New law could subject civilians to military trial

[AnOhioan]

Washington Post:

Private contractors and other civilians serving with U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan could be subject for the first time to military courts-martial under a new federal provision that legal scholars say is almost certain to spark constitutional challenges.

The provision, which was slipped into a spending bill at the end of the last Congress, is intended to close a long-standing loophole that critics say puts contractors in war zones above the law.

But the provision also could affect others accompanying U.S. forces in the field, including civilian government employees and embedded journalists.


More at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16628072/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Details, please

A link to an article about this would be helpful.

[AnOhioan]

2. Corrected original post...sorry bout that

[maddezmom]

3. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2689111