NSPD/51- Prudent Planning for "Catastrophic Emergencies" ?

If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier .... just as long as I'm the dictator.

Dubya (The President Elect speakig to Congressional leaders) Washington, DC, Dec 18, 2000


Very few US citizens will be aware of the Presidential Decision Directive 67 (PDD 67), issued 21 October 1998, which relates to enduring constitutional government, continuity of operations (COOP) planning, and continuity of government (COG) operations.

Principally because " The text of PDD-67 has not been released, and there is no White House Factsheet summarizing its provisions."

Anyway from last week that is history according to Section 22

22. (22) Revocation. Presidential Decision Directive 67 of October 21, 1998 ("Enduring Constitutional Government and Continuity of Government Operations"), including all Annexes thereto, is hereby revoked.

...of the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive / NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51/HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD-20 which President Bush issued on May 7th 2007.


The stated purpose of this Directive is to "establish a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency. "

Definitions follow -

(2) In this directive:

(a) "Category" refers to the categories of executive departments and agencies listed in Annex A to this directive;

Which is fine and dandy but when you turn to the penultimate paragraph No 23 and final para 24 -

(23) Annex A and the classified Continuity Annexes, attached hereto, are hereby incorporated into and made a part of this directive.

(24) Security. This directive and the information contained herein shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure, provided that, except for Annex A, the Annexes attached to this directive are classified and shall be accorded appropriate handling, consistent with applicable Executive Orders

You also find that Annexe A is not published with the Directive.

If you care and are concerned with the powers the President has Directed himself to have in the case of a "Catastrophic Emergency" - which means according to the defintions ..."any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions; ..." you are best reading the whole 24 paragraphs etc.,

So ... this covers anything from Katrina to 9/11 and is also "regardless of location" - the Panama Canal ? Iraq ? Taiwan ?

Para 6 states that in the event of such a"Catastrophic Emergency", The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government. In order to advise and assist the President in that function, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity Coordinator. The National Continuity Coordinator, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), without exercising directive authority, shall coordinate the development and implementation of continuity policy for executive departments and agencies. The Continuity Policy Coordination Committee (CPCC), chaired by a Senior Director from the Homeland Security Council staff, designated by the National Continuity Coordinator, shall be the main day-to-day forum for such policy coordination. ...whilst the preceding Para lists all the "National Essential Functions," or "NEFs," (lettered a to h )which means that subset of Government Functions that are necessary to lead and sustain the Nation during a catastrophic emergency.

(a) Ensuring the continued functioning of our form of government under the Constitution, including the functioning of the three separate branches of government;

(b) Providing leadership visible to the Nation and the world and maintaining the trust and confidence of the American people;

(c) Defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and preventing or interdicting attacks against the United States or its people, property, or interests;

(d) Maintaining and fostering effective relationships with foreign nations;

(e) Protecting against threats to the homeland and bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes or attacks against the United States or its people, property, or interests;

(f) Providing rapid and effective response to and recovery from the domestic consequences of an attack or other incident;

(g) Protecting and stabilizing the Nation's economy and ensuring public confidence in its financial systems; ???? and

(h) Providing for critical Federal Government services that address the national health, safety, and welfare needs of the United States.

This all may be read in one of two ways ..

1. It is merely a sensible , preparatory clear set of guidelines for planning the heirarchy of a new form of Government required to lead the nation in which National Continuity Coordinator (NCC) will be responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. The NCC will be the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity Coordinator.

2. The President (Para 6) "shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government" .....Heading (a) "Ensuring the continued functioning of our form of government under the Constitution, including the functioning of the three separate branches of government;"

Which can be seen that the President will when the "Catastrophic Emergency" happens - (which can be anywhere and it's defintion is suitably loose for Alberto Gonzalez to take it to mean any goddam thing he wants) the President will quite Unconstutionally seize and control the powers of the three branches of Government enshrined in the Constitution, the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature.

Which to some people sounds like a recipe for a military dictatorship.

Let's recall, On August 2, 1934, at 9 a.m., the 87 year old Hindenburg died. Within hours, Hitler and the NSDAP announced the following law, dated August 1...

"The Reich Government has enacted the following law which is hereby promulgated.

Section 1. The office of Reich President will be combined with that of Reich Chancellor. The existing authority of the Reich President will consequently be transferred to the Führer and Reich Chancellor, Adolf Hitler. He will select his deputy.
Section 2. This law is effective as of the time of the death of Reich President von Hindenburg."

On August 19, about 95 percent of registered voters in Germany went to the polls in a hastily called plebiscite and gave Hitler 38 million votes of approval (90 % of the vote). Difficult to believe George could get a vote like that.

NSPD 51 .. now what was that outfit that Hitler ran ... NSDAP - National Socialist German Workers Party ?