NDAA

House Votes to Allow Indefinite Military Detention of Americans

Also Bars Letting Gitmo Detainees Cleared for Release Go to Yemen

Anti-War,

14 June, 2013

A flurry of votes on amendments to the 2014 Defense Authorization Bill have showed a trend of affirming the status quo and rejecting efforts to roll back the more controversial styles of open-ended detention.

The big vote surrounded trying to roll back the NDAA authorization for turning US citizens over to the military to be held without charges for as long as they see hit. The vote was close, but 200-226, the House decided not to revoke this authority.

The amendment was split largely along party lines, though the sponsors included not only Rep. Adam Smith (D – WA), but two Republicans, Reps. Justin Amash (R – MI) and Chris Gibson (R – NY).

Another amendment did pass, however, and that was the one from Rep. Jackie Walorski (R – IN) prohibiting releasing any of the Guantanamo Bay detainees if they might go to Yemen.

This was a big issue because 56 detainees out of the 164 at the facility are Yemenis who have been cleared for release. They’ll never faces charges, but the amendment assures they won’t get to leave either.