Allawi's Real Ultimate Power

Iraq Passes Emergency-Powers Law to Fight InsurgentsThe Iraqi government, on its 10th day in office, introduced a law to give Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's administration the power to impose a state of emergency to combat insurgents...

The interim government will be empowered to detain people without charge, restrict the movement of foreigners, ban groups, and seek U.S. military help in times of emergency. The law can't be used to postpone elections, scheduled for January...

The new law in Iraq is ``similar to the Patriot Act in the U.S.,'' [Human Rights Minister Bikhtiyar] Amin said. It will be ``available to us when we feel there is danger to national security.''


Hopefully this policy is nothing more than a temporary measure and not the thin end of the wedge, but these states emergency have a way of lasting a very long time, just ask the people of South Korea, Taiwane, the Phillipines or a certain European nation with a very troubled past.