back to article US Army unit deployed to home front

A US army brigade combat unit will be deployed at home for the first time, the Army Times reports. The 1st BCT (Brigade Combat Team), numbering about 650 personnel, has returned from Iraq. But rather than dealing with enemy combatants, it may be called to deal with unruly Americans. The Team "may be called upon to help with …

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  1. Lord Nikon

    The barn door is moving..

    Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but did the US Army withdraw 8000 troops from Iraq and then redeploy 4000 of them somewhere... what happened to the other 4000?

  2. Branedy

    The new Special Services

    So the name of this group is, let me guess, 'Special Services', interesting.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Friendly fire anyone

    How will they cope with that ?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    And so it...

    begins!

  5. Tim

    Troops on the streets?

    Maybe if the uk street were treated the same as Iraq streets there would be less trouble. Throwing stones at the fire service, send the army along to shoot the bastards. Joy riding, RPG the bastards. You get the idea.

  6. Richard
    Black Helicopters

    It rather begs the question...

    Just how much civil unrest are they expecting, and are they about to do something that will cause it?

  7. Fred

    Whoopee

    At last, finally a chance to try out all of those fancy new weapon systems we have been developing which turned out to be too controversial for Iraq.

    Now all we have to do is enrage some group there is no sympathy for, say black moslem students, and then we can get out the microwave cannon for a test blast.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    we all knew it was coming

    Well, not all, but most of the people that I know have wondered how soon it will be before they try initiate Martial Law. You know the US citizens aren't to be trusted anymore, its only suppose to be our country, with our government and our army, yet we don't have any control over it.

    Sounds like its almost time to go into hiding

    anon and black helicopter for the obvious reasons

    *WARNING: Resistance is essential for the future and the "freedom' of the people*

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    <Title>

    "testing a new modular package of nonlethal capabilities"

    Roll on one week, 1000 dead....

    Nope that one didn't work. NEXT!

  10. Jamie
    Linux

    For Testing Purposes

    Maybe Bush and Co are a bit more paranoid that first imagined. Meybe they have finally realized that the current economic environment mixed in with some bad weather, could lead to some serious civil issues.

    Would not disbeleive that they have pushed through secretly a bill that will allow the Army to be used against the public.

    I mean it was Bush that stated he is forever thinking of better ways to harm Americans.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bush can declare marshal law

    He changed the law in 2006 to let him declare marshal law and set the troops on the people.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=MOR20061029&articleId=3618

    "In a stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions."

    "Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    no surprises here

    This administration has done more in full violation of the constitution and the rights of the american citizens than all the past ones put together. Now if someone would just whisk away bush and cheney to a nice trial at the hague we could all live in peace.

  13. TimNevins
    Unhappy

    Final nail in the Constitution

    All pretense at democracy has finally been dropped.

    The Constitution has already had 8 Amendments nullified with the Military Commissions Act of 2006

    Posse Comitatus was the final barrier to despotism and that has now been removed.

    7 Years in Afghan and 5 in IraQ were simply preparation for a final deployment at home.

    Google "Crossing the Rubicon" to see what happens when the Military polices its citizens.

    Any one with dollars should think about dumping them. Now.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Set dressing for the biggest heist ever

    He tells Obama & McCain that if they don't approve the $700,000,000,000, heist there will be runs on the banks and people panicking in the streets and the army imposing marshal law and killings and shootings. To make that more convincing he needs to prepare as though that's going to happen.

    The army is just set dressing.

    I wonder about that meeting, Paulson & whoever is the decider (it's clear from Bush's comments when asked about this that he's not the decider here), must have had a meeting.

    Paulson: "Do you think I can get away with asking for $200 billion"

    Decider: "Make it big, this is the last chance we'll have, make it huge, so big that they'll shit themselves"

    Paulson: "$500 billion"

    Decider: "$700 billion, not only that we'll demand immunity from prosecution for misused funds, no oversight by any agency, no judicial oversight, and we'll provide Congress with a short 3 page vague memo so there is no detail for them to complain about".

    Paulson: "Awesome, but won't they be suspicious, after all I didn't see this coming, so how do I know how much bad debt there is to buy?"

    Decider: "I'll call them in, tell them it's much worse than we're saying in public, and frighten the shit out of them, it worked when I told Republican Senators that Sadam had suitcase nukes! They're gullible!"

    Decider: "Iran-Contra was small fry, those guys need to think MASSIVE"

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Marshall Law

    I thought the US had it already on board aircraft full of previously benign passengers enraged at airport security.

  16. NukEvil
    Jobs Horns

    If I were a betting man...

    ...I'd bet a dollar that this deployment will be directly in relation to the "emergency/attack/disaster/economic kablooie" that is scheduled to occur around the end of the year, due to the political crapout that Bushy Boy wants to implement so he can stay in power longer.

    I couldn't find a Demon Bush icon...

  17. Pete Silver badge

    Got the right country?

    > The troops will be testing "a new modular package of nonlethal capabilities" for the first time. The BCT will be based in Georgia, the paper reports.

    As one of the "other 95%" I am fully aware that Georgia is a country near Russia - it's also a state somewhere in the USA - though I have'nt a clue where. (Somewhere in the middle?)

    As we sure that when the news bulletin announcing these troops will be sent to Georgia, they were referring to the american one, and not just trying to stir up more unrest in the region.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Tim

    Combat troops patrolling the streets in a UK city shooting joy riders and stone throwers? That'll be Belfast from the 70's to the 90's then. It is remembered as a period of peace and tranquility where no crime or terrorism took place at all.

  19. PT
    Black Helicopters

    Martial law?

    I can imagine they'll be needed if, for example, it is found necessary to cancel the November election for some reason.

    But how typical that I'd hear it first from a British source.

  20. Doug

    Posse Comitatus Act, bah!

    Since Bush regularly flouts the constitution, what does he fear about an act?

  21. George

    More like rubbing out the lines....

    ...but Americans love the military so it will unpatriotic to oppose it.

    It does rather beg the question why?

  22. Solomon Grundy

    @Richard and Barn Doors

    They are expecting shit loads of civil unrest because the CDC sent a memo to Congress in May '08 that says they expect an epic pandemic flu to cause massive loss of life within the next 3 years and recommended that members of Congress, White House seniors and staff, and other high-level government workers to being taking flu meds now.It was pretty hush hush but word is getting out. I believe one of the UK papers is providing flu meds to their staff based on the same info. They know it, but they can't publish it...

    Missing US Troops: We have trouble counting numbers that small. Those missing 4000 troops may not have ever been in Iraq - or even existed at all. It's really hard to say but we're doing a feasibility study on putting together a study group to study where those troops went and how to prevent it from happening during our next "democracy for you" event.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    @Jamie

    Bush has already claimed the authorisation to institute marshal law, in one of the Extralegal "signing statements" he was so fond of.

    http://www.inteldaily.com/?c=117&a=1431

    if anyone saw the coverage of the republican national convention, and the emergence of police brutality insurance as a concept. you'll understand what they're trying to do.

    There was speculation that the Bushista Regime would attmpt to create a gulf of tonkin incident with iran, and force a new conflict in order to ensure Mccain's election. They may not be able to do that anymore, but the passage of the 700 Billion giveaway to wallstreet could cause a lot of ugly tension to emerge, and they will need some way to kill all the angry poor people.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    I'm a lot more worried about...

    ... how it's going to end.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    In other news....

    The Joint Chiefs of Staff have announced that for $5 you can get into their Preakness Stakes pool.....

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Jamie

    "Maybe Bush and Co are a bit more paranoid that first imagined."

    I guess that would mean pushing the limits on "paranoid".

  27. Simon Painter
    Stop

    oopss

    did el reg just balls up an email link?

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What's the national guard for then?

    650 troops in a country with the population and geography of the US isn't that many.

    And of course, in the uk, the army's domestic mission is something most people take for granted and, apart from some past nastiness in NI, it has largely stayed clear of any black helicopter type activities.

    But in the US, they've already got the national guard. What prevents capability being created there?

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Mmmmmk

    You know I suppose I should be outraged and all that, but in truth all I could do when I read this story was chuckle to myself. For the simple reason that this move doesn't at all surprise me and I'll be willing to bet money right now that what ever "tests" they conduct will be so "successful" that this will become the standard.

    So grab your US Govt. issued pillows and prepare to bite 'em America cus It's "BOHICA" (Bend Over Here It Comes Again) time folks, get ready for it.

    Icon choice is obvious as were riding the razors edge right now that may end in more lawlessness than anyone expects.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Voting machines

    I'm surprised nobody mentioned that this might be necessary to stop people from voting in certain "elite" neighborhoods. (To my countrymen back in the UK, "elite" is the new euphemism for "black and upwardly mobile, because you can't get much lower than the poor sods have been pushed already", and is used by most republicans instead of saying "uppity".)

  31. Jonathan McColl

    'Marshall' law?

    Since it's an American subject many writers must feel that Marshall Dillon will ride into town and solve things in a big shoot-em-up. I was going to go all pedantic and correct people, but then I realised that 'Martial' law is where people are tried under military rules and then shot, and isn't very different in the end. Si vis pacem carry a big stick as Teddy R might have said, but I'm sure he didn't want to beat his own electorate with it.

    (You could do with a pedantry icon you know)

  32. Doug Franklin

    Steven Kraft

    But it's not May!

    Ironically enough, I just read that book a month or so ago ("Seven Days in May").

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Um some facts

    This has been the duties of the national guard . Can any one here tell me whats the difference between national guard and the Army ?? The difference is one is under the direct control of the stae the other Federal government. The national guard is a military organization and they have been use to control civil unrest before . So this is not something new for Americans.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmmm

    Do I understand it correctly that one of the reasons that the citizens of the US of A have the right to bear arms is to protect themselves from stuff like this?

  35. Jodo Kast
    Thumb Up

    Americans don't worry...

    ... we just 'get ready'.

  36. Chris G
    Pirate

    Harry Potter and the Half Arsed President

    Harry Potter, looking nervous, rapidly pulls out his wand but the evil Lord Georgymort is quicker shouting the forbidden curse " Posse Comitatus" and in a flash of green sparks American Democracy disappears! The world is doomed. Can the courageous Harry potter once more save the muggles from evil? Watch this spot.... but don't hold your breath.

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    I've been waiting to meet...

    Adolf Busch!

    Posted as AC cuz I work for a local gummint.

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Neo-cons, stop smoking crack and get a life!

    Once people realise that the neo-con fear-mongering war machine is just a big lie of 'mass deception' they would just say "yeah, right, ooh frighten me more".

    The problem for Americans is that their press media is completely controlled by the Rothschild -> Reuters -> Associated Press chain and so they have virtually no chance of discovering many true facts if they turn on the news on TV or read their own newspapers.

    Start your research using the link below:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothschilds

    Then lookup Bush, skull and bones, Illuminati etc and you will start to understand things a little better. Profiteering from wars, and controlling the money supplies. Now that's power!

    To these people, GOD stands for Gold, Oil and Drugs.

    I suggest to watch this too:

    EMPIRE OF THE CITY - Ring of Power

    The city of London, Vatican city + Washington DC are 3 independant states within states wich composes the empire of the city. The first is financial control, the the second is religious control and third is military control. Together they make the very unholy trinity.

    Many people realize that this mystifying situation, in which an alleged democratic and self-governing nation is actually controlled against the will of the people. Once identified, there appears to be a clear indication that there exists a very powerful and occult organization which plans and directs world affairs.

    If you've ever wondered why we can find a guy in a hole in the middle of the dessert but we can't arrest drug lords who earn billions of dollars annually or why the national debt annually gets larger despite the economy doubling or tripling in size, the answer lies here.

    Run Time: 5 hrs

  39. TJ
    Unhappy

    @Lord Nikon

    Deactivated, IE sent home to go back to 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year. Lots of those troops are well beyond their committed date.

    Common people, 3 months left, We can hold it together. (Denial as an American works best at this point)

  40. Arlinora
    Pirate

    @Pete - it's the right country

    The full article mentions the fort in the US state of Georgia, which is just north of Florida:

    http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

    And the Posse Comitatus Act has been pushed back for a number of years, not just by the current Bush:

    http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/cc/baker1.html

    And here's what homeland security thinks about this:

    http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/articles/Trebilcock.htm

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    orly

    Humm only 28 comments on this story. Did the troops already get to the 'Merican's that might have read and or commented??

  42. Schultz

    Conspiracy theories ...

    Forget it, they probably just had some unexperienced clerk put out the press release. I don't think they'll start shooting soon, especially if the billions now move from Risk to Monopoly.

  43. Wayne
    Stop

    @Everyone

    Hmmmm...

    Considering that there was an NBC Emergency Response Unit in the US Marine Corps in 1996 that had basically the same task, you gents need to start taking your meds or stop smoking so much pot(shit makes you paranoid).

    Regarding the use of the National Guard abroad. That has a well-defined precedent, Oklahoma Nat'l Guard troops were among the first American troops to see a concentration camp in Germany. Also a note from the Nat'l Guard web site: "The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress. When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-in-Chief."

    Given that the Army was able to be used against the people up to and including the American Civil War, it is perfectly Constitutional to do so. However, when Posse Comitatus was passed in 1878 it made it illegal (questionably so) but not unConstitutional. Posse Comitatus was really a ploy to buy off the Southern States anyway...

    Also, Posse Comitatus was circumvented by the Insurrection Act. (Please reference 1992 LA riots) The AG may request the use of troops in case of the local Law Enforcement agency not being prepared for a particular sort of attack (i.e. NBC)

    All this does is set aside a group that will probably hold a secondary mission goal of being prepared to fulfill this role. This could also be called preparedness training and logistical staging.

    Please study history and law before commenting.

    Thanks.

  44. Solomon Grundy

    History, Armies,and Guard Units

    The US Army (or Navy/Coast Guard/whatever) is not the same, legally, as the National Guard. We've always been able to deploy National Guard troops to kill our own citizens but the Pussy Cunnilingus act assured that the govt could not deploy the full army against citizens.

    In today's time the assurance of minimal military force being used on citizens has lost a lot because the National Guard is absolutely huge and has the same guns/equipment as the military regulars. The Pussy Cunnilingus act is part of why the National Guard has become such a significant part of our armed services; they have always fallen outside the act so the govt bolstered them in order to be able to crush the citizens if they ever needed to.

  45. Pierre

    Hey Wayne

    I think you should go back to your history and law studies before commenting. There is a huge difference between "dispatching the Army when regular forces are not up to the job" and "preventively deploy federal troops specifically aimed at the local population". The second one suggests that something big is planned (may I remind you that no troops were preventively dispatched for Katrina? They surely expect someting bigger than that then. Scary.).

    I'm shure it can't have anything to do with an election of some kind. Can't be. And anyway, you guys have the right to bear arms, innit? I'm sure you'll do well against your army, in case something went wrong. After all, an AFV is no match for a .44 revolver, right?

    OK, I'm off to take my medication. Can't wait to see what happens though. Vote wisely!

  46. Treacle
    Alert

    A simple equation

    Financial catastrophe + closed banks + another American-Coup style election = Enraged Populous. Ergo, preventative urban warfare!

    While I don't pander to fear, I am stocking up on food these days.

  47. Efros
    Black Helicopters

    Conspiracy

    theories abound, only one making money this year will be Michael Moore!

    Efros

  48. Dave

    Voting Assistance?

    Perhaps they're going to assist people with voting in key swing states?

  49. Eddy Ito
    Pirate

    Go to Florida, make a right.

    What the army says - Helping 'people at home' ...

    What the army means - "Helping" people at home ...

    Expect more home raids, warrant free of course. I guess we didn't "fight them over there" well enough so we'll have to "fight them over here."

    http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

    And some EU types wonder why we cling to the 2nd Amendment so tightly. Honey, fetch me da tequila, de twelve gauge an all da nummer foh buck yo can fin'!

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