From: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com (roc-digest) To: roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: roc-digest V2 #225 Reply-To: roc-digest Sender: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk roc-digest Thursday, April 1 1999 Volume 02 : Number 225 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:54:46 -0600 (CST) From: Paul M Watson Subject: The Secret Society Among Lawmen (fwd) - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:10:43 -0600 From: John Wallace Reply-To: texas-gun-owners@Mailing-List.net To: firearms@listserv.uta.edu Cc: texas-gun-owners@Mailing-List.net Subject: The Secret Society Among Lawmen Posted to texas-gun-owners by John Wallace - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following are a few exerpts from a very long, but interesting article in today's Los Angeles Times at: http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/STATE/t000026295.html . My belief is that, as long as there are strict gun control laws in the big cities, and the general public have no choice but to be 100% dependent on the police for protection, the middle class will tacitly accept this sort of thing. Then over the course of another 20 or 30 years, the urban police forces will slowly evolve into paramilitary "Death Squads" like those which already exist in South American cities. +++++++++++++++++ +++++ The Secret Society Among Lawmen Despite setbacks in court and superiors' disapproval, a tattooed subculture of L.A. County sheriff's deputies is rising again. Are members macho racists or just brothers of the badge? By ANNE-MARIE O'CONNOR, TINA DAUNT, Times Staff Writers <<...>> He is still proud of his tattoo. The somber image of Death's hooded skull and scythe tattooed onto the inside of the deputy's left ankle in 1989 initiated him into a select fraternity called the Grim Reapers. Then a street cop at the Lennox station, this deputy has risen to a key position in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department--along with other members of his "club." The groups--with macho monikers like the Pirates, Vikings, Rattlesnakes and Cavemen--have long been a subculture in the country's largest Sheriff's Department and, in some cases, an inside track to acceptance in the ranks. Senior officers say they began with the creation of the Little Devils at the East Los Angeles station in 1971. Membership swelled in the 1980s at overwhelmingly white sheriff's stations that were islands in black and Latino immigrant communities. A federal judge hearing class-action litigation against the department described the most well-known of the groups, the Lynwood Vikings, as a "neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang" and found that deputies had engaged in racially motivated hostility. The county paid $9 million in fines and training costs to settle the lawsuits in 1996. ****SNIP**** But today, groups like the Grim Reapers are enjoying renewed popularity among young deputies, ****SNIP*** Sheriff Lee Baca has long been a critic of the groups, though he believes an outright ban would be unconstitutional. He urges deputies to stay away from the organizations, saying they encourage unprofessional behavior. Critics of the department go even further. They charge that the stations with the department's most troubled records--meaning the most frequent excessive-force lawsuits and discrimination complaints--are home to the most active deputy groups. And the groups are viewed with mistrust by many in the inner-city communities. "They are generally perceived as rogue cops who have often been accused of acting in very inappropriate ways in the street," said Joe Hicks, executive director of the city's human relations commission. "It doesn't seem to be good for morale or community relations." ****SNIP**** One Viking tattoo displayed in court bore the number "998"--the code for "officer-involved shooting"--Reed said, giving the impression that such shootings were celebrated as a rite of passage. ****SNIP**** - -- For help with Majordomo commands, send a message to majordomo@mailing-list.net with the word help in the message body. - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:54:35 -0800 (PST) From: wbg Subject: RE: New Book/Linzell > > Bill Vance wrote: > > > > There's a new book out by Amity Shayes(sp?) called, "The Greedy Hand: How > > Taxes Drive Americans Crazy, (and what to do about it). Sounds like a good > > one. > Bob Linzell replied: > The author is Amity Shlaes, a member of the editorial board of the > _Wall_Street_Journal. Laissez Faire is selling the book for $22.95 > (Book Number CU7977; hardcover; 255 p.) A review is given on p. 6 > of their latest (April 1999) catalogue. Their web site is at: > --Bob in Mississippi Brewster adds: While Laissez Faire are nice people and all, youall might profit from knowing that amazon.com has this book at $16.07 . . . . . . and they have reviews, too, online on their site . . . Brewster - -- ********************************************************************** " If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that in the administration of criminal law, the end justifies the means...would bring terrible retribution." Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438 (1928) ********************************************************************** W. Brewster Gillett wbg@hevanet.com Portland, Oregon USA *********************************************************************** - - ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Mar 99 00:38:41 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: CCW Rally in Chicago loop yesterday (fwd) On Mar 27, Jim Zoes wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] Ken Bien and I attended the Chicago Loop rally on Saturday for CCW at Daley Plaza downtown. Approximately 200 people (by my estimate) were there at the height, though the local news media reported that "over 3 dozen" people attended. Another example of media misinformation: Yes, 200 people is more than 3 dozen. Yet, 200 people is a major demonstration, but "3 dozen" hardly rates mention. Funny thing, three networks affiliates individually used the same phrase: "Over 3 dozen." [I didn't see the Fox affiliate's report, though I know that they mentioned the rally] Coincidence or a conspiracy to diminish our numbers and therefore, "minimize" the perceived opposition to gun control? Two piece of interesting information came out. Joe Waldron, Executive Director of CCRKBA, stated that the protests about St Louis USA Attorney interfering in the "Proposition B" campaign (against the proposal) by sending flyers and establishing an "Information" 800 number has resulted in them shutting down the 800 number. The other is the information that the threats to countersue the mayors of cities planning to sue the gun makers is paying off. A number of cities have backed off after being contacted by SAF. While he didn't go into specifics about the countersuit, it seemed to me he was saying that the counter grounds would be that the cities and HCI are engaging in a conspiracy to deprive gun makers (and us) of their rights. If this is what the strategy is, it could hit the cities (actually their taxpayers) hard in the wallet if SAF can bring a RICO suit. While that might change the local political landscape in some cities (by making the voters angry at having to pay off for filing a frivilous law suit), cities like Chicago (whose mayor got re-elected last month by a HUGE majority) will simply shrug it off and raise the taxes anyway. However, it seems to me, that unless the attorneys filing the suits or the plaintiffs (like Richard M. Daley, Mayor) are individually sanctioned by the courts, it won't change their attitude. Daley said this week (after hearing that his legislative agenda was defeated in the state house) that the "gun lobby" is "hiding behind the Constitution." What a phrase -- "Hiding behind the Constitution." To be expected of a lawyer (yes he has a law license) that failed the Illinois Bar exam multiple times. It was alleged, by the way, that Daley's father, Mayor Richard J. Daley pulled strings to insure his son finally passed on the 5th (or so) attempt. In addition, author Paxton Quigley ("Armed and Female") spoke at the rally and said she wanted to send Mrs. "Hizzoner" Daley an autographed copy of her book. It would be fun to see Mrs. Daley's facial expression when UPS dropped it off..... Localnews coverage links "covering" the rally: http://www.abcnews.go.com/local/wls/news/23883_3261999.html http://www.msnbc.com/local/WMAQ/65880.asp#65880 Jim Zoes >CNN just broke in with a story about a bio-chem weapons manufacturing plant > >being hit by bombs, and that people in Kosovo are dropping like flies. > >They then abruptly killed the story with no further mention... > > > >I am taping it on VHS and caught it... > > > >Bill [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Mar 99 23:35:17 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Fratrum: [Fwd: Fwd: Kosovo: Chem-bio alert!!]] (fwd) On Mar 29, Omegamarc@aol.com wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] A larger report. Mary << Subject: Kosovo: Chem-bio alert!! >> >> At approximately 5:20pm EST (Mar. 26, 1999) an >> incredible story broke on CNN Live (TV) with Judy >> Woodruff. Unfortunately (in terms of alleged >> journalistic integrity) there has been NO followup on >> it. >> >> While Judy Woodruff was hosting a segment titled, >> "Strike Against Yugoslavia), the network evidently >> placed a phone call to Zoran Popovic (Social Democratic >> Party of Yugoslavia) who shared some sobering news. >> >> Evidently, during the NATO bombings in Kosovo today, a >> bomb struck ICM. ICM is suspected (by my military >> contacts and frontline media sources) of being a >> biological/chemical weapons manufacturing plant even >> prior to the breakup of the then "Soviet Union." >> >> Popovic related that alerts were sent throughout >> Belgrade advising her people to immediately seek the >> sanctity of her bomb shelters. At that point the people >> of Belgrade were warned to immediately don gas masks and >> stay cloistered at the shelter until further notice. >> >> Although Popovic also spoke of NATO hitting two >> Belgrade schools with their bombs, the potential for >> mass casualities (certainly ecclipsing those of Albanian >> rebels) is rather profound in both numbers and in >> political repercussions. >> >> Earlier in the day, Russian news sources indicated they >> (The Russian government) was breaking off diplomatic >> contact with NATO. Inside sources speculate this is a >> prelude for a declaration of war against NATO by Russia. >> >> If indeed ICM was a former Russian bio-chem weapons >> plant, an already bitter Russian government might be >> pushed into drastic retaliatory measures. >> >> I fear the very fact there has been absolutely no >> further mention of this story by the American press >> illustrates the grave portents this bombing may invoke. >> >> Bill Brumbaugh >> Reseach Director of the International Press Association >> Editor of the Proactive Newsletter >> http://www.proactivenews.com [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 08:01:08 -0600 (CST) From: Paul M Watson Subject: More on Greece Turkey (fwd) - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 04:40:54 -0800 From: Jack Perrine To: pwatson@utdallas.edu Subject: More on Greece Turkey ______________________________________ Stratfor's FREE Kosovo Crisis Center - http://www.stratfor.com/kosovo/crisis/ The most comprehensive coverage of the Kosovo Crisis anywhere on the Internet ______________________________________ STRATFOR's Global Intelligence Update March 30, 1999 Greco-Turkish Dispute Threatens to Deepen Fissures in NATO Summary: Turkey has alleged that Greek air defense radar systems locked on to a Turkish fighter aircraft earlier this month, nearly causing an international incident. Turkey warned Greece that a repeat of the incident would be answered with a Turkish attack. While relations between Turkey and Greece have been contentious for some time, the timing of this particular incident is cause for concern, given the current situation in the Balkans. Analysis: On March 29, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported an incident that took place earlier this month between Greece and Turkey. Turkey claimed that at 0030 GMT on March 19 one of its F-16 fighter aircraft flying in international airspace was illuminated by Greek radar. Turkey stated that the radar signal originated from a missile site on the island of Limnos. According to the report in Hurriyet, when the pilot realized the radar was tracking him he radioed for instructions and was told to return to base. Turkey later sent Greece a warning stating that pilots would be instructed to destroy missile sites in the future if they were tracked by air defense radar. The report in Hurriyet claimed that the two countries had nearly gone to war over the incident. Relations between Turkey and Greece have been simmering for some time now, having been on the verge of armed conflict more than once in the past few years over the location of their border in the Aegean Sea. What makes this latest incident noteworthy is the timing of the incident in relation to the crisis unfolding in the Balkans. While both nations are members of NATO, Turkey has committed aircraft to the bombing campaign in support of co- religionists in Kosovo, whereas Greece recently voiced its opposition to NATO's military action. On March 26, Greek government spokesman Yanis Nicolau said, "It is time to return to political discussions to find a political solution for Kosovo and to end the bombings." He added that his country indicated its position to NATO clearly and that "it was not alone in calling for [a] halt to the air raids." Another notable opponent to military action against Serbia is Russia, with whom Greece has become quite friendly. Russia has provided training for Greek pilots, and is selling Greece S-300 surface-to-air (SAM) missiles for deployment on behalf of Greek- dominated Cyprus. The planned sale of the S-300 missiles to Cyprus nearly sparked a war between Greece and Turkey, as Ankara vowed to destroy them before they could be deployed. Additionally, earlier this year the U.S. accused Greece of having supplied the Russians with NATO aircraft jamming codes. These codes would enable Russia to jam weapons guidance systems on NATO aircraft. While this allegation has yet to be proven, the mere fact that NATO secrets may have been compromised certainly casts doubt on Greek commitment to the West. This latest incident between Turkey and Greece exposes what is perhaps the deepest fracture within NATO. Although NATO officials continue to affirm that the organization is of one mind concerning military action in the Balkans, Stratfor believes this may not be the case. Greece is not comfortable with a war on behalf of a Moslem population to its north -- a potential ally of the Turks. Turkey, in turn, has apparently seized on Greek opposition to NATO action over Kosovo to push for U.S., European, and NATO support for Turkey's side of the feud. Publicizing a Greek action that threatened the stability of NATO just as the organization was preparing for action against Yugoslavia may be a Turkish attempt to win points with the West, but it also reminds Russia of the powerful lever it has against NATO. Russia has used that lever before through the Cyprus missile sale, and given the current state of affairs in Kosovo, Russia and the Serbs will no doubt want to pry at this fracture in NATO's armor some more. ___________________________________________________ To receive free daily Global Intelligence Updates, sign up on the web at: http://www.stratfor.com/services/giu/subscribe.asp or send your name, organization, position, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address to alert@stratfor.com ___________________________________________________ STRATFOR, Inc. 504 Lavaca, Suite 1100 Austin, TX 78701 Phone: 512-583-5000 Fax: 512-583-5025 Internet: http://www.stratfor.com/ Email: info@stratfor.com Jack Perrine | Athena Programming | 626-798-6574 _________________| 1175 N Altadena Dr | ____________ Jack@Minerva.com | Pasadena CA 91107 | FAX-398-8620 - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 09:50:23 -0600 (CST) From: Neil Dickey Subject: Re: Fratrum: [Fwd: Fwd: Kosovo: Chem-bio alert!!]] (fwd) roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) forwarded: >On Mar 29, Omegamarc@aol.com wrote: > >[-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] > >A larger report. >Mary > ><< Subject: Kosovo: Chem-bio alert!! [ ... Snip ... ] > >> bomb struck ICM. ICM is suspected (by my military > >> contacts and frontline media sources) of being a > >> biological/chemical weapons manufacturing plant even > >> prior to the breakup of the then "Soviet Union." > >> > >> Popovic related that alerts were sent throughout > >> Belgrade advising her people to immediately seek the > >> sanctity of her bomb shelters. At that point the people > >> of Belgrade were warned to immediately don gas masks and > >> stay cloistered at the shelter until further notice. The bombings are stated in the quote to be in Kosovo, but the gas emergency to be in Belgrade. Belgrade is over 100 miles north-northwest from the nearest part of the Kosovo province. If it is in fact true that a poison gas plant in Belgrade was hit, and the populace officially told to take counter-measures, why did a Russian diplomatic party just arrive in the city? It's precious hard to conduct diplomacy through a gas-mask. [ ... Snip ... ] > >> (The Russian government) was breaking off diplomatic > >> contact with NATO. Inside sources speculate this is a > >> prelude for a declaration of war against NATO by Russia. > >> This is old news. Russia called its ambassador to NATO home immediately as the bombing started. There have been rumors that Russia was moving nuclear weapons to Byelorussia, but the Byelorussian government scotched them. Matt Drudge has some comments regarding rumors coming out of TASS that are worth reading in this respect. [ ... Snip ... ] > >> I fear the very fact there has been absolutely no > >> further mention of this story by the American press > >> illustrates the grave portents this bombing may invoke. > >> > >> Bill Brumbaugh > >> Reseach Director of the International Press Association > >> Editor of the Proactive Newsletter > >> http://www.proactivenews.com It seems to me that "news" from this source should be read most critically. If there were any substance to reports like these, one would think that Matt Drudge or WorldNet Daily would have picked them up. They certainly aren't part of the vast left-wing media conspiracy. The opinions which I have expressed herein are entirely my own, unless other- wise noted. No-one else should be held responsible for what I think. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | D. N. Dickey | Virtuous motives, trammeled by inertia and | | Research Associate | timidity, are no match for armed and | | Northern Illinois Univ. | resolute wickedness. | | neil@earth.geol.niu.edu | - W. S. Churchill | | **Finger for public key** | | - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 99 07:34:38 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Thoughts on being "pro-life" (fwd) On Mar 29, Kevin McGehee wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] I know someone whose views on abortion are not far different from my own. Yet while I consider myself pro-life, she insists she is "pro-choice." She has been so thoroughly indoctrinated to the public image of the respective sides of the abortion issue that she has decided that she, being an intelligent, reasoning person, simply cannot be associated with *those* people even if she agrees with the substance of their views. I recently read an essay printed in an Intertel newsletter (for those who don't know, Intertel is an organization for those who score in the statistical top 1% on IQ tests) -- actually a post from Intertel's "Top1" Internet discussion list -- by W. Brewster Gillett about the logical inconsistency of being against abortion yet for the death penalty, and when I mentioned it to my "pro-choice" acquaintance she shared my astonishment that Mr. Gillett can't see that these two points of view are *far from* being logically inconsistent. By the way, her views on the death penalty also parallel mine. And I had to wonder: is the concept of "innocence" *really* that remote from such a huge segment of our culture today? Who hasn't heard the phrase "innocent as a newborn babe"? I suppose in a nation whose president is regarded by almost three-fourths of the people as being dishonest, untrustworthy, a sexual predator, and either a traitor or hopelessly incompetent -- yet a majority opposed kicking the bum out of office -- the idea, that we should order our laws to protect the innocent and punish the guilty, may be completely alien to certain people. Admittedly, in a day when lawyers can quibble over the definition of "is," the meaning of the word "innocent" may be unclear to some. The *legal* definition ranges from "not guilty" to "not *proven* guilty," depending on which lawyer you ask (and few laymen quite grasp the distinction between *those*). In a moral sense, though, innocence is not something specific to a certain act, but a general condition of having an unsullied conscience. Yet life is such that almost from the moment of drawing one's first breath there are those nagging moral compromises. Our senses are too limited, our minds too fallible (however high our IQs may be), to keep any one of us from going off the straight-and-narrow every once in a while. As I wrote in my "In the Wilderness" piece about the First Commandment (http://www.mosquitonet.com/~mcgehee/news&comment/990213.htm), living a moral life is not about being totally without sin -- the story of the "apple" makes it clear that's not an option anyway -- but about refusing to let sin become a way of life. Still, even the most virtuous man or woman ever to walk this earth was, without a doubt, guilty of some wrongful act. None of us who has lived more than a matter of minutes is innocent in the moral sense of the word. The great mass of people occupy a middle ground between the most innocent living persons -- newborn and preborn infants -- and the most guilty. Persons who have committed monstrous acts against the defenseless, the inoffensive, the unwary, the undeserving -- people who beat a young man to death because he's a homosexual, or who drag a man to death because his skin is darker than theirs -- these are the people for whom the death penalty is meant. Both I and my "pro-choice" acquaintance wholeheartedly support its judicious but swift application to its intended targets. And anyone who wants to profess confusion about an alleged logical inconsistency in the fact we also oppose millions of abortions every year, is welcome to do so. But we hope they'll excuse us for snickering at them behind their backs. Kevin McGehee Fairbanks/North Pole, AK mcgehee@mosquitonet.com http://www.mosquitonet.com/~mcgehee/ "A self-governing society must be made up of self-governing individuals." - -- Steve Forbes [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 99 01:52:31 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Fw: Russia/Iraq/Yugoslavia (fwd) On Mar 30, Kevin McGehee wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] - -----Original Message----- From: Kort E Patterson To: Intertel Top1 list Date: Tuesday, March 30, 1999 10:05 PM Subject: fwd: Russia/Iraq/Yugoslavia Forwarded message: >From alert@stratfor.com Tue Mar 30 19:36:53 1999 From: alert@stratfor.com Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 19:11:38 -0600 (CST) Message-Id: <199903310111.TAA22892@yorktown.stratfor.com> To: alert@stratfor.com Subject: Russia/Iraq/Yugoslavia ______________________________________ Stratfor's FREE Kosovo Crisis Center - http://www.stratfor.com/kosovo/crisis/ The most comprehensive coverage of the Kosovo Crisis anywhere on the Internet ______________________________________ STRATFOR's Global Intelligence Update March 31, 1999 Russia Helping Iraq Upgrade Air Defenses Summary: Intelligence officials now admit that Serb and Iraqi defense officials have met and collaborated in recent months on anti- aircraft operations. Russia is now supplying sophisticated radar systems to Iraq. The possibility of a second front is increasing. Analysis: One of the critical issues in the Kosovo war is the intention and capabilities of Iraq. It must be remembered that many of the same nations that are currently engaged in the Kosovo air campaign are also, simultaneously, engaged in an air war in Iraq. As NATO intensifies the air war over Kosovo, the possibility of an intensification of the air war over Iraq poses an important strategic challenge by diverting aircraft and logistical support. Recent reports emerging in the press tend to confirm Stratfor's long-standing view that Yugoslavia and Iraq collaborated in the run-up to the current conflict. According to the Associated Press, for example, U.S. intelligence now has evidence that Yugoslav technicians met with Iraqi specialists in Baghdad in February to help prepare Yugoslavia for an air war. Since both sides have similar equipment and are facing similar aircraft, the Yugoslav military quite rationally wanted to learn whatever lessons the Iraqis had to teach them. It is obviously in the interest of both countries to cooperate strategically as well as technically. Anything that forces the United States to divide its scarce air campaign resources benefits both. Thus, a report from the IBC from Baghdad, claiming that Iraq is distributing advanced radar guidance systems for the SAM-6 surface-to-air missile system, is particularly significant. According to the report, Iraq is intensely engaged in upgrading its anti-air missile grid. Abed Hameed Hmoud, special secretary to Saddam and a member of the Presidential Council, is said to be personally supervising the installations of the systems at the Presidential Palaces, air bases and other critical installations. The article further states that both the Northern and Southern Corps of the Republican Guards are receiving new computing equipment and small, advanced Russian-made radar units as well as technicians. If these reports are true, and we think that to be likely, the Russians are now engaged in a dramatic re-supply of equipment to the Iraqis. There have been numerous reports from sources in Russia about such a re-supply, and the IBC report is merely confirming the arrival and deployment of this equipment. The upgrading of the Iraqi air defense grid has the potential of posing serious problems for allied pilots on missions in Iraq, particularly if new systems have been distributed inside the no- fly zones where routine air patrols are carried out. We note, however, that we can find no evidence of any U.S. or allied air strikes in Iraq at this time. This indicates that both sides are lying low for the moment. The new systems increase the ability of the Iraqis to engage U.S. and allied pilots on missions in this area. The standard U.S. response to such an engagement is first to target the radar and missile sites. By substantially increasing the number of such sites, Iraq is able to dictate a quickened tempo of allied air operations. Even if they lose some of their equipment, if the Russians have provided equipment in sufficient numbers to provide redundancy, Iraq will be able to dictate the level of allied operations. At a time when U.S. logistical capabilities required to support air operations will be heavily tilted toward Serbia, increased air operations over Iraq might pose a serious burden. If, on one hand, the U.S. declines to increase its air operations, it opens a window of opportunity for Saddam. If, on the other hand, the U.S. does increase air operations in Iraq, it could, over the long haul, degrade its logistical capabilities. Two front wars are the traditional fear of any power. There is no question but that the U.S. can handle one intense and one low- grade air war. There is some question whether the U.S. has the supplies and transport systems needed to sustain two simultaneous high-intensity air campaigns. There is no doubt but that Saddam and Milosevic understand that they may have an opportunity to pose serious problems for the United States. Milosevic, of course, has done his part. Now the question is whether Saddam will up the ante. It is not certain that there is any clear comprehensive warfighting agreement between Yugoslavia and Iraq, nor that if there were, the Iraqis would honor it. But there is a real window of opportunity available to Iraq and some indication that it is preparing to exploit it, with Russian help. When we factor in the unknown North Korean factor, we can see that there are some important reasons why the United States, in particular, will want to conclude the Kosovo air operation as quickly as possible. ___________________________________________________ To receive free daily Global Intelligence Updates, sign up on the web at: http://www.stratfor.com/services/giu/subscribe.asp or send your name, organization, position, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address to alert@stratfor.com ___________________________________________________ STRATFOR, Inc. 504 Lavaca, Suite 1100 Austin, TX 78701 Phone: 512-583-5000 Fax: 512-583-5025 Internet: http://www.stratfor.com/ Email: info@stratfor.com - -- Kort E Patterson http://www.hevanet.com/kort [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 99 23:06:56 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Re: The Rifleman's Fast Draw What with the general flakiness of the world in general at the moment, I've decided to resend an old post of mine from years ago, with comment from one of our favorite Green Berets. Whether it's rain, snow, or just hitting that dusty old trail, there's lots of us that carry a rifle with the barrel down and the butt up when at sling arms in order to keep the crud out of the barrel. On Feb 6, Gene Gross -- Personal Account wrote: Hi Bill, [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] >Here's a bit of a trick that might help someone. > >If you're a right handed shooter, start with your rifle slung on your left >shoulder, with the barrel down and the butt stock up behind your left >shoulder with the Left elbow cocked back to hold the rifle in place while >the Left hand holds on to the sling in front. > >Sliding your left hand downwards and grasping the forestock, bring your >hand and the forestock across the body and upwards in a rapid 3/4 circular >movement. This causes the butt end to swing up to your right shoulder. >Grasp the weapon with your Right hand as it comes up, and you're ready to >fire. With a little practice, your Left elbow is allready properly >positioned in the sling. During this process, move your feet so as to >cause the rifle to point in the proper direction as it comes up. It's the >rifleman's version of the fast draw, don't cha know.....:-) This is a good technique. Let me just add a note or two. Keep your arm (right if right-handed, left if left-handed) out like a chicken wing. The butt of the rifle sits in the pocket formed there and the deeper the pocket the less trouble you'll have with any recoil -- especially true for shotguns!! Also, move the barrel with your eyes or head. If you move your eyes or head left, move your barrel to the left at the same time!! And focus your eyes on your target when you acquire it. If you've got your head on the stock properly, you should be able to shoot and hit the target properly!! Ciao, Gene [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Apr 99 13:35:08 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Fratrum: Orwellian intrusion into home and family (fwd) On Apr 01, Ed Wolfe wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] Orwellian intrusion into home and family By Robert Holland WASHINGTON TIMES In a postindustrial society tending more to collectivism than individualism, parents are no longer honored figures. Presuming all parents potential abusers, the nanny state now sends out swarms of "experts" to monitor the rearing of America's children. The ultimate social intervention -- just one short step from state licensing of parents -- entails nabbing first-time parents when their newborns are still in the hospital nursery. The idea is that agents of social uplift will go into private homes to "train" these parents for up to 50 visits annually per family. Expectant parents are enlisted by being asked to sign permission forms at the hospital, where amid all the excitement of a first birth they may not be aware of the implications for their privacy and parental rights. Information that the agents collect from families will be put into a nationwide computerized system called the Program Information Management System (PIMS), which will contain medical and psychological entries and observations on family relationships. PIMS' tracking of a newborn's development could easily be linked with other preschool and public-school databanks currently being expanded. Eventually, the information in a comprehensive, permanent record could be shared with employers when an individual applies for a job. Presented as a way to prevent child abuse, this movement has far broader implications. As Rep. Henry Hyde, Illinois Republican, observes: "This is Big Brother intervention as we have never seen it before. It is a case of the 'village' mentality run wild. American have never experienced such intrusion in their family lives." The lead organization is the Chicago-based National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (NCPCA). In a statement on their Website (www.childabuse.org), NCPCA leaders declare: "Parenting is too often a responsibility that cannot be performed alone. It is imperative for communities to support overburdened families with resources so that parents can provide their children with a safe and supportive environment." That echoes an assertion by first lady Hillary Clinton at a White House child-care conference that parents may mean well but do not necessarily know what's best for their children. On Oct. 1, 1997, The Washington Post quoted her as saying the following in support of public child care: "A lot of times they [the parents] don't know what is quality. If somebody's nice to them, it doesn't matter that they don't know the difference between caring for a 1- year-old or a 4-year-old." Mrs. Clinton and her Children's Defense Fund allies have expropriated the African proverb, "It takes a village to rear a child," in an attempt to justify sweeping intervention in family life. The key program is the NCPCA's Healthy Families America (HFA). It was launched in 1992 in partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Freddie Mac Corporation, but as of Congress' 1997 reauthorization of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the program has picked up major federal funding to go with backing from several left-wing foundations (such as Annie E. Casey, Rand and Carnegie). The federal act expanded Family Preservation and Support Services with $275 million for fiscal 1999, $295 million for fiscal 2000, and $305 million for fiscal 2001. "Unfortunately," Mr. Hyde notes, "most members of Congress were not aware of the inherent dangers in this program. Preventing child abuse is admirable and removing children from homes where abuse is indicated is necessary. However, using Family Preservation and Support Services to investigate every first-time parent in America in an effort to identify the troubled ones exceeds any authority previously given to any government agency." HFA is rendered more difficult to follow by being given different names in virtually all the 40 states in which it operates to date. For instance, in Georgia, it's called "First Steps"; in California it's "Welcome Home Baby" or "Safe and Healthy Families"; and in Hawaii it's "Healthy Start." In Virginia, the program is embodied in the "Healthy Families Initiative," which has operated mostly in the Fairfax and Hampton Roads areas, with General Assembly support of more than $1 million. As with the related federal Goals 2000, HFA often carries the label "voluntary" -- yet the NCPCA describes its goal as providing "universal home visitation for all new parents and intensive services for families most in need." It calls for coordinating the work of paraprofessionals and volunteer home-visitors with professionals such as social workers, public-health nurses, and guidance counselors. Critics charge that parents who decide they want out of the visitations could be reported to Child Protective Services and possibly even lose their child to state custody. While "high-risk" families are to receive more intensive and longer-term scrutiny under HFA than other parents, definitions of "high-risk" are elastic. Almost any family could be deemed high- risk, with risk factors like the following: "inadequate" income; inability of parent to cope with inappropriate child behavior (in the parent-trainer's opinion); overindulgence or "spoiling" by a parent; low functioning of parent due to various conditions, including being "too heavy"; and negative reactions, such as "getting angry" about a child's actions. Of course, social-service agents have an incentive to identify as many "at-risk" parents as they can, because that increases their budgets. What's going on in the guise of preventing child abuse dovetails with massive new tracking ventures by the U.S. Department of Education's research arm, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In the year 2000, for example, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study will begin following thousands of newborns through their 6th birthdays. Federal investigators will use birth certificates to collect the names of newborns, and when the infants are 9 months old federal "assessors" will visit their homes (according to the Dec. 16 issue of Education Week) -- there to "interview their parents, observe parents and children at play, and evaluate the infants' growth and development." Soon there may be a governmental presence in every home. All this will undermine the American family, not strengthen it. Robert Holland is a columnist and opinion page editor with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. [------------------------- end of forwarded message ------------------------] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- - - ------------------------------ End of roc-digest V2 #225 *************************