Why has Bush sealed up information involving Rex-84?

[ck4829]

From 1982-84 Colonel Oliver North assisted FEMA in drafting its civil defence preparations. Details of these plans emerged during the 1987 Iran-Contra scandal. They included executive orders providing for suspension of the constitution, the imposition of martial law, internment camps and the turning over of government to the president and FEMA. FEMA, whose main role is disaster response, is now also responsible for handling U.S. domestic unrest. With recent proposals to criminalise illegal and undocumented immigrants, the United States saw itself immersed in a debate at the end of March and beginning of April about these laws and the role of immigration post-September 11th.

A Miami Herald article on July 5, 1987, reported that the deputy of former FEMA director Louis O. Giuffrida, John Brinkerhoff, handled the martial law portion of the planning. The plan was said to be similar to one titled "Rex 84", which Mr. Giuffrida had developed earlier to combat a national uprising by black militants. It provided for the detention of at least 21 million African-Americans in assembly centers or relocation camps. Following a request by the Pentagon in January, 2002, that the U.S. military be allowed the option of deploying troops on American streets, the Anser Institute for Homeland Security in February, 2002, published a paper by current-employee Mr. Brinkerhoff that argued the legality of this. He alleged that the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which has long been accepted as prohibiting such deployments, had simply been misunderstood and misapplied. The preface to the article also provided the revelation that the national plan he had worked on, under Mr. Giuffrida, was approved by Reagan, and actions were taken to implement it.

The full facts and final contents of Reagan's national plan remain uncertain, in part because President Bush took the unprecedented step of sealing the Reagan presidential papers in November of 2001 via Executive Order 13233. The papers in question, some dealing with Reagan-era officials who now have high posts in the Bush administration, were to have been disclosed under the 1978 Presidential Records Act, which said that the documents could be restricted at the most for 12 years after Reagan left office.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law#Controversy

[central scrutinizer]

1. incompetence has an upside - who knew?

If FEMA is in charge of handling US domestic unrest, and they display the same level of competence as with Katrina, we can all breathe easier.

[unpossibles]

2. I hate myself for laughing, but ....

sadly you're right. I guess we have that going for us - that even though these people are evil and want to destroy us, they seem to be barely able to tie their own shoes most of the time.

[aquart]

3. Yeah, but their incompetence kills.

Which kinds ruins the humor.

[rman]

4. I think FEMA's Katerina performance went according to plan

It only looks like incompetence if you assume the goal of this government is to do what's good for the people.

[frylock]

5. winner, winner..

chicken dinner.