DHS Chief Odd Choice to Call for Long-Term Detentions

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Now that the British are grabbing headlines for busting an operational terrorist plot, administration officials are starting a push to expand U.S. law enforcement powers to match those of our former colonial overlords.

“Frankly,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Fox News Sunday, “[British law enforcement’s] ability to hold people for a period of time gives them a tremendous advantage.”

Now, Chertoff’s appetite for long-term detentions is well-established. He was, after all, the man at the Justice Department behind the massive roundup and detention of aliens in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. But that episode didn’t end well — for Chertoff, and especially for the detainees. In 2003, an internal Justice probe found serious problems with the detentions, noting that while the Justice Department followed Chertoff’s plan to “hold these people until we find out what’s going on,” it was also physically and verbally abusing many of the detainees. Terrorism charges were never brought against any of the detainees.

If that isn’t reason enough to question the petitioner, there’s this: Chertoff is now the head of the Homeland Security Department. But DHS doesn’t have the lead on domestic terrorism investigations. (That belongs to the FBI.) So why is he pushing for powers that would mainly be used by another branch? More to the point, where’s the FBI on this?

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