Military Correspondent
We're having an incendiary debate about the California fires in Ghost Troop, and I think the link above will add fuel to the flames! It seems a bit too coincidental to me that the fires started with military precision on the Sunday, October 21, the day Turkey suffered over a dozen dead soldiers and began to mobilize for war against the Kurds in Iraq. Without a doubt the most important story last week was the looming geopolitical implosion of our Mideast policy, but how much time did the Presstitutes spend on that story? Instead the fires consumed homesteads in California and the attention span in the rest of America. They provided the Bush Boyz a chance to have a fire drill for martial law. How very fortunate for King George! As for Arnold "The Germanator" Schwarzenegger, I have to say that he's every bit as good in his latest acting role of governor as he was in his earlier roles of Conan and a cyborg. And yeah, I know that technically Arnold the Germanator is from Austria..., but then so was Hitler.
Are the fires in Southern California a result of terrorism as some on Fox News have suggested? Fox News quoted a 2003 FBI memo that alerted law enforcement agencies that an al-Qaeda terrorist being held in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States. Of course, "al Qaeda" is always the operative word when Fox refers to terrorism, but what if there is someone else behind these fires, someone who could clearly benefit from getting rid of problematic neighbors and getting big government contracts from disaster relief operations?
I recently got two emails that are pretty disturbing. The first one links to the National Terror Alert Response Center and is sourced from ChicoER (although ChicoER's link is now down). It describes suspicious activity by men with cameras visiting various Northern California Fire Stations and running off when detected. see www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2007/09/20/suspicious-activity-at-california-fire-stations-terrorism-center-issues-watch-request
The second one is about the town of Potrero where the citizens were planning a major fight against Blackwater, the mercenary company that is planning to build a 824-acre facility in in their community. This article describes how the citizens of Potrero saw no firetrucks until long after their houses burned down, found all roads blocked, and heard no reverse 911 calls warning them to evacuate.
Obviously, we don't have enough information to come to any conclusions as to what this might mean, maybe we never will, but these are very suspicious stories that need some examination.
Here's the first story:
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY AT CALIFORNIA FIRE STATIONS
Posted on September 20th, 2007
During the last week of July, fire officials in the Bay Area city of Campbell reported that two men had been seen videotaping routine activities at a fire station.
The men were reportedly in their 20s or early 30s, and one was using a sophisticated news media-style camera.
When firefighters attempted to talk with the men, they reportedly jumped into a waiting car and sped off.
The incident prompted the Sacramento Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center to send out a request for Northern California fire stations to watch for similar incidents, and report them immediately.
The day the request went out, Sept. 6, a second, similar incident was reported at a fire station in Yuba City.
According to officials, a fire captain encountered two men parked outside the city’s main fire station. One of the men got out and allegedly began taking pictures of the fire station’s administration building. When the captain approached the men, to tell them they were in a no-parking zone, the photographer jumped in the vehicle and the men left.
The man who took the photos was described as being between 30 and 40 years of age.
On Sept. 12, Fresno Fire Department officials spotted two men in a vehicle allegedly observing activities at a fire training center. When questioned, the driver reportedly said they were just checking things out, then left immediately.
Two days later, on Sept. 14, personnel from the Sacramento Metro Fire Department noticed two men taking photos of a fire station. A third man sat in the back of a car, and appeared to be drawing or taking notes. When fire officials walked toward them, the two taking pictures jumped in the vehicle and sped away.
The men allegedly took pictures in front of the station, and in the rear. They ranged in age from late teens to about 60, officials recalled.
Tim Johnstone, a commander with the threat assessment center in Sacramento, said all of the incidents are being investigated, but there is no indication they might be related.
“We aren’t considering this a specific threat at this time; we’re just asking our public safety partners to be on the watch for suspicious activity,” he said.
He said the threat assessment center was formed to act as a collection point for homeland security intelligence, and disseminate it appropriately.
Jay Alan, deputy director of communication for the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is concerned about security agencies sharing information, and has made it a top priority.
Local officials said no suspicious incidents involving videotaping or photos have been reported at fire stations.
Fire department personnel are being asked to take note of vehicle descriptions, descriptions of suspicious subjects, and complete license plate numbers. Citizens who witness suspicious activity, near fire stations or elsewhere, should do the same, and report it to their local law enforcement agency.
Citizens should not attempt to contact suspicious individuals."
www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2007/09/20/suspicious-activity-at-california-fire-stations-terrorism-center-issues-watch-request
The second story is from award-winning journalist Miriam Raftery:
Potrero, California, the town that has gained national attention for standing up against Blackwater Worldwide's plan to build a private military-style training camp in their pristine backcountry community east of San Diego, now faces an even more formidable force. The Harris wildfire which began outside Potrero early Sunday morning has ravaged the small rural community, where many residents remain trapped without supplies four days after the fire began.
"It's like the Kalahari Desert as you drive down Potrero Valley Road. There are sand dunes everywhere-dirt and ash," Jan Hedlun reported via cell phone on Tuesday. "We can't get in or out, and we are running out of supplies." This morning, however, Hedlun said food will be provided to beleaguered residents at the old Volunteer Fire Department Building. The County recently began initiating its fire consolidation plan, closing some rural volunteer firefighting departments. But here in Potrero, some residents complained that they never saw a single fire engine until long after their homes burned down.
Stretches where homes once stood along Highway 94 have been reduced to wasteland. Many homes have burned, although the town's store, library, and Post Office are still standing. "There is looting going on up here," said Hedlun. Another source described Potrero as a "moonscape with houses here and there."
Many Potrero residents never received reverse 911 calls warning them to evacuate. Some rely on cell phones, which were not included in the evacuation system.
"It's like Armageddon," said Jill Michaels, who had just four minutes to pack belongings before fleeing flames that singed her husband. She and her family tried to evacuate but found all roads blocked. She returned to witness her Potrero home burn to the ground.
Here you can read the rest of the story:
www.calitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4175
So, as the people of Potrero were preparing for an intense recall election on December 11 to kick out the planning group who approved Blackwater's base this fire breaks loose and devastates their community. And, then we have an alert regarding the men filming fire stations in Northern California?Do these two events connect in anyway?
Time and investigation may tell.
(And this just in: FEMA says sorry for faked briefing:
Three days after staging a televised news briefing defending its response to the California wildfires, FEMA apologized and said it wouldn't happen again.
www.miamiherald.com/519/story/286350.html)
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Photography, surveillance, FBI warnings preceded California wildfires
"The two men appeared to be in their 40s, spoke broken English, and were possibly of Middle Eastern descent... The captain got the license plate, but the car turned out to be rented."--Dennis Townsend, chief of fire prevention and law enforcement for two Cal Fire stations in the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit.
26 October 2007: Within the last 90 days, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued warnings to fire stations across California about incidents of "covert photography and surveillance of fire response stations" observed at various stations in rural areas of the state. Several incidents were reportedly being conducted by men who appeared to be Middle Eastern in appearance, taking photographs of fire stations located primarily north of the greater Los Angeles area.
According to fire officials and information contained in the DHS/FBI bulletins, the actions of those taking the photographs were suspicious and did not appear to have any legitimate purpose. The Northeast Intelligence Network has provided numerous cases of such surveillance across the U.S. With the onset of the current California wildfires, however, at least two of which were intentionally set "by individuals who knew exactly what they were doing." Such surveillance presents itself as more ominous and sinister in the context of the events, from the acts of attempted covert surveillance to the fires themselves. Although at least two suspects of two of the several fires have been identified and in at least one case, shot and killed by authorities while in the act of arson, others have yet to be identified.
Surveillance of fire stations, response locations
In addition to the information provided to the Northeast Intelligence Network, an article of specific relevance appeared in the Union Democrat on September 28, 2007. In that edition, “Homeland Security issued a bulletin to fire personnel a few months ago, warning fire stations to be aware of such incidents, said Dennis Townsend, chief of fire prevention and law enforcement for the unit.”
The article continued: “[…] Monday, a firefighter at the Green Springs station looked out the window and saw two men taking photos of the station. Continued
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Domestic Terrorism? California arson fires easier than hijacking planes
UPDATED: 25 October 2007: Law enforcement officials will agree that arson is the most difficult of crimes to "prove," especially in terms of identifying the perpetrator(s). The fires this week in Southern California have cost more than $1 billion in lost property and displaced more than a million people, the greatest evacuation California has ever seen. The origin of the massive Santiago Canyon Fire alone has caused an estimated $10 million in damage, burning about 20,000 acres so far and damaging or destroying about 30 structures. That cause of that fire has been officially declared arson, according to federal officials, who identified two separate "points of origin." Currently, the FBI is involved in the primary investigation of the fires, including forensic collection and analysis and scene management.
The Islamic terrorist threat inside the US
An early morning telephone call from our federal law enforcement source in California revealed information about the fires that suggests these are different than previous fires. Stated this source: "This is California and fires happen. But the manner in which these fires 'happened' indicate some level of pre-planning." When asked about the specific indications of pre-planning, this source declined to elaborate, adding only that the specific locations of origin combined by perfect weather and wind conditions are being investigated.
"The terrorists with whom we are at war and want to exact revenge on the U.S. are using simpler tactics with greater results. We have interviewed 10, perhaps 12 admitted members or al Qaeda or 'al Qaeda sympathizers' who have admitted using fires to destroy areas of the country, from Utah to Colorado and California. They've studies previous fire disasters, and have spoken and written about the physical damage, the psychological damage, and the strain on our resources," stated this source.
"Everybody is looking for the 'big one' - the refined attack, and too few are looking for the more simpler but far more consequential attacks that could be explained in a more traditional manner without having to frighten people with the word terrorism, and certainly without having to utter the phrase 'Islamic terrorism.' Few are thinking outside of the the box, the Western mindset" added this federal official. Can it be proven? Well, the concept is far from new.
In 2003, the Northeast Intelligence Network and WorldNetDaily were the first web sites to suggest the California wildfires that engulfed over one-half million acres that year could have been preplanned acts of terrorism "by al Qaeda members in the U.S. or associates who understand al Qaeda's modus operandi." Today, a law enforcement source speaking to this investigator from the Northeast Intelligence Network on the strict condition of anonymity says that this is not only possible, but "very likely" in 2003 as well as with the current state of the fires.
In 2003, verified intelligence indicates that Islamic terrorists could have had a hand in some of the existing fires in southern California that engulfed over 1/2 million acres. "Over the past few years, they could have perfected their methods to the extent that we have this conflagration today. No one wants to admit it, but we believe the initial and other fires were intentionally set after waiting for the proper time. The environmental factors were 'just right' for this large of an event," stated this federal source.
These fires started just several days after I received a federal bulletin warning of such a possibility being initiated as a terrorist act," this source added.
Just like in 1993, a FBI bulletin dated June 25, 2003 that was sent to United States law enforcement agencies revealed a senior al-Qaeda detainee claimed to have developed a plan to start forest fires in the U.S. "Their ultimate target was noted to be California, using the drought and weather patterns to act as a catalyst to make the fire more damaging, a condition that exists during Ramadan. Days before this conflagration, I read a very similar bulletin [as sent in 1993]."
The following was excerpted from Arabic language, Muslim terrorist message boards in 2003:
"Allah's soldiers will devastate America by its burning...this is nothing but the start of the punishment assisted by Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds....These are the new fires different from the normal as Ramadan starts." (Muslims worldwide are celebrating Ramadan).
Other truncated messages from September 2003:
Oh Allah support the fighters everywhere, and hasten your support of them Oh Allah...
Oh Allah... ignite the land a fire from below the feet of the Crusaders and cunning Zionists...
More to follow as this investigation continues.
Arson investigations and arrests continue in California with reports of 5 people being taken into custody so far. None however have been linked to any of the major blazes. The Seattle Intelligencer provide the following summary:
Meanwhile, a fire chief expressed outrage over a blaze that investigators say was intentionally set in the foothills of Orange County and destroyed nine homes. The fire, he said, diluted suppression efforts elsewhere in the region.
“I wonder frankly, if we didn’t have this fire … how many of our resources might have been available to respond to other parts of the state and how many people might be alive today,” said county fire Chief Chip Prather, as authorities announced $150,000 in rewards for information in their probe.
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--Blackwater Bodyguards Given Immunity In Deadly Shooting
29 Oct 2007
The State Department promised Blackwater USA
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