by Harry
V. Martin with research assistance from David Caul
Some people have referred to it as
the "secret government" of the
This government organization has
more power than the President of the
No, it is not the
FEMA had one original concept when
it was created—to assure the survivability of the
Its awesome powers grew under the
tutelage of people like Lt. Col. Oliver North and General Richard Secord, the
architects on the Iran-Contra scandal and the looting of
The most powerful organization in
the
Though it may be the most powerful
organization in the
FEMA has been given responsibility
for many new disasters including urban forest fires, home heating emergencies,
refugee situations, urban riots, and emergency planning for nuclear and toxic
incidents. In the West, it works in conjunction with the Sixth Army.
FEMA was created in a series of
Executive Orders. A Presidential Executive Order, whether Constitutional or
not, becomes law simply by its publication in the Federal Registry. Congress is
bypassed.
Executive Order Number 12148 created
the Federal Emergency Management Agency that is to interface with the
Department of Defense for civil defense planning and funding. An
"emergency czar" was appointed. FEMA has only spent about 6 percent
of its budget on national emergencies, the bulk of their funding has been used
for the construction of secret underground facilities to assure continuity of
government in case of a major emergency—foreign or domestic.
Executive Order Number 12656
appointed the National Security Council as the principal body that should
consider emergency powers. This allows the government to increase domestic
intelligence and surveillance of
The Federal Emergency Management
Agency has broad powers in every aspect of the nation. General Frank Salzedo,
chief of FEMA’s Civil Security Division stated in a 1983 conference that he saw
FEMA’s role as a "new frontier in the protection of individual and
governmental leaders from assassination, and of civil and military
installations from sabotage and/or attack, as well as prevention of dissident
groups from gaining access to U.S. opinion, or a global audience in times of
crisis."
FEMA’s powers were consolidated by
President Carter to incorporate: The National Security Act of 1947, which
allows for the strategic relocation of industries, services, government and
other essential economic activities, and to rationalize the requirements for
manpower, resources and production facilities; the 1950 Defense Production Act,
which gives the President sweeping powers over all aspects of the economy; the
Act of August 29, 1916, which authorizes the Secretary of the Army, in time of
war, to take possession of any transportation system for transporting troops,
material, or any other purpose related to the emergency; and the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act, which enables the President to seize the
property of a foreign country or national.
These powers were transferred to
FEMA in a sweeping consolidation in 1979. Hurricane Andrew focused attention on
FEMA. FEMA’s deceptive role really did not come to light with much of the
public until Hurricane Andrew smashed into the
FEMA has developed 300 sophisticated
mobile units that are capable of sustaining themselves for a month. The
vehicles are located in five areas of the
FEMA’s enormous powers can be
triggered easily. In any form of domestic or foreign problem, perceived and not
always actual, emergency powers can be enacted. The President of the
Martial law can be declared during
time of increased tension overseas, economic problems within the
Under emergency plans already in
existence, the power exists to suspend the Constitution and turn over the
reigns of government to FEMA and appointing military commanders to run state
and local governments. FEMA then would have the right to order the detention of
anyone whom there is reasonable ground to believe will engage in, or probably
conspire with others to engage in acts of espionage or sabotage. The plan also
authorized the establishment of concentration camps for detaining the accused,
but no trial.
Three times since 1984, FEMA stood
on the threshold of taking control of the nation. Once under President Reagan
in 1984, and twice under President Bush in 1990 and 1992. But under those three
scenarios, there was not a sufficient crisis to warrant risking Martial Law.
Most experts on the subject of FEMA and Martial Law insisted that a crisis has
to appear dangerous enough for the people of the
The typical crisis needed would be
threat of imminent nuclear war, rioting in several U.S. cites simultaneously, a
series of national disasters that affect widespread danger to the populous,
massive terrorist attacks, a depression in which tens of millions are
unemployed and without financial resources, or a major environmental disaster.
Three times FEMA has stood by ready
for emergency In April 1984, President Reagan signed Presidential Directive
Number 54 that allowed FEMA to engage in a secret national "readiness
exercise" under the code name of REX 84. The exercise was to test FEMA’s
readiness to assume military authority in the event of a "State of
The plan called for the deputation
of U.S. military and National Guard units so that they could take into custody
an estimated 400,000 undocumented Central American immigrants in the United
States who would be interned at 10 detention centers set up at military bases
throughout the country.
The plan called for the suspension
of the Constitution, turning control of the government over to FEMA,
appointment of military commanders to run state and local governments and the
declaration of Martial Law. The plan also advocated the rounding up and
transfer to "assembly centers or relocation camps" of a least 21
million American Blacks in the event of massive rioting or disorder, not unlike
the rounding up of the Jews in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
The second known time that FEMA
stood by was in 1990 when Desert Storm was enacted. Prior to President Bush’s
invasion of Iraq, FEMA began to draft new legislation to set up operations
within any state or locality without the prior permission of local or state
authorities. Much of the mechanism being set into place was in anticipation of
the economic collapse of the Western World.
The third scenario for FEMA came
with the
The crux of the problem is that FEMA
has the power to turn the
For generations, the government was
concerned with nuclear war, but the violent and disruptive demonstrations that
surrounded the Vietnam War era prompted President Nixon to change the direction
of emergency powers from war time to times of domestic unrest.
Diana Reynolds, program director of
the Edward R. Murrow Center, summed up the danger of FEMA today and the public
reaction to Martial Law in a drug crisis:
"It was James Madison’s worst
nightmare that a righteous faction would someday be strong enough to sweep away
the Constitutional restraints designed by the framers to prevent the tyranny of
centralized power, excessive privilege, an arbitrary governmental authority
over the individual. These restraints, the balancing and checking of powers
among branches and layers of government, and the civil guarantees, would be the
first casualties in a drug-induced national security state with Reagan’s Civil
Emergency Preparedness unleashed.
Nevertheless, there would be those
who would welcome NSC (National Security Council) into the drug fray, believing
that increasing state police powers to emergency levels is the only way left to
fight American’s enemy within. In the short run, a national security state
would probably be a relief to those whose personal security and quality of life
has been diminished by drugs or drug related crime. And, as the general public
watches the progression of institutional chaos and social decay, they too may
be willing to pay the ultimate price, one drug free
The first targets in any FEMA
emergency would be Hispanics and Blacks; the FEMA orders call for them to be
rounded up and detained. Tax protesters, demonstrators against government
military intervention outside U.S. borders, and people who maintain weapons in
their homes are also targets. Operation Trojan Horse is a program designed to
learn the identity of potential opponents to Martial Law. The program lures
potential protesters into public forums, conducted by a "hero" of the
people who advocates survival training. The list of names gathered at such
meetings and rallies are computerized and then targeted in case of an
emergency.
The most shining example of
For the first time in American
history, the reigns of government would not be transferred from one elected
element to another, but the Constitution, itself, can be suspended.
The scenarios established to trigger
FEMA into action are generally found in the society today, economic collapse,
civil unrest, drug problems, terrorist attacks, and protests against American
intervention in a foreign country.
All these premises exist; it could
only be a matter of time in which one of these triggers the entire emergency
necessary to bring FEMA into action, and then it may be too late, because under
the FEMA plan, there is no contingency by which Constitutional power is
restored.
Copyright FreeAmerica and Harry V.
Martin, 1995.
http://www.proliberty.com/observer
Ph.
208-777-7888; fax 208-777-2032
(Somewhat abridged. All underlines
are by
Here are a few EXECUTIVE ORDERS associated with FEMA that would
suspend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These Executive Orders have
been on record for nearly 30 years and could be enacted by the stroke of a
presidential pen:
#10990 allows the government to take over all modes of
transportation and control of highways and seaports.
#10995 allows the government to seize and control the communication
media.
#10997 allows the government to take over all electrical power,
gas, petroleum, fuels and minerals, public and private.
#10998 allows the government to take over all food supplies and
resources, public and private, including farms and equipment.
#11000 allows the government to mobilize American civilians into
work brigades under government supervision; allows the government to split up families if they
believe it necessary.
#11001 allows the government to take over all health, education
and welfare functions and facilities, both public and private.
#11002 designates the Postmaster General to operate a national
registration of all persons: men, women and children, for government service.
#11003 allows the government to take over all airports and
aircraft, including commercial aircraft.
#11004 allows the Housing and Finance Authority to relocate
communities, build new housing with public funds, designate areas to be
abandoned as "unsafe", and establish new locations for populations.
#11005 allows the government to take over railroads, inland
waterways and storage facilities, public and private.
#11051 specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency
Planning and gives authorization to put all EOs into effect in times of
increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.
#11310 grants authority to the Department of Justice to enforce
the plans set out in EOs, to institute industrial support, to establish
judicial and legislative liaison, to control all aliens, to operate penal and
correctional institutions, and to advise and assist the President.
#11049 assigns emergency preparedness function to federal
departments and agencies, consolidating 21 operative EOs issued over a fifteen
year period.
#11921 allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to
develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and
distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money
in