MILITARY ARE NOT POLICE

Soldiers at Fort Polk are trained to wage war, offensively or defensively.
And they are the best in the world at that. But, except for those assigned
such duties, they are not policemen, and shouldn't be.

That's our response to President Bush's call to Congress to review the
Posse Comitatus Act, which is more doctrine than law. It was passed in 1878
to prevent civil authorities from pressing federal troops into service on
posses. Since then, it has grown into a general prohibition against using
the U.S. military to perform domestic police functions.

Its provisions do not cover the National Guard, whom governors frequently
call on for emergency enforcement duties. The U.S. Coast Guard is also
outside its provisions, since it is both a both a law-enforcement agency
and a fighting force. The law was amended slightly in 1981 to allow
military logistical support for drug-interdiction efforts.

As commander in chief the President can call out troops in cases of
domestic emergency, such as the responses in the wake of last September's
terrorists attacks.

Bush suggests Congress review the law with the aim of giving the military a
greater role in domestic security.

That goes against our grain.

The principle that the military should not be involved in domestic law
enforcement has served our country well. Search, seizure, arrest and
evidence gathering are law enforcement functions. The military's mission is
to fight.

Think of all the countries in which the military doubles as police. Is
there one among them that we wish to emulate? To our way of thinking there
are none.

A 124-year-old law may need re-examining, but the basic tenet for which
that law stands needs no revision.