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Comment by guest_blog on December 13, 2011 at 4:08pm

Ron Paul: Defense Bill Establishes Martial Law In America

Top tier presidential candidate Ron Paul has decried the ‘indefinite detention’ provision of the National Defense Authorization Act, warning that it represents an arrogant, bold and dangerous attempt to establish martial law in America.

Comment by guest_blog on December 13, 2011 at 12:53pm

Defense Bill Moving Forward in Congress

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011

Senior members from both chambers of the U.S. Congress announced on Monday that they had reached consensus on defense legislation that could affect the Obama administration's nuclear weapons policies, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Dec. 9).

The fiscal 2012 authorization bill would allow $662 billion in spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a host of other defense programs and acquisitions, along with national security activities at the Energy Department.

The legislation had included several contested components, including language on handling of combat detainees and sanctions on non-U.S. entities that conduct business with Iran's central bank. The Obama administration had argued that instituting such punitive measures as a means of curbing Iran's nuclear program could damage the global economy and required cooperation with Washington's partner governments.

A conference committee was formed to address differences in the House and Senate versions of the bill, with the Democratic and Republican heads of each chamber's Armed Services Committee meeting behind closed doors last week.

It was not immediately clear how the negotiators had dealt with differing language related to the U.S. nuclear force.

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20111213_2069.php