Coming to a Demonstration Near You

This came through my email today.

Subject: FW: SUBJECT: HQ USNORTHCOM FORCE PROTECTION ADVISORY 00002 (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

FYI
For your information. As the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war approaches, protest groups are increasing activity, some to include a direct threat to Recruiters, other Soldiers, others with DoD decals and their families. Areas of concern include Seattle and Tacoma, Washington; Pittsburgh; Washington, DC.; Chicago; Chapel Hill, NC; New York; Orlando and many locations in California.

Mitigation recommendations include standard AT/FP precautions to include:
- Avoid known risks
- Remain vigilant
- Use the Buddy system
- Inspect vehicles
- Do not engage belligerents

Subject: SUBJECT: HQ USNORTHCOM FORCE PROTECTION ADVISORY 00002
**************** UNCLASSIFIED// ****************
[redacted]
UNCLASSIFIED//
UNCLASSIFIED//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CDR//
POC/ERIK FEY/CIV/USARNORTH PMO/DSN 471.1452// GENTEXT/REMARKS// 1. (U) THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND RECOMMENDED MITIGATION ON UNITED STATES ARMY INSTALLATIONS AND ARMY LEASED FACILITIES IN THE USNORTHCOM AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.

2. (U) SITUATION: AS THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAQI WAR APPROACHES, NUMEROUS PROTEST GROUPS HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR RHETORIC ON PROTESTING AT MILITARY FACILITIES SUCH AS RECRUITING STATIONS. WHILE MOST ARE PEACEFUL SEVERAL GROUPS HAVE TAKEN ON A MORE MILITANT TONE AND HAVE ISSUED STATEMENTS THAT FORM A DIRECT THREAT TOWARDS CERTAIN RECRUITING STATIONS. RECRUITERS AND ALL OTHER DOD EMPLOYEES ARE REMINDED TO BE VIGILANT AND AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

3. (U//FOUO) KNOWN LOCATIONS AND EVENTS:

3.1 (U) TACOMA, WA: 1230, 15 MARCH 2008, LOCAL PROTEST GROUPS HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION TO SHUTDOWN THE TACOMA MALL AND THE RECRUITING STATION LOCATED AT THE MALL TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE UPCOMING ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE IRAQ WAR. THEY WANT TO “MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR BUSINESS AS USUAL TO CONTINUE AS THE IRAQ WAR APPROACHES ITS 5TH YEAR.” ANTICIPATED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DISTRIBUTING ANTI WAR AND ANTI MILITARY LITERATURE, CONFRONT LOCAL RECRUITERS OR PERSONS TRYING TO ENTER THEIR FACILITIES, AND ATTEMPTS TO INTERACT WITH SOLDIERS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND/OR CIVILIANS WHO APPEAR TO BE MILITARY OR HAVE DOD DECALS ON THEIR VEHICLES. RECENT PROTESTS AGAINST THE WAR AT THE PORT OF OLYMPIA HAVE BEEN MARKED BY INCREASED LEVELS OF VIOLENCE. DOD PERSONNEL, FAMILY MEMBERS AND CIVILIANS SHOULD AVOID CONTACT, TO INCLUDE CONVERSATIONS OR DIALOGUE WITH PROTESTERS. PROTESTERS MAY BE FILMING ACTIVITIES FOR REPORTING IN INDEPENDENT MEDIA OR USE IN LEGAL ACTIONS. COMMANDERS AND SUPERVISORS SHOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THEIR SOLDIERS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND CIVILIANS TO AVOID THE TACOMA MALL AREA DURING HIS TIME AND TO REPORT INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE TO LOCAL POLICE. SOURCE: FT LEWIS FORCE PROTECTION DAILY 4 MARCH 2008.

3.2 (U//FOUO) MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, 15 & 19 MARCH 2008, BROAD SPECTRUMS OF NATIONAL GROUPS HAVE ORGANIZED FOR A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION CALLED “UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE” AND “CALL TO ACTION” AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ. MARCH 19, 2008 MARKS THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ. PROTEST GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES HAVE COMBINED TO BE PART OF THE LARGEST DAY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE EVER, COVERING FIFTY STATES. ON MARCH 19TH, MASS DEMONSTRATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE NATION, SPECIFICALLY IN CITIES SUCH AS CHICAGO, MINNEAPOLIS, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON D.C., ORLANDO, CHAPEL HILL, SC, TAMPA, BATON ROUGE, SAN DIEGO, SEATTLE, SAN FRANCISCO, OAKLAND, AND SACRAMENTO, TO MENTION A FEW. STUDENT DEMONSTRATION WEBSITES HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR ATTEMPT TO SHUT DOWN THE HOLLYWOOD RECRUITING STATION ON 15 AND 19 MARCH AS THEY PLAN TO DEMONSTRATE HEAVILY ON HOLLYWOOD BLVD. SOURCE: 6TH RECRUITING BDE

3.3 (U//FOUO) PITTSBURG RECRUITING STATION, PA: 19 MARCH 2008, PITTSBURG ORGANIZING GROUP (POG) WILL BE HOLDING A TORCH-LIT MARCH TO A MODERN DAY CASTLE OF ABOMINATIONS-OUR LOCAL MILITARY RECRUITING STATION. THE GROUP INTENDS TO,”…EVICT IT AND EVERYTHING INSIDE OF IT, OCCUPY THE LOCATION, AND TRANSFORM IT INTO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE’LL ALSO BE BRINGING A MOVABLE CAGE IN WHICH TO CONFINE MILITARY RECRUITERS UNTIL THEY NO LONGER POSE A DANGER TO OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS…..” SOURCE: TRADOC

3.4 (U//FOUO) 19 MARCH 2008, NATIONALLY: A KNOWN PROTEST GROUP IS ALSO CALLING FOR A “CALL TO ACTION” ON THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 6TH YEAR OF WAR TO HAVE DEMONSTRATORS BE A PART THE LARGEST DAY FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE PROTESTS, COVERING ALL 50 STATES. SOURCE: TRADOC

3.5 (U//FOUO) SEATTLE 19 MARCH 2008, PROTEST ON 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAQ WAR. DEMONSTRATORS WILL CONVERGE ON WESTLAKE PARK AT 6 PM. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCHED IN SEATTLE IN 2002 AS THE WAR BEGAN IN A SPIRITED EVENING MARCH TO THE FEDERAL BUILDING. ON MARCH 19, 2008, THEY ARE ENCOURAGING THE COMMUNITY TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY WITH DIVERSE AUTONOMOUS ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY SUCH AS FREEWAY BANNERING, VIGILS, TEACH-INS, WALK-OUTS AND DIRECT ACTION/CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, CULMINATING WITH AN EVENING PROTEST CONVERGENCE AT WESTLAKE PARK AT 6 PM

3.6 (U//FOUO) FT. LEWIS DEMONSTRATION FOR GI RIGHTS 22 MARCH 2008, A COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING VETERANS AND PEACE ACTIVISTS ARE CALLING FOR A DEMONSTRATION SUPPORTING GI RIGHTS AT THE GATES OF FT. LEWIS. SOURCE: FT LEWIS FORCE PROTECTION DAILY 04 MAR 08. [Editor's note: That's us!]

4. (U) MITIGATION: BELOW ARE RECOMMENDED MITIGATION MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT, WHEN APPROPRIATE.

4.1 USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING LEASED FACILITIES.

4.2 SCREEN ALL MAIL PARCELS AND PACKAGES.

4.3 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORKDAY, ENDING OF THE WORKDAY, AND PRIOR TO
VEHICLE USE, CONDUCT A VEHICLE INSPECTION.

4.4 SOLDIERS, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS NEED TO STAY ALERT, NOTICE SURROUNDINGS, AND REMAIN VIGILANT.

4.5 COMMANDERS AT ALL LEVELS SHOULD ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL POLICE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE LOCAL THREATS.

4.6 KEEP FAMILY MEMBERS INFORMED.

4.7 TALK TO OTHER SERVICE PERSONNEL TO SHARE INFORMATION.

4.8 PRACTICE OPSEC. DON’T PROVIDE PERSONAL INFORMATION TO ANYONE YOU DON’T
KNOW.

4.9 AVOID HIGH RISK AREAS.

4.10 COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO UPDATE ALERT ROSTERS AND REVIEW EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLANS/RALLY POINTS.

4.11 ENSURE ALL FACILITIES HAVE EMERGENCY PHONE LISTS POSTED (FBI, FIRE, POLICE, HOSPITALS, EMS ETC).

4.12 BE AWARE OF AND AVOID LOCAL PROTESTS

4.13 REPORT ALL POTENTIAL PROTEST ACTIVITIES TO YOUR NEXT HIGHER
HEADQUARTERS.

5. (U) PROVIDE COPIES OF ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTS TO [redacted.]
***

Please note that the activists are described as threats and belligerents against whom force protection must be implemented. The Army sure knows how to deal with democracy.

Live Blogging Winter Soldier

First panel is about rules of engagement, how soldiers operate in a combat zone. Hard to listen to. Steve Murtillo just described "suppressive fire" in a civilian area and noted that "things degenerate over time". His testimony echoed my most profound lesson in Vietnam: the battlefield is someone's home. Before that Steven Casey described a raid that terrified a woman and her children and destroyed her house because they had the wrong house.

I can hear the old soldiers snorting about a bunch of whiners who can't take it. These whiners should just suck it up like the old guys. Fortunately, the veterans speaking this weekend will not be quiet; they will tell the civilians about the acts performed in their name.

The testimony is difficult to hear but it rings so true. These guys see and did the same things I did in Vietnam, except far more so. I understand the fear, the black humor, confusion and disillusionment they describe. Adam Kokesh quoted from the first Winter Soldier hearing where a veteran warned "don't ever let your country do this to you." And yet we did it again.

More later.

Wasted

Gut wrenching story in the WP this morning about the war's forever impacts. This is nothing new to anyone who understands war but, given the America's collective ignorance of war's reality, the story is a timely reminder of costs that will last far into the future. Linda Bilimes and Joseph Stiglitz have quantified the long term costs but this story puts human beings into that calculation.

One story connected with me deeply.

Amanda Jordan, whose Marine husband was killed three days into the war, says she doesn't know what bothers her more _ the days that go by when no one speaks of the war, or the punditry. At a local diner she frequents with her 11-year-old son near their home in Enfield, Conn., she's contemplated standing up and leaving so he doesn't hear when people say Iraq was unnecessarily invaded.

"This is like my life. You're saying my spouse, my child's father, is dead for no reason," says Jordan, a 39-year-old former paralegal who is studying to be a therapist specializing in grief. "That's a pretty harsh thing to hear all the time."

I'm so sorry, Mrs. Jordan, for your loss and for the hurt at the thought that his death was a waste. No doubt, your husband served with honor and courage. You can find some solace in the appreciation of his comrades and his dedication to you and his country. But I cannot, if I look objectively at what the war is doing to America and Iraq, see that this mission was worth his or any of the almost many lives--American and Iraqi--forever changed by this war.

I respect your husband's sacrifice and your family's loss but I cannot ignore the fundamental fact that America's leaders betrayed us all by starting an unnecessary war. I must speak and act to prevent more lives from being wasted and to change American policy to one that actually sustains our security in a rapidly changing world. I apologize if any of my statements cause you grief. I speak and act because I want America to be worthy of your husband's courage and honor.

Godspeed, Mrs. Jordan. May this nation never forget your husband's sacrifice and may it never again betray that sacrifice.