FROM THE EDITOR
February 13, 2006The Roots of Democracy
By Carles BoixHailed as the key to the solution of poverty, corruption, bad governance and, last but not least, terrorism, spreading democracy around the globe has become the centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy since 9/11. Unfortunately, however, this enterprise is at risk because most of our policymakers have a poor understanding of the economic and institutional landscape that is most favorable to the extension of political liberties and free elections.
The experience of the past two years in Iraq shows that simply removing the old governing elite and holding elections is unlikely to suffice to establish a peaceful democracy. On the other hand, realizing that political freedom will not happen at a snap of our fingers should not draw us into holding a fatalistic, and equally mistaken, view that democracy is impossible in that region of the world. There does not seem to be anything inherent in Islam or even Arab culture that blocks the introduction of free elections in the Middle East. It is worth remembering that not many years ago Catholicism was (wrongly) believed to thwart liberal institutions in Southern Europe and Latin America.
http://www.policyreview.org/135/boix.html
Gary Jackson
President
Blackwater
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home.
---William E. Gladstone
PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Internet jihad: tackling terror on the Web
From our friends at the Terrorism Research Center (http://www.terrorism.com) Sara Ahmad's voice quavers slightly as she recalls the summer evening nearly 18 months ago when her older brother, Babar, an IT professional, came over for dinner. The following day Ms. Ahmad answered a knock at the door to find two policemen standing outside on her leafy suburban street. "They said he'd been arrested on a extradition request to the US," recalls Ahmad, a doctor. "I was completely shocked."
http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=WarReports&file=index&view=970
International Peace Operations Association (IPOA) Newsletter
This quarterly publication includes industry news, accomplishments, trends, technology, and key interviews with industry figures and policymakers. Download today: http://www.ipoaonline.org/uploads/IPOANewsletterQ106.pdfSuper Bowl XXXIX; The Successful Response of the FBI and Its Partners
By JEFFREY WESTCOTTAfter several gray, damp days that had city officials and host committee members wringing their hands, Sunday, February 6, 2005, dawned clear and bright in Jacksonville. As the sun rose over northeast Florida, the curtain soon would come up on the city’s performance in the world’s biggest show— Super Bowl XXXIX. In a few short hours, attention would shift from the parties and celebrity sightings, away from the lingering questions about whether Jacksonville had what it needed to host the event, and onto the game itself.
But, while the world waited for the kickoff, another equally important performance unfolded backstage. The players in this drama did not wear cleats and helmets; in fact, many of them had no unique uniforms. They included the hundreds of professionals from the FBI and more than 40 other law enforcement and public safety agencies charged with safeguarding the security of the game and the surrounding events. And, by the time the smoke from the final fireworks cleared and the last of the weary fans caught their flights out of town, the efforts of these behind-the-scenes heroes would prove a resounding success.
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2006/jan2006/jan2006leb.htm#page1
BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
Drug Smuggling Air Marshals?
For a law enforcement agency that works hard to be invisible, the Federal Air Marshals have been generating a lot of attention lately. On Thursday, two of the agency's several thousand highly trained traveling armed guards were taken into custody in Houston. Although the US Attorney's office would not comment beyond acknowledging that the Air Marshals were arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General's office, Government sources tell TIME that the two Air Marshals, are allegedly involved with the possession or transportation of cocaine, and may have been paid several thousand dollars to move the drugs.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1158902,00.html
CVS Store May Have Found Tampered Bottles
Bottles of fruit juice that appeared to be tampered with were found at same drug store where grape juice that sickened dozens of churchgoers had been purchased, police said.
The bottles contained several different brands and types of juice and were found during an inventory check, police said Friday. The CVS store was shut down as a precaution, and other stores in the area were notified.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/11/D8FN0E9G0.html
U.S. Cites Rise in Violence Along Border With Mexico
Mexican criminal syndicates are stepping up their attacks on American agents patrolling the border as officials of the Homeland Security Department intensify efforts to stem the flow of immigrants and drugs into the United States, American officials said this week.
In recent months, scores of Border Patrol agents have been fired upon or pelted with large stones as well as with cloth-covered stones that have been doused with flammable liquid and set ablaze. Since October, agents have been attacked in more than 190 cases, officials said on Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/11/national/11border.html?ei=5065&en=8ccaeff11d50d64c&ex=1140325200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
Inquiry Into Wiretapping Article Widens
Federal agents have interviewed officials at several of the country's law enforcement and national security agencies in a rapidly expanding criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding a New York Times article published in December that disclosed the existence of a highly classified domestic eavesdropping program, according to government officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/politics/12inquire.html?ex=1297400400&en=4644f19ba33ea1ea&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
SECURITY OPPORTUNITIESBlackwater is providing qualified and trained Protective Security Specialists (PSS) for the purpose of conducting protective security operations in Iraq. These positions currently include:
TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND SUBMIT YOUR RESUME AND DD-214 CLICK HERE https://secure.blackwaterusa.com/
SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
US prepares military blitz against Iran's nuclear sites
Strategists at the Pentagon are drawing up plans for devastating bombing raids backed by submarine-launched ballistic missile attacks against Iran's nuclear sites as a "last resort" to block Teheran's efforts to develop an atomic bomb.
Central Command and Strategic Command planners are identifying targets, assessing weapon-loads and working on logistics for an operation, the Sunday Telegraph has learnt.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/12/wiran12.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/12/ixnewstop.html
Rice: Nations Must Not Incite Protests
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that violent protests in the Muslim world over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad could "spin out of control" if governments refuse to act responsibly.
Rice, speaking from Washington on ABC television's "This Week," said Iran, in particular, should be urging its citizens to remain calm - not encouraging protests against Western embassies.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060212/D8FNM2MO0.html
Israel Cautions Against Legitimizing Hamas
Israel's foreign minister cautioned the international community Sunday against going down the "slippery slope" of legitimizing Hamas, criticizing Russia's decision to invite the militant group to Moscow for talks.
Hamas leaders confirmed Saturday they plan to travel to Moscow this months for talks with Russian President Vladmir Putin. They said they did not expect Russia to impose conditions for the trip, despite U.S. calls for Moscow to send a clear message that Hamas halt attacks on Israel and recognize the Jewish state.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060212/D8FNG1IG1.html
America’s ports still vulnerable to attack
“There are so many ‘What-ifs,’ it's unnerving.”
That from a federal agent, worried about the nearly eight million containers annually coming in to United States ports. It's how China ships to Wal-Mart and how wine comes from Italy.
In New York harbor Tuesday, so-called high-risk containers from Turkey drew six layers of inspection, including dogs, radiation scanners and X-rays.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5934537/
FRANKS REVIEW
Service Equipment Review:
5-OK-9 Agitation & Multi-Purpose Leads
Courtesy of Steve ForguesOver the years I have used a variety of canine equipment that ranged from poor to high quality. Those of us that are involved with security or police canines, require the highest quality and durability. When your canine is a pup, you maybe able to get away with low quality equipment that you find at the local pet store, but it won’t be long before your canine is stressing the equipment.
I recently received two leads from 5-OK-9 (Five-O Canine). Meaning no disrespect to 5-OK-9, but I thought I had heard of all the major manufacturers of canine equipment. Since I had not heard of the company I wondered just how good their stuff could be. After a couple of months of testing their equipment, I found that it met my high standards. Following you will find my evaluation of the two leads along with their specifications.
The rest of the story: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/other/5ok9.htm
Recreational Equipment Review:
SOG Knives Gov-Tac Field Knife
SOG: Special Operations Group - words we most often relate to military operations or even law enforcement operations. In this case, the SOG Gov-Tac knife, albeit exceptional in its use as a combat weapon, is being evaluated as a field knife for recreational purposes. Don't misundestand: quite often, field knives become "survival" knives because of unexpected circumstances, and you'd better have a damn good knife to help keep you alive. The SOG Gov-Tac is such a knife.The rest of the story: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/toolknife/soggovtac.htm
CHAPLAINS CORNER
AN INTERESTING JOURNEY...I have had a very interesting journey this week... especially last night. Several weeks
ago a friend gave me a new book and recommended that I read it. The book was
authored by a woman who was raised in the higher class of society in Iran as a
member of a very large Islamic family. Her family was very well to do, well educated
and financially prosperous. She did not have to do any work because the family
used servants for menial work except cooking which her mother handled.
She began to question her religion and ask questions. In her teen years she found a
Bible in her native language of farsi but when she took it home she was forbidden to
read it or keep it. When it it came time to return it to where she found it she lied and
did not return it. She would read it late at night under the bed covers with a flashlight.
She was a teen at the time about to graduate from high school which was very
unusual because education was usually refused to girls. She met a female cousin
who came to visit and took the cousin to her room. To her horror she discovered
that she had forgotten to hide the Bible and the cousin saw it before it could be
moved. The cousin was excited to find the Bible and to find that the young woman
had secretly become a Christian... for secretly she had become a Christian also.
http://blackwaterusa.com/btw2006/articles/021306chaplain.html
Be Blessed(a condition to be envied by the world).
Be Successful. Be SAFE.
VSP ALUMNI 757-431-2190
Chaplain D.R.Staton, VBPD (Don, C1)
chpln1@verizon.net
BUMPER STICKER
Whatever hits the fan will not be distributed evenly
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