| From The Editor June 5, 2006 |
Reasonable Search and Seizure, Capitol Hill StyleSince when is Congress worried about the separation of powers?By Jacob Sullum When I lived in Manhattan, I often witnessed canine altercations in which one dog would start barking and lunging, the other would respond in kind, and the two owners would drag them apart, leaving me shaking my head and wondering, what was that about? I had a similar reaction to the recent controversy over the FBI's court-authorized search of a congressman's office. As is often the case with dog fights, the conflict had something to do with protecting territory. But contrary to the claims of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and other congressional leaders, it had very little to do with the Constitution. The weekend before last, FBI agents conducting a bribery investigation searched the Capitol Hill office of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), taking datebooks, a copy of his computer's hard drive, and other records. A few days later, Hastert and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) issued a joint statement saying, "The Justice Department was wrong to seize records from Congressman Jefferson's office in violation of the Constitutional principle of Separation of Powers, the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution, and the practice of the last 219 years." http://www.reason.com/sullum/053106.shtml Gary Jackson President Blackwater |
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
| I see America, not in the setting sun of a black night of despair ahead of us, I see America in the crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the burning, creative hand of God. I see great days ahead, great days possible to men and women of will and vision.
Carl Sandburg |
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PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS |
Disarming Warlords a Test for Colombia's UribeFrom our partners at the Terrorism Research Center Rafael says his life as a Colombian paramilitary fighter left him with nothing but dead friends and seven bullet scars. So a year ago he traded fighting for farming at a ranch near Bogota in a program set up by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to demobilize illegal armed groups and prepare them to return to civilian life. "We exchanged guns for shovels," said Rafael, 25, showing a bullet fragment lodged in his leg. "We've changed a lot of things, like the idea we can't live without the war."http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=WarReports&file=index&view=1215 Documents: How Homeland Made Its Antiterror GrantsHomeland security officials slashed antiterror funding to New York City and Washington, D.C., while handing generous grants to Omaha, Louisville, Ky., and Charlotte, N.C.—even though, according to internal government documents obtained by NEWSWEEK, Homeland rated the New York City region and the "National Capitol Region" in the top 25 percent of urban areas at risk for possible terror attack. Why the cuts? One main reason: Homeland evaluation committees gave poor marks to the regions' grant applications, in which local officials spelled out how they'd use the antiterror dollars. New York's and D.C.'s grant proposals were ranked in the bottom 25 percent of all funding requestshttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13122390/site/newsweek/ Visual Tracking—a Misunderstood Investigative and Tactical ToolBy Sgt. David R. ReederVisual tracking is a skill set that continues to be misunderstood by law enforcement—at the individual officer and senior administrator level alike. Despite the recent increased exposure brought to the art by various writers (such as Yancey Harrington’s articles in SWAT Magazine, Scott Oldham’s in Tactical Response and others), the prevalent perception of visual tracking continues to be that of some arcane talent useful only out in the boondocks. Visual track interpretation remains largely something associated with manhunts, the recovery of fugitives, the interception of illegal aliens and narcotics interdiction in remote locales under arduous conditions. This is most assuredly not the case. Nothing, in fact, could be further from the truth. There are any number of ways in which visual tracking can be employed to the benefit of urban agencies and the jurisdictions they serve, and employed by a variety of officers, deputies or agents from a wide and disparate array of assignments. http://www.swatdigest.com/archives/swmag_feb_passivetrack.html |
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BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Nato promises new Afghan tacticsThe Nato commander in Afghanistan has pledged to use new tactics to win over the support of disenchanted Afghans.Lt Gen David Richards said Nato soldiers would be a "people-friendly force" when they take over security in the south from US forces in July. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5045560.stm Iran's Leader Warns of Disruption in OilIran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Sunday that oil shipments from the Gulf region would be disrupted if the United States attacked his nation, but his threat was dismissed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Khamenei also insisted in a speech broadcast livehttp://news.myway.com/index/id/top|ap.html Security Tight for Tiananmen AnniversaryChinese police tore up a protester's poster and detained at least two people on Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sunday as the country marked 17 years since local troops crushed a pro-democracy demonstration in the public space.An elderly woman tried to pull out a poster with apparently political material written on it, but police ripped it up and then took her away in a van. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060604/D8I1G5UG0.html First Troops in Bush's Border Plan ArriveFifty-five National Guard members from Utah arrived in Yuma on Saturday afternoon - the first troops to be sent to the Arizona-Mexico border in a new crackdown on illegal immigration. The Utah troops had been scheduled to work on fences and other projects as part of the Guard'shttp://apnews.myway.com/article/20060604/D8I19RKO0.html |
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
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SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Islamists seize key Somali townSomalia's Islamic Courts militia has seized a key town outside the capital, Mogadishu, from a member of the warlord alliance it is fighting.Balad, 30km (19 miles) north of Mogadishu, lies on the main road to Somalia's most fertile regions. It was controlled by warlord Muse Sudi Yalahow, who is officially trade minister in the transitional government set up to bring peace to Somalia. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5046402.stm Canada Nabs 17 Terror Suspects in TorontoCanadian police foiled a homegrown terrorist attack by arresting 17 suspects, apparently inspired by al-Qaida, who obtained three times the amount of an explosive ingredient used in the Oklahoma City bombing, officials said Saturday.The FBI said the Canadian suspects may have had "limited contact" with two men recently arrested on terrorism charges in Georgia. About 400 regional police and federal agents participated in the arrests Friday and early Saturday. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060603/D8I11TKO0.html 8 Oil Workers in Nigeria Said ReleasedEight foreign oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria, including an American, were released Sunday, a local government spokesman said, adding that he was with them in the presence of the governor of a southeast Nigerian state. "All the hostages have been released. They are with the. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060604/D8I1CJ8G0.htmlGangs Burn Houses in East Timor CapitalGangs burned buildings near the airport in East Timor's capital Sunday despite patrols by foreign peacekeepers, and residents pleaded for a permanent police presence in their neighborhoods to stop the violence. Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said parliament will meet this http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060604/D8I1G8N01.html |
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FRANKS REVIEW |
Service Equipment Review:Safest Shot For Your AR-type RifleOne thing I've always heard - for as long as I can remember while serving in the Army or as a cop - "Don't just stand there! Get behind cover!" When I first started police work, qualifications involved standing still at a given distance, presenting my handgun when the threat appeared (target turned) and shooting a specified number of shots. Now it's, “MOVE to cover, give verbal commands while moving and drawing, and engage the target - don't holster until no threat exists.” The biggest emphasis is still on NOT standing still: seeking cover. This week's review is about a product called "Safest Shot". It allows you to STAY behind cover and engage targets accurately.The Safest Shot system is primarily comprised of a replacement stock and a forend that mounts on a picatinny rail. A horizontal periscope assembly is also included. The system, when "activated" allows you to keep your entire head and body off the axis of potential incoming rounds while you keep your sight alignment and sight picture intact. The rest of the story: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/other/safestshot.htm Recreational Equipment Review:Glock 34 & 35 For Competition I know that competition shooting is vastly different from Hunting (and has nothing to do with fishing) but this was the most appropriate Recreational Section available for me to put this subject in. Perhaps I'll have to start a section on Shooting Sports if the interest warrants it. This week's Recreational Review is on the Glock Model 34 and Glock Model 35, otherwise known as the "Tactical / Practical" pistols from Glock. Specifically designed to be the same approximate dimensions as the Government Model 1911 Pistol in height and overall length, the G34/35s sport a longer slide and barrel than their G17/22/31 "little" brothers, but maintain the frame size and, therefore, round count.A few years back, a police agency I worked for tested the G34/35 pistols in consideration as duty weapons. The G17/22s were also tested, as well as weapons from Beretta, Sig, H&K, etc. Although the G34/35 wasn't selected, it proved quite a capable weapon and, during testing, qualification scores were noticeably higher with them. The rest of the story: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/huntfish/g3435.htm |
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CHAPLAINS CORNER |
DREAMERSIf you can dream it, you can do it.-Walt Disney The world we know has been formed by dreamers both the good and enjoyable world and the horrible and destructive world like the one in Afghanistan, Iraq and the other slaughter fields of today's world. We all know about some of what Walt Disney built from his dreaming mind and heart. A dreamer sees things in the imagination as though they are real and tangible. Engineers are dreamers Architects are dreamers Draftspersons are dreamers Good leaders are dreamers Despots are dreamers Successful Business People are dreamers Purveyors of religion are dreamers Successful Military Commanders are dreamers Artists are dreamers Authors are dreamers Many more endeavors fall into the realm of being initiated and affected by dreamers. The soldier on the field ought to be a dreamer dreaming of a new world that will rise out of the ashes of the destruction all around their position on the battlefield. If there is no vision (dream) within the mind and heart for success and rebuilding there is no reason for fighting the war They are fighting to bring the dream of a peaceful future into reality. Yes, the ones willing to fight and die are dreamers. They dream of a better life for the ones they love and possibly for the whole human race and the world in which we live and they want it to come into being so greatly that they are willing to sacrifice for it being accomplished. For the rest of the story go here: http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2006/article/060506chaplain.html |
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LEGAL NOTICE |
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