Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror

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Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror Patrick Vallik 2/8/2008 MA Thesis – Copenhagen Business School – English and American Studies – Supervisor: Niels Bjerre Poulsen Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror. Patrick Vallik, MA Thesis. Præsidentmagt, Bush og Krigen mod Terror Når man snakker om George W. Bush og præsidentmagt i USA, omtales han som en ’imperialistisk præsident’. Udtrykket dækker over en række af præsidenter, fra Franklin D. Roosevelt til Richard Nixon, hvis stab forøgedes kraftigt i forhold til tidligere. De fik en masse undersåtter, om man vil. Men betegnelsen bruges også mere negativt om Nixons præsidentembede, hvor han nærmest regerede som en monark, uden respekt for loven og dirigerede sine undersåtter til at udføre sabotage og politisk spionage mod sine modstandere. Det siges om præsident Bush at han genopliver den imperialistiske præsident, altså Nixon udgaven. Bush bliver sammenlignet med Nixon idet han gennem sine otte år som præsident har ekspanderet sin magt betydeligt med udsæt i den særlige titel en præsident får når USA er i væbnede konflikter, som øverstbefalende for de amerikanske væbnede styrker. Denne titel trådte i kraft efter 11. september 2001 og titlen aktiverer en række krisebeføjelser som bevirker at præsidenten kan agere med større frihed, idet han skal beskytte nationen. Bush beskyldes for at have ekspanderet sin magt i overdreven stil i krigen mod terror. Ved hjælp fra specielt en mand ved navn John Yoo, en jurist fra kontoret for juridisk bistand i justitsministeriet, har Bush fået udarbejdet en række juridiske memoranda der på det nærmeste har fjernet alle juridiske bånd fra ham. Afhandlingen vurderer hvorvidt Bush har forøget sin magt i uhørt grad og hvorvidt der i så fald vil være basis for at føre en rigsretssag mod ham. Spørgsmålet er blevet forsøgt svaret ved gennemgang af de tilgængelige juridiske memoranda samt anden relevant litteratur. Bush har forsøgt at oprette en lovløs zone på Guantanamo basen hvor det amerikanske retssystem ikke har jurisdiktion. Derudover har han besluttet jævnførende sine krigsbeføjelser, at al Qaeda‐ og Talibanfanger ikke er dækkede af Geneve konventionerne. Han har også oprettet et militærtribunalsystem til at dømme disse fanger. Bush regeringens underliggende tanke er at benytte Guantanamo til efterretningscenter, hvor der udvindes brugbare efterretninger til brug i krigen mod terror. Forhørsteknikkerne er derfor blevet opgraderet med metoder der ligger på grænsen til tortur. Disse er dog blevet lovliggjorte af Yoo gennem juridiskes memoranda. Den amerikanske højesteret har kendt flere af ovenstående tiltag på Guantanamo for ulovlige, og derigennem har Bush fået begrænset sin magt. George W. Bush kunne i teorien blive stillet for en rigsret for f.eks. ikke at have udført sine forfatningsmæssige pligter. Om der i teorien er basis for en rigsretssag mod Bush er ikke så relevant da Bush snart er fortid som amerikansk præsident. 2 Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror. Patrick Vallik, MA Thesis. Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Structure and Delimitation ............................................................................................................................ 6 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................. 6 Presidential Power ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Towards the Imperial President .................................................................................................................. 11 Foreign Relations and Security ........................................................................................................................ 15 The role of the Judicial Branch .................................................................................................................... 19 Contemporary Developments in Foreign and Security Policy ..................................................................... 21 Making “the Decider” THE Commander in Chief ............................................................................................. 25 Unitary Executive Theory ............................................................................................................................ 26 The Iran‐Contra Affair .................................................................................................................................. 28 The War on Terror – the Expansion of Presidential Power ............................................................................. 29 OLC ............................................................................................................................................................... 29 Detaining Prisoners in the War on Terror ....................................................................................................... 31 The War on Terror ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Bush’s War Powers ...................................................................................................................................... 34 Classifying Enemies of the US in the War on Terror ........................................................................................ 36 The Laws of War – The Hague and Geneva Conventions ............................................................................ 37 Opposing Views ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Detained terrorists – what to do with them?.............................................................................................. 49 Military Tribunals ......................................................................................................................................... 50 Acquiring Actionable Intelligence .................................................................................................................... 55 Interrogating Prisoners ................................................................................................................................ 56 Miranda Warnings and Rights ..................................................................................................................... 58 Interrogation Centre Guantanamo – Placing the Prisoners ........................................................................ 59 Torture ......................................................................................................................................................... 63 Iraq ............................................................................................................................................................... 71 Rejecting Torture and ‘Bush Almighty’ ........................................................................................................ 73 Other Branches of Government .................................................................................................................. 76 3 Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror. Patrick Vallik, MA Thesis. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 79 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 82 Journals ........................................................................................................................................................ 82 WebPages .................................................................................................................................................... 82 4 Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror. Patrick Vallik, MA Thesis. Introduction Many scholars have suggested that under President George W. Bush, the United States has seen the return of the ‘Imperial Presidency’. Power has indeed flowed to the president, but he is a war‐ time president. Traditionally, presidents are more powerful in times of national emergency. So is this extraordinary in terms of history? It is no secret that Bush and his Vice President Dick Cheney wished to strengthen the executive branch. Cheney related in interview in 2002 that he and Bush had talked about wanting to “pass on our offices in better shape than we found them to our successors” (WH News 2002). Critics charge, however, that Bush has used the War on Terror to expand his power unnaturally and to use these powers to violate human and civil rights in the name of protecting America. In the 1970’s, another war‐time president would at the previous pinnacle of presidential power claim that right to do criminal deeds. President Richard Nixon would leave the White House in disgrace facing a looming impeachment trial. This begs the question: Research Question: Has the perceived usurpation of presidential power by the Bush administration been extraordinary in the history of the presidency, and has the use of said executive power been unconstitutional? 5 Presidential Power, Bush and the War on Terror. Patrick
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