Former TSA Chief Again Criticises Airport Security
April 27, 2012
Daily Mail
By Daily Mail
“Even a former TSA chief knows the agency is out of control.” –KTRN
The former head of the Transportation Security Administration has once again lambasted the country’s airport security system.
Kip Hawley, who was head of the TSA from 2005-2009, says he understands why the public is ‘fed-up’ with the agency, because lengthy security checks and a laundry list of banned items do little to stop terrorists and need to be streamlined.
He argues passengers should be allowed to carry blades, small weapons and liquids on board airplanes, because they have not been a significant threat since 9/11.
Speaking to ABC News, Hawley said the screening process would be more efficient if agents focused on detonators or bomb parts – rather than weapons that cannot penetrate the cockpit door.
‘Carry a big knife, carry five knives,’ he told the network. ‘What are you going to do with a knife or five knives? You are not going to take over the plane.’
‘The focus should be explosives and toxins – things that can kill a lot of people very fast before security measures can stop someone from making that attack,’ he said.
Government Secretly Prepares To Evacuate Chicago During NATO Summit
April 27, 2012
Prison Planet
By Steve Watson & Paul Joseph Watson
A leaked directive issued to the Red Cross indicates that the federal government has prepared plans to evacuate Chicago during the NATO summit.
An email sent to Red Cross volunteers in the Milwaukee area notes that the NATO summit in May could “create unrest or another national security incident.”
“The American Red Cross in southeastern Wisconsin has been asked to place a number of shelters on standby in the event of evacuation of Chicago,” the email, which was leaked to CBS News, reads.
A spokesperson for the Red Cross Chapter told CBS “Our direction has come from the City of Chicago and the Secret Service”.
While the Secret Service has not commented on the news, officials at Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication have denied having anything to do with the directive.
Two weeks ago residents were startled by urban warfare drills conducted in downtown Chicago on the authority of the OMEC. Huge black hawk helicopters were seen flying low and in between buildings for hours. It now appears that these exercises may be linked to the secret preparations.
In addition, earlier this week a number of Chicago area residents revealed that they have been asked to leave their homes in preparation for major rioting.
TSA Under Fire for Mistreatment of 7-Year-Old Girl With Cerebral Palsy
April 27, 2012
Yahoo News
By Melissa Knowles
“When is this going to stop?! Head hangs low.” –KTRN
The Transportation Security Administration is under scrutiny for its treatment of a 7-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. When Dina Frank traveled through New York’s JFK International Airport with her parents, she and her family were pulled out of line as they tried to board their plane.
The airport’s TSA agents and the Franks are in dispute over how the family was treated at security after Dina endured what the Franks referred to as an “exceptionally aggressive screening.” Dina walks with the aid of metal crutches and leg braces, so she can’t go through a traditional metal detector and has to be manually patted down. Dina’s parents say that she is developmentally disabled and often gets frightened by the procedure, so they often request that TSA agents introduce themselves before screening Dina.
Her father, Dr. Joshua Frank, began taping the screening with his iPhone, but said that he was screamed at, cursed at, and threatened as he tried to document what was happening. The Franks said a supervisor eventually allowed them to go to their gate, having decided that inspecting the crutches was acceptable.
However, an hour after the family had arrived at their departure gate, TSA agents showed up and said the Franks would need to return to the security area for an additional screening. By the time the family had returned to the gate after Dina’s rescreening, their flight had departed.
Man Dies After Being Assaulted By Cops; Officers Placed On Paid Leave
April 27, 2012
RT
By RT
“So cops kill people by mistake and get to stay at home and still get paid. Sounds almost like a vacation.” –KTRN
Five months after cops in North Chicago, Illinois violently arrested an unarmed man only for him to die from his injuries days later, the city’s mayor has announced that seven police officers will be placed on paid administrative leave.
The seven North Chicago officers linked to the November 13 death of 45-year-old Darrin Hanna were sent home with pay this week as authorities consider if any further disciplinary action should be taken by the police force.
The officers in question have been on desk-duty for the five months since Hanna’s passing and will now indefinitely be off the beat until a decision is made. In the interim, however, Tristan Borzick, Jason Geryol, Gary Grayer, Marc Keske, Arthur Strong, Brandon Yost and Sgt. Salvatore Cecala will all continue to receive full pay.
North Chicago, Illinois Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. announced the news at a press conference on Tuesday. Only days earlier, the Reverend Jesse Jackson had led a rally outside the Windy City asking for the mayor’s resignation over his lack of action in the case.
“The criminals who engaged in this activity are still policemen. They still have a badge, and a gun, and authority,” Jackson said at this weekend’s rally, reports WGN News.
Jackson also equated the death of Hanna with another controversial case in the news as of late; “We had Trayvon in Florida, and now Darrin in North Chicago,” Jackson said.
On Friday last week, the US Department of Justice said that it is now investigating the incident and will soon decide if a formal probe will be necessary to dig deeper into the events that led to the death of Hanna last year and if the officers should be held accountable for their actions. Responding to the DoJ’s news, Mayor Rockingham said he was in favor of a resolution that he hoped would “possibly calm the community.”
Police were dispatched to investigate a domestic abuse complaint at a North Chicago home last year. According to the officers that responded to the call, Hanna rushed them with clenched fists, prompting them to respond with batons and Tasers. Although the cops claim that their stun guns were only used two or three times, an autopsy identified 11 Taser scars on Hanna’s back.
A week later, Hanna died. According to the Lake County coroner’s office, physical restraint and Taser shocks were both factors in the man’s death. Evidence of cocaine use was also uncovered, report says.
Congressman Says He Was Targeted For Grope Down By TSA
April 26, 2012
Info Wars
By Steve Watson
“What are the chances that a congressman is going to be a terrorist? This is getting beyond ridiculous.” –KTRN
A US Congressman has claimed that he was assaulted during a TSA patdown and was then targeted for future patdowns by the TSA after complaining about the incident.
Texas Rep. Francisco Canseco says he was inappropriately touched in private areas during a run in with the TSA earlier this month at San Antonio International Airport.
“The agent was very aggressive in his pat-down, and he was patting me down where no one is supposed to go,” Canseco, who describes himself as a “limited-government conservative”, told KENS 5 news.
“It got very uncomfortable so I moved his hand away. That stopped everything and brought in supervisors and everyone else.” Canseco added.
When the Congressman said he’d been assaulted, the TSA agent claimed that Canseco had actually assaulted him. The TSA says that neither man was cited in the incident.
One week later Canseco was again singled out by the TSA in the same airport and selected for a pat-down.
“I did not see it as a coincidence,” he said. “I asked them why are you going to pat me down again, so we discussed it further and after discussing it further, they patted me down.”
When Canseco refused to allow the agent to touch his private areas a second time, police officers were called to the scene.
The TSA released the following generic statement regarding the incident:
“TSA incorporates random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport. Once a passenger enters the screening process, they must complete it prior to continuing to a flight or secure area.”
Canseco said his experience illustrated changes in the airport security are needed.”
“It is very important that Americans feel safe and secure as they travel in our nation’s airways – safe and secure from acts of terrorism and all that. But, I also think that TSA sometimes gets too aggressive, and it’s not just about me. It’s about every American that goes through those TSA scanners.”
Crooked TSA Screeners Arrested in Drug Trafficking Scheme
April 26, 2012
ABC News
By Jason Ryan and Lee Ferran
“The TSA: Where they only hire the best of the best.” –KTRN
Multiple airport screeners have been arrested for allegedly taking handsome bribes to look the other way while loads of illegal drugs slipped through security at Los Angeles International Airport, federal officials announced today.
Two current and two former officials at the Transportation Security Administration were arrested in the last 48 hours in connection with at least five incidents from February 2011 to July 2011 in which on duty screeners took payments of up to $2,400 to allow suitcases filled with drugs to pass unimpeded through X-ray machines at LAX, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr.’s office said in a statement.
According to Birotte’s office, the scheme was uncovered after a member of the alleged conspiracy accidentally went through the wrong security line and was busted by TSA screeners who were not in on the plot. In another case, a TSA screener unknowingly arranged with a confidential source for the Drug Enforcement Administration to receive $1,200 for a shipment of methamphetamine to pass through security.
The UN Plan for the World: Global Carbon Taxes, Global Safety Nets And A One World Green Economy
April 26, 2012
Activist Post
By Michael Snyder
Did you know that the UN has a plan for running the world and it is right out in the open? It is called “sustainable development”, but it is far more comprehensive than it sounds.
The truth is that the UN plan for running the world would dramatically alter nearly all forms of human activity. A 204-page report on “sustainable development” entitled “Working Towards a Balanced and Inclusive Green Economy, A United Nations System-Wide Perspective” has been published in advance of the upcoming Rio + 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro.
You can read the full report right here. It envisions a vast system of global carbon taxes, massive global safety nets and the implementation of a one world green economy. Many of those that are pushing “sustainable development” on a global level believe that they are doing it for the good of the planet. In fact, the 204-page report mentioned above even says that the transition “to a green economy requires a fundamental shift in the way we think and act” but that it will be worth it in the end.
What people need to understand is that throughout modern history tyranny has almost always been initially introduced by people that believed that they had “good intentions”. No matter how much friendly language the UN uses in their reports, the truth is that what they are promoting is an insidious agenda of absolute tyranny on a global scale.
The upcoming Rio + 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro comes 20 years after the original 1992 UN Earth Summit that adopted “Agenda 21″. This new summit will be about renewing that commitment to “sustainable development” and moving that agenda forward.
Say Hello To Your Corporate Police
April 26, 2012
Activist Post
By Keelan Balderson
“And you thought the police state in the US was bad? It appears to be even worse in the UK.” –KTRN
Police staff throughout the county of Lincolnshire are now proudly wearing the logo of their corporate bosses, as Government cutbacks force the privatization of the nation’s peacekeepers.
G4S, a controversial multi-national security corporation has now virtually taken over all civilian positions in the region, including front counter staff at police stations, control room operators, custodians at local holding cells, and even inquiry officers.
In total 550 employees who previously worked for Lincolnshire Police Authority are now considered private sector workers, essentially accountable only to company policy, with 200 or so already sporting the G4S stamp.
Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation has voiced his concern [1][2], saying the switch over will confuse the public and make police work more difficult.
People know what a fully warranted officer can do and when you find someone who doesn’t possess those powers but appears to, that will cause confusion.
The deterrent effect of having warranted officers is lost.
He also called it a worrying step towards private on-the-street policing.
The shift towards privatisation by government is something we are very concerned about and this is another example of the boundaries being pushed.
Western Kentucky University Students Under the Watchful Eye of High-Tech Surveillance System
April 25, 2012
Activist Post
By Nicholas West
“Why would the faculty at Western Kentucky State need to be watching their students this closely?” –KTRN
The many buildings of Western Kentucky University sit within 200 acres of campus space, and the school’s 21,000 students give it the population of a mid-size town. Perfect place to test and implement the latest in high-tech video surveillance and management.
Students are already under the gaze of over 300 security cameras, but campus IT professionals apparently are having a difficult time centralizing the information they are receiving. As part of a new strategy, they will be implementing Milestone Systems IP video management software. WKU’s 250+ cameras qualify it for Milestone’s military-grade XProtect Corporate software. As reported by Government Security News, this will give management the ability “to perform most management tasks from a central location, making it possible for a small team with limited resources to maintain such a large deployment with ease.”
According to the video demo below it also allows for flexibility in recording and archiving video footage for specified lengths of time. Perhaps most telling in the rather dry video is the military language used. Schools become “installations;” systems can be “deployed;” all while providing “increased situational awareness.” Also mentioned is the identification of “suspicious activity,” which has now become much more ominous upon the FBI’s release of guides for behavior that can put you on a terror watch list.
In addition to University “Campus Watch” citizen spy programs, which encourage a snitch culture in private and public partnerships with federal fusion centers around the country, the physical surveillance grid continues its expansion into every facet of American life. It is nothing short of prisoner training, as the next generation is exposed to ever-greater levels of observation and control. If you are a college student, or work at a college, and are aware of similar video surveillance at your school, please add your comments below, or contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.
Wal-Mart’s List of Crimes Expands by Adding ‘Bribery Campaign’ in Mexico
April 25, 2012
Activist Post
By John Galt
“We know shopping at Wal-Mart is cheap, but there is a reason. Not only do they sell crap, but they also pay their workers horrible wages and they have destroyed mom and pop businesses. You should seriously consider shopping elsewhere.” –KTRN
Wal-Mart has been on the march across Latin America over the last 20 years. America’s largest private employer is now also the leader in all of Latin America.
From their launch pad in Mexico, where an incredible one in five of all Wal-Mart stores now reside, they have successfully conquered Brazil Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile and Puerto Rico.
It is now coming to light how they might have facilitated such rapid progress in a region known for massive bureaucracy.
A former Wal-Mart executive has exposed a widespread bribery campaign inside Mexico orchestrated by Wal-Mart in order to “gain market dominance.” Apparently, the price to do so was a mere $24 million dollars — hardly a drop in the bucket compared to its now $380 billion annual revenue in that country.
What is staggering is the brazenness with which they went about the campaign:
The former executive gave names, dates and bribe amounts. He knew so much, he explained, because for years he had been the lawyer in charge of obtaining construction permits for Wal-Mart de Mexico.
Wal-Mart dispatched investigators to Mexico City, and within days they unearthed evidence of widespread bribery. They found a paper trail of hundreds of suspect payments totaling more than $24 million. They also found documents showing that Wal-Mart de Mexico’s top executives not only knew about the payments, but had taken steps to conceal them from Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. In a confidential report to his superiors, Wal-Mart’s lead investigator, a former F.B.I. special agent, summed up their initial findings this way: ‘There is reasonable suspicion to believe that Mexican and USA laws have been violated.’
(…)
In one meeting where the bribery case was discussed, H. Lee Scott Jr., then Wal-Mart’s chief executive, rebuked internal investigators for being overly aggressive. Days later, records show, Wal-Mart’s top lawyer arranged to ship the internal investigators’ files on the case to Mexico City. Primary responsibility for the investigation was then given to the general counsel of Wal-Mart de Mexico — a remarkable choice since the same general counsel was alleged to have authorized bribes. (Source)
Wal-Mart is currently in damage-control mode, as its stock has slumped nearly 5% based on the allegations that they have engaged in a top-to-bottom coverup of their practices.
Wal-Mart’s despicable behavior is being protested against in every country where their model of cheap slave goods and corruption has been instrumental in decimating local economies . . . even in the wealthier nations where their consumer base resides.
