The GOP presumptive nominee Mitt Romney declared before national television that he supported the NDAA as it was written and people still want to vote him into office. What is America coming to?
The NDAA text affirms the President’s authority to detain, via the Armed Forces, any person “who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners,” and anyone who commits a “belligerent act” against the U.S. or its coalition allies, under the law of war, “without trial, until the end of the hostilities authorized by the [AUMF].” The text also authorizes trial by military tribunal, or “transfer to the custody or control of the person’s country of origin,” or transfer to “any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity.” An amendment to the Act that would have explicitly forbidden the indefinite detention without trial of American citizens was rejected by the Senate.
While Romney said that joining Al-Quede was treason, I would also affirm, so is bypassing the Constitution and illegally holding people without due process if you are the chief executive. What’s not being said is that if he were president he would do the same thing that is in NDAA without ever having to prove his claims that someone actually was or did what he said. This is exactly what Barack Obama is currently doing.
