activistpost--2020-02-28--New Smartphone App Lets You Monitor Internet Of Things Spying Devices

A new app lets you see cameras , Bluetooth beacons and smart speakers around you and help you opt out of data collection .
With an increase of surveillance like real-time facial recognition technology throughout the city of London , and the U.S. also implementing the tech among other biometrics in the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta , as well as apps like Amazon ’ s Ring and smart devices , there needs to be a way to watch the watchers .
No matter where you look , Big Brother has been pushing the use of surveillance technology , not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement with its Facial Rekogntion software , DHS wanting to use it for border control , to the Olympics wanting to use the tech for security .
Even retail is pushing for the technology as an anti-theft mechanism to be introduced in a thousands of stores using biometric facial recognition software from FaceFirst to build a database of shoplifters , as Activist Post reported .
Some of the biggest airports in the country — estimated at 16 airports across the U.S. — are now scanning us as we board international flights .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover more than 97 percent of passengers flying outside of the U.S. by 2021 , according to Nextgov .
The app made for IOS and Android , lets you know what Internet of things ( IoT ) technologies are operating around you and what data they ’ re collecting .
The Internet of Things Assistant app and its infrastructure , created by Carnegie Mellon researchers , aims to give you more control over the devices tracking your activity and information .
With the app , you ’ ll be able to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology , Bluetooth beacons tracking your location at the mall , and your neighbor ’ s smart doorbell or smart speaker , according to a story published by Carnegie Mellon ’ s Security and Privacy Institute .
You can see what data these devices collect , and access privacy choices like opting in and out of data collection when available .
According to the report , the app has more than 30,000 IoT resources registered , Sadeh told CNET .
“ We expect to have hundreds of thousands of resources by the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual users , and many entered by our team , ” he added .
“ Over time we expect to rely more on individuals to populate our registries , but we understand the initial onus is on us to make this valuable enough.
” More than half of all adults in the United States are in at least one database used for facial recognition , according to an estimate from the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law .
In 2017 , Homeland Security clarified their position on domestic spying , stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their faces scanned leaving the country “ shouldn ’ t travel.
” “ The only way for an individual to ensure he or she is not subject to collection of biometric information when traveling internationally is to refrain from traveling , ” the DHS wrote in a document .
The rapid growth of this technology has triggered a much-needed debate to slow down the roll out .
Activists , politicians , academics and even police forces are expressing serious concerns over the impact facial recognition could have on our society .
Several lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Amazon ’ s facial recognition software , expressing worry that it could be misused , The Hill reported .
A Senate bill introduced last March would force companies who want to use facial recognition technology on consumers to first get their consent .
If that happens , as soon as the ink is dry Amazon ’ s Ring and Amazon ’ s Facial Rekognition as well as the TSA ’ s facial recognition devices could be banned across the U.S. Congress under the House Oversight Committee recently held a bipartisan discussion on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facial recognition technology and biometric cameras .
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings ( D-Md . )
said , “ there are virtually no controls … .
Whatever walk of life you come from , you may be a part of this [ surveillance ] process.
” The committee ’ s top Republican Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio . )
also expressed , “ It ’ s time for a time out ” on government use of the surveillance technology .
Privacy advocate groups , attorneys , and even more recently Microsoft , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , have all raised concerns over the technology , pointing to issues of consent , racial profiling , and the potential to use images gathered through facial recognition cameras as evidence of criminal guilt by law enforcement .
The ACLU also recently sued several agencies including the FBI and DHS in its fight against facial recognition technology for violating individual citizens privacy rights , Activist Post reported .
Both the ACLU and Fight For The Future , as well as numerous other groups , have called for an end to the dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Already , we have had several wins in this long fight and there are signs of hope .
First , San Francisco banned facial recognition technology being used by the government in May of this year ; then Somerville , Massachusetts , and Oakland , California followed suit .
Now , the cream of the crop may happen as the EU seeks to ban the technology which has turned China into an Orwellian dictator ’ s wet dream .
Fight For The Future has previously launched a first-of-its-kind interactive map that tracks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being used and where it is being resisted , along with a tool-kit for local activists who want to help kickstart a ban in their city or state , as Activist Post reported .
Muckrock has also provided a guide to help you learn how to prepare a FOIA request to find out whether your local city is using facial recognition .
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post .
Support us at Patreon .
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By Aaron Kesel
A new app lets you see cameras, Bluetooth beacons and smart speakers around you and help you opt out of data collection.
With an increase of surveillance like real-time facial recognition technology throughout the city of London, and the U.S. also implementing the tech among other biometrics in the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, as well as apps like Amazon’s Ring and smart devices, there needs to be a way to watch the watchers.
No matter where you look, Big Brother has been pushing the use of surveillance technology, not just the UK, from Amazon helping law enforcement with its Facial Rekogntion software, DHS wanting to use it for border control, to the Olympics wanting to use the tech for security.
Even retail is pushing for the technology as an anti-theft mechanism to be introduced in a thousands of stores using biometric facial recognition software from FaceFirst to build a database of shoplifters, as Activist Post reported.
Some of the biggest airports in the country — estimated at 16 airports across the U.S. — are now scanning us as we board international flights. While CBP expects to scale up the program to cover more than 97 percent of passengers flying outside of the U.S. by 2021, according to Nextgov.
The app made for IOS and Android, lets you know what Internet of things (IoT) technologies are operating around you and what data they’re collecting. The Internet of Things Assistant app and its infrastructure, created by Carnegie Mellon researchers, aims to give you more control over the devices tracking your activity and information.
With the app, you’ll be able to see devices like public cameras with facial recognition technology, Bluetooth beacons tracking your location at the mall, and your neighbor’s smart doorbell or smart speaker, according to a story published by Carnegie Mellon’s Security and Privacy Institute. You can see what data these devices collect, and access privacy choices like opting in and out of data collection when available.
“Our research has shown that most people have little awareness about the amount of data collected today by IoT technologies,” Norman Sadeh, a CyLab faculty member in Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Software Research, told CNET. “It also shows that many people would like to be better informed about the collection and use of their data by these technologies, especially in contexts where they don’t expect this to happen. In addition, many of them would like the option to possibly opt in or out of some practices.”
According to the report, the app has more than 30,000 IoT resources registered, Sadeh told CNET. “We expect to have hundreds of thousands of resources by the end of next month — some registered by individual users, and many entered by our team,” he added. “Over time we expect to rely more on individuals to populate our registries, but we understand the initial onus is on us to make this valuable enough.”

More than half of all adults in the United States are in at least one database used for facial recognition, according to an estimate from the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law.
In 2017, Homeland Security clarified their position on domestic spying, stating that Americans who don’t want their faces scanned leaving the country “shouldn’t travel.”
“The only way for an individual to ensure he or she is not subject to collection of biometric information when traveling internationally is to refrain from traveling,” the DHS wrote in a document.
The rapid growth of this technology has triggered a much-needed debate to slow down the roll out. Activists, politicians, academics and even police forces are expressing serious concerns over the impact facial recognition could have on our society.
Several lawmakers have even chimed in to voice concerns about Amazon’s facial recognition software, expressing worry that it could be misused, The Hill reported.
A Senate bill introduced last March would force companies who want to use facial recognition technology on consumers to first get their consent. If that happens, as soon as the ink is dry Amazon’s Ring and Amazon’s Facial Rekognition as well as the TSA’s facial recognition devices could be banned across the U.S.
Activist Post Recommended Book: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Congress under the House Oversight Committee recently held a bipartisan discussion on the issue of regulating the use of facial recognition technology and biometric cameras.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said, “there are virtually no controls …. Whatever walk of life you come from, you may be a part of this [surveillance] process.”
The committee’s top Republican Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio.) also expressed, “It’s time for a time out” on government use of the surveillance technology.
Privacy advocate groups, attorneys, and even more recently Microsoft, which also markets its own facial recognition system, have all raised concerns over the technology, pointing to issues of consent, racial profiling, and the potential to use images gathered through facial recognition cameras as evidence of criminal guilt by law enforcement.
The ACLU also recently sued several agencies including the FBI and DHS in its fight against facial recognition technology for violating individual citizens privacy rights, Activist Post reported.
Both the ACLU and Fight For The Future, as well as numerous other groups, have called for an end to the dangerous technology and the voices are getting louder. Already, we have had several wins in this long fight and there are signs of hope. First, San Francisco banned facial recognition technology being used by the government in May of this year; then Somerville, Massachusetts, and Oakland, California followed suit. Now, the cream of the crop may happen as the EU seeks to ban the technology which has turned China into an Orwellian dictator’s wet dream.
Fight For The Future has previously launched a first-of-its-kind interactive map that tracks where in the U.S. facial recognition technology is being used and where it is being resisted, along with a tool-kit for local activists who want to help kickstart a ban in their city or state, as Activist Post reported.
Muckrock has also provided a guide to help you learn how to prepare a FOIA request to find out whether your local city is using facial recognition.
**By [@An0nkn0wledge](https://steemit.com/@an0nkn0wledge)**
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post. Support us at Patreon. Follow us on Minds, Steemit, SoMee, BitChute, Facebook and Twitter.
Image: Collective Evolution
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activistpost--2020-02-28--Facial Recognition Company That Worried Privacy Advocates Has Entire Client List Stolen

A Manhattan-based facial recognition company that uses artificial intelligence to collect data from unsuspecting social media users has reported that its entire client list has been stolen .
The company , Clearview AI , has developed an app which allows anyone to snap a picture of someone which is then compared to a database of more than 3 billion photos that the company has scraped off Facebook , Venmo , YouTube and other sites , before serving up matches along with links to the sites where the database photos originally appeared .
Clearview AI has partnered with law enforcement agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unknown exactly how many or who they were .
That may not be the case for much longer , after an intruder “ gained unauthorized access ” to its customer list – along with data on the number of searches its customers have conducted , as well as how many user accounts have been set up , according to the Daily Beast .
The company raised concerns among privacy advocates after a New York Times article described their work with law enforcement agencies , with over 40 organizations signing a letter calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban on government use of facial recognition technology .
The company claims that there was “ no compromise of Clearview ’ s systems or network , ” and that the vulnerability has been breached .
Specific search histories were not obtained .
“ Security is Clearview ’ s top priority , ” said company attorney Tor Ekeland .
“ Unfortunately , data breaches are part of life in the 21st century .
Our servers were never accessed .
We patched the flaw , and continue to work to strengthen our security.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times ran a front-page story about its work with law-enforcement agencies .
The Times reported that the company scraped 3 billion images from the internet , including from Facebook , YouTube , and Venmo .
That process violated Facebook ’ s terms of service , according to the paper .
It also created a resource that drew the attention of hundreds of law-enforcement agencies , including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security , according to that report .
In a follow-up story , the Times reported that law-enforcement officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are victims of sexual abuse .
One anonymous Canadian law-enforcement official told the paper that Clearview was “ the biggest breakthrough in the last decade ” for investigations of those crimes .
Daily Beast David Forscey , managing director of the non-profit Aspen Cybersecurity Group said that the breach is concerning .
“ If you ’ re a law-enforcement agency , it ’ s a big deal , because you depend on Clearview as a service provider to have good security , and it seems like they don ’ t. ” Subscribe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and freedom news .
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By Tyler Durden
A Manhattan-based facial recognition company that uses artificial intelligence to collect data from unsuspecting social media users has reported that its entire client list has been stolen.
The company, Clearview AI, has developed an app which allows anyone to snap a picture of someone which is then compared to a database of more than 3 billion photos that the company has scraped off Facebook, Venmo, YouTube and other sites, before serving up matches along with links to the sites where the database photos originally appeared.
Clearview AI has partnered with law enforcement agencies around the country; however, it was unknown exactly how many or who they were. That may not be the case for much longer, after an intruder “gained unauthorized access” to its customer list – along with data on the number of searches its customers have conducted, as well as how many user accounts have been set up, according to the Daily Beast.
The company raised concerns among privacy advocates after a New York Times article described their work with law enforcement agencies, with over 40 organizations signing a letter calling for an independent watchdog to recommend a ban on government use of facial recognition technology.
The company claims that there was “no compromise of Clearview’s systems or network,” and that the vulnerability has been breached. Specific search histories were not obtained.
“Security is Clearview’s top priority,” said company attorney Tor Ekeland. “Unfortunately, data breaches are part of life in the 21st century. Our servers were never accessed. We patched the flaw, and continue to work to strengthen our security.”
The firm drew national attention when The New York Times ran a front-page story about its work with law-enforcement agencies. The Times reported that the company scraped 3 billion images from the internet, including from Facebook, YouTube, and Venmo. That process violated Facebook’s terms of service, according to the paper. It also created a resource that drew the attention of hundreds of law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, according to that report. In a follow-up story, the Times reported that law-enforcement officials have used the tools to identify children who are victims of sexual abuse. One anonymous Canadian law-enforcement official told the paper that Clearview was “the biggest breakthrough in the last decade” for investigations of those crimes. Daily Beast
David Forscey, managing director of the non-profit Aspen Cybersecurity Group said that the breach is concerning.
“If you’re a law-enforcement agency, it’s a big deal, because you depend on Clearview as a service provider to have good security, and it seems like they don’t.”
Article source: Zerohedge
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activistpost--2020-02-27--“Smart” Feeder System Failure Left Pets Hungry for Over a Week

Does it seem like “ smart ” products fail more often than not ?
There have also been A LOT of reports about them catching fire and exploding ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) .
At least that didn ’ t happen with the “ smart ” feeders .
Owners of a device designed to release food for pets say their animals were left hungry during a week-long system failure .
Petnet allows owners to schedule and control feeding via a smartphone app .
When the BBC contacted Petnet on its advertised email address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery failure notice .
One pet owner tweeted : “ My cat starved for over a week ” , while others complained about other hardware issues .
“ My three Gen2 feeders constantly jam and won ’ t dispense food , ” wrote another .
BBC News also noted that , “ Robots and automated systems have hiccups along the way , it ’ s something we need to get used to , ” according to Pocket-Lint site owner Stuart Miles .
No one likes hiccups and no one needs to get used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Everyone could just stop buying them instead .
Another downside with “ smart ” devices – they emit biologically harmful wireless WiFi radiation which does more than increase cancer risk .
Animals are affected by exposure too ( see 1 , 2 ) .
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology .
For more information visit our archives and the following websites : • We Are The Evidence Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
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By B.N. Frank
Does it seem like “smart” products fail more often than not? There have also been A LOT of reports about them catching fire and exploding (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). At least that didn’t happen with the “smart” feeders.
From BBC News:
Owners of a device designed to release food for pets say their animals were left hungry during a week-long system failure. Petnet allows owners to schedule and control feeding via a smartphone app. When the BBC contacted Petnet on its advertised email address, the email bounced back with a delivery failure notice. One pet owner tweeted: “My cat starved for over a week”, while others complained about other hardware issues. “My three Gen2 feeders constantly jam and won’t dispense food,” wrote another. Read Full Article
BBC News also noted that, “Robots and automated systems have hiccups along the way, it’s something we need to get used to,” according to Pocket-Lint site owner Stuart Miles.
No one likes hiccups and no one needs to get used to them in robots and automated systems. Everyone could just stop buying them instead.
Another downside with “smart” devices – they emit biologically harmful wireless WiFi radiation which does more than increase cancer risk. Animals are affected by exposure too (see 1, 2).

Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology. For more information visit our archives and the following websites:
Image: Pixabay
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-27--Turkey’s Losing Bet in Syria

Turkey’s Losing Bet in Syria

Turkey has allegedly lost another 33 troops in Syria this week amid its refusal to withdraw from Syrian territory amid Syrian government gains in the northern governorate of Idlib .
The BBC in its article , “ Syria war : 33 Turkish troops killed in air strike in Idlib , ” would report : At least 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an air strike by Syrian “ regime forces ” in north-western Syria , a senior Turkish official has said .
More were hurt in Idlib province , said Rahmi Dogan , the governor of Turkey ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll higher .
The US-led proxy war against Syria is all but over .
It is just a matter of time before Damascus and its allies restore control over the entire nation and begin rebuilding .
The US-armed and funded terrorists that have ravaged the country since 2011 have been exposed , depleted , and cornered .
So desperate is the state of this proxy war that in recent years the US and its allies including Turkey and Israel have resorted increasingly to direct military action against Damascus itself as their proxies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustained military operations themselves .
And despite brazen aggression against Damascus and its forces – the combined military might of the US , Turkey , and Israel have failed to produce any noteworthy or sustainable gains in contrast to Damascus ’ imminent victory .
Turkey has been a NATO member since the 1950s and was an eager participant in Washington ’ s proxy war on Syria allowing its territory and resources to be used to flood Syria with terrorists , weapons , equipment , and money to fuel the destructive 9 year conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in facilitating Washington ’ s malice and destructive proxy war , Syria ’ s allies – seeing the conflict as ending in Damascus ’ favor – attempted to create a graceful exit for Turkey and the possibility of playing a more constructive role in the region they , not Washington , would now be shaping .
This included economic and military ties with Russia and Iran to help ease pressure from Washington who was attempting to cut both to punish and increasingly uncompliant Ankara .
However , recent events appear to indicate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkish forces find themselves increasingly escalating directly against Syrian forces and now even their nuclear-armed Russian allies .
Nothing Turkey can do short of total war in northern Syria will reverse their flagging fortunes .
The occupation of northern Syria through the use of depleted proxies is no longer sustainable .
The invasion and occupation of northern Syria by Turkish forces capable of repelling Syrian government forces backed by nuclear-armed Russia is also not a viable policy .
Discovering whatever Ankara is still being promised , or threatened with , by Washington to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in northern Syria will be key to dissuading Turkish cooperation with the US – or formulating a strategy to frustrate and defeat the lingering machinations of Washington and its two chief partners – Turkey and Israel .
Turkey now finds itself in the unenviable position of having all but abandoned promising ties with the winners of the Syrian conflict and a constructive role in reorganizing the region in the conflict ’ s aftermath – and now also doubling down on a clearly lost war that will cost Turkey not only blood and treasure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region in the near to intermediate future .
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By Tony Cartalucci
Turkey has allegedly lost another 33 troops in Syria this week amid its refusal to withdraw from Syrian territory amid Syrian government gains in the northern governorate of Idlib.
The BBC in its article, “Syria war: 33 Turkish troops killed in air strike in Idlib,” would report:
At least 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an air strike by Syrian “regime forces” in north-western Syria, a senior Turkish official has said. More were hurt in Idlib province, said Rahmi Dogan, the governor of Turkey’s Hatay province. Other reports put the death toll higher. Turkey later retaliated against Syrian troops government targets.
The US-led proxy war against Syria is all but over. It is just a matter of time before Damascus and its allies restore control over the entire nation and begin rebuilding.
The US-armed and funded terrorists that have ravaged the country since 2011 have been exposed, depleted, and cornered. So desperate is the state of this proxy war that in recent years the US and its allies including Turkey and Israel have resorted increasingly to direct military action against Damascus itself as their proxies are no longer capable of carrying out sustained military operations themselves.
And despite brazen aggression against Damascus and its forces – the combined military might of the US, Turkey, and Israel have failed to produce any noteworthy or sustainable gains in contrast to Damascus’ imminent victory.
Giving Up a Graceful Exit
Turkey has been a NATO member since the 1950s and was an eager participant in Washington’s proxy war on Syria allowing its territory and resources to be used to flood Syria with terrorists, weapons, equipment, and money to fuel the destructive 9 year conflict.
Despite Turkey’s integral role in facilitating Washington’s malice and destructive proxy war, Syria’s allies – seeing the conflict as ending in Damascus’ favor – attempted to create a graceful exit for Turkey and the possibility of playing a more constructive role in the region they, not Washington, would now be shaping.
This included economic and military ties with Russia and Iran to help ease pressure from Washington who was attempting to cut both to punish and increasingly uncompliant Ankara.
However, recent events appear to indicate that Turkey has rejected this graceful exit. Turkish forces find themselves increasingly escalating directly against Syrian forces and now even their nuclear-armed Russian allies.
Nothing Turkey can do short of total war in northern Syria will reverse their flagging fortunes.
The occupation of northern Syria through the use of depleted proxies is no longer sustainable. The invasion and occupation of northern Syria by Turkish forces capable of repelling Syrian government forces backed by nuclear-armed Russia is also not a viable policy.
Discovering whatever Ankara is still being promised, or threatened with, by Washington to continue its policy of belligerence and disruption in northern Syria will be key to dissuading Turkish cooperation with the US – or formulating a strategy to frustrate and defeat the lingering machinations of Washington and its two chief partners – Turkey and Israel.
Turkey now finds itself in the unenviable position of having all but abandoned promising ties with the winners of the Syrian conflict and a constructive role in reorganizing the region in the conflict’s aftermath – and now also doubling down on a clearly lost war that will cost Turkey not only blood and treasure, but also its standing in the region in the near to intermediate future.
Article source: Land Destroyer Report
Image credit: Voice of America
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
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activistpost--2020-02-27--The Waco Siege: What Happened When the Feds Laid Siege to the Branch Davidian Compound

“ The record of the Waco incident documents mistakes .
What the record from Waco does not evidence , however , is any improper motive or intent on the part of law enforcement.
” — Joseph Biden , U.S .
Senator , Delaware ( D ) and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , which issued the Waco Investigation Report The siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco , Texas , is an important event in American history because it directly led to one of the biggest terrorist attacks on American soil – the bombing of the Oklahoma City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary to defend this act of terrorism to understand why the entire freedom movement of the time was so incensed by it .
Indeed , it stood as a symbol of federal overreach and the corruption of the Clinton Administration .
It ’ s important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the siege of Waco , just as it is important to do so with the siege of Ruby Ridge or the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi .
With every event , it is important to stick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from them to make the strongest argument about what went wrong and why , and what could be done differently in the future .
Background : Who Are the Branch Davidians ?
The Branch Davidians were a tiny offshoot of mainstream Seventh-Day Adventism .
This stemmed from an earlier split between the main church and a group called Shepherd ’ s Rod , The Rod or the Davidians .
It was effectively a reform movement within Adventism , albeit with some beliefs considered heretical by the mainstream church , none of which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Branch Davidians were established some 20 years later , and a much more radical departure from Seventh-Day Adventism born from disappointment at the failure of earlier prophecies to materialize .
There was some wrangling over the leadership of the group after the death of its founder , but Vernon Howell , better known to the world as David Koresh , ultimately won out over the wife and son of the founder .
Everyone liked Howell when he first showed up at the compound in 1981 , including the head of the organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with whom he had an affair , despite a more than 40-year age gap ( he was in his late 20s , she was in her late 60s ) .
He wanted to have a child with her , one that he believed would be the Chosen One of their religion .
Her son , George Roden , took over upon her death , which led to a power struggle between the two .
Roden challenged Howell to raise the dead , going so far as to exhume a corpse for this purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roden over the grave robbing , but the police told him that more evidence was needed .
It was then that Howell and seven of his followers raided the compound armed with five .223 caliber semiautomatic rifles , two 22 caliber rifles , two 12-gauge shotguns , and almost 400 rounds of ammunition .
They said they were trying to collect evidence of illegal activity on the compound , but forgot to bring a camera with them for that purpose .
This was the definitive split where Howell won control of the Branch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who did not follow him continued to use this name and argue that he was never rightfully in possession of it .
It was then that Vernon Howell became David Koresh , a name based on the historical King David and Cyrus the Great ( “ Koresh ” being the Hebrew version of “ Cyrus ” ) .
By 1989 , Koresh began marrying the members ’ wives and daughters , some as young as 12 , which was cited as a reason for the eventual raid .
He claimed this came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the group other than Koresh were to remain celibate .
Koresh first began getting media attention from the Waco Tribune-Herald in February 1993 .
“ The Sinful Messiah ” was the name of a series of articles by Mark England and Darlene McCormick about Koresh and his followers .
The articles mostly revolve around the child abuse claims and Koresh ’ s claim that he had over a dozen children , some of them with girls as young as 12 .
Additionally , the group was suspected by local law enforcement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement alerted the ATF in May 1992 , based on a call from a concerned UPS driver .
By June 9th , the ATF had officially opened an investigation into the group .
This is perhaps the time to begin talking about some of the misconceptions or smears about the Branch Davidians .
We are agnostic as to whether or not the group was a “ cult , ” as this can be defined differently by different people .
However , the notion that Koresh kept his people in line with either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with reports to Congress and elsewhere from survivors of the group .
What ’ s more , rather than the dregs of Waco , many in the group were educated , most were religiously serious , and the group eschewed drugs and junk food .
Contrary to popular belief , Koresh did not claim to be the Second Coming of Christ , but rather to be a new messiah for a new age .
The term “ sinful messiah ” was in fact one of Koresh ’ s own coinage , meaning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unlike Christ , had a sinful nature .
The allegations of child abuse that prompted the final siege on Mount Carmel is even highly in dispute .
Most of the allegations against Koresh come from either disgruntled former members or those involved in child custody battles .
The church was investigated by state authorities but not prosecuted , because no solid evidence was ever found .
That Koresh married a 14-year-old girl is true , but this would have been totally legal with parental consent at the time – so what were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the allegations of child sexual abuse were true – and we consider them to be extremely dubious – what was the ATF or the FBI doing there ?
And how does opening fire , throwing hand grenades , poison gassing and burning alive children serve to protect them ?
These are the important questions which stand as a stunning indictment of federal law enforcement , even if one accepts that child abuse was taking place within the compound .
As with Ruby Ridge , the allegations of the federal government and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( “ Koresh claims to be Christ ” ) , dubious ( “ Koresh is abusing children ” ) and , more to the point , irrelevant ( “ The Branch Davidians were cooking meth ” ) .
The FBI and ATF were on the scene in Waco for one reason and one reason alone : To serve a search warrant to determine whether or not the Branch Davidians were making automatic weapons .
The actual events of the raid can be difficult to tease out .
Each side disagrees as to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know is that , based on an affidavit filed by Davy Aguilera , the ATF obtained a search warrant .
This was based on the testimony of a postal agent about what he considered to be suspicious deliveries to Mt .
Carmel .
However , none of the deliveries were in and of themselves illegal , and included items such as 45 AR-15 upper receivers , and five M-16 upper receivers .
The search warrant was mostly based on the number of weapons possessed by the Davidians .
But in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to own as many weapons as we can afford .
What ’ s more , the notion that the Davidians were “ stockpiling ” weapons is a red herring : They were selling weapons ( legally ) in addition to buying them , so “ inventory ” might be the more accurate term for what they had at Mt .
Carmel .
According to Dick J. Reavis , author of The Ashes of Waco : The ATF ’ s raid , codenamed “ Showtime , ” was moved up one day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article on the Davidians .
The local sheriff was not aware of the raid , but the Davidians knew it was coming .
The ATF chose to raid the property rather than pick up Koresh while he was in town .
An ATF agent who had infiltrated the group reported that they knew of the raid and that his cover was blown .
When asked what they were doing when he left the property on the day of the raid , he said that the Davidians were praying .
There was another factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raid the Davidians when they did : Money .
According to Henry Ruth , one of three independent reviewers of the Treasury Department ’ s report on Waco : There is much discussion and debate about who fired first , however , there is ample evidence that it was the ATF when they went to shoot the Davidians ’ dogs in their kennels on the way to surrounding the compound .
What ’ s more , the ATF showed up in a cattle trailer protected by a tarp , wearing no body armor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed confrontation with apocalyptic religious extremists .
A ceasefire was negotiated by local authorities .
The sheriff claims that the ATF only withdrew once they were out of ammunition .
What this means is that if the Branch Davidians were the dangerous extremists they were portrayed as , they could have easily shot down every ATF agent either then or when they went out to recover their dead .
They did not ; the Davidians honored the ceasefire .
And so began the 51-day standoff in Waco , Texas .
The standoff is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inert non-confrontation .
However , this is untrue .
While it ’ s true that no shots were fired , there was a virtual constant low-level assault on the compound in the form of noise ( rabbits being slaughtered , jet planes , pop music and other loud noises ) , threatening tank movements and poison gas , and flash bang grenades .
Federal agents would frequently give the middle finger to or “ moon ” the people inside Mt .
Carmel .
The tanks were used to crush the outer perimeter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Branch Davidians , and were repeatedly rolled over the grave of Branch Davidian Peter Gent , despite protests from both Branch Davidians and federal negotiators .
While none of this is acceptable , two of these activities bear special examination : the gas and flash bang grenades .
The “ tear gas ” used against the compound was military grade , a type that can turn toxic very easily .
The federal agents knew there were children and even infants in the house , children too small for any gas mask to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway , effectively considering the suffering of the children inside as acceptable collateral damage .
Further , flash bang grenades are deadly and certainly violated the spirit , if not the letter , of the ceasefire .
Koresh became concerned with the safety of the group due to increasingly aggressive tactics .
All told , 11 people left the Davidian house , all of whom were arrested as material witnesses , with one indicted for conspiracy to commit murder .
Children inside were increasingly unwilling to leave Koresh ’ s side , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had previously left had been separated from their mothers and other women in the group who had been caring for them .
Communication predictably began to break down .
The FBI considered using snipers to take out Koresh and other leaders of the movement , and feared a mass suicide .
However , Koresh denied such a thing was imminent and those leaving the compound had seen no plans in place for a mass suicide .
How the Media Portrayed the Standoff Koresh and the Davidians watched what the ATF and other federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raid during their 51-day standoff .
The public narrative didn ’ t line up with what the Davidians had experienced , making negotiations even more difficult : Jim Cavanaugh , ATF negotiator : Well , I think we need to set the record straight , and that is that there was no guns on those helicopters ( used in the initial raid ) .
There was National Guard officers on those helicopters .
.
.
Koresh : Now Jim , you ’ re a d*mn liar .
Now let ’ s get real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
.
Koresh : No !
You listen to me !
You ’ re sittin ’ there and tellin ’ me that there were no guns on that helicopter !
?
Cavanaugh : I said they didn ’ t shoot .
There ’ s no guns on .
.
.
Koresh : You are a d*mn liar !
Cavanaugh : Well , you ’ re wrong , David .
Koresh : You are a liar !
Cavanaugh : OK. Well , just calm down .
.
.
Koresh : No !
Let me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you want the media to believe , but there ’ s other people that saw too !
Now , tell me Jim again .
You ’ re honestly going to say those helicopters didn ’ t fire on any of us ?
Cavanaugh : What I ’ m sayin ’ is .
.
.
now I listened to you , now you listen to me , OK ?
Koresh : I ’ m listening .
Cavanaugh : What I ’ m sayin ’ is that those helicopters didn ’ t have mounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not disputing the fact that there might have been fire from the helicopters .
If you say there was fire from the helicopters and you were there that ’ s OK with me .
What I ’ m tellin ’ you is there was no mounted guns , ya know , outside mounted guns on those helicopters .
Koresh : I agree with you on that .
Cavanaugh : Alright .
Now , that ’ s the only thing I ’ m sayin ’ .
Now , the agents on the helicopters had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you on that !
Cavanaugh : You understand what I ’ m sayin ’ ?
Koresh : I agree with you .
Cavanaugh : OK , OK .
So see , we ’ re not even in dispute and Steven ’ s getting all worked up over it .
Koresh : Well , no .
What the dispute was over , I believe Jim , is that you said they didn ’ t fire on us from the helicopters .
Cavanaugh : Well , what I mean is a mounted gun .
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a mounted machine gun .
Koresh : Yeah .
But like that ’ s beside the point .
What they did have was machine guns .
This distrust by the Davidians of the ATF and their lead negotiator , Jim Cavanaugh , helped exacerbate the standoff .
The newly minted U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno was unhappy with the progress being made at Waco , and invoked ( what else ) the abuse of children in her pitch for a resolution to the conflict .
For his part , President Clinton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Governor of Arkansas in 1985 – with The Covenant , The Sword , and The Arm of the Lord – initially urged waiting out the group .
Reno , however , cited antsy agents and budgetary concerns .
Ultimately , Clinton told her to do whatever she thought was best .
The FBI Hostage Rescue Team – derisively nicknamed the “ Hostage Roasting Team ” and which denied any evidence of child abuse – came armed with 50 caliber rifles and punched holes in the walls of the building with explosives so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a building with small children and infants inside .
The plan was to announce to the group that there was no plan to take the house by force while slowly pumping greater amounts of CS gas inside to increase pressure on them to leave .
The fires began around noon on the final day of the standoff .
The FBI maintains that they were started deliberately by the Davidians , with some survivors claiming that the FBI started the fires either intentionally or accidentally .
Footage of the Davidians talking about gasoline seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight the FBI with .
Nine people left the building during the fire .
The remaining people inside all died either from the fire , smoke inhalation , were buried alive by rubble or were shot .
Some showed signs of death by cyanide poisoning , which would likely have been a result of the burning CS gas .
All told , there were 76 deaths .
FBI claims in the 51 days during the standoff they never fired a single shot .
Then 27 of the people in the compound died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-inflicted or inflicted by other members inside the compound .
Federal investigators considered suicide as a possible form of gunshot death for the Davidians .
It did not consider forced execution to be a likely cause of death .
An exchange between Sen. Chuck Schumer and Assistant Attorney General Edward Dennis in the Clinton Administration in the subsequent congressional investigation summed it up best : Today the only building on the site is a small chapel erected years after the raid .
The building itself was razed .
The incoming head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the raid and made the Treasury Department ’ s Blue Book report on the matter required reading for incoming agents .
Nine Branch Davidians received sentences of up to 40 years for counts including voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges .
Several other Davidians , including foreign nationals , were imprisoned indefinitely as material witnesses .
Derek Lovelock , a British national , was held in McLennan County Jail for seven months , with the bulk of this time in solitary confinement .
Livingstone Fagan claims to have been repeatedly beaten by guards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was here that Fagan claims he was sprayed with cold water by a high-pressure hose before the guards put an industrial fan outside of his cell .
Guards strip searched him every time he left his cell , so he began refusing exercise .
Over 100 civil suits were brought against the government by Branch Davidians and their surviving families .
Most of these were dismissed before ever coming before a jury .
Where cases were brought to court , the Davidians were ruled against .
A jury in San Antonio , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of four ATF agents on grounds of self defense .
Perhaps the most important piece of evidence that the ATF fired first was lost .
Houston attorney Dick DeGuerin testified under oath that the right-hand entry door to the building had only incoming bullet holes in it .
A Texas state trooper testified that he saw two men load what looked like that door into a Uhaul .
The Branch Davidians argued at trial that the condition of the left-hand door ( i.e.
, intact ) means that the right-hand door was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost ” on purpose .
There seems to be no better explanation considering how buttoned down the crime scene was and the stakes involved in shielding the ATF and other federal agents from investigation .
The door was not the only evidence that was “ lost.
” The ATF ’ s footage of the original raid was also mysteriously ( and miraculously , depending on what side you ’ re on ) somehow lost .
All this , despite congressional demands to produce both : What the Waco Siege Tells Us About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide any new or stunning insight about the federal government or how it operates .
It does , however , confirm something that we know all too well : That when the federal government makes mistakes , its tendency is not to address and remedy those mistakes , but to double down , come back harder , and take every measure they can to conceal their wrongdoing .
However , there is another more sinister strand to this story : Did the FBI kill men , women and children because of budgetary concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they did .
Federal law prevents the military from enforcing federal law .
What ’ s more , any training that law enforcement agencies receive from the military must be paid out of their own budgets – unless the training is for enforcing “ drug laws.
” Late Congressman Steven Schiff of New Mexico testified that , “ In order for the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco and Firearms to have obtained the military assistance they did receive , not because of the Posse Comitatus Act , but because of existing military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this was an anti-drug raid when it was never an anti-drug raid.
” In David Hardy ’ s This is Not an Assault , he stresses , “ Once the military trainers pointed out that the ATF would have to pay , the ATF suddenly claimed that the Davidians – who in fact eschewed hard liquor , tobacco , cow ’ s milk and junk food – were a ‘ dangerous extremist organization ’ believed to be producing methamphetamine.
” There is no evidence that the Branch Davidians were in any way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , ample evidence to suggest that the federal government callously ignored the lives and safety of those inside to grandstand before cameras and justify bigger budgets .
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Op-Ed by Sam Jacobs
“The record of the Waco incident documents mistakes. What the record from Waco does not evidence, however, is any improper motive or intent on the part of law enforcement.” — Joseph Biden, U.S. Senator, Delaware (D) and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which issued the Waco Investigation Report
The siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, is an important event in American history because it directly led to one of the biggest terrorist attacks on American soil – the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. It’s not necessary to defend this act of terrorism to understand why the entire freedom movement of the time was so incensed by it. Indeed, it stood as a symbol of federal overreach and the corruption of the Clinton Administration.
It’s important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the siege of Waco, just as it is important to do so with the siege of Ruby Ridge or the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi. With every event, it is important to stick to the facts and what can be extrapolated from them to make the strongest argument about what went wrong and why, and what could be done differently in the future.
Background: Who Are the Branch Davidians?
The Branch Davidians were a tiny offshoot of mainstream Seventh-Day Adventism. This stemmed from an earlier split between the main church and a group called Shepherd’s Rod, The Rod or the Davidians. It was effectively a reform movement within Adventism, albeit with some beliefs considered heretical by the mainstream church, none of which are important or relevant for this discussion.
The Branch Davidians were established some 20 years later, and a much more radical departure from Seventh-Day Adventism born from disappointment at the failure of earlier prophecies to materialize. There was some wrangling over the leadership of the group after the death of its founder, but Vernon Howell, better known to the world as David Koresh, ultimately won out over the wife and son of the founder.
Everyone liked Howell when he first showed up at the compound in 1981, including the head of the organization at the time, Lois Roden, with whom he had an affair, despite a more than 40-year age gap (he was in his late 20s, she was in her late 60s). He wanted to have a child with her, one that he believed would be the Chosen One of their religion.
Her son, George Roden, took over upon her death, which led to a power struggle between the two. Roden challenged Howell to raise the dead, going so far as to exhume a corpse for this purpose. Howell attempted to file charges against Roden over the grave robbing, but the police told him that more evidence was needed.
It was then that Howell and seven of his followers raided the compound armed with five .223 caliber semiautomatic rifles, two 22 caliber rifles, two 12-gauge shotguns, and almost 400 rounds of ammunition. They said they were trying to collect evidence of illegal activity on the compound, but forgot to bring a camera with them for that purpose. This was the definitive split where Howell won control of the Branch Davidian church at Mount Carmel. Those who did not follow him continued to use this name and argue that he was never rightfully in possession of it.
It was then that Vernon Howell became David Koresh, a name based on the historical King David and Cyrus the Great (“Koresh” being the Hebrew version of “Cyrus”).
By 1989, Koresh began marrying the members’ wives and daughters, some as young as 12, which was cited as a reason for the eventual raid. He claimed this came from an order from God. The men in the group other than Koresh were to remain celibate.
The Sinful Messiah
Koresh first began getting media attention from the Waco Tribune-Herald in February 1993. “The Sinful Messiah” was the name of a series of articles by Mark England and Darlene McCormick about Koresh and his followers. The articles mostly revolve around the child abuse claims and Koresh’s claim that he had over a dozen children, some of them with girls as young as 12.
Additionally, the group was suspected by local law enforcement of “stockpiling” illegal weapons. Local law enforcement alerted the ATF in May 1992, based on a call from a concerned UPS driver. By June 9th, the ATF had officially opened an investigation into the group.
This is perhaps the time to begin talking about some of the misconceptions or smears about the Branch Davidians. We are agnostic as to whether or not the group was a “cult,” as this can be defined differently by different people. However, the notion that Koresh kept his people in line with either mesmerism or fear does not square up with reports to Congress and elsewhere from survivors of the group. What’s more, rather than the dregs of Waco, many in the group were educated, most were religiously serious, and the group eschewed drugs and junk food.
Contrary to popular belief, Koresh did not claim to be the Second Coming of Christ, but rather to be a new messiah for a new age. The term “sinful messiah” was in fact one of Koresh’s own coinage, meaning that he was a messiah like Christ but, unlike Christ, had a sinful nature.
The allegations of child abuse that prompted the final siege on Mount Carmel is even highly in dispute. Most of the allegations against Koresh come from either disgruntled former members or those involved in child custody battles. The church was investigated by state authorities but not prosecuted, because no solid evidence was ever found. That Koresh married a 14-year-old girl is true, but this would have been totally legal with parental consent at the time – so what were state authorities supposed to do?
Assuming that the allegations of child sexual abuse were true – and we consider them to be extremely dubious – what was the ATF or the FBI doing there? And how does opening fire, throwing hand grenades, poison gassing and burning alive children serve to protect them? These are the important questions which stand as a stunning indictment of federal law enforcement, even if one accepts that child abuse was taking place within the compound.
As with Ruby Ridge, the allegations of the federal government and their toadies in the corporate media are distortions (“Koresh claims to be Christ”), dubious (“Koresh is abusing children”) and, more to the point, irrelevant (“The Branch Davidians were cooking meth”). The FBI and ATF were on the scene in Waco for one reason and one reason alone: To serve a search warrant to determine whether or not the Branch Davidians were making automatic weapons.
The Raid of Waco
The actual events of the raid can be difficult to tease out. Each side disagrees as to what the sequence of events were.
What we know is that, based on an affidavit filed by Davy Aguilera, the ATF obtained a search warrant. This was based on the testimony of a postal agent about what he considered to be suspicious deliveries to Mt. Carmel. However, none of the deliveries were in and of themselves illegal, and included items such as 45 AR-15 upper receivers, and five M-16 upper receivers.
The search warrant was mostly based on the number of weapons possessed by the Davidians. But in the United States of America, we have the right to own as many weapons as we can afford. What’s more, the notion that the Davidians were “stockpiling” weapons is a red herring: They were selling weapons (legally) in addition to buying them, so “inventory” might be the more accurate term for what they had at Mt. Carmel.
According to Dick J. Reavis, author of The Ashes of Waco:
One of the prophecies that has been around Mt. Carmel since 1934 called for an ultimate confrontation between God’s people, or those at Mr. Carmel, and the forces of an armed apostate power called Babylon . . . Perhaps with that in mind, in 1991, the Davidians began studying armaments and buying and selling guns. He (Koresh) pretty quickly found out there is a lot of money to be made at gun shows and he and other people started going to gun shows. And they bought and sold. They bought items that weren’t guns, and they bought items that were guns. We now say, or the press now says, most people say, they stockpiled weapons. All gun dealers stockpile weapons. We call those stockpiles an inventory. There was an inventory of weapons at Mt. Carmel. A number of guys were involved in the gun shows, just as a number were involved in souping up and restoring cars, and just as a number were involved in playing in the band. There were circles or knots or subsets of people who had hobby interests that were only indirectly related to theology, and guns were one of those interests.
The ATF’s raid, codenamed “Showtime,” was moved up one day in response to a local newspaper’s article on the Davidians. The local sheriff was not aware of the raid, but the Davidians knew it was coming. The ATF chose to raid the property rather than pick up Koresh while he was in town. An ATF agent who had infiltrated the group reported that they knew of the raid and that his cover was blown. When asked what they were doing when he left the property on the day of the raid, he said that the Davidians were praying.
There was another factor influencing the ATF’s decision to raid the Davidians when they did: Money. According to Henry Ruth, one of three independent reviewers of the Treasury Department’s report on Waco:
“With appropriations hearings a week away, a large successful raid for the ATF would’ve proposed major positive headlines for the agency. It would’ve helped counter the narrative of the ATF as a rogue agency. And it would’ve spread fear about radical fringe groups which would put pressure on Congress to increase its budget. Part of their motivation was to use the siege at Waco as a publicity stunt.”
There is much discussion and debate about who fired first, however, there is ample evidence that it was the ATF when they went to shoot the Davidians’ dogs in their kennels on the way to surrounding the compound. What’s more, the ATF showed up in a cattle trailer protected by a tarp, wearing no body armor. They were not dressed for an armed confrontation with apocalyptic religious extremists.
A ceasefire was negotiated by local authorities. The sheriff claims that the ATF only withdrew once they were out of ammunition. What this means is that if the Branch Davidians were the dangerous extremists they were portrayed as, they could have easily shot down every ATF agent either then or when they went out to recover their dead. They did not; the Davidians honored the ceasefire.
“They could’ve killed every ATF agent out there the day of the raid, had they kept shooting. But when they said they would leave their property, they quit shooting. They were highly protective of their property.” Jack Harwell, Sheriff, McLennan County
And so began the 51-day standoff in Waco, Texas.
The Waco Standoff
The standoff is frequently thought of as a benign and inert non-confrontation. However, this is untrue. While it’s true that no shots were fired, there was a virtual constant low-level assault on the compound in the form of noise (rabbits being slaughtered, jet planes, pop music and other loud noises), threatening tank movements and poison gas, and flash bang grenades. Federal agents would frequently give the middle finger to or “moon” the people inside Mt. Carmel.
The tanks were used to crush the outer perimeter, out buildings, private vehicles belonging to the Branch Davidians, and were repeatedly rolled over the grave of Branch Davidian Peter Gent, despite protests from both Branch Davidians and federal negotiators.
While none of this is acceptable, two of these activities bear special examination: the gas and flash bang grenades.
The “tear gas” used against the compound was military grade, a type that can turn toxic very easily. The federal agents knew there were children and even infants in the house, children too small for any gas mask to cover. They shot the grenades in anyway, effectively considering the suffering of the children inside as acceptable collateral damage. Further, flash bang grenades are deadly and certainly violated the spirit, if not the letter, of the ceasefire.
Koresh became concerned with the safety of the group due to increasingly aggressive tactics. All told, 11 people left the Davidian house, all of whom were arrested as material witnesses, with one indicted for conspiracy to commit murder. Children inside were increasingly unwilling to leave Koresh’s side, especially once they learned that the children who had previously left had been separated from their mothers and other women in the group who had been caring for them.
Communication predictably began to break down. The FBI considered using snipers to take out Koresh and other leaders of the movement, and feared a mass suicide. However, Koresh denied such a thing was imminent and those leaving the compound had seen no plans in place for a mass suicide.
How the Media Portrayed the Standoff
Koresh and the Davidians watched what the ATF and other federal agents were saying publicly about the initial raid during their 51-day standoff. The public narrative didn’t line up with what the Davidians had experienced, making negotiations even more difficult:
Jim Cavanaugh, ATF negotiator: Well, I think we need to set the record straight, and that is that there was no guns on those helicopters (used in the initial raid). There was National Guard officers on those helicopters . . .
Koresh: Now Jim, you’re a d*mn liar. Now let’s get real.
Cavanaugh: David, I . . .
Koresh: No! You listen to me! You’re sittin’ there and tellin’ me that there were no guns on that helicopter!?
Cavanaugh: I said they didn’t shoot. There’s no guns on . . .
Koresh: You are a d*mn liar!
Cavanaugh: Well, you’re wrong, David.
Koresh: You are a liar!
Cavanaugh: OK. Well, just calm down . . .
Koresh: No! Let me tell you something. That might be what you want the media to believe, but there’s other people that saw too! Now, tell me Jim again. You’re honestly going to say those helicopters didn’t fire on any of us?
Cavanaugh: What I’m sayin’ is . . . now I listened to you, now you listen to me, OK?
Koresh: I’m listening.
Cavanaugh: What I’m sayin’ is that those helicopters didn’t have mounted guns. OK? I’m not disputing the fact that there might have been fire from the helicopters. If you say there was fire from the helicopters and you were there that’s OK with me. What I’m tellin’ you is there was no mounted guns, ya know, outside mounted guns on those helicopters.
Koresh: I agree with you on that.
Cavanaugh: Alright. Now, that’s the only thing I’m sayin’. Now, the agents on the helicopters had guns.
Koresh: I agree with you on that!
Cavanaugh: You understand what I’m sayin’?
Koresh: I agree with you.
Cavanaugh: OK, OK. So see, we’re not even in dispute and Steven’s getting all worked up over it.
Koresh: Well, no. What the dispute was over, I believe Jim, is that you said they didn’t fire on us from the helicopters.
Cavanaugh: Well, what I mean is a mounted gun . . . like a, you know, like a mounted machine gun.
Koresh: Yeah. But like that’s beside the point. What they did have was machine guns.
This distrust by the Davidians of the ATF and their lead negotiator, Jim Cavanaugh, helped exacerbate the standoff.
The Final Siege of Mount Carmel
The newly minted U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno was unhappy with the progress being made at Waco, and invoked (what else) the abuse of children in her pitch for a resolution to the conflict. For his part, President Clinton, who had dealt with a similar situation as Governor of Arkansas in 1985 – with The Covenant, The Sword, and The Arm of the Lord – initially urged waiting out the group. Reno, however, cited antsy agents and budgetary concerns. Ultimately, Clinton told her to do whatever she thought was best.
The FBI Hostage Rescue Team – derisively nicknamed the “Hostage Roasting Team” and which denied any evidence of child abuse – came armed with 50 caliber rifles and punched holes in the walls of the building with explosives so they could pump CS poison gas into a building with small children and infants inside. The plan was to announce to the group that there was no plan to take the house by force while slowly pumping greater amounts of CS gas inside to increase pressure on them to leave.
The fires began around noon on the final day of the standoff. The FBI maintains that they were started deliberately by the Davidians, with some survivors claiming that the FBI started the fires either intentionally or accidentally. Footage of the Davidians talking about gasoline seem to refer to them making Molotov cocktails to fight the FBI with.
Nine people left the building during the fire. The remaining people inside all died either from the fire, smoke inhalation, were buried alive by rubble or were shot. Some showed signs of death by cyanide poisoning, which would likely have been a result of the burning CS gas. All told, there were 76 deaths.
FBI claims in the 51 days during the standoff they never fired a single shot. Then 27 of the people in the compound died of bullet wounds. Then those were self-inflicted or inflicted by other members inside the compound. Federal investigators considered suicide as a possible form of gunshot death for the Davidians. It did not consider forced execution to be a likely cause of death.
An exchange between Sen. Chuck Schumer and Assistant Attorney General Edward Dennis in the Clinton Administration in the subsequent congressional investigation summed it up best:
Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Congressman, New York (D): We’ve heard that in the 51 days the FBI was involved, they did not fire a single shot . . . First, That would mean quite certainly that 27 of the people who died in the compound, I think the autopsy report showed 27, I may be off by one or two, who died of bullet wounds, those were self-inflicted or inflicted by other members within the compound . . . Edward Dennis, Former Assistant Attorney General, Clinton Administration: I think that’s a key issue. The fact that Koresh was capable of setting the fire, of killing his own followers, that parents were capable of killing children, or adults were capable of killing children, really says more about the mentality of the individual that you were dealing with and the difficulty in trying to figure out the best way to talk he and his followers out of that compound.
After the Raid
Today the only building on the site is a small chapel erected years after the raid. The building itself was razed. The incoming head of the ATF, John Magaw, was critical of the raid and made the Treasury Department’s Blue Book report on the matter required reading for incoming agents.
Nine Branch Davidians received sentences of up to 40 years for counts including voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges. Several other Davidians, including foreign nationals, were imprisoned indefinitely as material witnesses. Derek Lovelock, a British national, was held in McLennan County Jail for seven months, with the bulk of this time in solitary confinement. Livingstone Fagan claims to have been repeatedly beaten by guards at Leavenworth and other places. It was here that Fagan claims he was sprayed with cold water by a high-pressure hose before the guards put an industrial fan outside of his cell. Guards strip searched him every time he left his cell, so he began refusing exercise.
Over 100 civil suits were brought against the government by Branch Davidians and their surviving families. Most of these were dismissed before ever coming before a jury. Where cases were brought to court, the Davidians were ruled against. A jury in San Antonio, however, acquitted Branch Davidians in the killing of four ATF agents on grounds of self defense.
Perhaps the most important piece of evidence that the ATF fired first was lost. Houston attorney Dick DeGuerin testified under oath that the right-hand entry door to the building had only incoming bullet holes in it. A Texas state trooper testified that he saw two men load what looked like that door into a Uhaul. The Branch Davidians argued at trial that the condition of the left-hand door (i.e., intact) means that the right-hand door was not destroyed in the fire, but “lost” on purpose. There seems to be no better explanation considering how buttoned down the crime scene was and the stakes involved in shielding the ATF and other federal agents from investigation.
The door was not the only evidence that was “lost.” The ATF’s footage of the original raid was also mysteriously (and miraculously, depending on what side you’re on) somehow lost. All this, despite congressional demands to produce both:
“I will just make one comment to the witnesses relative to the video and the front door. We have consistently asked as a committee to get a copy of the videotape which they now say is blank. We have asked for the door, and the door is missing.” William H. Zeliff, Jr., U.S. Congressman, New Hampshire (R)
What the Waco Siege Tells Us About the Federal Government
The Waco siege does not provide any new or stunning insight about the federal government or how it operates. It does, however, confirm something that we know all too well: That when the federal government makes mistakes, its tendency is not to address and remedy those mistakes, but to double down, come back harder, and take every measure they can to conceal their wrongdoing.
However, there is another more sinister strand to this story: Did the FBI kill men, women and children because of budgetary concerns?
There is some evidence to suggest that they did. Federal law prevents the military from enforcing federal law. What’s more, any training that law enforcement agencies receive from the military must be paid out of their own budgets – unless the training is for enforcing “drug laws.” Late Congressman Steven Schiff of New Mexico testified that, “In order for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to have obtained the military assistance they did receive, not because of the Posse Comitatus Act, but because of existing military policy, they misrepresented to the military that this was an anti-drug raid when it was never an anti-drug raid.”
In David Hardy’s This is Not an Assault, he stresses, “Once the military trainers pointed out that the ATF would have to pay, the ATF suddenly claimed that the Davidians – who in fact eschewed hard liquor, tobacco, cow’s milk and junk food – were a ‘dangerous extremist organization’ believed to be producing methamphetamine.”
There is no evidence that the Branch Davidians were in any way involved in drug production. There is, however, ample evidence to suggest that the federal government callously ignored the lives and safety of those inside to grandstand before cameras and justify bigger budgets.
Article source: Ammo.com
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activistpost--2020-02-27--Utilities Admit Slow Pay-Off for Smart Meter Customers Despite Billions in Rate Increases and Taxes

Many special interest groups , state utility commissions , utility companies and even elected officials ( including Bernie Sanders ) have promoted utility “ Smart ” Meters as economically beneficial to customers and even eco-friendly ( see 1 , 2 , 3 ) despite all of their problems including environmentally harmful ones like • Appliances needing to be more frequently repaired and replaced after “ Smart ” Meter installation “ Smart ” Meters have been proven to be problematic over and over again ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) .
Many customers have complained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( see 1 , 2 , 3 ) .
Some elected officials have stopped their “ rollout ” in their communities and states ( see 1 , 2 ) including Kentucky Governor , Andy Beshear .
Of course , utility companies and their allies continue to promise in oh-so-flowery language that “ Smart ” Meters will eventually “ pay-off ” for customers even though they haven ’ t so far in oh-so many unpleasant ways .
Regulators have approved billions for utilities to roll out advanced metering infrastructure but they expected new customer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ utility operation costs .
As utility proposals grow for advanced metering infrastructure ( AMI ) deployments , power system regulators that the real-time distribution system data AMI produces justify the billion-dollar costs , causing deployment to slow .
But some utilities have begun demonstrating granular AMI data can be used to lower customer bills and lower power system costs , utilities , private sector partners and analysts told Utility Dive .
“ AMI is a whole new world for utilities , and they have to update systems and train people about the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Program Fellow told Utility Dive .
“ It is a powerful feedback to customers and utilities that can guide important changes in how and when energy is used.
” Impediments to getting pay-offs from have been significant , AMI advocates told Utility Dive .
Utilities and providers need to evolve data processing software capabilities in a regulatory system that favors hardware investments over software expensing .
But leading utilities are showing they can meet regulators ’ demands to justify AMI costs as they gain access to the right capabilities , stakeholders said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Meters and other unsafe technology .
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By B.N. Frank
Many special interest groups, state utility commissions, utility companies and even elected officials (including Bernie Sanders) have promoted utility “Smart” Meters as economically beneficial to customers and even eco-friendly (see 1, 2, 3) despite all of their problems including environmentally harmful ones like
Fires and explosions (see 1, 2, 3) Need for frequent replacement Biologically and environmentally harmful Electromagnetic Radiation emissions (see 1, 2) Appliances needing to be more frequently repaired and replaced after “Smart” Meter installation
“Smart” Meters have been proven to be problematic over and over again (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Many customers have complained about higher bills – not lower ones (see 1, 2, 3). Some elected officials have stopped their “rollout” in their communities and states (see 1, 2) including Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear. Of course, utility companies and their allies continue to promise in oh-so-flowery language that “Smart” Meters will eventually “pay-off” for customers even though they haven’t so far in oh-so many unpleasant ways.
From Utility Drive:
Regulators have approved billions for utilities to roll out advanced metering infrastructure but they expected new customer and system benefits, not just lower utility operation costs. As utility proposals grow for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployments, power system regulators are demanding evidence that the real-time distribution system data AMI produces justify the billion-dollar costs, causing deployment to slow. But some utilities have begun demonstrating granular AMI data can be used to lower customer bills and lower power system costs, utilities, private sector partners and analysts told Utility Dive. “AMI is a whole new world for utilities, and they have to update systems and train people about the new possibilities,” American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Policy Program Fellow Dan York told Utility Dive. “It is a powerful feedback to customers and utilities that can guide important changes in how and when energy is used.” Impediments to getting pay-offs from huge AMI investments have been significant, AMI advocates told Utility Dive. Utilities and providers need to evolve data processing software capabilities in a regulatory system that favors hardware investments over software expensing. But leading utilities are showing they can meet regulators’ demands to justify AMI costs as they gain access to the right capabilities, stakeholders said. Read Full Article

Activist Post reports regularly about “Smart” Meters and other unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
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activistpost--2020-02-27--Heavily Redacted Air Force Emails Reveal Confusion, Concern Over Colorado’s Drone Mystery

Heavily redacted internal emails from the Air Force show that the mystery of the drones that flew over Colorado in December and January remains .
Communications obtained through the Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA ) reveal just how serious the Unidentified Flying Object ( UFO ) reports were taken .
The emails come from Douglas D. Johnson , a volunteer sleuth in affiliation with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies ( SCU ) .
Johnson recently obtained the heavily redacted emails through a FOIA request .
The emails document the shocking internal communications of the Air Force ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force Base and the 90th Security Forces Group in response to various drone sightings .
In one heavily censored email the confusion of officials shows noting the situation is becoming severe .
“ [ Redacted ] — understand you ’ re part of the FBI TF [ task force ] looking at this ?
Pls send me an update , ” the email reads .
“ This is becoming a bigger deal .
What ’ s our PA [ public affairs ] play here right now WRT [ with regards to ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In another email , confusion is expressed by an unknown sender who asks their superior if there are any operations ongoing .
In a third email that question above is answered within the 90th Security Forces Group FOIA release dated January 8 , 2020 .
The group states that the drones are “ 100000000000 % not us.
” “ I ’ ve seen some articles pointing the finger as us , ” the sender writes , “ but I can definitely say this is not our team.
” However , emails depict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested .
With the subject line “ Autonomous Base Defense System , ” the sender discusses there was a capabilities demonstration ( “ capes demo ” ) at an unknown military base : Another message states that engineers from an unknown organization would be on base on January 17 to lead a briefing on an unspecified autonomous base defense system : That organization may be Dedrone , an anti-drone company , as another email indicates .
However , there is no way to be certain due to the fact that the emails are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the F.E .
Warren public affairs release writes in the subject line “ [ Non-DoD Source ] Quick question ” , the author asks , “ Do you know if security forces is playing with UASs up there ?
” Another purported follow up email with the same subject line responds , “ I believe this is the Dedrone contract.
” Perhaps one of the strangest emails found in the 90th Security Forces Group release , states that the “ drones ” appeared to be dropping “ potatoes ” according to media reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perkins County Sheriff ’ s Office collected some of these “ potatoes ” for analysis : Sheriff ’ s deputies are responding and seeing the drones as well .
They reported seeing a “ mothership ” 6 ’ in diameter flanked by 10 smaller drones ( some fixed wing , some not ) .
When deputies follow the drones , they clock them at speeds of 60-70 mph .
The drones also appear to be dropping or picking up things that look like “ potatoes ” [ Redacted ] The FBI in Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JTTF ) in Omaha are currently looking into the sightings .
Perkins County Sherriff ’ s [ sic ] Office has three of the potatoes frozen in storage and will likely transfer them to the FBI for analysis .
The FAA is sending an agent to Colorado this upcoming weekend to help investigate and handle the news coverage .
Someone else retorts : “ The “ potatoes ” have an agricultural purpose and are used by farmers with their large center pivot irrigation systems.
” However , a report by the Denver Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SOILPAM Tracklogs , a tool that is used to help fill the trenches left by wheels on large irrigation systems .
One email within the 90th Security Forces Group FOIA release , dated January 16 even blames Starlink satellites as being responsible for the sighting : Sir , BLUF [ Bottom Line Up Front ] : We have a high degree of confidence that the on-base visual phenomenon was not sUAS [ small Unmanned Aircraft Systems ] activity ; it is likely this was a result of the [ Redacted ] .
BACKGROUND @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passive , library based RF detection capability in order to locate sUAS activity .
It has a very high degree of accuracy and we have tested it extensively since June 2018 .
We receive regular hits of sUAS activity ( daily ) but nothing that is on the installation or over our specific area of interest .
DISCUSSION : [ Redacted ] did detect some activity in the area but nothing near the installation ( at least 3km away ) .
These detections were not out of the ordinary .
After reviewing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pictures are consistent with [ Redacted ] satellites .
The last launch was 6 Jan 2020 which contained 60 satellites .
These satellites are visible by the naked eye as they trust [ sic ] to their parking orbit altitude of 550km which usually takes a few weeks ; they look like a string of lights in the night sky .
Based on hobbist satellite tracking website , a string of [ Redacted ] satellites were in the area last night .
In another exchange about how to respond to media inquiries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need to ensure he doesn ’ t feel like we are hiding anything.
” On the following page in the same release , following the statement “ we do not know the origin of the drones , ” another person inserts : “ # aliens.
” In an official press statement on January 17 , after receiving input from Major General Ferdinand ‘ Fred ’ B. Stoss III , commander of 20th Air Force , F.E .
Warren Air Force Base released the following statement : The emails also purportedly included redacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information and to see additional emails , read the full release by The Drive available here .
With emails depicting confusion within the Air Force itself , we are left even more perplexed than before .
One thing is clear : the Air Force was involved in the investigation despite outlets like Vice seeming to have suggested otherwise in reports .
“ As you can imagine this activity has gained the attention of our Commander here at NORAD and USNORTHCOM , ” a 90th Security Forces Group email from January 7 reads .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our FBI and DHS representatives here.
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By Aaron Kesel
Heavily redacted internal emails from the Air Force show that the mystery of the drones that flew over Colorado in December and January remains.
Communications obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveal just how serious the Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) reports were taken.
The emails come from Douglas D. Johnson, a volunteer sleuth in affiliation with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU). Johnson recently obtained the heavily redacted emails through a FOIA request. The emails document the shocking internal communications of the Air Force’s public affairs office at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and the 90th Security Forces Group in response to various drone sightings.
The Drive reports:
Johnson filed two separate FOIA requests for all official correspondence to and from Jon Carkhuff, a public affairs officer and/or spokesman associated with F.E. Warren Air Force Base, and all official correspondence to and from the headquarters staff of the 90th Security Forces Group that contain any of the following terms: drone, drones, counter-drone, counter-drones, unmanned aerial system, unmanned aerial systems, UAS, counter-UAS, unidentified aircraft, unidentified aerial, unidentified flying, unknown aircraft, UFO, and anomalous. The FOIA requests were for communications ranging from December 15, 2019, through January 18, 2020. The requests were filed on January 18, 2020, and were fulfilled on February 14.
In one heavily censored email the confusion of officials shows noting the situation is becoming severe.
“[Redacted] — understand you’re part of the FBI TF [task force] looking at this? Pls send me an update,” the email reads. “This is becoming a bigger deal. What’s our PA [public affairs] play here right now WRT [with regards to] this (ongoing drone) effort?”
In another email, confusion is expressed by an unknown sender who asks their superior if there are any operations ongoing.
Hey colonel: Northeastern Colorado is in a tizzy about drone sightings. They all seem clustered in an area that has quite a few Minuteman sites. Do you know if security forces is playing with UASs [unmanned aircraft systems] up there?
In a third email that question above is answered within the 90th Security Forces Group FOIA release dated January 8, 2020. The group states that the drones are “100000000000% not us.”
“I’ve seen some articles pointing the finger as us,” the sender writes, “but I can definitely say this is not our team.”
However, emails depict this could be a defense system being tested. With the subject line “Autonomous Base Defense System,” the sender discusses there was a capabilities demonstration (“capes demo”) at an unknown military base:
Good morning sir, [Redacted] Since this capes demo they have continued to develop and field their systems. To that end, they just successfully completed a very high visibility demonstration at [Redacted] that is continuing to drive interest and deployment of the system [Redacted] as well as a one-month long combat validation deployment to [Redacted] that was so successful they are now deploying four additional systems in country on a permanent basis.
The [Redacted] proposed Jan 15th to come to FEW [F.E. Warren] and provide a brief and answer any questions. I will work with your front office to get it on your calendar.
Another message states that engineers from an unknown organization would be on base on January 17 to lead a briefing on an unspecified autonomous base defense system:
The lead engineer for [Redacted] will be briefing [Redacted] on Jan 17th @ 1030 in the Wing Conference Room on their autonomous base defense system and associated systems. The C-UAS section hit me up and said they were attending which is awesome however, this is less about actual blue force sUAS development and more about the system used to detect, track, classify, and identify the threat. [Redacted]
That organization may be Dedrone, an anti-drone company, as another email indicates. However, there is no way to be certain due to the fact that the emails are heavily redacted.
In an email in the F.E. Warren public affairs release writes in the subject line “[Non-DoD Source] Quick question”, the author asks, “Do you know if security forces is playing with UASs up there?”
Another purported follow up email with the same subject line responds, “I believe this is the Dedrone contract.”
Perhaps one of the strangest emails found in the 90th Security Forces Group release, states that the “drones” appeared to be dropping “potatoes” according to media reports. The unknown sender adds that the Perkins County Sheriff’s Office collected some of these “potatoes” for analysis:
Sheriff’s deputies are responding and seeing the drones as well. They reported seeing a “mothership” 6’ in diameter flanked by 10 smaller drones (some fixed wing, some not). When deputies follow the drones, they clock them at speeds of 60-70 mph. The drones also appear to be dropping or picking up things that look like “potatoes” [Redacted] The FBI in Colorado and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Omaha are currently looking into the sightings. Perkins County Sherriff’s [sic] Office has three of the potatoes frozen in storage and will likely transfer them to the FBI for analysis. The FAA is sending an agent to Colorado this upcoming weekend to help investigate and handle the news coverage.
Someone else retorts: “The “potatoes” have an agricultural purpose and are used by farmers with their large center pivot irrigation systems.”
However, a report by the Denver Post stated the “potatoes” were actually SOILPAM Tracklogs, a tool that is used to help fill the trenches left by wheels on large irrigation systems.
One email within the 90th Security Forces Group FOIA release, dated January 16 even blames Starlink satellites as being responsible for the sighting:
Sir, BLUF [Bottom Line Up Front]: We have a high degree of confidence that the on-base visual phenomenon was not sUAS [small Unmanned Aircraft Systems] activity; it is likely this was a result of the [Redacted]. BACKGROUND: [Redacted]. It uses passive, library based RF detection capability in order to locate sUAS activity. It has a very high degree of accuracy and we have tested it extensively since June 2018. We receive regular hits of sUAS activity (daily) but nothing that is on the installation or over our specific area of interest. DISCUSSION: [Redacted] did detect some activity in the area but nothing near the installation (at least 3km away). These detections were not out of the ordinary. After reviewing the photography and doing some quick research, the pictures are consistent with [Redacted] satellites. The last launch was 6 Jan 2020 which contained 60 satellites. These satellites are visible by the naked eye as they trust [sic] to their parking orbit altitude of 550km which usually takes a few weeks; they look like a string of lights in the night sky. Based on hobbist satellite tracking website, a string of [Redacted] satellites were in the area last night. RECOMMENDATION: [Redacted].
In another exchange about how to respond to media inquiries, an unknown sender writes, “We need to ensure he doesn’t feel like we are hiding anything.” On the following page in the same release, following the statement “we do not know the origin of the drones,” another person inserts: “#aliens.”
In an official press statement on January 17, after receiving input from Major General Ferdinand ‘Fred’ B. Stoss III, commander of 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren Air Force Base released the following statement:
We can confirm that the drones spotted in Colorado and Nebraska are not from F.E. Warren Air Force Base and are not affiliated in any way with the United States Air Force. We have provided this information to the FAA, FBI, and state and local authorities, as they investigate this matter. The drones have not posed a threat to any of our sites, facilities or operations. F.E. Warren AFB does conduct counter-UAS training within the confines of the installation, however, any drones spotted outside of the installation are not part of our fleet.
The emails also purportedly included redacted images of the aircrafts. For more information and to see additional emails, read the full release by The Drive available here.
With emails depicting confusion within the Air Force itself, we are left even more perplexed than before. One thing is clear: the Air Force was involved in the investigation despite outlets like Vice seeming to have suggested otherwise in reports.
“As you can imagine this activity has gained the attention of our Commander here at NORAD and USNORTHCOM,” a 90th Security Forces Group email from January 7 reads. “We are fully engaged as well with our FBI and DHS representatives here.”
By Aaron Kesel | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
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