Directive 5240.01 – Military Authorization To Kill Americans

The U.S. military now has the authority to use lethal force against American citizens on U.S. soil thanks to the reissuance of Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5240.01.

What is Directive 5240.01?

Directive 5240.01’s governs how the DoD collects, retains and disseminates information on U.S. citizens.

Previous versions of this Directive have emphasized protecting individual freedoms and civil liberties which have been ignored in the latest version reissued on September 27, 2024.

For example, the 2016 version of the Directive sought to ensure American’s civil liberties were upheld whilst focusing on the collection of intelligence which came with heavy oversight and an authorization process before any information could be collected on an American citizen.

Concerning Updates

Recent updates to the Directive, however, have expanded the role of the military in assisting local law enforcement, as well as authorization to use lethal force where there are “imminent threats.”

As this was an intentional addition to the Directive, we are concerned that this may be a declaration of intent.

Under the guise of “national security,” the government seemingly no longer needs to declare Martial Law to get military onto the streets, as they can now join local law enforcement efforts to carry out operations on U.S. soil.

Lethal force is permitted is when the military takes part in law enforcement operations, where “imminent threats” exist or there is a “national security emergency” and so long as DoD personnel follow the legal frameworks provided in DoDD 5210.56.

To prevent misuse of this level of military force, several limitations and restrictions have been put in place.

Approval by the Secretary of Defense is one of the requirements necessary before lethal force can be taken.

There is a provision made in Section 3.5, however, for “Component Heads” to provide intelligence assistance without approval by the Secretary of Defense or the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security when “a person’s life or physical safety is reasonably believed to be in imminent danger.”

Civil Liberties Under Fire

Aside from the emphasis we’ve placed on the concerning addition of the use of lethal force, we must also remember that this Directive concerns American’s privacy as well.

Increased governmental intrusion into the lives of ordinary citizens has been taking place on multiple fronts as the government states that their surveillance efforts will help protect “national security” and this Directive is yet another example.

Whilst claims exist that the Directive possesses oversight, it still allows for broad collection of our data under vague justifications.

This policy normalizes surveillance and erodes the fundamental right to privacy, this helps no one but the government.

Commenting on the situation, Dr. Ron Paul Sr. stated how the policy “would open up the door for [its] careless… frequent and legal” use against Americans.

Providing a hypothetical situation, Paul states that troops could be sent in to shoot those who “are opposing” policies and “demonstrating against Covid rules, or something they’ll come up with.”

Expanding the role of the military into domestic affairs raises concern over American’s right to protest, right to due process, privacy rights, free speech and several other rights enshrined in the Constitution.

From targeting Americans for their political beliefs to the erosion of civilian oversight of the military, this Directive disregards citizen’s civil liberties.

Conclusion

In an era where technology allows for unprecedented monitoring and targeting, the potential for government entities to justify extreme measures against citizens is a matter of grave concern.

Militarizing domestic affairs is a significant shift in our military’s role, a shift we must raise the alarm on.

As believers, we must be on guard, understanding the day and hour in which we are living so that we may be as “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

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