From: TruthMonger <tm@dev.null>
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 12:44:55 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: [cpe:5028] police state rumors
In-Reply-To: <199711210248.SAA17206@netcom13.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <34765CD4.5AA4@dev.null>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Vladimir Z. Nuri wrote:
> ------- Forwarded Message
> >>The following is an UNCONFIRMED RUMOR. If you have any information
> >>to confirm or deny these statements, please post and cc:
> >>safety.security@cancomm.com. As always, please specify your sources as
> >>precisely as possible. Thanks, Wes Thomas
> >>-- Forwarded --

> >>>Subject: military weapons issud to police depts.
> >>>To: colombo
> >>>
> >>>I'm a former cop with 16 years of experience including intelligence,
> >>>SWAT, tactical operations, criminal investigations.
> >>>
> >>>Police depts. are receiving free of charge from the Defense logistics
> >>>Agency all kinds of military pattern small arms.  these include m-16's
> >>>(full auto kind), ammo, and even bayonets.  Also included is webb gear,
> >>>ammo pouches, ponchos, night vision devices and passive infra-red and
> >>>thermal imaging night sights or night vision devices.

  If you consider the above to be "unconfirmed rumor," or difficult to 
verify, then you need to learn how to use an InterNet search engine.
  Even mainstream news articles have covered the transfer of Armed 
Forces weapons and munitions to civilian agencies, including a major
city which *returned* a load of bayonets as being too ludicrous to
accept.

> >>>Sources of mine in the State of WA., say that many PD's are now training
> >>>in advanced small unit tactics involving MOUT scenarios at the Yakima
> >>>Army Training Center.  MOUT deals with street fighting in an urban
> >>>warfare context.
...
> >>>Now here's the kicker.  The WA. State Criminal Justice Training
> >>>Commision is allegedly (good source on this) considering expanding the
> >>>police academy curriculum and training hours from the present 440 hrs.
> >>>to twice that amount.  Civil unrest and street fighting tactics are to
> >>>be included in the new blocs of instruction.  Additional emphasis on
> >>>sniper and full auto weapons training and intelligence gathering
> >>>missions, plus joint tactical doctrine in order to facilitate working
> >>>with military units may also be included.  I hear other states are to
> >>>join in with the same agenda to be implemented.

  This is supposed to be *news*?
  Have you been out of the country for a few decades? Ever heard of
CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Production)?
  I used to drink and get high with the CAMP crews in the heart of
the sickingly press-dubbed "Emerald Triangle." It was not considered
a 'state secret' that much of the purpose of this area of the War
on Drugs was to facilitate male-bonding and a spirit of cooperation
between federal, state and local law enfascistment agencies.
  The cammo-clad "volunteers" got to jump out of helicopters in the
middle of North-Western schoolyards armed with the latest in federal
weaponry and go play hardball with the children's hippie parents
who had a half-dozen pot plants up in the hills.

  The main purpose of the Campaign Against Marijuana Production
seemed to be to provide an opportunity for lower-level LEA agents
to get comfortable with the concept of shooting family dogs in
front of the citizen's children and confiscating TV's, chainsaws
and other personal possessions as "aids to illegal marijuana
production."

> >>>Sources with WA. State Emergency Management Services report that the WA.
> >>>State Patrol is now designated the LEAD co-ordinating agency for all
> >>>WAs. State police operations in the event of an emergency and in
> >>>co-ordinating these operations with elements of the National Guard and
> >>>US regular Army!

  Don't worry about it. They will undoubtedly only use a co-ordinated
front of assault teams against the 'bad' citizens, such as terrorists,
drug-dealers, pedophiles, tax-cheats, people who use insufficient
postage, left-handed people, and suspicious characters with last names
starting with the letters A through Z.

  In case you have trouble understanding what they are screaming, over
the sounds of your doors being kicked in and the roar of gunfire, it
is probably, "We're from the government, and we're here to *help* you!"

TruthMonger