National Security Leaders Release Letter Announcing Support for American Laws for American Courts Legislation

Contact: Stephen Gele, American Public Policy Alliance, 800-968-4211, admin@publicpolicyalliance.org 

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Eight distinguished national security leaders have released a joint letter, in partnership with the American Public Policy Alliance (APPA), endorsing the American Laws for American Courts (ALAC) model bill publicpolicyalliance.org/?page_id=38 and affirming that ALAC is a necessary and vital initiative to preserve individual constitutional rights and US sovereignty.

The eight leaders are:

LTGEN William G. "Jerry" Boykin, US Army (Retired)
Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence
Original Member US Army Delta Force
Former Commanding General US Army Special Forces Command (Airborne)
Former Commanding General US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center

Ambassador Henry F. Cooper
Chairman of the Board of Directors of High Frontier
Chairman Emeritus of Applied Research Associates
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Strategic and Space Systems
Former Assistant Director of Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
Former Ambassador and Chief US Negotiator at the Geneva Defense and Space Talks with the Soviet Union
Former Director of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Former Scientific Advisor to Air Force Weapons Laboratory

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.
President and CEO of Center for Security Policy
Former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy

Fred Grandy
Member of Congress (R-IA), 1987-1995
Chief Executive Officer, Goodwill Industries, 1995-2000
Executive Vice President Center for Security Policy

Admiral James A. "Ace" Lyons, Jr. US Navy (Retired)
President/CEO of LION Associates
Former Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet
Former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
Former Commander US Second Fleet
Founder of US Navy Red Cell anti-terrorism group

Joseph E. Schmitz
CEO of Joseph E. Schmitz, PLLC
Former Inspector General of the Department of Defense
Former Inspector General of the Naval Reserve Intelligence Command
Former Special Assistant to Attorney General Edmund Meese III
Former Adjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

LTGEN. Harry Edward Soyster, US Army (Retired)
Former Director, US Defense Intelligence Agency
Former Commanding General, United States Army Intelligence and Security Command

R. James Woolsey
Chairman, Woolsey Partners, LLC
Former Director of Central Intelligence (CIA)
Former Ambassador to the Negotiation on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
Former Undersecretary of the Navy
Former General Counsel to the US Senate Committee on Armed Services

The letter from this bipartisan group of national security leaders outlines the necessity and strengths of ALAC.

The Act's sole objective is to protect all U.S. citizens and residents from the application of foreign laws when the application of a foreign law will result in the violation, in the specific matter at issue, of a liberty guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States or the public policies of the state in question.

Often the parties litigating in those state courts are left to their own devices to understand that granting comity to a foreign judgment may be at odds with our state and federal constitutional principles in the specific matters at issue.

The American Laws for American Courts Act is constitutional and "facially neutral"... and in the two years since its introduction into state legislatures, it has never been challenged in court.

The Act is carefully defined so as not to interfere with the right of any individual or entity to the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and by the constitutions of the states.

Nothing in the Act prevents any person from freely exercising his or her right to freedom of religion and worship. American Laws for American Courts only applies to legal doctrines in our court systems. It does not discriminate in any way based on faith of any kind.

The goal of the American Laws for American Courts Act is a clear and unequivocal application of what should be the goal of all state courts: No U.S. citizen or resident should be denied the liberties, rights, and privileges guaranteed in our constitutional republic.

View the full text of letter to Legislators at publicpolicyalliance.org/?page_id=675.

View the full text of this press release here: publicpolicyalliance.org/?p=680.

The American Public Policy Alliance (APPA), a non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to government transparency, government accountability and the constitutionality of U.S. and state laws and policies, is working with legislators nationwide on policies and initiatives. Along with allied organizations, APPA is working to defend free speech, preserve and promote human rights, maintain the strength of our U.S. and state constitutions, and aid and promote public safety.

One of the greatest threats to American values and liberties today comes from foreign laws and foreign legal doctrines which have been influencing our legal system at the municipal, state and federal levels. This phenomenon is known as "transnationalism" and includes the increasingly frequent appearance of Islamic Shariah law. APPA focuses largely on combating this process across a broad variety of issues.

For more information: www.publicpolicyalliance.org