Why the secrecy?

Last week the case was reported of a US Army Major who refused to report for duty in Afghanistan, on the grounds that he could not be sure that President Barack Obama was Constitutionally eligible for election to his office. The US Army promptly rescinded his mobilization orders - were they doing so under orders, to prevent a court ruling on the matter? - but two other officers have now joined his suit in Federal court.

A controversial suit brought by a U.S. Army reservist has been joined by a retired Army two-star general and an active reserve Air Force lieutenant colonel.

Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook filed the suit July 8 in federal court here asking for conscientious objector status and a preliminary injunction based upon his belief that President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore ineligible to serve as president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.

However, before the issue got to court, Cook’s orders to deploy to Afghanistan were revoked. Lt. Col. Maria Quon, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Army Human Resources Command-St. Louis, said Tuesday that Cook was no longer expected to report Wednesday to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for mobilization to active duty. Cook, who claims he is now the victim of retaliation due to his suit, received his mobilization orders to report for active duty at MacDill on Wednesday. From there, he was to go to Fort Benning on Saturday for deployment to Afghanistan.

. . .

Last week, Cook filed a request in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order and status as a conscientious objector represented by California attorney Orly Taitz.

The government, in its response to the suit, claims that Cook’s suit is “moot” in that he already has been told he doesn’t have to go to Afghanistan, so the relief he is seeking has been granted.

“The Commanding General of SOCCENT (U.S. Special Operations Central Command) has determined that he does not want the services of Major Cook, and has revoked his deployment orders,” the response states.

In a pleading revised after the revocation of Cook’s orders, Taitz argues that the application for preliminary injunction is not moot and that retired Maj. Gen. Carol Dean Childers and active U.S. Air Force reservist Lt. Col. David Earl Graeff have joined the suit “because it is a matter of unparalleled public interest and importance and because it is clearly a matter arising from issues of a recurring nature that will escape review unless the Court exercises its discretionary jurisdiction.”

. . .

In the filing, Cook states he “would be acting in violation of international law by engaging in military actions outside the United States under this President’s command. … simultaneously subjecting himself to possible prosecution as a war criminal by the faithful execution of these duties.”

There's more at the link.

I have to admit, I believe Major Cook and his fellow officers have a point. I'm not an advocate or follower of conspiracy theories: but I'd love to know why, despite many requests to do so, President Obama has never released his full birth certificate. All he's released is a 'certificate of live birth' from Hawaii, which can be obtained by anybody, whether born in Hawaii or not - it merely confirms that you've been born!

If the Constitutional requirement that the President be a 'natural born citizen' of the USA is to be interpreted as requiring physical birth within the boundaries of the United States, to parents of whom at least one is a US citizen, this is, indeed, a Constitutional issue. Why all the secrecy? Why all the obfuscation? Let the President release his full birth certificate, and clear up the matter once and for all! Why would he not do so, if not to hide the fact that he may indeed have been born outside the USA?

This is very troubling. I hope and trust that the Court will demand the release of the President's birth certificate, in order to clear up these issues once and for all.

Peter