestic civil disturbances. One example of the program’s implementation
was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots when US Army and Marine forces were used
in conjunction with the California National Guard. [16]
In
Los Angeles an Executive Order was made to permit the use of the Federal army
to uphold domestic laws pursuant to the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which places
restrictions on the domestic use of the military for law enforcement purposes. [17]
Recently, however, Section 1076 Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act
of 2007" (H.R.5122) has amended Posse Comitatus and The Insurrection Act (which also places limits
on domestic military deployment) to allow the Federal government to
unilaterally take control of state National Guards and position Federal troops
anywhere in the country during a ‘public emergency’. [18]
Executive Orders
Throughout the 1960s numerous Presidential Executive Orders were issued
authorizing Federal agencies to take over essential functions in the case of a
declared emergency.
The
powers include, among many others, the authority of the Federal government to
take over transportation infrastructure including highways and seaports
(10990), food resources and farms (10998) and mobilize citizens into government
supervised work brigades (11000). [19]
On May 9, 2007 President George Bush reasserted the role of the
Federal government during a declared emergency by issuing Executive Order NSPD
51/ HSPD-20.
The
Order states that in the event of a ‘catastrophic emergency’ all ‘national
essential functions’ may be taken over by the Executive branch of government
and the Department of Homeland Security (including FEMA). [20]
4. Detainment Camps
Developments and Construction
In August 2002, then Attorney General John Ashcroft called for American
citizens who are deemed ‘enemy combatants’ to be detained indefinitely without
charge and independently of the judiciary. [21]
This
legal position was upheld in the case of a US citizen detained abroad by the
4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a January 2003 ruling. [22]
In October 2006 the Military Commissions Act was passed by Congress. [23]
The legislation applies to non-US citizens and permits individuals labeled as
‘enemy combatants’ to be imprisoned indefinitely and without charge. It also
denies non-military tribunal judicial review of detainment (Section 7),
disregards international treaties such as the Geneva Convention, and states
that it is the President who defines what constitutes torture (Sections 5 &
6).
In January of 2007 the American Civil Liberties Union released a report based
on documents obtained by a Freedom of Information Act suit showing that the
Pentagon had monitored at least,
“186
anti-military protests in the United States and collected more than 2,800
reports involving Americans in an anti-terrorist threat database.” [24]
For
some time FEMA has been renovating and constructing new detention camps
throughout the country.
In
January 2006 Haliburton subsidiary KBR announced that it had been awarded an
“indefinite delivery" indefinite quantity contract to construct detention
facilities for the Department of Homeland Security worth a maximum of $385
million over 5 years. [25]
Stated Purpose
Little has been said about the purpose of the detainment camps but when
official comment has been made it has stated that the camps are for the
temporary detainment of illegal immigrants. [26]
Quantity and Locations
Citizens who are concerned about the purpose and potential use of the detainment
camps have documented and, when possible, filmed the detainment facilities.
Video
of renovated but empty detainment camps has also been released.
5. End Notes
[1]
Executive Order 12127--Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo/eo-12127.htm.
[2] Federal Emergency Management Agency. “About FEMA” April 1, 2007 <http://www.fema.gov/about/history.shtm>.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Federal Emergency Management Agency. News Release. “First Responders Urged
Not To Respond To Hurricane Impact Areas Unless Dispatched By State, Local
Authorities” 29 August 2005 http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18470;
Rodgers, Ann. “Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food” Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. 3 September 2005 <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm;
Zarend-Kubatko, Jill. “Disaster touches area residents” Valley Life. 2
September 2005 http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15147862&BRD=>.
[5] Editorandpublisher.com. “Journalist Groups Protest FEMA Ban on Photos of
Dead” 7
September 2005 http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001055768>.
[6] Gebauer, Matthias. “The Eye of the Hurricane” Spiegel Online International.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,373590,00.html>.
[7] Berenson, Alex and Timothy Williams. “New Orleans Begins Confiscating
Firearms as Water Recedes” New York Times. 8 September 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/08/national/nationalspecial
08cnd-storm.html?ex=1189483200&en=b7a5f1efcf668506&ei=5070>.
[8] Cable News Network (CNN). “Report: Katrina response a 'failure of
leadership':
Homeland Security secretary described as 'detached'” 14 February 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/13/katrina.congress/index.html?iref=newssearch>.
[9] Nimmo, Kurt. “Attacks on democratic rights, breaching legal barriers: FEMA
and
Katrina: REX-84 Revisited” Global Research. 11 September 2005 www.//globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=NIM20050911&articleId=929>.
[10] Scahill, Jeremy. “In the Black(water)” The Nation. 22 May 2006
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060605/scahill>.
[11] Reynolds, Diana. “The Rise of the National Security State: FEMA and the
NSC.” Publiceye.org. 1990 <http://www.publiceye.org/liberty/fema/Fema_1.html>.
[12] “Suspension of American Constitution Oliver North.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8tQAYYtLok&mode=related&search=>.
[13] Chardy, Alfonso. “Reagan Aides and the ‘Secret’ Government.” The Miami
Herald. 5 July 1987 http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/secret_white_house_plans.htm>.
[14] United States Northern Command. “Exercise Vigilant Shield ’08 slated for
October.” 30 August 2007 http://www.northcom.mil/News/2007/083007.html>.
[15] Rogers, Lee. “NORTHCOM Plans 5 Day Martial Law Exercise.” Intel Strike. 5
September 2007 http://intelstrike.com/?p=57>.
[16] Global Security. “Operation Garden Plot JTF-LAJoint Task Force Los
Angeles”<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/jtf-la.htm>.
[17] Morales, Frank. “U.S. Military Civil Disturbance Planning:
The War At Home” Covert Action Quarterly, #69 Spring / Summer 2000. http://cryptome.org/garden-plot.htm>.
[18] Morales, Frank. “Bush Moves Towards Martial Law” Toward Freedom. 26
October 2006 <http://www.towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/911/>.
[19] Anonymous. “FEMA Concentration Camps: Locations and Executive Orders”
Friends of Liberty. http://www.sianews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1062>.
[20] The White House. “Presidential Directive NSPD 51, HSPD-20.” 9 May 2007
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html>.
[21] Turley, Jonathan. “Camps for Citizens: Ashcroft's Hellish Vision” Los
Angeles Times. 14 August 2002 <http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0814-05.htm>.
[22] Cable News Network (CNN). “Americans may be held as 'enemy combatants,'
appeals court rules.” 8 January 2003 http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/08/enemy.combatants>.
[23] The Library of Congress. Military Commissions Act of 2006. 17 October 2007
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:S.3930:>.
[24] American Civil Liberties Union. “ACLU Report Shows Widespread Pentagon
Surveillance of Peace Activists” Press Release. 17 January 2007 http://www.aclu.org/safefree/spyfiles/28024prs20070117.html>.
[25] Halliburton Public Relations “KBR Awarded U.S. Department of Homeland
Security Contingency Support Project for Emergency Support Services.” 24
January 2006 http://www.kbr.com/news/2006/govnews_060124.aspx>.
[26] Ibid.
Scott, Peter Dale. “Homeland Security Contracts for Vast New Detention Camps.”
New America Media. 8 February 2006 http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=eed74d9d44c30493706fe03f4c9b3a77>.
[27] Friends of Liberty “FEMA Concentration Camps: Locations and Executive
Orders.”
http://www.sianews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1062>.
