By Madison Ruppert
Editor of
End the Lie
As every day passes, it becomes clearer that our once-free nation is quickly turning down the path of a totalitarian police state, as embodied by the
passage of S.1867 in the Senate and H.R.1540 in the House.
With the knowledge that
KBR is developing a so-called “National Quick Response Team” to man the
detention centers on 72 hours’ notice, the picture only gets more grim.
This trend is also reflected in the recent United States Army
job posting for
Internment/Resettlement Specialists.
While this might sound tame and harmless to some, upon reading the job description a troubling picture emerges.
The Internment/Resettlement Specialist, or I/R Specialist for short, is not only tasked with handling the custody and control of individuals designated as an
Enemy Prisoner of War (EPW) but also of so-called
Civilian Internees (CIs).
This is a classic example of Orwellian language. You’re not an American citizen being indefinitely imprisoned by the military in a military prison; instead you’re a Civilian Internee in a Civilian Internee Camp.
In this article you will learn exactly what a Civilian Internee is, what few rights are afforded to them and just how oppressed a Civilian Internee actually is, according to the military’s own documents on the subject.
We will delve into great detail, showing the exact language and ways that Civilian Internees are controlled and prevented from making any real contact with the outside world or being able to seek out justice.
I don’t think that anyone is blind enough to find the title of Civilian Internee reassuring, especially considering the fact that Civilian Internee is the exact designation assigned to the Japanese-Americans who were locked up during World War II.
These innocent Americans were put in so-called internment camps which bore a striking resemblance to the concentration camps of Nazi-era Germany, for committing no crime other than being of a certain ancestral origin.
If our government would lock up hardworking, patriotic Americans simply for being of Japanese descent, it is not a leap to think that they would do the same for the political opposition.
Civilian Internee is actually a specific status of prisoner under the Geneva Conventions which is supposed to designate civilians who are detained during wartime, supposedly for security reasons.
However, as we all know, the Japanese people being locked up were no security threat at all, in fact, despite the grand betrayal embodied by the internment of innocent American citizens; many Americans of Japanese descent actually went and fought for the United States in World War II.
The
442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army was a prime example of this, as it was a unit composed entirely of Japanese-American soldiers.
They fought in Italy, Southern France and Germany and were in fact the most highly-decorated regiment in the entire history of the armed forces of the United States with 21 recipients of the Medal of Honor.
The fact that such individuals would put their lives on the line and fight for a nation that was detaining their friends and family is almost unbelievable, but they did it and yet our government is likely going to repeat the same horrific mistakes they made in the past.
I just wonder if this time around people will actually continue to go off and fight for a country that is engaging in the exact practices we are supposed to oppose and fight against around the world.
Specifically, the job description lists under advanced responsibilities that the I/R Specialist may be involved in, “Provide command and control, staff planning, administration/logistical services, and custody/control for the operation of an Enemy Prisoner of War/Civilian Internee (EPW/CI) camp.”
There are some publicly available military documents that go into more detail about what exactly a Civilian Internee is and how they are treated.
Despite the somewhat innocent sounding designation, Civilian Internees have little to no rights and are essentially totally powerless while in military detention.
There are lots of purely ceremonial rights granted to Civilian Internees like the ability to vote for representatives to speak for the camp, but the military can refuse to allow anyone who is voted in to actually hold the position.
Therefore, the representatives of the Civilian Internees would likely be nothing more than sycophantic lapdogs who bow before the officers in charge of the camp.
Anyone who would actually represent the Civilian Internees would just be blocked by the military, as it is explicitly written that they can do exactly that.
In the Army Regulation 190-8 document also called “
Enemy Prisoners of War, Retained Personnel, Civilian Internees and Other Detainees,” which is available on the Air Force’s website, some details are given on what exactly Civilian Internees are and how they are treated.
Chapter 6 of the document, entitled “Administration and Operation of CI Internment Facilities,” beginning on page 23 of the PDF (page 19 of the document), delves into some of these issues.
Beginning with section 6-3, we learn that Civilian Internees have no real right to property under this military rule.
While they pretend to give the detainees property rights, it is clear that they can strip you of your belongings at any time for any reason.
Sub-section b. states, “The personal effects that detainees are allowed to retain, but are taken from them temporarily for intelligence purposes, will be receipted for and returned as soon as practical.”
Essentially, they can claim your belongings are needed for intelligence purposes and hold them until it is deemed practical to return them.
When that would be is anyone’s guess but the language is clearly ambiguous enough to allow the military to strip Civilian Internees of any and all personal belongings for however long they please.
Section 6-4 goes over the so-called “Internee Committee” which is a two-three person committee which is “empowered to represent the camp to the protecting powers, International Committee of the Red Cross, or other authorized relief or aid organizations and U.S. military authorities.”
Once again, the military is able to determine what exactly you can do and this language clearly allows the military to deny access to any outside relief or aid organizations by saying that they are not authorized.
Under sub-section c. “Each member of the Internee Committee will be approved by the camp commander prior to assumption of duty. If the camp commander refuses to approve or dismisses an elected member, a notice to that effect with reasons for refusal or dismissal will be forwarded through channels to the Branch PWIC [Prisoner of War Information Center] for transmittal to the protecting power with a copy furnished to the NPWIC [National Prisoner of War Information Center].”
This committee is clearly a farce which is directly controlled by the military, as if those who are rounding up and detaining American citizens can be trusted with treating those prisoners fairly, which is a laughable assertion.
One of the duties of the Internee Committee is to present and transmit “petitions and complaints to the appropriate authorities,” but given that the committee can be hand selected by those who are operating the prison, there is no way that any real petitions or complaints would ever be filed by the puppet committee.
Yet it gets even worse, the Internment Committee handles, “The distribution and disposition of collective relief shipments.”
Meaning that the military’s lapdogs will be the ones with the power to distribute food and other supplies to whomever they wish.
They even handle, “The delivery of perishable goods to the infirmary when addressed to a CI undergoing disciplinary punishment.”
The Committee is also given access to postal and telegraphic facilities in order to communicate with the so-called “protecting powers,” also known as the people unjustly detaining civilians en masse without charge or trial, along with the “authorized” aid organizations.
Civilian Internees have to provide their own clothing and footwear and, “Except for work clothing or as circumstance warrant, or climatic conditions required, no replacement clothing will be issued.”
The clothing of Civilian Internees is marked with “CI” on the front and back of each sleeve in 4 inch tall black or white letters between the elbow and shoulder and on the front of pants and shorts above the knee and on the back below the belt.
The food situation is similarly unpleasant considering that “Subsistence for the CI will be issued on the basis of a master CI menu prepared by the theater commander.”
“The daily individual food ration will be sufficient in quantity, quality and variety to maintain the CI in good health and to prevent nutritional deficiencies,” although they make it clear that if you perform physical labor you receive more food depending on the kind of labor performed.
Therefore, if whatever food they decide is “sufficient in quantity, quality and variety” is not enough (which it likely won’t be) you’ll be forced to work hard manual labor to get additional food.
Although, you can use facilities to prepare “additional food received or procured by [the CI] from authorized sources.”
What these authorized sources are is unclear but it is likely the case, like in private prisons, that they will make foods available to prisoners at exorbitant prices which is all too appealing given the horrendous quality of the food provided.
Part of section 6-6, “Medical Care and Sanitation” clearly indicates that those who are unvaccinated will be forced to be vaccinated whether they like it or not.
“Each CI will be immunized or reimmunized as prescribed by theater policy,” meaning that if the commander of the theater (in this case, likely the United States of America itself) decides that certain vaccinations are mandatory, you are not allowed to be released into the general population until you receive them or as they put it “until medical fitness is determined.”
It gets even more fascinating when they get to section 6-7, “Social, Intellectual, and Religious activities,” which says, “Subject to security considerations and camp discipline, the CI will be encouraged, but not required, to participate in social, intellectual, religious, and recreational activities.”
Well, that doesn’t sound too bad, right?
The next sentence might change your mind, “Introducing political overtones into or furthering enemy propaganda objectives through these activities will not be tolerated.”
In other words, if you engage in discussing politics or the truth of the situation (which is likely to be designated as an act of furthering enemy propaganda objectives) you will not be allowed to participate in any social, intellectual, religious or recreational activities.
Furthermore, the entire ability to participate in any activities is dependent on “security considerations and camp discipline,” meaning that at any time they can suspend all activities for any reason or no reason at all.
They also delve into official visits by so-called “Duly accredited representatives of the protecting powers and of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other[s] [who] will be permitted to visit and inspect CI camps and other places of internment in the discharge of their official duties.”
However, “The inspections will be at times previously authorized by the theater commander.”
Yet again, they set up the false pretense of rights and justice just to undermine it by making it only at times authorized by the theater commander, meaning that they could easily cover up any wrongdoing long before the inspection takes place.
Even worse, they can prohibit the inspections altogether. “Such visits will not be prohibited, nor will their duration and frequency be restricted, except for reasons of imperative military necessity, and then only as a temporary measure.”
Who decides when it is an imperative military necessity and how long this temporary measure lasts? Well, of course, it is the military.
Getting regulators to regulate themselves works out so well in the case of the
private Federal Reserve I can see why they would want to utilize such a tactic in a situation like this as well.
Visits with family are similarly restricted by whatever the theater commander decides to put in place. “Near relatives and other persons authorized by the theater commander will be permitted to visit the CI as frequently as possible in accordance with theater regulations. They should be advised that the taking of photographs on or about the facility is prohibited.”
They even have outlined a program to develop “vocational training projects with an immediate view of developing skills that may be useful during interment”.
While they claim that Civilian Internee clergy will be allowed to communicate with religious leaders on religious matters, they do say that it “will be subject to censorship.”
The restrictions on communications are outlined in section 6-8 and include no drawings, maps, or sketches in any outgoing correspondence, no registered certified, insured, COD, or airmail items will be allowed to be received by Civilian Internees, and “Censorship of the CI mail will be according to the policies established by the theater commander.”
This is where it gets really disturbing: “Outgoing letters and cards may be examined and read by the camp commander. The camp commander will return outgoing correspondence containing obvious deviations from regulations for rewriting.
“Camp commanders will name U.S. military personnel to supervise the opening of all mail pouches containing incoming letters and cards for CI. These items will be carefully examined by the named personnel before delivery to detainees. Those items that arrive without having been censored by appropriate censorship elements will be returned for censorship to the designated censorship elements.”
Is it just me or does this read like something out of a work of fiction? Essentially you won’t be able to read or write anything that the military overlords do not wish you to. If you attempt to report torture or other horrors to anyone on the outside they will either censor it or force you to rewrite it.
All packages received by CIs are searched and, if requested, examined by the so-called “censorship element.” They point out that they will closely examine all items and messages but also claim “undue destruction of contents of parcels will be avoided.”
Not quite reassuring, if you ask me.
To make matters even worse, if such a thing was possible, the CI is not allowed to make or receive any phone calls whatsoever.
Telegrams can be sent under certain specific conditions but they, too, are censored.
Civilian Internees may receive books but, “Books that arrive at camps uncensored will be censored by a representative of the censorship element.”
English-language newspapers and magazines published in the United States are allowed to be distributed to the camp library by approved relief or aid organizations at the camp commander’s discretion after they have been censored.
The manner in which Civilian Internees can attempt to file complaints is just as ludicrously unjust as the rest of the regulations we have gone over thus far.
Essentially they only way you can file complaints is through the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans (ODCSOPS), National Prisoner of War Information Center (NWPIC), or in the case of “any act or allegation of inhumane treatment or other violations of this regulation will be reported to HQDA (DOMA-ODL), WASH DC 20310-0400 as a Serious Incident Report.”
Just like the other regulations we’ve gone over, there is a false impression of justice which crumbles under a moment’s scrutiny.
“Discipline and security” under section 6-10 is clearly taken seriously in the case of Civilian Internees.
The regulations state, “Measures needed to maintain discipline and security will be set up in each camp and rigidly enforced. Offensive acts against discipline will be dealt with promptly. The camp commander will record disciplinary punishments. The record will be open to inspection by the protecting power.”
Oddly enough, under this section it is written that no CI may have any political emblem, insignia, flag, or picture of a political leader unless it is a picture of a political leader that appeared in a magazine, book, or newspaper and wasn’t removed by the censorship element.
They also explicitly state that you are to be nice to your captors, “The normal civilian courtesies will be required of the CI in their relationships with military personnel.”
Under section 6-12 some of the “Disciplinary proceedings and punishments” are outlined including a list of some approved punishments.
These disciplinary measures include, “(1) Discontinuance of privileges granted over and above the treatment provided for by this regulation. (2) Confinement. (3) A fine not to exceed one-half of the wages that the CI may receive during a period of not more than 30 days. (4) Extra fatigue duties, not exceeding 2 hours daily, in connection with maintaining the internment camp.”
Any single disciplinary punishment cannot go on for more than 30 consecutive days, although further discipline can be imposed after a 3 day period between punishments of 10 days or more.
However, these regulations on discipline and judicial proceedings are likely to be waived due to the fact that the National Defense Authorization act would effectively override the need to comply with any of these regulations.
Civilian Internees can indeed be forced to perform labor. Compulsory labor is supposedly limited to: “(1) Administrative, maintenance, and domestic work in an internment camp. (2) Duties connected with the protection of the CIA against aerial bombardment or other war risks. (3) Medical duties if they are professionally and technically qualified.”
Civilian Internees are only allowed a rest period of 24 consecutive hours every week and any paid work is paid at a rate announced by the Department of the Army after the outbreak of hostilities.
The problem is not only that our government has a clearly outlined procedure for dealing with civilians who are locked up for no reason at all, but that our government has a history of doing exactly that.
It is also quite dangerous that under the NDAA, American citizens could easily be classified as Enemy Prisoners of War instead of Civilian Internees, giving them even less rights.
Furthermore, under section 1031, anyone can be shipped off to any foreign country or handed over to any foreign entity, essentially waiving what few rights are afforded under there regulations.
With our so-called representatives in Congress
voting 406-17 to make portions of the meetings in which they discuss H.R.1540 and S.1867 closed to the public in order to avoid public scrutiny, we are truly entering the dark ages of American history.
Those individuals in Washington who we elected to represent us are now passing legislation that is literally waging war against the people of the United States while keeping certain aspects of the process completely secret.
These developments should be disturbing to every single American, no matter what your political persuasion.
We are watching the brutal counterterrorism apparatus that has plagued foreign nations and resulted in the pain and suffering of countless people around the globe turn back around against us.
What will it take for the people of America to stand up and demand that our rights, as outlined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, be preserved?
Will it really take seeing your friends, family and neighbors snatched up in the middle of the night, never to be seen again? If we really wait that long, I fear that it will be too late.
