For the first time ever, the US military is deploying an active duty regular Army combat unit for full-time use inside the United States to deal with emergencies, including potential civil unrest.
Beginning on October 1, the First Brigade Combat Team of the Third Division will be placed under the command of US Army North, the Army’s component of the Pentagon’s Northern Command (NorthCom), which was created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with the stated mission of defending the US “homeland” and aiding federal, state and local authorities.
The unit—known as the “Raiders”—is among the Army’s most “blooded.” It has spent nearly three out of the last five years deployed in Iraq, leading the assault on Baghdad in 2003 and carrying out house-to-house combat in the suppression of resistance in the city of Ramadi. It was the first brigade combat team to be sent to Iraq three times.
The Pentagon’s official pronouncements have stressed the role of specialized units in a potential response to terrorist attack within the US. Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, attended a training exercise last week for about 250 members of the unit at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The focus of the exercise, according to the Army’s public affairs office, was how troops “might fly search and rescue missions, extract casualties and decontaminate people following a catastrophic nuclear attack in the nation’s heartland.”
“They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control,” the paper reports. It quotes the unit’s commander, Col. Robert Cloutier, as saying that the 1st BCT’s soldiers are being trained in the use of “the first ever nonlethal package the Army has fielded.” The weapons, the paper reported, are “designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.” The equipment includes beanbag bullets, shields and batons and equipment for erecting roadblocks.
Justified as a response to terrorist threats, the real source of the growing preparations for the use of US military force within America’s borders lies not in the events of September 11, 2001 or the danger that they will be repeated. Rather, the domestic mobilization of the armed forces is a response by the US ruling establishment to the growing threat to political stability.
If Obama wins and takes this country Marxist, racist, terrorist (as past associations suggest he might), yes, the military will have to quell the unrest. It’ll be ugly…
http://rjjrdq.wordpress.com/
But is not that what the state’s National Guard is suppose to be for? Marxist? Could you please give me a case where he seems to be Marxist? Tanx for the visit.
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-communist-mentor/
The problem is that the election is right around the corner, and Obama’s past is still very murky.
Murky? But 90% of the population has something in their past that they could call murky. There is nothing Marxist about Obama’s stands, if anything they would strengthen the capitalist system. I know communists but that does not make me a communist. I think that the continuing call for Obama to be a socialist is jest a fear card being played.
Huh? I thought Obama was a Muslim who will greet Osama and whatshisname in Iran with open arms and signal the start of the apocalypse.
Goodness, I’m having a hard time keeping up these arguments.
Seriously, the deploying of troops in this manner is probably political in order to keep the fear of terrorists in people minds. I am fulling expecting a “credible terrorist threat” to be revealed in sometime between Oct 15 and Nov 4.
lobo-
If you review the acceptance speech it is socialist in promises, none of which are economically viable today anyway.
I am an independent, disgusted with both parties, the campaign mud slinging, the sellout of the USA by congress and the propaganda use of the media.
The bail out is a financial rape of the nation, rammed down the nation’s throat by both parties, and contraindicated.
It would delight me to be able to jump on Obama’s or McCain’s bandwagon but I do not see either standing for the issues of the nation in practice.
Both support the bailout as if it was for the nation. It is not.
But specifically, the acceptance speech was indistinguishable from socialist doctrine, so there is no question the accusation of socialism is correct regardless what you want to call it, however Marxist is not a valid accusation.
Bat–if we are talking about the so called redistribution of wealth thru higher taxes on the rich..that is not so much socialistic. The 2 candidates are still buried deep in the pockets of the coprporate war lords, not anything that a true socialist would do.
Terrant nice to have your comment–the NBational Guard is for such situations, a full time combat unit is a smelly propoisition.
lobo-
No I was not referring to redistribution of wealth. The best and greatest example of that are the bailouts.
In the Obama acceptance speech- an entire list was ticked off of freebees to the poor, not aimed at the largest segment of the population between the top and the bottom. It was clearly based in the ACORN organization- who lobby for the lowest economic segment for welfare for the outcasts.
The Bush administration has invoked Corporate Welfare and welfare for the richest of the rich beyond their wildest dreams and beyond all reason.
Obama represents in promises welfare to the traditional welfare recipients, the very poor and the professional non working people of projects.
My complaint is the lack of representation of the vast segment of the population that is not extremely rich or permanently unemployed as their life’s work.
Yes, the acceptance speech states a definite socialist promises to give the people the list.
bat–it is always good to have a dialog with someone and I appreciate this one. I will be posting a piece soon about this subject …well at least about poverty please read and comment if you would like.
To your point here….check out his website and look at his vision for the future…I still do not see where he is socialistic…..under sucha political scheme all would be working.
We need to remember than he can accomplish nothing without the help of the Congress and those guys are helping Wall St. and themselves, they seldom mention helping anyone else unless it is election time.
To respond to the top question- the assignment a regular army (big army) combat regiment appears to be related to our 08 rerun of 29 unfolding before our eyes.
If someone in the administration has plans to pull the trigger on marshal law or even is preparing for the need of it, that would explain it, because it is unusual.
In regard of socialism or communism- state owned industries, you cannot do more than the sell out (bailout). So Obama would have to get in line on that and the piddly promises he made in the acceptance are nothing by comparison, and in fact will not be fulfilled because of the sellout.
Congress-
Treason against the USA in times past resulted in the traitor punished by hanging. Clearly treason is no longer applied or punishment applied.
There is a “form of government” change going on today. I deeply lament this. The nation and world is a lesser place for it.
No Honor, No Shame, No Fear of God.
The mantra, the practice.
Ok where to begin–if the bailout was truly a nationalization, then there would be no profit making..as is the people will be asked to cover Wall St ass and they in return are asked to do nothing to help themselves.
The Congress–this group of pigs have been working for the power elite since the beginning–the government of the people is in name and word only. Treason, we could only hope that they could be nailed for that, it would keep an executioner busy for a very long time.
I just do not see socialism creeping any place, I do see a typical politician promising crap he knows he cannot deliver.
BTW, thanx for the dialog…as always…I look forward to the exchange.
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Thanx Alejandro…always good to find a reader…please visit often and join in the conversation……enjoy your trip and Merry Christmas…..