Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

October 22, 2008

ACLU demands information on military deployment in US

ACLU Demands Information on Military Deployment Within US Borders

Deployment Erodes Longstanding Separation Between Civilian and Military Government


By ACLU
NEW YORK - October 21 - The American Civil Liberties Union today demanded information from the government about reports that an active military unit has been deployed inside the U.S. to help with "civil unrest" and "crowd control" - matters traditionally handled by civilian authorities. This deployment jeopardizes the longstanding separation between civilian and military government, and the public has a right to know where and why the unit has been deployed, according to an ACLU Freedom of Information request filed today. "The military's deployment within U.S. borders raises critical questions that must be answered," said Jonathan Hafetz, staff attorney with the ACLU National Security Project. "What is the unit's mission? What functions will it perform? And why was it necessary to deploy the unit rather than rely on civilian agencies and personnel and the National Guard? Given the magnitude of the issues at stake, it is imperative that the American people know the truth about this new and unprecedented intrusion of the military in domestic affairs." Read more ...
www.aclu.org/safefree/general/37272lgl20081021.html

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What about the deployment of Mexician National Troops across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona borders into the USA? Shouldn't we be even more worried by the presence of a foreign military? While it is a violation of our Nationqal law for the American military to be used as a law enforcement tool, It IS a violation of International law and treaty for a foreign military to cross into American lands without permission. There is alot of room for improvement in the USA, however, live elsewhere to find out out how really great it is to be here as a citizen.