[Peace-discuss] national emergency plan

[Jenifer Cartwright]

They're unstoppable as long as they're in office, and there's no end to the damage they're still capable of doing. I'm just counting the days until we get rid of these guys and hoping for least awful stuff meanwhile.
   
  Jenifer  

Barbara kessel <barkes at gmail.com> wrote:
  Bush Anoints Himself as the Ensurer of Constitutional Government in Emergency
By Matthew Rothschild
The Progressive

Friday 18 May 2007

In a new National Security Presidential Directive, Bush lays out his
plans for dealing with a "catastrophic emergency."
With scarcely a mention in the mainstream media, President Bush
has ordered up a plan for responding to a catastrophic attack.

Under that plan, he entrusts himself with leading the entire
federal government, not just the Executive Branch. And he gives
himself the responsibility "for ensuring constitutional government."

He laid this all out in a document entitled "National Security
Presidential Directive/NSPD 51" and "Homeland Security Presidential
Directive/HSPD-20."

The White House released it on May 9.

Other than a discussion on Daily Kos led off by a posting by Leo
Fender, and a pro-forma notice in a couple of mainstream newspapers,
this document has gone unremarked upon.

The subject of the document is entitled "National Continuity Policy."

It defines a "catastrophic emergency" as "any incident, regardless
of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties,
damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population,
infrastructure, environment, economy, or government function."

This could mean another 9/11, or another Katrina, or a major
earthquake in California, I imagine, since it says it would include
"localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or
attack-related emergencies."

The document emphasizes the need to ensure "the continued function
of our form of government under the Constitution, including the
functioning of the three separate branches of government," it states.

But it says flat out: "The President shall lead the activities of
the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government."

The document waves at the need to work closely with the other two
branches, saying there will be "a cooperative effort among the
executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal
Government." But this effort will be "coordinated by the President, as
a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial
branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of
powers."

Among the efforts coordinated by the President would ensuring the
capability of the three branches of government to "provide for orderly
succession" and "appropriate transition of leadership."

The document designates a National Continuity Coordinator, who
would be the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and
Counterterrorism.

Currently holding that post is Frances Fragos Townsend.

She is required to develop a National Continuity Implementation
Plan and submit it within 90 days.

As part of that plan, she is not only to devise procedures for the
Executive Branch but also give guidance to "state, local, territorial,
and tribal governments, and private sector owners and operators of
critical infrastructure."

The secretary of Homeland Security is also directed to develop
planning guidance for "private sector critical infrastructure owners
and operators," as well as state, local, territorial, and tribal
governments.

The document gives the Vice President a role in implementing the
provisions of the contingency plans.

"This directive shall be implanted in a manner that is consistent
with, and facilitates effective implementation of, provisions of the
Constitution concerning succession to the Presidency or the exercise
of its powers, and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (3 USC 19),
with the consultation of the Vice President and, as appropriate,
others involved."

The document also contains "classified Continuity Annexes."

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