Bush mobilizes Pentagon to face hurricanes
President of the USA told that he is going to ask Congress to work out initiatives according to which Pentagon will take up a duty of scaled natural disasters consequences liquidation.
He said that during meeting with USA military personnel who acted in rescue operations during "Rita" tornado on Texas.
"What are the circumstances should be that Ministry of Defence should take up a guiding role? - Bush asked the auditory. - Of course the case of terrorist attack on the USA. But now we have natural disaster of impressive scale and that allows Ministry of Defence to guide and control rescue actions. Isn?t it consistent? That is the congress should think about".
The president expressed that idea for the first time 10 days ago when he spoke to the nation being at New Orleans suffered "Katrina" tornado. After he knocked different governmental offices which were not effective during the disaster Bush said that there is need to increase commanding authorities of Pentagon and the White House for such cases.
"It is clear now that accidents of such scale demand federal government interference in higher level and extension of armed forces authorities", - Bush said.
The present decision if being realized will call for laws change, because Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 forbids army to take up police functions. Juridicaly posse comitatus - is the county sheriff order calling together men who can carry armes (to face an enemy, to secure public order or jail-breakers capture). Pentagon direction considers this law obsolete.
Senator-republican from Virginia, chief of the committee on armed forces, John Warner supported Bush?s proposal.
Simultaneously those proposals came in for criticism in the liberal part of American society. "Washington wants to increase the level of centralization of government and militarization of the society", - said Jean Healy, an editor from Kato institute which is known as stronghold of American liberalism. In his opinion making policemen from the soldier will lead to armed personnel battle qualities weakening and will infringe upon freedoms of citizens. "Army should serve as extreme measure but not the first thought that occurs in the mind when case concerns internal politics", - he added.
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