Ah...I get it now:  The "Texas Rangers".  Not the US Army Airborne Rangers.

But anyway, yeah, the Posse Comitatus Act was a law passed by Congress way
back to prevent Federal troops from being used in a state military or law
enforcement function.  At the time, the Navy was exempted as no states had
the funds to float their own naval militias.  Also, the USMC operates under
the authority of the Navy.  That's one reason why you see a lot of Marine
fighter pilots flying naval sorties off carriers.

The states' National Guard forces can be "federalized" to serve in US
wars--and have been many times--but the opposite is not true of the US
military forces.  Even the Navy/Marines operate only under Federal
command--not a governor.  Federal troops, though, can be used in defense of
US internal interests (ex. airport security) if the area being defended is
under Federal control (ex. courthouses, federal office buildings, military
bases, perimeter security of US military plane crashes, etc.).

US Special Forces are often engaged in fire-fights with Mexican smugglers.
This is not to supercede the Border Patrol function and authority, but to
gain and retain real "wartime" experience for elite forces during peace
time.

US Military CID units are also allowed to use force against US military
personnel--even when they are on "civilian" property--but they cannot arrest
civilians, except on Federal Military property.

Strangely enough, and a bit scary (to me, at least) is the fact that the UN
can legally militarity intercede in US internal affairs.  That's a much more
bothersome prospect to me than allowing Federal forces to be used in times
of unrest in individual American states.

Kyle

-----Original Message-----
From: Kat [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 10:33 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A Texas Rebellion


You mean they can send the Army and USAF after the Marines or the Navy???
Wow...

Or do you mean they can send the Marines or Navy after the rogue Dems?

Kat (who has been stuck at a troublesome database problem all morning and
her brain is fried)