Would you be shocked to learn that the FBI apparently knew that some organization, perhaps even a law enforcement agency or private security outfit, had contingency plans to assassinate peaceful protesters in a major American city — and did nothing to intervene?
Would you be surprised to learn that this intelligence comes not from a shadowy whistle-blower but from the FBI itself – specifically, from a document obtained from Houston FBI office last December, as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the Washington, DC-based Partnership for Civil Justice Fund?
To repeat: this comes from the FBI itself. The question, then, is: What did the FBI do about it?
But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what the document obtained from the Houston FBI, said:
Lindorff's report indicated that Houston police claim they were never warned by the local FBI office of the assassination plot. Lindorff notes that law enforcement agencies in Texas have received sniper training from Craft International, the shadowy mercenary-for-hire organization that is based in Dallas, Texas. Craft was founded by the celebrated Army sniper Chris Kyle, who was shot and killed at a firing range last year by a fellow Army veteran. Craft has a contract funded by the Department of Homeland Security to provide training to law enforcement throughout the country. Last year, a state border patrol agent in Texas trained by Craft fired from a helicopter at a moving truck carrying nine illegal immigrants, causing the vehicle to crash, killing two and wounding a third.An identified [DELETED] as of October planned to engage in sniper attacks against protestors (sic) in Houston, Texas if deemed necessary. An identified [DELETED] had received intelligence that indicated the protesters in New York and Seattle planned similar protests in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. [DELETED] planned to gather intelligence against the leaders of the protest groups and obtain photographs, then formulate a plan to kill the leadership via suppressed sniper rifles. (Note: protests continued throughout the weekend with approximately 6000 persons in NYC. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests have spread to about half of all states in the US, over a dozen European and Asian cities, including protests in Cleveland (10/6-8/11) at Willard Park which was initially attended by hundreds of protesters.)
Craft International employees were spotted working at the Boston Marathon during the bombing the government claims killed three persons and wounded more than one hundred others. Lindorff was unable to obtain a comment from the company on their work training Texas law enforcement agencies.
One of the Occupy Movement leaders, Remington Alessi, who may have been one of the targets of the assassination plot, told Lindorff that he was not surprised to learn of the plot. "I wish I could say I’m surprised that this was seriously discussed, but remember, this is the same federal government that murdered (Black Panther Party leader) Fred Hampton," Alessi said. "We have a government that traditionally murders people who are threats. I guess being a target is sort of an honor." Paul Kennedy, a Houston area attorney who represented several of the Occupy Movement protesters arrested during the protests, had not heard of the plot. “If it had been some right-wing group plotting such an action, something would have been done," Kennedy said. "But if it is something law enforcement was planning, then nothing would have been done. It might seem hard to believe that a law enforcement agency would do such a thing, but I wouldn’t put it past them."
What do you want to bet that the FBI and media would have blamed right-wing extremists had the plot actually been carried to fruition?
This type of article no longer surprises me, and that is sad. The confluence of the Wall Street-Security-Military-Industrial-Complex is apparent here. Private companies selling their services to the Government and a seemingly "Blank Checks" issued on their behalf.
ReplyDeleteThe more "Plots" and "Threats" the Government or these Quasi privatized companies they "uncover" the more funding they receive.
I was a part of the Occupy Demonstration in Indianapolis. The Occupy Movement was seen as threat not because we were a violent movement but because we were tearing back away the curtain of the Status Quo.
Our Governments activities is like the fictional or maybe not so fictional SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion)of James Bond. Perhaps this a case where life imitates art.
Why is this surprising? The purpose of the police is not to protect the citizens.
ReplyDeleteThey're a domestic security force, the enforcement arm of political power.