Obama Signed a Wide-ranging Defense Bill into Law

Those provisions raise serious about the patriotism, judgment and dedication to democracy of Congress and the President, according to many critics because they have forsaken commitment to protecting the individual liberties guaranteed in the Constitution.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch said: “By signing this defense spending bill, President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law.”
Congressman Ron Paul, the leading Republican presidential contender in Iowa, told voters there that sanctions against Iran are “acts of war” that are likely to lead to an actual war.
(Obama Stokes War vs. Iran & American Ideals)

In a statement accompanying his signature, the president chastised some lawmakers for what he contended was their attempts to use the bill to restrict the ability of counterterrorism officials to protect the country.
Administration officials said Obama was only signing the measure because Congress made minimally acceptable changes that no longer challenged the president's terrorism-fighting ability.
"Moving forward, my administration will interpret and implement the provisions described below in a manner that best preserves the flexibility on which our safety depends and upholds the values on which this country was founded," Obama said in the signing statement.
Signing statements allow presidents to raise constitutional objections to circumvent Congress' intent. During his campaign for the White House, Obama criticized President George W. Bush's use of signing statements and promised to make his application of the tool more transparent.
(Obama signs defense bill despite 'serious reservations', By Julie Pace)

“The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it,” the president said in a prepared statement. “I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists.”
Such provisions in NDAA extend to detainment of U.S. citizens who are members of al-Qaeda or “associated factions.”
The NDAA also seeks to suspend 60 percent of $1.1 billion in counterinsurgency aid to Pakistan, as the State and Defense departments reassess the country’s effectiveness in counterterrorism, specifically the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IED).
The bill authorizes $662 billion in spending to fund the military through 2012. It also provides for sanctions against foreign financial firms that purchase Iranian oil, and penalize Iran’s central bank as part of an effort to toughen sanctions against the country in response to its expansion of nuclear development
(President Signs Controversial Defense Act, By Jim Fogarty)

U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd R) arrives back at the White House, on December 20, 2011 in Washington, DC. Obama signed into law the controversial National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Saturday. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)