Rex 84
Encyclopedia
Rex 84, short for Readiness Exercise 1984, was a secretive "scenario and drill" developed by the United States
federal government to suspend the United States Constitution
, declare martial law
, place military commanders in charge of state and local governments, and detain large numbers of American
citizens who are deemed to be "national security
threats", in the event that the President declares a "State of Domestic National Emergency". The plan states that events that might cause such a declaration would be widespread U.S. opposition to a U.S. military invasion abroad, such as if the United States were to directly invade Central America
. To combat what the government perceived as "subversive activities", the plan also authorized the military to direct ordered movements of civilian populations at state and regional levels.
Rex 84 was written by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North
, who was both National Security Council
White House Aide, and NSC liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), and John Brinkerhoff
, the deputy director of "national preparedness" programs for FEMA. They patterned the plan on an 1970 report written by FEMA chief Louis Giuffrida, at the Army War College, which proposed the detention of up to 21 million "American Negroes", if there were a black militant uprising in the United States. Existence of a master military contingency plan (of which REX-84 was a part), "Garden Plot
" and a similar earlier exercise, "Lantern Spike" were originally revealed by journalist Ron Ridenhour, who summarized his findings in an article in CounterSpy
.
Transcripts from the Iran-Contra Hearings in 1987 record the following dialogue between Congressman Jack Brooks
, Oliver North
's attorney Brendan Sullivan
and Senator Daniel Inouye
, the Democratic Chair of the joint Senate-House Committee:
Exercises similar to Rex 84 happen regularly. For example, from 1967 to 1971 the FBI
kept a list of over 100,000 persons to be rounded up as subversive, dubbed the "ADEX" list.
The basic facts about Rex 84 and other contingency planning readiness exercises—and the potential threat they pose to civil liberties
if fully implemented in a real operation—are taken seriously by scholars and civil libertarians.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
federal government to suspend the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, declare martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, place military commanders in charge of state and local governments, and detain large numbers of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens who are deemed to be "national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
threats", in the event that the President declares a "State of Domestic National Emergency". The plan states that events that might cause such a declaration would be widespread U.S. opposition to a U.S. military invasion abroad, such as if the United States were to directly invade Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. To combat what the government perceived as "subversive activities", the plan also authorized the military to direct ordered movements of civilian populations at state and regional levels.
Rex 84 was written by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
, who was both National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
White House Aide, and NSC liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA), and John Brinkerhoff
John Brinkerhoff
John Brinkerhoff was the associate director for national preparedness of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1981 to 1983.He was also notable for his role in planning REX-84, along with Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver North....
, the deputy director of "national preparedness" programs for FEMA. They patterned the plan on an 1970 report written by FEMA chief Louis Giuffrida, at the Army War College, which proposed the detention of up to 21 million "American Negroes", if there were a black militant uprising in the United States. Existence of a master military contingency plan (of which REX-84 was a part), "Garden Plot
Operation Garden Plot
Operation Garden Plot is a general U.S. Army and National Guard plan to respond to major domestic civil disturbances within the United States. The plan was developed in response to the civil disorders of the 1960s and is now under the control of the U.S. Northern Command...
" and a similar earlier exercise, "Lantern Spike" were originally revealed by journalist Ron Ridenhour, who summarized his findings in an article in CounterSpy
Counterspy
CounterSpy is a proprietary spyware removal program for Microsoft Windows software developed by Sunbelt Software.-Features:CounterSpy scans a PC for spyware, examining files on the hard drive, objects in memory, the Windows registry and cookies and it has a capability called DNR that, according to...
.
Transcripts from the Iran-Contra Hearings in 1987 record the following dialogue between Congressman Jack Brooks
Jack Brooks (politician)
Jack Bascom Brooks is a retired Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Texas, who served for more than 40 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was defeated for reelection in the 1994 election...
, Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
's attorney Brendan Sullivan
Brendan Sullivan
Brendan V. Sullivan, Jr. is a senior partner of the law firm Williams & Connolly. Sullivan is probably best known for the role he served, in the late 1980s, as defense counsel for United States Marines Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver North in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal...
and Senator Daniel Inouye
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
, the Democratic Chair of the joint Senate-House Committee:
Exercises similar to Rex 84 happen regularly. For example, from 1967 to 1971 the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
kept a list of over 100,000 persons to be rounded up as subversive, dubbed the "ADEX" list.
The basic facts about Rex 84 and other contingency planning readiness exercises—and the potential threat they pose to civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
if fully implemented in a real operation—are taken seriously by scholars and civil libertarians.
See also
- NSPD-51National Security and Homeland Security Presidential DirectiveThe National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive , created and signed by United States President George W...
- COINTELPROCOINTELPROCOINTELPRO was a series of covert, and often illegal, projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic political organizations.COINTELPRO tactics included discrediting targets through psychological...
- Non-Detention ActNon-Detention ActThe Non-Detention Act of 1971 was passed to repeal portions of McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950, , specifically Title II, the "Emergency Detention Act". It had allowed for detention of suspected subversives without the normal Constitutional checks required for imprisonment. The Non-Detention...
- Posse Comitatus ActPosse Comitatus ActThe Posse Comitatus Act is an often misunderstood and misquoted United States federal law passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction. Its intent was to limit the powers of local governments and law enforcement agencies from using federal military personnel to enforce the laws of...
- Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 was a bill sponsored by Rep. Jane Harman in the 110th United States Congress...
External links
- "Continuity of Government: Is the State of Emergency Superseding our Constitution?" Peter Dale Scott, Global Research, November 24, 2010; (transcript from a speech given to the Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA, November 23, 2010)
- "Reagan Aides and the 'Secret' Government," Alfonso Chardy, Miami Herald, July 5, 1987. Also available as photoscans in PDF format here.
- "Martial Law Concerns," Congressman Jim McDermott, House of Representatives, March 11, 2003
- Information about Operation Garden Plot, the larger operation of which Rex 84 was a part
- "Foundations are in place for martial law in the US," Ritt Goldstein, Sydney Morning Herald, July 27, 2002
- Chip Berlet, Right Woos Left, Discussion of Rex 84 conspiracy theories.