rioters great britain
© Mercury Press AgencyUp in flames: Rioters have wreaked havoc on the streets of Great Britain
Authority to send troops onto the streets stems from constitutional provision for 'Militia' to 'repel invasions'
Controversial list of 'indicators of potential violence' focuses exclusively on areas with high numbers of minority groups

As thugs have wreaked havoc with riots throughout the UK, many have speculated about what authorities should have done to put the violence to a swift end.

And it appears the U.S. has already got detailed plans in place should similar uprisings sweep across the Atlantic.

Experts have revealed that the military would immediately be drafted in - patrolling the streets with police officers and securing important buildings, landmarks and bridges.

The operational plans, named CONPLAN 3501 and 3502, are said to have been drafted to combat mass outbreaks of disruption.

The operations would be backed by Article 1, Section 8 of the constitution, an historic concept which gives Congress the power to direct the 'Militia', or in modern terms the Armed Forces - to assert authority on the streets.

The Article states that 'Congress shall have power... to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections, and repel Invasions'.
The 'Indicators of Potential Violence'

1) High unemployment rate among minority groups

2) Increased crime rates among minority groups

3) Protests arising from income disparities between minority and majority groups

4) Declining rapport between local officials and minority groups

5) Migrations of large numbers of minority groups

6) Protests by minority groups to such conditions as slum conditions, segregation in housing and schools, lack of jobs, lack of recreational facilities, police brutality, and local overpricing practices.
The National Journal's White House correspondent, Marc Ambinder, first suggested the plans would be put into place in the eventuality of a riot with a tweet.

'If what happened in London ever happened in the US, the military has plans -- CONPLAN 3501 and 3502 -- to suppress the insurrection,' he wrote.

domestic military in US
© Associated PressBackup: The U.S. would reportely send in the army in the event of rioting
The plans, which are often referenced by conspiracy theorists and critics of martial law, are rumoured already to have been activated after widespread looting following Hurricane Katrina.

They are also thought to have been used during the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the World Trade Organisation riots in 1999 in Seattle.

Graphics show how they would be implemented, with specific army officers in charge of different areas of the country.

The historic plans are accompanied by indicators as to when rioting might be predicted.

martial law plans
© Unknown
Ready: Detailed plans of which officer would control troops in areas throughout the U.S.
The dated list, which has come under much criticism for its focus on minorities, includes: 'High unemployment rates among minority groups', 'increased crime rates among minority groups' and 'migrations of large numbers of minority groups'.

GlobalSecurity.org, the public policy organisation, told the Atlantic Wire: 'Tasks performed by military forces may include joint patrolling with law enforcement officers; securing key buildings, memorials, intersections and bridges; and acting as a quick reaction force.'