Obama quietly extends post-9/11 state of national emergency
Twelve years after the worst terrorist attack in American history, President Obama yet again extended his predecessor’s Declaration of National Emergency for another year. The declaration, which was originally put into place on September 14, 2001, was renewed on Tuesday.
“The terrorist threat that led to the declaration on September 14, 2001, of a national emergency continues,” wrote President Obama. “For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect after September 14, 2013, the national emergency with respect to the terrorist threat.”
The powers provided to the executive branch by President George W. Bush’s declaration include the ability to “detain enlisted members of the Coast Guard beyond their terms of enlistment,” “order any enlisted member of the Coast Guard on the retired list to active duty” and “increase the number of members of the armed services on active duty beyond the number for which funds have been appropriated,” according to a report [PDF] by the Congressional Research Service.
In his May 23 speech on American counter-terrorism policy, President Obama indicated that the so-called “war on terror” initiated by Bush would soon be drawing to a close.
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/09/11/obama-quietly-extends-post-911-declaration-of-national-emergency/
= new reply since forum marked as read
future Presidents are loath to hand it over. 
