Decius wrote:
] ] The law gives Allawi "extraordinary authorities" to
] ] declare curfews, restrict communications, seize assets,
] ] restrict civic associations and assume direct command of
] ] security forces in areas deemed to be emergency zones. In
] ] those places, police and military units would have the
] ] freedom to search and detain people without judicial
] ] orders.
] ]
] ] The country's human rights minister, Baktiar Amin,
] ] compared the new Iraqi law to the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the
] ] U.S. law enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that
] ] gives broader powers to law enforcement authorities in
] ] pursuit of suspected terrorists. "Similar laws have been
] ] enacted in a number of countries," Amin said.
]
] Brilliant. No, the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act had nothing to do with
] these kinds of powers. Nor do I think that martial law is
] entirely out of place in some of these cities. But this
] comment is interesting on many levels. Isn't it the Human
] Rights Minister's job to question laws like this? Is he just a
] rubber stamp? Was our loosening of the rules a carte blache to
] other nations to loosen them even more. What kind of messages
] are we sending?

The answer to problems with democracy is more democracy, not less. Both the US and our red-headed step child over (Iraq) there don't seem to realize that, hence the on-going problems. Samuel Huntington would freaking LOVE this law.