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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 8/31/08

Why Are Mercenaries Being Contracted To Provide Security For Hurricane Gustav?

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CNN is reporting that President Bush and Vice-President Darth Cheney will not attend the RNC because of Hurricane Gustav. Some believe it’s nothing more than a PR stunt, however, as we look behind the scenes, it is possible that something far more sinister is behind Bush and Cheney’s decision to forgo the Republican National Convention:


Bush tells Gulf Coast residents to flee ‘dangerous’ storm

“This storm is dangerous,” he warned, urging residents to heed calls to evacuate.

After a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Bush said he would forgo an appearance at the GOP National Convention on Monday and will be in Texas instead.

The White House said Sunday that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will not attend the Republican National Convention on Monday as planned because of Gustav. The president had been scheduled to address delegates in St. Paul on Monday night. MORE

As usual, CNN left out several details, some of which affect the residents of the Gulf Coast and could impact national security. President Bush stated he was heading for Texas “to meet with emergency workers and evacuees.” OK, that sounds somewhat reasonable, however, as we know, Michael Chertoff is making the decisions for FEMA and soon will be on his way to the Gulf Coast. I feel sure there is a collective sigh of relief that Bush won’t show his face at the RNC, but nothing in the CNN story has stated why Dick (Darth) Cheney won’t be at the RNC, nor do they indicate where our secretive Vice-President will be pulling the strings of his “shadow government.”

There may be a hint, but you won’t find it on CNN or any other mainstream news organization, and I’m shocked that very few people haven’t noticed that our various National Guard units are not being mobilized in vast numbers to assist in disaster recovery and evacuations if it’s necessary; with the Gulf Coast in the path of what has been labeled as “the storm of the century,” mobilizing the National Guard in huge numbers would seem to be a primary requisite to provide security and assistance to the thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, if this storm goes off its projected path and instead hits a major population center.

The fact that the National Guard isn’t being mobilized in the numbers we would expect is easily explainable, however our established new agencies have ignored what should be on page one of every US publication - Blackwater International is running a full page on their website attempting to compile “a list of qualified security personnel for possible deployment into areas affected by Hurricane Gustav.” This is a task that has historically been undertaken by our various state National Guard Units, however, as it pertains to Hurricane Gustav, it appears that Blackwater International has been informed that their services may be necessary to aid in the security and well-being (sic) of those who are impacted by this dangerous storm.

We know through various Executive Orders that President Bush has made the determination that he can declare Martial Law in the event of a natural disaster, and when you look at the qualifications that Blackwater is demanding of their personnel, my impression is that “search and rescue” operations are far from what they perceive their eventual mission may be. Please note the excerpts from “Martial Law 2008″ that examines the new powers that President Bush has bestowed on himself:

Martial Law 2008

By Eris Siva

What is going on right now does not bode very well for America at all. What would you do if I told you that there is a plan in action right now to strip you of your freedoms, inter you in a detention camp indefinitely, and take control of every aspect of our country?

This plan goes back decades, but I would like to keep it recent. We’ll say, the past 2 years. It all starts with H.R. 5122 (John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007)[text of bill] which was passed in congress on September 30, 2006 and signed by President George W. Bush on October 17, 2006. This bill effectively (and officially) paved the way for the complete control of our country by one man - The President himself.

The bill revises the Insurrection Act of 1807, an act allowing the president to personally use military force to quell rebellion, lawlessness, and subversion. The new revisions expand those abilities to allow Bush to “…employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to…restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster (emphasis added), epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States…, where the President determines that,…domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order; suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy…”. The Insurrection Act of 1807 was repealed in 1878 with the passing of the Posse Comitatus Act which reinforced the idea that the military was meant to govern our borders rather than police our streets. MUCH MORE

It’s also possible that I’m over-reacting, however, when you read the qualifications of the type of personnel that Blackwater is attempting to recruit, it brings questions to the forefront of “why” these “soldiers” with Special Op training would be needed in a hurricane security detail. Listed below are some of the qualifications that Blackwater is seeking for “Gustav Security”, and when you add-up what they are seeking, it has to raise the alarm that Blackwater is anticipating using extreme force on a mission that is supposed to be humanitarian - not military!

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My Bio is as varied as my life. In 2012, my twin sons murdered a Journalist in Pensacola, Fl., for 100K worth of "Magic The Gathering" playing cards and buried the body in my backyard. I was once a regular writer here, but PTSD from my son's (more...)
 

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