” A paramedic in West, Texas, has been arrested for possession of an explosive device, a federal official said on Friday, but it was not clear whether there was a connection to a deadly explosion last month at a fertilizer plant in the town.
Texas officials also announced on Friday that they had opened a criminal investigation into the April 17 explosion that killed 14 people and injured about 200 others. They made no mention of an arrest.
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Franceska Perot identified the man arrested as Bryce Reed.”
” President Obama, speaking in Mexico at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia Friday, blamed US guns and demand for illegal drugs for the violence in Mexico. He said that “most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States.”
He said: “Much of the root cause for violence that has been happening here in Mexico, for which so many Mexicans have suffered, is the demand for illegal drugs in the United States.”
He continued: “Most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States. I think many of you know that in America, our Constitution guarantees our individual right to bear arms. And as president, I swore an oath to uphold that right, and I always will… But at the same time, as I’ve said in the United States, I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common-sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people… That can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States. It’s the right thing to do.” “
” This M-47 Patton is for sale for $275,000. ArmyJeeps.net has many pieces for sale, across the country.”
” I want a tank. I have no idea what I’d do with a tank, and I know full well I wouldn’t fit inside a tank (I’m terribly claustrophobic). But that doesn’t really matter. I’d just like to have one to look at.
And for folks like me, buying a tank is no more difficult than buying a bulldozer, so long as the gun on the tank has been permanently rendered inoperable. That’s the trick. A tank’s cannon is classified as a destructive device by the ATF, and is, therefore, subject to all of the restrictions and regulations of the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act.
There are two general classifications of hardware. Some tanks are military antiques. As weapons, they’re obsolete. The interest in these machines is almost entirely based upon their value as examples. Most, though not all, of these sorts of tanks are associated with museums.
Buying a more contemporary tank overseas often involves an element of restoration, as many of the available specimens were abandoned, or mothballed.
ExcaliburArmy.com is a dealer out of Prague. For an excellent perspective on the what it takes to buy a tank in Prague (but not the hassle of getting it over here) read Joe Sherman’s Automobile Magazine article “How to Buy a Tank.”
There are dealers here who specialize in decommissioned military hardware. If it is already in the United States, it is only a matter of money.”
Mohammed Badawood, 20, is the roommate of the Saudi national being questioned by the FBI.
” A roommate of the man questioned in connection to yesterday’s Boston Marathon bombing described the Saudi national as “a good boy,” incapable of such a monstrous attack.
Investigators early last night converged on a fifth-floor apartment where the person of interest lives with two roommates.
Mohammed Badawood, 20, described the man as “quiet and clean” and said he last saw him two days ago. Badawood told The Post he moved into the apartment about five months ago.
“He’s a good boy,” Badawood said of his roommate today. “I think he couldn’t do that.”
Officials showed up at the Revere apartment at about 5:30 p.m. yesterday in unmarked vehicles, a resident of the building said.
About an hour later, more vehicles, carrying agents of the FBI, Homeland Security and ATF also descended on the site, along with firefighters and a bomb squad.
Badawood said officials were searching his apartment when he arrived home last night at around 7.”
” A documentary using real audio from the Waco siege, which ended in a gun battle between the FBI and members of David Koresh‘s cult followers at a Texan compound, has been commissioned by Investigation Discovery.
ID Films: Inside Waco marks the 20th anniversary of the infamous Waco Siege which began after a two-hour gun battle left four FBI operatives and six cult members dead. The siege lasted 50 days before 76 men, women and children died from a fire, the building collapse or gunfire.
Winona Meringolo and Jane Latman commissioned the documentary for ID.”
“It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States,” Holder replied in a letter yesterday to Paul’s question about whether Obama “has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without trial.”
That statement alone should be reason for firing Holder … where does the government get the notion that it can assassinate fellow Americans? Oh , yes , wait a minute … Janet Reno . That’s it , isn’t it , Waco and Ruby Ridge . Lon Horiuchi got away with assassinating an unarmed mother didn’t he ?
So the precedent has been set … again by those ACLU supported , civil rights champions of another Democratic Administration .
” Paul condemned the idea. “The U.S. Attorney General’s refusal to rule out the possibility of drone strikes on American citizens and on American soil is more than frightening – it is an affront the Constitutional due process rights of all Americans,” he said in a statement.”
” The looming budget sequestration will make Americans less safe, Eric Holder says—and anyone who says otherwise isn’t telling the truth.
“This is something that is going to have an impact on the safety of this country,” the U.S. attorney general told ABC’s Pierre Thomas on Wednesday in a wide-ranging, exclusive interview.
“And anybody that says otherwise is either lying or saying something that runs contrary to the facts,” Holder said.
“The Justice Department is going to lose nine percent of its budget between now and September 30th. We’re going to lose $1.6 billion. There are not going to be as many FBI agents, ATF agents, DEA agents, prosecutors who are going to be able to do their jobs,” Holder said. “They’re going to be furloughed. They’re going to spend time out of their offices, not doing their jobs.” “
How does 2% budget-wide transfer to 9% of Justice’s budget … It’s not like Holder has made us safer anyway … Fast & Furious anyone ?
” The Waco siege began on Sunday, February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19.[4] The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), accompanied by several members of the media, attempted to execute a search warrant at Mount Carmel Center ranch, a property of the religious group Branch Davidians located in the community of Elk, Texas,[5][6] nine miles (14 kilometers) east-northeast of Waco.
On February 28, shortly after the attempt to serve the warrant, an intense gun battle erupted, lasting nearly two hours. In this armed exchange, four agents and six Branch Davidians were killed. Upon the ATF’s failure to execute the search warrant, a siege was initiated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The siege ended 50 days later when a fire destroyed the compound after a second assault was launched. Seventy-six men, women and children,[7][8] including the sect leader, David Koresh, died in the fire that engulfed Mount Carmel Center. The Waco siege also has been described as the “Waco massacre.”[9]“
“[Ed. Note: This chronology was published in 1995 with the initial broadcast of "Waco: the Inside Story." In August, 1999, documents were uncovered which indicated that during the raid on the Branch Davidian compound, the FBI used a limited number of flammable tear gas canisters. This revelation contradicted assertions of the FBI and the Department of Justice that the government had done nothing that could have contributed to the start or spread of the fire. In response, Attorney General Janet Reno appointed a special counsel, former Republican senator John C. Danforth, to reexamine the assault to determine how the fire started and whether there was a cover-up of information implicating law enforcement officials or the Justice Department.
On July 21, 2000, after a 10 month investigation, Danforth issued a preliminary report exonerating the government and its agents. His report concluded that federal agents did not start the fire, direct gunfire at the complex, or improperly employ US armed forces. Danforth assigned responsibility for the tragedy to the Branch Davidians and David Koresh. According to the report, they contributed to the tragedy by refusing to exit the compound during the 51 day standoff, directing gunfire at FBI agents, shooting members of the compound, and ultimately setting the fire that burned the compound down.
Danforth did find, however, that an FBI agent fired three pyrotechnic tear gas rounds at a concrete pit 75 feet from the living quarters of the compound. Although these rounds did not start the fire, government officials did not admit their use until August 1999, more than six years later. Danforth found that this negligence was at best a mishandling of evidence, and at worst a criminal attempt to conceal the truth from investigators.
The full text of Danforth's preliminary report is available online from the Center for Studies on New Religions. A final report is expected in the fall of 2000.]
FRONTLINE’s chronology of the siege, which starts below, is drawn from two reports (OCT. 8, 1993) issued by the Justice Department: “Report to the Deputy Attorney General on the Events at Waco, Texas, February 28 to April 19,1993,” (hereinafter designated as “Scruggs”), compiled by Richard Scruggs, who is an assistant to the Attorney General, and five other officials in the Justice Department; and “Evaluation of the Handling of the Branch Davidian Stand-off in Waco, Texas February 28 to April 19, 1993,” (hereinafter designated as “Dennis”) by Edward S. G. Dennis, Jr., a Philadelphia lawyer and former assistant attorney general in the Criminal Division of the Justice Department. Both reports were issued on October 3, 1993. (As of July 1994, Richard Scruggs is no longer an assistant to the Attorney General.) “
Note That The Justice Department Handled The Investigation Of It’s Own Crimes , Albeit Through The Allegedly Independent Offices Of The “Honorable” John Danforth.
” Film released in 1999 – April 19, 1993 – The massacre of the Branch Davidians in Waco, TX by the U.S. government. Remember Waco? This video shows hard evidence that the media wouldn’t and still won’t show the American public.
Waco: A New Revelation is the film that triggered a new Congressional investigation of the Waco tragedy, and caused the Justice Department and the FBI to reverse their long-held positions on Waco. It has generated a firestorm of events unprecedented in the history of documentary filmmaking. After six years of painstaking investigation, the complete story of the tragedy in Texas is finally coming to light. This compelling feature-length documentary presents new revelations about the events that led up to the deaths of 79 men, women and children at Mount Carmel on April 19, 1993. In the spring of 1998, under the Freedom of Information Act, investigators from MGA Studio’s film division became the first private citizens to gain access to the Waco investigation evidence lockers. What they found was shocking. Upon examination, the evidence gathered under the supervision of federal officials appeared to contradict the FBI’s congressional testimony, raising serious and disturbing questions about events surrounding the siege at Mt. Carmel and the deaths of the Davidians. Gene Cullen Since 1993, former members of the FBI, former Special Forces and CIA operatives have come forward with new evidence to suggest that the FBI’s claim is inaccurate.”
Waco Rules of Engagement
” A truly sobering testament to the tyrannical force of the US government. This documentary tells the story of the Waco siege. This documentary, from the ATF’s own footage, bears witness to the murder by the US government of citizens who choose to exercise their constitutional rights.
Truly a must see! Are we truly free when we fear our government?”
Winston Blake, 28, black, British Peter Gent, 24, white, Australian Peter Hipsman, 28, white, American Perry Jones, 64, white, American Michael Schroeder, 29, white, American Jaydean Wendell, 34, Hawaiian, American
Died April 19, 1993
Katherine Andrade, 24, white, American Chanel Andrade, 1, white, American Jennifer Andrade, 19, white, American George Bennett, 35, black, British Susan Benta, 31, black, British Mary Jean Borst, 49, white, American Pablo Cohen, 38, white, Israeli Abedowalo Davies, 30, black, British Shari Doyle, 18, white, American Beverly Elliot, 30, black, British Yvette Fagan, 32, black, British Doris Fagan, 51, black, British Lisa Marie Farris, 24, white, American Raymond Friesen, 76, white, Canadian Sandra Hardial, 27, black, British Zilla Henry, 55, black, British Vanessa Henry, 19, black, British Phillip Henry, 22, black, British Paulina Henry, 24, black, British Stephen Henry, 26, black, British Diana Henry, 28, black, British Novellette Hipsman, 36, black, Canadian Floyd Houtman, 61, black, American Sherri Jewell, 43, Asian, American David M. Jones, 38, white, American David Koresh, 33, white, American Rachel Koresh, 24, white, American Cyrus Koresh, 8, white, American Star Koresh, 6, white, American Bobbie Lane Koresh, 2, white, American Jeffery Little, 32, white, American Nicole Gent Little, 24, white, Australian and unborn child Dayland Gent, 3, white, American Page Gent, 1, white, American Livingston Malcolm, 26, black, British Diane Martin, 41, black, British Wayne Martin, Sr., 42, black, American Lisa Martin, 13, black, American Sheila Martin, Jr., 15, black, American Anita Martin, 18, black, American Wayne Martin, Jr., 20, black, American Julliete Martinez, 30, Mexican American Crystal Martinez, 3, Mexican American Isaiah Martinez, 4, Mexican American Joseph Martinez, 8, Mexican American Abigail Martinez, 11, Mexican American Audrey Martinez, 13, Mexican American John-Mark McBean, 27, black, British Bernadette Monbelly, 31, black, British Rosemary Morrison, 29, black, British Melissa Morrison, 6, black, British Sonia Murray, 29, black, American Theresa Nobrega, 48, black, British James Riddle, 32, white, American Rebecca Saipaia, 24, Asian, Phillipino Steve Schneider, 43, white, American Judy Schneider, 41, white, American Mayanah Schneider, 2, white, American Clifford Sellors, 33, white, British Scott Kojiro Sonobe, 35, Asian, American Floracita Sonobe, 34, Asian, Phillipino Gregory Summers, 28, white, American Aisha Gyrfas Summers, 17, white, Australian and unborn child Startle Summers, 1, white, American Lorraine Sylvia, 40, white, American Rachel Sylvia, 12, white, American Hollywood Sylvia, 1, white, American Michelle Jones Thibodeau, 18, white, American Serenity Jones, 4, white, American Chica Jones, 2, white, American Little One Jones, 2, white, American Neal Vaega, 38, Somoan, New Zealander Margarida Vaega, 47, Asian, New Zealander Mark H. Wendell, 40, Asian, American
” We Honor our Hero Brian Terry today! He will forever remain in our hearts and the memories he has left us with will live within all of us that were blessed to know what an amazing person he was. The love he had for his Family, Friends and Country is something we should all emulate. His zest for life, his courage, honor and bravery were like no other. He set the bar for so many, which in turn inspired them to believe in themselves. He was the leader and motivator to all. For Brian, Nothing was impossible…”You just have to put the work in.” B.Terry We will never forget your service and sacrifice, we will never give up the fight for justice and we will never stop paying tribute to the Hero you are. It is not how Brian Terry died that made him a hero. It is how he lived his life that made him a HERO! We all Love and Miss you B!”
“There is no reason to believe that Grindler
deceived Attorney General Holder about
this or any other matter, and it is frankly
curious that Chairman Issa and Senator
Grassley are accepting this farfetched
explanation. Unfortunately, unless a
criminal case is eventually filed to compel
Grindler to provide more information, it is
likely that his termination is the last we’ll
hear of his role in the cover-up.
Grindler is not the only DOJ official who has
apparently been forced out. The Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) has reportedly fired three officials and
demoted two, while
