In the August 14 Los Angeles Times (Link courtesy of Declan McCullagh’s Politech.) –
Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft’s announced desire for camps for U.S. citizens he deems to be “enemy combatants” has moved him from merely being a political embarrassment to being a constitutional menace.
Ashcroft’s plan, disclosed last week but little publicized, would allow him to order the indefinite incarceration of U.S. citizens and summarily strip them of their constitutional rights and access to the courts by declaring them enemy combatants.
Anyone still laboring under the impression that Johnny is just trying to protect us? This is a mad power grab.
Since I oppose the Adminstration’s blatant rollback of the 4th and 5th Amendments, will that earn me a spot in one of Ashcroft’s concentration camps? What is his definition of an “enemy combatant”? It wasn’t that long ago that he insinuated that civil libertarians who disagreed with him were aiding and abetting the enemy. Not in so many words, but the intent was clear and frightening. Then we have Ari Fleischer’s warning that people, “need to watch what they say.” The real question is, will the people sit back and continue to take it when the roundups start? I do believe that the shit has now hit the fan.