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Operation Falcon and the Police State
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Twan
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Feb 26, 2007 22:49 PST
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Operation Falcon and the Looming Police State
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17190.htm
By Mike Whitney
02/26/07 "ICH" --- - On 29th June, 1934, Chancellor Adolph Hitler,
accompanied by the Schutzstaffel (SS), arrived at Wiesse, where he
personally arrested the leader of the Strum Abteilung (SA), Ernnst
Roehm. During the next 24 hours 200 other senior SA officers were
arrested on the way to Wiesse. Many were shot as soon as they were
captured but Hitler decided to pardon Roehm because of his past service
to the movement. However, after much pressure from Hermann Goering and
Heinrich Himmler, Hitler agreed that Roehm should die. At first Hitler
insisted that Roehm should be allowed to commit suicide but, when he
refused, Roehm was shot by two SS men. (Spartacus.schoolnet.co)
Later, Hitler delivered a speech at the Reichstag in which he justified
the murders of his rivals saying:
"If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not resort to the regular
courts of justice, then all I can say is this: In this hour I was
responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I became the
supreme judge of the German people. It was no secret that this time the
revolution would have to be bloody; when we spoke of it we called it
'The Night of the Long Knives.' Everyone must know for all future time
that if he raises his hand to strike the State, then certain death is
his lot."
The Night of the Long Knives is seen by many as the turning point where
Hitler made it clear that he was above the law and the supreme leader of
the German people.
Operation Falcon: Blueprint for removing dissidents and political rivals
The Bush administration has carried out three massive sweeps in the last
two years, rolling up more than 30,000 minor crooks and criminals,
without as much as a whimper of protest from the public.
Operation Falcon is the clearest indication yet that the Bush
administration is fine-tuning its shock-troops so it can roll up tens of
thousands of people at a moment’s notice and toss them into the
newly-built Halliburton detention centers. This should be a red flag for
anyone who cares at all about human rights, civil liberties, or simply
saving his own skin.
Operation Falcon was allegedly the brainchild of Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales and his counterpart in the US Marshal's office,
(Director) Ben Reyna. But its roots go much deeper into the nexus of
right-wing Washington think tanks where fantasies of autocratic
government have a long history. The name, Falcon, is an acronym for
“Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally.” It relates to the more
than 960 state, local and federal agencies which are directly involved
in the administration’s expansive criminal dragnets.
Typically, law enforcement agencies are protective of their own turf and
wary of outside intervention. The Falcon program overrides these
concerns by streamlining the information-sharing processes and setting
up a chain-of-command structure that radiates from the Justice
Department. This removes many of the traditional obstacles to agency
interface. It also relocates the levers of power in Washington where thy
can be manned by members of the Bush administration.
Dictatorships require strong centralized authority and the Falcon
program is a logical corollary of that ambition. It creates new inroads
for Bush to assume greater control over the nationwide police-state
apparatus. That alone should be sufficient reason for alarm.
The first Operation Falcon took place during the week of April 4 to
April 10, 2005. According to the US Marshal’s official website, “The
emphasis centered on gang related crimes, homicides, crimes involving
use of a weapon, crimes against children and the elderly, crimes
involving sexual assaults, organized crime and drug related fugitives,
and other crimes of violence.” More than 10,000 criminal suspects were
arrested in a matter of days. It was the largest criminal sweep in the
nation’s history and, according to U.S. Marshall chief Ben Reyna,
“produced the largest number of arrests ever recorded during a single
initiative.” The Washington Times noted, “The sweep was a virtual
clearinghouse for warrants on drug, gang, gun and sex-offender suspects
nationwide.”
The emphasis was clearly on quantity not quality.
Still, this doesn’t explain why state and federal agencies had to be
integrated with local law enforcement simply to carry out routine police
work.
More importantly, it doesn’t explain why local police ignored their duty
to protect the public just so they could coordinate with outside
agencies. According to one report “162 accused or convicted of murder”
were picked up in the first sweep. That means that the police knowingly
left murderers on the street and put the public at risk while they
orchestrated their raids with federal agencies.
That’s irresponsible. It also suggests that there may be a more sinister
motive behind the program than just ensuring public safety. The plan
appears to have been devised to enhance the powers of the “unitary”
executive by putting state and local law enforcement under federal
supervision. Once again, it’s an attempt by the administration to extend
its grip to the state and local level. We saw a similar strategy unfold
after Hurricane Katrina when the Bush administration used the tragedy to
seize control of local police and National Guard units so they could
establish de facto martial law. Troops, armored vehicles and mercenaries
were deployed to New Orleans to fight lawlessness and looting even
though desperate people were still stranded on their rooftops waiting
for food, water and medical attention.
Operation FALCON II was another massive dragnet which covered the
western half of the country and focused primarily on “violent sex
offenders”. The raids took place from April 17-23, and succeeded in
apprehending 9,037 alleged fugitives. The US Marshals web site boasts
that the operation “took some of the country's most dangerous wanted
criminals off the streets and made America's communities safer”.
Nonsense. Despite the claims of success, only 462 “violent sex crime”
suspects were arrested, along with 1,094 “unregistered sex offenders”
and other minor “sex crime” suspects. That leaves 7,481 suspects who
were rounded up for other unrelated reasons.
Who are they and what crime did they commit? Were these drug violations,
dads who were delinquent on child-support payments, traffic tickets,
jay-walking?!?
7,481 people who were incarcerated are unaccounted by the government’s
estimate. This means that the bulk of them were probably undocumented
workers who were shunted off to the INS (Immigration and Naturalization)
or dispatched to Cheney’s tent-city gulags in western Texas. (See:
Democracy Now “Human Rights Groups Call for Closure of Texas Jail
Holding Undocumented Immigrants” 2-23-07)
Similar inconsistencies appear in “Operation FALCON III, which covered
the eastern half of the country from October 22 - 28, 2006.” State,
local and federal police-units arrested 10,773 fugitives; including
1,659 sex offenders, 971 unregistered sex offenders, 364 gang members,
140 homicide suspects, and 3,609 drug violations. Once again, the US
Marshal’s official tally doesn’t pencil out. This time, 4,030 extra
people were rounded up without any further explanation.
Who are they and have they been charged with a crime?
Furthermore, sex offenders, drug users and gang-bangers are not what we
normally consider “some of the country's most dangerous wanted
criminals”. In fact, there are indications that the great majority of
these people are not violent at all. For example, of the 30,110 total
fugitives who were apprehended in all three Falcon sweeps, a measly 586
firearms were seized.
Clearly, the people who were arrested for the most part were not “armed
and dangerous” nor were they a serious threat to public safety. They
were probably just the unwitting victims of an overzealous US Marshals
office and an ideologically-driven Justice Department.
So, what was the real impetus for the Falcon raids? Was it just a
bean-counting exercise to see how many people would fit in the back of a
Paddy-wagon or are they a dress rehearsal for future crackdowns on
potential enemies of the state?
Bogus News Reports
The Falcon operation illustrates the incestuous relationship between the
media and the state. They are two wings on the same plane. The Justice
Department provided the TV networks with official footage of policemen
and government agents raiding homes and handcuffing suspects; and the
media dutifully aired the video on stations across the country. The
scenes were accompanied by a reassuring commentary lauding the
administration’s new crime fighting strategies and linking homeland
security with the nebulous war on terror.
Attorney General Gonzales told reporters, “Operation FALCON is an
excellent example of President Bush’s direction and the Justice
Department’s dedication to deal both with the terrorist threat and
traditional violent crime.” He added, “This joint effort shows the
commitment of our federal, state, and local partners to make our
neighborhoods safer, and it has led to the highest number of arrests
ever recorded for a single initiative of its kind.”
So far, not one of the more than 30,000 victims has been charged with a
terror-related crime.
The media-hype surrounding the raids has been celebratory and uniform;
cookie-cutter articles appeared throughout the US press (most of them
unsourced) highlighting the cooperation between the divers agencies
while providing an upbeat account of what amounts to police repression.
Thousands of nearly identical articles appeared in the nation’s
newspapers which seem to have been authored by high-ranking officials at
Homeland Security and protégés of George Orwell; although the difference
between the two is far from certain.
Even stranger, most of the articles in the mainstream media can no
longer be retrieved via a Google search. They seem to have vanished into
the black-hole of Homeland propaganda.
No matter. If the media was supposed to make Gestapo-like crackdowns
look like normal police operations; they succeeded admirably. Mission
accomplished.
Former Governor of Louisiana, Huey Long once opined, “When fascism comes
to America, it will come wrapped in an American flag.” Indeed, he could
have added that the corporate media will gladly provide the flag and the
public relations campaign as they have with Falcon.
Falcon; new drills for a new world order
The Falcon operations can only be understood in the broader context of
the ongoing assault on the constitutional system of checks and balances;
including the repeal of habeas corpus, warrantless wiretaps and
searches, and the use of torture.
For the last 6 years, the Bush administration has been busy dismantling
the legal safeguards which protect the citizen from the arbitrary and,
oftentimes, ruthless actions of the state. To that end, detention camps
are being prepared by Halliburton within the U.S., secret courts have
been established which deny due process of law, American citizens are
arrested without charge, law enforcement is increasingly militarized,
and the media has strengthened its alliance with the central government.
Additionally, in October 2006, George Bush quietly changed the
Insurrection Act, which prevented the President from deploying troops
inside the United States. Bush’s revision effectively overturns the
Posse Comitatus Act which put strict limits on the executive’s power to
use US troops in domestic situations. Just days earlier Bush signed a
similar bill, "The John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" which
gives Bush the power to take command of National Guard units across the
country which are traditionally under the control of the state
governors.
Without fanfare, Bush has taken control of all armed forces and militias
inside and outside of the country and now has a monopoly on all the
state-sanctioned tools of organized violence. It’s a coup that could
never have succeeded without the tacit cooperation of the media.
Bush is now free to declare martial law in response to a natural
disaster, a pandemic or a terrorist attack. The congress is powerless to
stop him.
Also, Bush recently signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which
allows the president to arbitrarily declare citizens and non citizens
“enemy combatants” and imprison them indefinitely without charge. The
new law gives Bush the authority to disregard the Geneva Conventions and
the 8th amendment’s ban on “cruel and unusual” punishment and apply
“harsh interrogation” which may include torture. The act effectively
repeals habeas corpus, the cornerstone of American jurisprudence and the
Bill of Rights.
The Military Commissions Act cannot coexist with the US Constitution;
the two are mutually exclusive.
The Military Commissions Act, The John Warner Defense Authorization Act,
the Homeland Security Act, the Patriot Act, and the myriad presidential
signing statements have conferred absolute power on George Bush. The
question is whether or not some incident will arise that will persuade
Bush to use his extraordinary new powers.
General Tommy Franks predicted that a “massive, casualty producing
event” might cause “our population to question our own Constitution and
begin to militarize our country;” a scenario that many see as likely
now.
Is that it? Will another terrorist attack provide the rationale for
overturning republican government and declaring martial law?
If so, then we should know what to expect.
According to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) it would mean
“the suspension of the normal functions of civilian government, implying
the cancellation or postponement of state and federal elections.”
(Global Research) It would also “close public and government facilities
not critical for continuity of essential operations.” (FEMA)
Northern Command would assume control and under “the classified
'Continuity of Government” (COG) Operations Plan' a secret 'shadow
government' would become functional, redeploying key staff to secret
locations.” (Global Research)
Also, “all forms of public gatherings or citizen's protests which
question the legitimacy of the emergency procedures and the installation
of a police state” would be banned. The military would be deployed to
carry out “police and judicial” functions.
Martial law in the US would be applied with the utmost attention to
public sensibilities and perceptions, avoiding the garish display of
force we see in Iraq. It would be a “kinder and gentler” martial law
with a limited number of military personnel on the streets (just enough
to remind us that things have changed) and an emphasis on “preemptive”
policing operations. (Expect Falcons’ 4, 5 and 6 etc) It would probably
be disguised by a carefully crafted public relations campaign and a
predictably cheery moniker, such as, “The Security Enhancement and
Homeland Fortification Act”. The possibilities are limitless.
The Bush administration is also prepared if some unforeseen tragedy
befalls congress, like another anthrax attack.
In fact, the American Enterprise Institute, to which the Bush team is
closely aligned, has already "issued proposals for the operation of
Congress following a catastrophic terrorist attack". They advocate the
"APPOINTING" of individuals to the House of Representatives "to fill the
seats of dead or incapacitated members, a first in American history"
"The Continuity of Government Commission is self-commissioned', its
members being neither elected nor appointed by any government body and
mostly made up of professional lobbyists". (Read the whole article:
http://www.conservativeusa.org/cog-ronpaul.htm) (Coincidentally,
Newsweek article “White House Rehearses for Domestic Attack” 2-23-07;
“The White House is staging a high-level exercise Saturday to test
responses to the prospect of a massive domestic terrorist attack.” These
drills are a critical part of the C.O.G. regimen dating back to the
Reagan administration)
According to the AEI’s plan, the future United States congress will be
comprised of lobbyists and industry representatives. What else would one
expect from an organization that believes that corporate interests
should determine policy?
These are the chilling precedents which have paved the way for further
government lawlessness and abuse. They foreshadow the ominous transition
from representative government to autocratic rule; from inalienable
rights to martial law.
The Falcon operations are just a small part of this larger paradigm. The
program is not designed for rounding up minor crooks and drug dealers,
(which no one really cares about anyway) but for removing leftists,
dissidents and political rivals. These are the real targets. The power
of the state is measured in terms of how effectively it defeats or
eliminates its enemies. And, the Bush administration has shown a
remarkable aptitude for crushing its rivals.
The Crawford Fuehrer
One day, after a particularly savage domestic purge; we can expect
President Bush to stride to the presidential podium and reiterate the
same words that were uttered by his German predecessor 60 years ago:
"If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not resort to the regular
courts of justice, then all I can say is this: In this hour I was
responsible for the fate of the American people, and thereby I became
the supreme judge of the American people….Everyone must know for all
future time that if he raises his hand to strike the State, then certain
death is his lot."
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