"Melissa (hat-tipping Shaker Moira, who gets credit for the post title, as well) called my attention to an Executive Order issued by the White House, titled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq” and dated July 17, 2007, and asked me to review it. In my considered opinion, I have to say…Holy SHIT.
[I’ll translate from legalese into English as best I can. Where I write ‘person,’ remember that it applies to all groups as well, including (arguably) Shakesville.]
Under this order, the Executive Branch can ’starve out’ a person by completely freezing their assets, without trial, without the need to present evidence, and without appeal. The Treasury Secretary has sole discretion to determine who is in violation of this order, in ‘consultation’ with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State. That last part is verbiage; Treasury has the power per this order. Even better, the Secretary of Treasury has the explicit authority to delegate this decision to any flunky or flunkies of his choice per Sec. 6. This order applies to all persons within the United States. If Treasury declares that a person is a ‘SIGNIFICANT RISK’ to commit violence in Iraq, or a ‘SIGNIFICANT RISK’ to support violence in Iraq in any way, or to have assisted in any way a person who is a ‘SIGNIFICANT RISK’ to do so, all their assets are to be immediately frozen.
