Goodbye rights, hello NDAA

It sure seems like as a country we are moving further and further from our freedom roots and the principals upon which this country was founded.  The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama.  Other than the problem of the US spending the $662 billion authorized in the bill, which of course we do not have, the act includes provisions affirms the authority of the President for indefinite detention on maters related to terrorism (section 1021) and in military custody (section 1022).

The full test of the bill can be found here (PDF).  Specifically section 1021 states (see page 265 in the PDF):

"...authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons...pending disposition under the law of war."

Covered persons include (my bold)

"A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces."

Best of all after being detained one can be (my bold):

"Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force."

Have we not heard repeatedly over the years that terrorism is not a threat that will ever go away?  If that is the case then I guess the President has the authority to lock up someone forever without trial.

We also find in section 1022 that the military is responsible for this detention, except in the cast of US citizens or legal residents (page 266 of the PDF linked above) (my bold):

"...the Armed Forces of the United States shall hold a person described in paragraph (2) who is captured in the course of hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40) in military custody pending disposition under the law of war."

This is evil.  Holding people without trial indefinitely without trial is wrong.  It is a shame the House of Representatives, the Senate and the President all saw fit to approve the atrocious legislation.  President Barack Obama released a signing statement when he signed the legislation into law stating "serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists".  Unfortunately signing statements are meaningless and do not hold the power of law.  This should never have passed the House or the Senate and should have been vetoed by the President.

This legislation is a travesty and makes a mockery of our freedoms.  This is straight out of the playbook of some of the worst and most oppressive regimes throughout history.