NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT: INTERNET WAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT HOME

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By Deborah Dupre, Human Rights Examiner

December 15, 2011

NDAA 2012 codifies Commander in Chief President Obama, DHS, military police waging war against American internet users, independent reporters, whistleblowers of high-level corruption

The National Defense Authorization Bill 2012 (NDAA FY2012) passed in the House yesterday, contains language allowing the Pentagon to wage cyberwar on domestic enemies of the state, a human and civil rights violation of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, as reported by MSNBC Wednesday, potentially impacting both Occupy movement and Tea Party participants plus independent news reporters and whistleblowers exposing government corruption. President Obama will have the bill to sign this week according to Government Executive, as ACLU and David Swanson urgently call Americans to action to thwart the signing of the bill into law.

It is “astonishing and disappointing” that the bill’s language has been approved by Congress and President Obama said Jameel Jaffer of National Security division of ACLU in his interview by Rachel Maddow in her MSNBC show Wedneday, “Suspicion Accomplished.”

The NDAA FY2012 includes the following language in its final “reconciled” bill now in the Senate and then traveling to President Barack Obama to be signed into law, despite earlier assertions he would veto the human rights violating legislation:

“Congress affirms that the Department of Defense has the capability, and upon direction by the President may conduct offensive operations in cyberspace to defend our Nation, Allies and interests, subject to–

(1) the policy principles and legal regimes that the Department follows for kinetic capabilities, including the law of armed conflict; and

(2) the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.)”

As part of Full Spectrum Dominance, the Pentagon’s cybersecurity plan released in July declared the internet a domain of war, claiming hostile parties “are working to exploit DOD unclassified and classified networks, and some foreign intelligence organizations have already acquired the capacity to disrupt elements of DOD’s information infrastructure.”

According to the Pentagon, “non-state actors increasingly threaten to penetrate and disrupt DOD networks and systems.”

The term “non-state actors” is addressed by Brent Jessop who writes that a problem with the current internet is the “potential for the dissemination of ideas and information not consistent with US government themes and messages, commonly known as free speech.”

NDAA FY2012 thus directly threatens safety of whistleblowers and independent reporters.

Kurt Nimmo of InfoWars reports Thursday, “After the NDAA is signed into law by Obama, he will have the authority to wage war against “domestic terrorists,” defined by the Department of Homeland Security as “rightwing extremists” and other anti-government types.

As already observed in DHS coordinated organized attacks on the Occupy movement human rights defenders, NDAA 2012 codifies the DHS to “direct the work” against enemies of the state.

“DHS will work with the Pentagon to militarily neutralize the threat posed by activists and the alternative media,” says Nimmo.

This author reported in November, “U.S. soldiers are trained to use non-lethal force as much as possible according to the DoD that added, ‘But until recently, not every soldier had ‘the right mix’ of tools and capabilities to meet those goals, an officer said during exercises in 2008.’ 

“Now, ‘the right mix’ has been passed to the Department of Justice, to local police, since a quiet agreement was made as the DoD states on its website answering question, ‘Q7: What organizations are involved?'”

“In November, the DHS practiced its work by coordinating a nationwide police crackdown on the OWS movement,” says Nimmo.

“In the not too distant future, it may be using the Pentagon – now that Posse Comitatus is a dead letter – in its ongoing efforts to wage war on political opposition to the establishment.”

From Forbes to statesmen to Anonymous and hactivists, NDAA FY2012 war on Americans is far from over

On December 5, Forbes reported, “If Obama does one thing for the remainder of his presidency let it be a veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, a law that “would place domestic terror investigations and interrogations into the hands of the military and which would open the door for trial-free, indefinite detention of anyone, including American citizens, so long as the government calls them terrorists.”

 Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said about NDAA FY2012 that it “denigrates the very foundations of this country.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has repeatedly said that NDAA FY2012 “puts every single American citizen at risk.”

Representative Dennis Kucinich stated Wednesday, “Our children deserve a world where they know the government will protect them, that it is not going to rule over them by invading their very thoughts.”

The internet war is now involves a battle with Anonymous.

Wednesday, “Internet hacktivists gathered on the Web to find a way to take on the lawmakers, who have allowed for this detrimental legislation to make it all the way to the Oval Office desk,” according to Russia Today.

“Upon discussion of routes to take to show their opposition to the overwhelming number of politicians who voted in favor of NDAA, Anonymous members agreed to begin with Senator Robert J Portman, a Republican lawmaker from the state of Ohio.

By Thursday morning, an Anonymous operative released personal information pertaining to the lawmaker, and revealed that not only was Sen. Portman among the politicians to vote “aye” on the legislation, but it has also been revealed that the senator had good reason to do so.

“According to a OpenCongress.org, Sen. Portman received $272,853 from special interest groups that have shown support for NDAA.”

“Robert J. Portman, we plan to make an example of you,” writes an Anonymous operative. The hacktivist has also released personal data including the senator’s home address, phone number and social networking accounts in an attempt to further an infiltration from the Internet to show the opposition to the bill that colossally impacts the constitutional rights of Americans. 

According to the information posted by the operative, the nearly $300,000 in special interest monies lobbied at Portman could have helped him purchase around $1.7 million in real estate in Ohio.

RT reports, “Among the supporters of NDAA are California-based manufacturer Surefire, L.L.C., who won a $23 million contract from the Department of Defense three months ago.

“Also contributing to the cause (and the lawmakers who voted ‘yes’) are Honeywell (who secured a $93 million deal with the Pentagon last May and a $24 million contract this year) and Bluewater Defense, a longtime DoD-ally that produces, among other garments, fire resistant combat uniforms.”

“When the military storms down your door for suspicion of ‘belligerent’ acts, you can thank Bluewater and Senator Portman for the lovely flame-proof attire the soldiers will be donned in as they haul you off to Gitmo.”

Instead of protecting Americans by abiding by the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Human Rights, President Obama is due to sign the NDAA 2012 into law according to a White House announcement Wednesday.

According to ACLU’s Jaffer, NDAA 2012 is likely to end up in court. 

ACLU and War Is A Crime head David Swanson have released calls to action to thwart the NDAA in the eleventh hour, before the president codifies martial law.

The NDAA bill, that must pass the Senate, would also include bringing overall spending authorization to $554 billion for bases and $115.5 billion for overseas expenditures, including the war in Afghanistan, according to The Hill.

The Obama administration has now said President Barack Obama supports NDAA 2012 according to Government Executive.

The bill could come before the Senate as early as week’s end.

Nationwide protests of NDAA 2012 and what rights defenders say is treasonous of congresspersons who voted for it, are being held today, Bill Of Rights Day.

Business Insider reports Thursday, “If you’re not completely disgusted by what Congress has done, it’s time to lower your dose of Zoloft and ask your doctor if the Bill of Rights is right for you.”

Suggested by the author:

• NDAA Martial Law 11th-hour 3-step call to action
• NDAA Full Spectrum Dominance: Kucinich battles empire’s permanent global war
• Occupy’s phones, cameras, tweets vs Military’s ‘non-lethal’ weapons
• Nationwide NDAA protests on Bill of Rights Day slated

Generals confront Obama’s NDAA, say it’s a ‘victory for bin Laden’