Matthew Robinson ’14
The $662 billion 2012 National Defense Authorization Bill, which includes one of the most controversial clauses in the bill’s long history, will work to solve many of the nation’s current security problems. Having passed through the House and Senate, the bill is now being finalized so that it may be sent to President Obama for signing. The bill is not at all new; it has been passed for each of the last 48 years to specify the budget of the United States Department of Defense. The 2012 bill has become controversial because of section 1031, which holds that the military has the authority to detain, “a person who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaida, the Taliban or associated forces … without trial.” The section goes on to state that this person may be a U.S. citizen and may be held indefinitely without trial. Although the bill infringes on the constitutional rights promised to U.S. citizens, the bill also tackles many of the current security problems in America. A recent report by the Congressional Research Service states that there have been 53 jihadist attacks committed by U.S. citizens since September 11, 2001. Furthermore, the report states that 32 of these attacks have occurred between the years of 2009 and 2011. These statistics highlight the growing number of jihadist attacks by U.S citizens rather than foreigners, which will be curbed by the new bill. Another issue that the bill addresses is the threat of Al-Qaeda recruiting American citizens. Before this bill, the punishment for American citizens, such as Al-Qaeda recruits, was less severe than that for foreigners. Now, anyone connected with Al-Qaeda can go straight to Guantanamo Bay. This is important considering how many citizens of the United States are currently at odds with the U.S. government, such as the Occupy protestors. The growing number of dissatisfied U.S citizens coupled with the growing number of U.S citizens attached with jihadist attacks on American soil makes the new National Defense Authorization Bill necessary for effective prevention of further terrorism on the United States.