Bush Changes Continuity Plan, Administration, Not DHS, Would Run Shadow Government

[maddezmom]

Source: Washington Post

By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 10, 2007; Page A12

President Bush issued a formal national security directive yesterday ordering agencies to prepare contingency plans for a surprise, "decapitating" attack on the federal government, and assigned responsibility for coordinating such plans to the White House.

The prospect of a nuclear bomb being detonated in Washington without warning, whether smuggled in by terrorists or a foreign government, has been cited by many security analysts as a rising concern since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The order makes explicit that the focus of federal worst-case planning involves a covert nuclear attack against the nation's capital, in contrast with Cold War assumptions that a long-range strike would be preceded by a notice of minutes or hours as missiles were fueled and launched.

"As a result of the asymmetric threat environment, adequate warning of potential emergencies that could pose a significant risk to the homeland might not be available, and therefore all continuity planning shall be based on the assumption that no such warning will be received," states the 72-paragraph order. It is designated National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902719.html?tid=informbox#

[frogcycle]

1. what, is he telegraphing his "plan B?" n/t

[rodeodance]

2. Townsend, who will assume the title of national continuity coordinator -

Other former Bush administration officials said the directive formalizes a shift of authority away from the Department of Homeland Security to the White House.

Under an executive order dating to the Reagan administration, responsibility for coordinating, implementing and exercising such plans was originally charged to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and later DHS, the Congressional Research Service noted in a 2005 report on a pending DHS reorganization.

The new directive gives the job of coordinating policy to the president's assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism -- Frances Fragos Townsend, who will assume the title of national continuity coordinator -- in consultation with Bush's national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, with the support of the White House's Homeland Security Council staff. Townsend is to produce an implementation plan within 90 days. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will continue to coordinate operations and activities, the directive said.

[C_U_L8R]

3. Assymetric Threat ?

Does that mean taking out Congress ?

[AndyA]

4. Gosh, if there weren't a sane man in the White House, reading something like this

could be a bit scary.

They were doing some sort of war games on September 11, 2001 as well.

Oh, wait...:tinfoilhat:

[SpiralHawk]

5. "Sit down and shut up, you noisy Proles. I am TOTALLY in charge." - Commander AWOL

"Too bad about your American democracy, and shit like that. Smirk, smirk, smirk."

- Commander AWOL, Skull & Boner Brigade of the legendary republicon Chickenhawks

[woodsprite]

11. Gee, he might delegate, to say, maybe good ole' Dick. n /t

[Lerkfish]

6. ok, here we go....martial law plans completely in place, He's admitting to plotting to

assassinate all of congress.

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Yep

Scary scary scary....

[Bridget Burke]

7. There are plans for protecting Certain High Government Officials...

[formercia]

8. It's called COG

Continuity of Government, Congress not invited, except for certain members of the GOP and Loyal Opposition.

[bdamomma]

10. this is scary, this man must be surgically removed.

[bdamomma]

12. kick

[Marnieworld]

13. Congress needs to revoke the Executive branches planning privileges

It's time that America and Congress stood up to these maniacs and say enough is enough. Assuming that they've had nothing but good intentions all along (ok no one assumes this really but let's pretend)every single time they had the responsibility of forming out a plan and carrying it out it has been a complete and utter disaster.

It was no secret that the terrorists were planning to attack us in 2001. Where was the master plan to deal with that? Missile Shields? What was the response? Tearing away our civil rights and waging an endless unnecessary war? No plan for before, during, or after. Just total chaos structured by a series of mistakes.

New Orleans vulnerability to flooding caused by extreme hurricanes was known. They were responsible for forming that plan too. No plan ever was complete or carried out. There still hasn't been a plan to repair and we are still waiting for the plan of how to prevent it from happening again and what to do next time. Kansas has also recently experienced their type of planning.

They can be angels sent from heaven and innocently making one whoopsie after another but how long do you keep incompetents in charge? How much of this should we have to take? Every single thing they have ever done has been a disaster so how can they be allowed to have more power, more responsibility, more ability to just be so careless and destructive with the rest of us and our country?

Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice, can't get, can't get fooled again.

:grr:

[frogcycle]

17. the problem is

the "executive branch" is supposed to do exactly that. The Constitution says that Congress, representing We The People, decides policy and the executive/administrative branch executes and administers. If Congress says "we need a FEMA" and "it should be ready" then the execution of that falls to - the executive. Congress can't "revoke" that. If they were the board of directors of a corporation, they'd have cleaned house long ago - fired the incompetants and brought in new management.

The only place the Constitution gives the president any decision making lattitude is as CinC. And that is simply because in a war (not an occupation) the decisions about how to conduct the battle need to be made quickly, not "by committee." But supposedly they have to declare war, and it should be that would be a specific, bounded directive like "Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, so crush them"

bush has no more authority to conduct an occupation, or a "war on terror" unfetterred than he does to conduct "war on poverty" or a "war on drugs".

There is nothing to revoke. They need to hold him accountable to deliver quality work, or fire him. Since he's already proven he can't do the former, they need to do the latter. QED

[Marnieworld]

18. I understand

I guess I meant to suggest the Constitutional remedy to an incompetent or otherwise intolerable Executive. No Soup for You! You are the weakest link-goodbye. They need to be impeached in order to stop them from causing more damage. No more plans for the love of god we need people who know what a good plan is.

[paparush]

14. This sounds VERY Nazi-esque

[Barrett808]

15. I just bet he's seething to blow up Congress right now

The malignant narcissist with his finger on The Button.

[Barrett808]

16. If Norm Ornstein and AEI say it's the thing to do, then I'm sold.

Norman J. Ornstein, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and an adviser to an independent Continuity of Government Commission, said the order "is a more explicit embrace of what has been since 9/11 an implicit but fairly clear set of assumptions."

He added, "My frustration is that those assumptions have not gripped the Congress in the same way."