State Terrorism

Albany police: SWAT used poor black neighborhood for training because it’s ‘realistic’

"The chief of police in Albany, New York says that his department just wanted a 'realistic' setting when it frightened residents in a poor, predominately African-American neighborhood with SWAT training exercises that included firing blank ammunition and exploding flash grenades. On Thursday, Albany’s SWAT team shocked nearby residents when it stormed a public housing complex that was scheduled to be demolished, according to the Times Union. Photos circulated on Facebook over the weekend showed police in tactical gear, spent shell casings and fake blood." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAlbany police: SWAT used poor black neighborhood for training because it’s ‘realistic’

New report says there are still no federal safety standards for nation’s bioterror defense labs

"US labs that research bioterror germs such as anthrax are at risk for accidents because they do not have uniform building and operation standards, a Congressional investigative group said on Monday. A lack of oversight has persisted despite a 2009 report by the Government Accountability Office on the same topic, leaving no single agency in charge of safety or research goals at bioterror labs, the GAO said in its report. US labs that research ways to protect against bioterror germs and disease outbreaks have been on the rise since the September 11, 2001 attacks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew report says there are still no federal safety standards for nation’s bioterror defense labs

Vial of easily weaponized virus goes missing in Texas

"A virus that authorities worry could easily be weaponized as an aerosol went missing from a medical research facility in south Texas, an official at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston said Saturday. About a quarter of a teaspoon of frozen viral material went missing last Wednesday, UTMB President David L. Callender explained in prepared text. The virus is an exotic strain from south America called Guanarito, which can cause a life-threatening condition that includes fever, convulsions and hemmhoraging." Continue reading →

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Resistance is Dangerous; Submission is Frequently Fatal

"In other words: If a cop seeks to abduct you without legal justification, you should submit in the serene confidence that your deprivation of liberty will be temporary and trivial. I have referred to this as the 'Rapist Doctrine,' since rapists and police officers are the only assailants whose victims are encouraged to submit. One hundred years after the New Mexico State Supreme Court published that ruling, the case of New Mexico resident Stephen Slevin demonstrates that this assurance is a cynical lie." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingResistance is Dangerous; Submission is Frequently Fatal

Smart Drones

"IF you find the use of remotely piloted warrior drones troubling, imagine that the decision to kill a suspected enemy is not made by an operator in a distant control room, but by the machine itself. Imagine that an aerial robot studies the landscape below, recognizes hostile activity, calculates that there is minimal risk of collateral damage, and then, with no human in the loop, pulls the trigger. Welcome to the future of warfare. While Americans are debating the president’s power to order assassination by drone, powerful momentum — scientific, military and commercial — is propelling us toward the day when we cede the same lethal authority to software." Continue reading →

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Obama stripping CIA of drone powers

"President Barack Obama is putting the finishing touches on a deal to strip the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of its control over the nation’s drone aircraft, putting that offensive military capability in the hands of the Department of Defense, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday. Citing three unnamed senior officials as his source, reporter Daniel Klaidman explained that the transition would take place over the course of a year, during which time the CIA would still be involved in marking targets for drone strikes and working alongside their Department of Defense counterparts." Continue reading →

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Will Grigg: “Ominous Threats” and Murderous Zeal

"That description was not applied to the masked, armor-clad Berserkers who kick down doors in the early morning or late at night and terrorize families over non-violent 'offenses.' Nor was it offered in reference to the militants who have purchased more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition -- much of it hollow-point rounds unsuitable for military use -- while distributing armored vehicles and other military hardware to their adherents in practically every city nation-wide. The Times didn't direct that rhetorical salvo at the people who are openly discussing plans to fill America's skies with robot planes that can -- and will -- be used as weapons platforms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Grigg: “Ominous Threats” and Murderous Zeal

Man’s Home Raided After Son’s Facebook Picture Shows Gun

"After seeing a photo of an 11-year-old boy holding a rifle on Facebook (photo shown cropped at right), New Jersey police and Department of Children and Families officials raided the home of the boy’s father, Shawn Moore, a firearms instructor. Moore was not arrested or charged, but immediately sought the counsel of his lawyer. Moore is a certified firearms instructor for the National Rifle Association, an NRA range safety officer, and a New Jersey hunter education instructor. He posted a photograph of his son wearing camouflage and holding his .22 rifle. The boy has a New Jersey hunting license and has passed the state’s hunter safety course." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan’s Home Raided After Son’s Facebook Picture Shows Gun

Obama administration: Warrantless GPS tracking needed to fight terrorism

"The Obama administration will argue before a federal appeals court on Tuesday that law enforcement must regain the ability to use GPS tracking devices without a warrant, which it says is necessary to continue the fight against terrorism. The use of GPS devices in warrantless snooping has been illegal since January 2012, when the Supreme Court ruled that vehicles are private property protected by the Fourth Amendment, which guarantees freedom from unreasonable search and seizure. If the Obama administration is successful on its appeal however, GPS devices will be fair game for police nationwide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama administration: Warrantless GPS tracking needed to fight terrorism