Spy Files: Department of Defense / NSA
Military involvement in domestic law enforcement operations is something Americans have always regarded with deep unease. The framers of the Constitution recognized the threat a standing army posed to democracy and they sought to establish a government that guaranteed civilian supremacy over the military. This ideal was finally codified after the Civil War through the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibited the Army from engaging in law enforcement activities on U.S. soil. But Congress has weakened Posse Comitatus over the years by permitting military involvement in drug enforcement, border control and all sorts of other "domestic support" operations. As a result, the military is increasingly turning its powerful intelligence collection capabilities against Americans. More >>
