President Amends Executive Order 12425

It just amazes me how so many people can just open their mouths and ignorance flows out. Wild claims and accusations without an ounce of proof is abundant. Better to keep your mouth shut and let everyone think you are stupid, than it is to open it and prove it.

Show me the evidence that McVeigh's act was the product of his military experience. And I don't mean a name-calling pop psychology job by some LWNJ with an agenda. The military does not use fertilizer bombs.

You must realize that you are on a very slippery slope here by taking any single individual, making them one-dimensional, and then indicting an entire group based on that one dimension. Sounds like a Saul Alinski tactic to me.

Timothy McVeigh was a returning soldier he was a terrorist.

Behold the arrogant hypocrisy of the liberal so-called "mind". Napolitano gratuitously PROFILES returning war veterans as potential "terrorists" (even though she herself expunged the word from the Politically Correct lexicon), while refusing to actually profile real Islamic radical fundamentalist terrorists who have openly declared war on us. And to label Obama's critics as potential terrorists is nothing less than Orwellian. But, hey, name-calling is what liberals do best.

Kylsport,

I could believe that it might take dubya four years to compose a few coherent sentences. IF such reports are true (and a TV/radio show is hardly authoritative), it is probable that even dubya had reservations about going through with the amendments. I think it is safe to say that it didn't appear to be a high priority item, if it was an item at all.

The DOJ describes Interpol as a "law enforcement agency". Police are not diplomats, and the United States does not need unaccountable international law enforcement agents at large in our country. After all, whose laws would they be "enforcing"?

Beyond Interpol's own agenda lies the question of how the administration will exploit Interpol's new liberties for political purposes. Think Rahm Imanuel. Think Harold Koh. Think Cass Sundstien. Think Carol Browner. Think Barack Obama himself. Think Chicago-style politics. This administration has given us plenty of reasons to distrust it.

Interpol is unique among international organizations. I am concerned that, under the new EO, it could easily become uniquely dangerous.

So we shall wait and see.............

Actually, as it turns out (from whatever perspective) but EO 12425 was a means of house cleaning. What is basically did was bring Interpol up to bar with other international organizations as the UN, et. al. This is something that had started in 2004 under Bush, but he never finished (according to the Michael Savage Show).

What do we know for sure about this story?

We know that:

1. Interpol has been operating in the U.S. for 27 years now just fine under the old EO.

2. Interpol (Ron Noble, SG) claims that it did not request these changes to the old EO.

3. Accordingly, there was NO APPARENT NEED to amend the old EO.

So, why was it amended? That we don't know. The President didn't tell us why he did it (what happened to transparency?). All we can say so far is that these amendments probably have nothing to do with the way that Interpol has operated within the U.S. for the past 27 years. Looking ahead, every paranoid speculation is now fair game. Given the behavior of the President, his henchmen in the White House, and his party over the past year, the new EO gives us all good reason to fear for ourselves and our country.

Interpol technically isn't a policing agency, they simply help domestic police networks communicate with police networks abroad. They have never arrested anyone they don't even serve warrants, they simply release notices to the local police agencies to help them catch international criminals. If an arrest is made of someone on INTERPOL's red list it is ALWAYS done by local or national law enforcement and even then only at that particular countries discretion. Interpol ONLY helps law enforcement with crimes that go against the laws of the majority of their participating countries and always stays away from political, military, religious or racial related crimes so as to remain neutral. The vast majority of arrest "suggestions" made by INTERPOL (a red notice) go unanswered as it is up to the country where the person is to decide upon whether or not to arrest them. If a person is arrested following a red notice that person is still subject to the laws and courts of the arresting country.

Congress originally designated INTERPOL as an International Organization of the US and Reagan caved into fear mongering (most likely done by people who couldn't take the 5 minutes it takes to actually learn what INTERPOL is) and took away some of the privileges normally accorded to all other Congress designated International Organizations. This order by Obama simply reinstates their full International Organization status as passed by congress.

Oh the minute I saw Interpol on this article, I knew the wing nuts and one world government whacks would be up in arms. International cooperation is blasphemy to this ilk. lmao

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this give Interpol officials more power that our own domestic policing agencies. The FBI, DEA, and all other local, state and federal policing agencies aren't immune from charges if they break the laws???

Yes clearly this opens the door for our good citizens to be raped by european men dressed in uniform. That was obviously the intention of the amendment.

Try reading it folks. I know it is full of big words but give it a shot. Then think about those same rules applying to investigations in other civilized countries that play by the same rules.

So while the country of Iraq tries to rein in mercenaries here in the US we're granting immunity to another police force. Wild conspiracy theories aside (that includes "interpol is going to arrest Bush and Cheney") I don't think I'm comfortable with a police force that's immune from investigation, search and seizures and FOIA requests.

Interpol is such an amazing organization. They are the ones responsible for fucking up with Victor Booth allowing him to provide massive amounts of firearms to Africa (many were too useless to even search containers as they did not want to have to deal with literal rotten potatoes). Interpol is one silly and useless organization. They are similar to UN Peacekeepers but less violent and disgusting. They don't have anyone in prison? What? If you believe that then you are out of your fin mind. If not one is in prison then what use is it to give them the right to do anything in the US without fear of consequence? Did we not fight the British for this very reason?

Nobody should be given Diplomatic Immunity but hey Im not suprised people are making excuses for their Dear Leader.

A New York police detective testified about tracking down a suspect in a series of rapes. Although the suspect had been identified by two victims, the police had to let him go after 45 minutes because he was the son of a diplomat from Ghana. As he left, the former detective told The New York Times, "he snickered and said, 'I told you I had diplomatic immunity.' He was looking at the women, too, and laughing." Twenty years later, it sounds like that attitude hasn't changed.

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/diplomatic-immunity-...

I would like to further add to cz's assessment of INTERPOL:
Number of inmates at INTERPOL's international prisons=0
Number of INTERPOL international prisons=0
Number of arrests INTERPOL made last year=0
Number of arrests INTERPOL made the year previous=0
Number of arrests INTERPOL has ever made=0

INTERPOL's own instructions on if you recognize or have information pertaining to anyone on interpol's wanted list:
"If any member of the public has any information about one of the wanted persons, they should not contact the General Secretariat directly, but contact the police in the place where the person has been located or identified."

So basically, if you go and assault an interpol officer, they can't do anything but call 911 to report you.

Ahiguy, I am not sure I understand what you mean by asking me to elaborate and then attaching a link to the federal statute passed by Congress. Yes, I could read the federal law and then analyze it in light of the series of executive orders (the primary order by Reagan followed by what appear to me to be minor amendments by Clinton and then by Obama) to determine the precise extent to which -- in my opinion -- the orders modify the underlying statute.

But I am not sure I want to spend an hour and a half doing so when the fundamental thrust of the statute seems fairly clear as do the executive orders. And even if I performed that analysis, the argument will remain as to its real-world effect.

If one thinks that INTERPOL is some kind of front organization for interests bent on world domination then this proffering of immunity from search and seizure will be painted by such a person as part of a devious plot. If, like me, one believes that INTERPOL is a fundamentally benign organization/institution then this amendment seems aimed at preventing unhelpful red tape and harrassment. Besides...where would I send the invoice? (kidding...lawyer joke)...

this is simply being done to give interpol the rights to pursue international criminals into the US, and gives our cops the right to turn over said criminals to interpol for extradition. perhaps that's what he has in mind for getting the dangerous detainees at Guantanamo back to their countries (note that i said dangerous, there most likely plenty of innocents there as well) and into the proper hands once they get there. and thank you CZ for once again being the voice of reason in yet another thread dripping with fear.

I challenge any one of you to actually state what this amendment means. Go for it, haven't seen it yet, just a bunch of people claiming we're now going to be ruled by and all powerful NWO police force that is above the control of our courts. Guess what, you're wrong, try reading the whole document and then actually forming your opinions. This executive order simply recognizes this particular international organization as having the same rights accorded to all the other international organizations of the US. OMG OMG OMG but now the government can hide their secret documents in interpol!!! Well they already could go down to any consulate and do the same, this changes nothing.

But OMG OMG OMG Interpol's now beyond our courts and will start arresting American's for crimes according to their own laws!!! Nope, try educating yourself on what Interpol actually does first, you're all way off base on this point specifically.

Oh and guess what if this organization acts out of line the president can still remove ANY OR ALL OF THEIR IMMUNITY at ANY TIME just like he always has been able to.

Oh for...come ON! The right to search INTERPOL's records is an important constitutional safeguard??? How many times do you suppose a search warrant is issued to search INTERPOL's records?

Ronald Reagan is the President who gave INTERPOL extensive immunity in the first place. Here is the text he issued:

Executive Order 12425 of June 16, 1983

International Criminal Police Organizations

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including Section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (59 Stat. 669, 22 U.S.C. 288), it is hereby ordered that the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), in which the United States participates pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 263a, is hereby designated as a public international organization entitled to enjoy the privileges, exemptions and immunities conferred by the International Organizations Immunities Act; except those provided by Section 2(c), the portions of Section 2(d) and Section 3 relating to customs duties and federal internal-revenue importation taxes, Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of that Act. This designation is not intended to abridge in any respect the privileges, exemptions or immunities which such organization may have acquired or may acquire by international agreement or by Congressional action.

Ronald Reagan
The White House,
June 16, 1983.

So he gave the organization broad immunity and THEN stated that their immunity could be even BROADER than allowed by this order if so declared by Congress or international agreement. If Reagan's order was the watermelon, Obama's was a watermelon seed. I am certainly willing to stand corrected, but I just don't see how this is anything but a yawner. This is INTERPOL, for crying out loud -- not the United Nations or the EU or something.

Obama's secretive Executive Order amended an order issued by President Reagan in 1983. Reagan's order recognized Interpol as an International Organization and gave it privileges and immunities commonly extended to foreign diplomats. Reagan opened the door to allow Interpol to operate in partnership with the U.S. but with significant constitutional safeguards. Specifically, Interpol's property and assets remained subject to search and seizure by American law enforcement, and its archived records remained subject to public scrutiny under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Interpol had to answer to the FBI and U.S. courts under Reagan's order. These safeguards were stripped away by Obama's action the week before Christmas without debate or explanation. Obama picked the holiday season to make this radical change to minimize media coverage.

This order marks a significant change in federal policy and usurps the constitutional power of our government by yielding it to an international organization. Michael van Der Galien writes, "This foreign law enforcement organization can operate free of an important safeguard against government and abuse. Property and assets, including the organization's records, cannot now be searched or seized. Their physical operational locations are now immune from U.S. legal and investigative authorities."

Obama has given an international organization unsupervised freedom to investigate Americans on our own soil without recourse or the supervision of our own government.

full article here http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977973126

What is Barack Obama doing? UPDATED: Why Interpol, Mr. President?
December 31, 2009

Some distressing civil liberties questions must be asked about an ever-lengthening list of decisions, proposals, and observations by President Obama.

To begin, Obama is the first president to give an international law enforcement organization like Interpol free rein within the territorial confines of this nation, presumably not excluding the arrest and exportation of Americans to be charged with crimes under international law.

Put simply, this means the Constitution is no longer the supreme law of the land in America. Thanks to Executive Order 12425 , which Obama signed Dec. 16 without explaining why, the supreme law of the land is now arguably whatever Interpol says it is, most likely as directed by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, in conjunction with the United Nations.

Maybe it's just a bureaucratic snafu. Or perhaps Obama sincerely means to subsume U.S. law to what he views as a morally superior international body.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/What-is-Barack-Obama-doing_-87...

Come now, Ihate, I understand your concerns about sovereignty...believe it or not, I am no more eager than you to put my fate or that of my family into the hands of a foreign government...but please give those of us who voted for Obama a little more credit than to think we voted for him only because of catchy slogans.

I have voted for more than a few Republicans in my time (I can't vote for a Democrat I know to be clueless when his opponent is obviously superior, regardless of what that might mean for determining the majority party in the legislature or Congress), but any consideration I might have given to McCain evaporated with his choice of Palin as his running mate (and I didn't judge HER merely on her slogans either)...

Well when you are out there giving your rights away to any fool that happens to walk by with a catchy new slogan { Hope Change} remember that you only speak for yourself.
I for one have no intentions of giving away my rights to a fucked up government.

yes, ihate, i would. but then i have nothing to worry about, i'm a member of obama's secret army.

@nephwrack

I suppose you wouldnt ask to see a warrent if the badge wearing pieces of shit came knockin at your door wanting to look around.
I mean, you dont have anything to hide do you? you'd let them in right?

Feel free to give up your own rights but please leave mine alone

good, now maybe they can extradite bush and dick for war crimes. and what are you naysayers afraid of? been pirating movies or something?

Golly gee. And why do you suppose the person who posted this decided not to mention WHY the amendment occurred? Could it be that an international police force cannot be effective when it is subject to suit in every country in which it operates? Could it be that there are adequate alternative places for adjudication of such disputes? Could it be that we are responding to like moves by other countries? Come on, folks, can we go just a LITTLE easier on the gullibility?

Wait what? How could this possibly be a good thing...

I see this story has been up for a few hours now and none of barry's supproters are telling us how great it is that more pieces of shit that wear badges are now immune from prosecution in our country. Free to commit crimes and hold back info. Damn where do I sign up for that.

...and I was being sarcastic about it being an awesome job. We've been losing our sovereignty over the last 21 years starting with Bush 41 and progressively moving faster under the current administration. Let's hope there's still a republic by 2012.

Until people refuse to be cowed by social pressure for conformity and by the military, things will continue to deteriorate with respect to representative government. Did you think the Pentagon would let all those fancy weapons lie idle in warehouses?

Maybe INTERPOL can now investigate Bush and Cheney for war crimes, I don't think that is on their agenda though.

WTF?.. Just what exactly does;
* AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 12425 DESIGNATING INTERPOL
AS A PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ENTITLED TO
ENJOY CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMUNITIES... mean?