General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do people keep bringing up the treatment of Manning in a military prison re: Snowden? [View all]woo me with science
(32,139 posts)No, US citizens are not clearly exempted, and for you to suggest that they are willfully ignores all of recent reality.
"Nothing in this section shall be construed
to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of
United States citizens..."
That language does not say that US citizens are exempt. It states only that the Act cannot contradict US law "or authorities" relating to the detention of US citizens. As has been discussed widely in the media and in debates in the Senate, US law is not clear on this, and "authorities" is vague, which is the reason many legal scholars have concluded that NDAA *does* allow indefinite detention of Americans.
That is why an amendment was written to clarify that US citizens are exempt. What happened next was very telling.
The Obama administration demanded that the exempting language be removed.
And the Senate rejected the language exempting American citizens.
What a trainwreck of spin this thread is. I have to go take a shower now.