INTERPOL Granted Diplomatic Immunity In the US

ShakaUVM writes "A couple of weeks ago without any fanfare or notice in the media, President Obama granted INTERPOL full diplomatic immunity while conducting investigations on American soil. While INTERPOL has been allowed to operate in the US in the past, under an executive order by President Reagan, they've had to follow the same rules as the FBI, CIA, etc., while on American soil. This means, among other things, the new executive order makes INTERPOL immune to Freedom of Information Act requests and that INTERPOL agents cannot be punished for most any crimes they may commit. Hopefully the worst we'll see from this is INTERPOL agents ignoring their speeding tickets." Update: 01/05 02:57 GMT by KD : Reader davecb pointed out an ABC News blog that comes to pretty much the opposite conclusion as to the import of the executive order.

Comments

Gee, I suppose our police and CIA have the same?

[meburke]

This is a dumb move; it undermines our sovereignty and diminishes our status in the rest of the world. It may be constitutionally unsound to the extent that it deprives citizens and residents of the USA full protection under the Constitution. Co-operation is one thing, but this may be an assault on our civil rights by giving Interpol powers denied our own law enforcement agencies under the Constitution.

On the other hand, we've been bullying less powerful countries into fighting our legal disputes for years. It is only fitting that a more powerful government entity than the USA would make us buckle under, too.

This is the most a**-kissing president in US history. Where's Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?

Re:No, it's not full diplomatic immunity

[cez]

And you know what INTERPOL's official business is in the U.S.? Handing information provided by other nations' police forces over to U.S. police forces. That's it.

Really? What about INTERPOL's official business in any other country? Same INTERPOL right? "Handing information provided by other nations' 'police forces'* (* hello INTERPOL via proxy) over to Brand X Nation"

Mr. Burke. I'm going to advise to bend over, open up and get ready for some good ol'fashion information gathering.... nope no one's gonna hear you scream.

But we would never have INTERPOL officers colluding outside of "national channels" even though they are the representative channels of a national police force!? Wait, what? ONE INTERPOL Doesn't talk to the other? Are these autonomous state sponcered diplomatically immune agencies? I asks because I'm curios. I'd like to know if INTERPOL NYC, talks with INTERPOL Paris.... maybe there is nothing of this but someone not signing has name enough and needing practice...

One question:

[Hurricane78]

Are they hiring?

Because I bet every criminal in existence will want to “work” there (read: terrorize others, rape, steal and kill).

INTERPOL: The SS of the 21st century? Now global!