Nazis in JTTF shut down by Houston Court
Update 09 Oct 05 Congressman Conyers' letter to AG Gonzalez asking for a DoJ investigation into Alleged Louisiana officer misconduct.
Update: Here
The morons in JTTF got some interesting lessons in Iraq: How to keep the American public from finding out about the truth.
Democracy Now reports that Toronto Star photographer Lucas Oleniuk was physically assaulted, had their equipment taken, and photographs destroyed, according to Toronto Star reporter JACQUIE SOOHEN.
The Canadian photographer captured 350 images of US JTTF Nazi thugs physically assaulting looters.
All the images showing how New Orleans police physically assault defendants were subsequently destroyed. When evidence is destroyed, the courts have traditionally ordered the juries to presume fraud.
BBC reports police using teargas on Johnny Whites Bar customers at various eating and drinking establishments in New Orleans. Allegedly, police were using the tear gas without notice or warning to clear customers off the street.
CNN subsequently requested and was granted an injunction against FEMAs attempt to shut down press coverage of the relief effort. CNN writes, "U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison issued a temporary restraining" against the clamp down.
This comes on the heels of the armed confrontation by JTTF toward evacuees over the Mississippi River and attacks against Gordon Russell.
Free speech is still alive, albeit difficult. Dr. Ben Marble, irritated over Cheney's comments on the Senate Floor, told the Vice President to go fuck himself and was subsequently detained, handcuffed, and watched by goons carrying M-16s..
Wonder where JTTF got that training? In Baghdad, Abu Ghraib and GITMO.
Images have proven to be probative not only in court but compelling for public pressure on the American government to obey the laws of the land. American outrage was squelched prior to the Supreme Court rulings when US commanders dissuaded CBS from releasing photographs.
If we permit this nation's "law enforcement" to spiral into anarchy, this government is no better than AlQueda or the Iraqi insurgency.
American citizens are being treated no better than those who dare to stand up against unlawful threats of abuse worldwide: On floating detention ships, in Iraq or hidden in Guantanamo isolation tanks.
Indeed, Casey Sheehan's death was in vain: He didn't die for freedom, he died for fascism.
Update
The central issue, bluntly is this: If the JTTF is engaged in this kind of conduct, why should we "put up with" the government keeping the media out of the clean up area? It makes no sense to permit JTTF free reign to commit these abuses, but then assent to "reasons" to keep the media at bay.
Also, recall that the JTTF has already shown they will fabricate evidence. In NYC in the wake of the RNC demonstrations, officers fabricated video evidence to falsely convict people; and the NY Manhattan DA's office allowed this evidence into court.
It appears that the same type of cover-up, smearing, fabricated evidence, and other shenanigans in re 9-11 and the RNC smear/intimidation efforts are going on in Louisiana. Thus, it is reasonable to put a higher public alert on the JTTF in re Katrina, and have more closer scrutiny of their actions, not less.
It remains to be understood to what extent the American institutions [government, academia, unions, and corporations] are collectively hoping to shut down the truth, and deploy JTTF all on the guise of "getting the locals to act orderly."
The real objective appears to be to increase the perception of potential risk of vandalism, looting, and lawlessness with the hopes of deploying JTTF, then using their presence to restrict media coverage of the real issue: That all sectors of the American establishment failed, just as they did prior to 9-11.
That in itself is cause for both alarm and the need to encourage the media to apply the lessons of Iraq, travel in groups, and presume they are in a war zone when operating in Louisiana. JTTF appears to have mobilized against the media because they failed to mobilize against Katrina.
Assume America is a war zone.
Interesting Links
Via RawStory: Police confront Larry Bradshaw and Lorrie Beth Slonsky, reactions here and Caden has more room for comments.
Here is another report from London and India on the same incident, substantially confirming the details.
Science Daily talks about them being trapped. Also covering it is NYT, UPI wire in Arizona, and San Francisco.
Brian reports ThisAmericanLife covered the topic on the 11-13 Sept 2005 show.
Update
Subject: RNC Shifting attention from reality
You know Bush is in real trouble when this many apologists come out of the woodwork, and none of their arguments make sense.
RNC doesn't like the facts which the sheriff confirmed, so they change the subject to "the media". This is a distraction.
Key points
The NYT authorship on the bridge incident is
clear: GARDINER HARRIS, who wrote, "Police in Suburbs Blocked Evacuees, Witnesses Report".
There is one major flaw in the argument: The sheriff confirms the details: QUOTE: Arthur Lawson, chief of the Gretna, La., Police Department, confirmed that his officers, along with those from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the Crescent City Connection Police, sealed the bridge. ENDQUOTE.
So, all this "talk about what the media did or didn't say" is irrelevant. Someone needs to go talk to the sheriff and get him to explain his story again. You're free to do that.
RNC is doing this: Rather than disputing a Sheriff, they're changing the debate from "what the Sheriff confirmed" to "whether or not we like the media outlet that reported the information we do not agree with."
OK, let's play that game, and show that it is equally flawed.
Let's ignore the facts of the Sheriff and play diversion game with the media
Here is the author's first hand account, and the UPI coverage of the incident. The story has been confirmed by San Francisco.Oh, and for another view here is the St Louis Dispatch.
The bridge incident has been independently reported by London.
Sounds like more RNC disinformation, diversions, and excuses. How much video evidence are they fabricating as they did with the RNC demonstrations? RNC and the Manhattan DA sure like to create new reality with "their version" of the video.
Democracy Now also confirms the JTTF abuses on the bridge. This isn't isolated.
Looking pretty bad for the RNC and the apologists for the Bush. Looks like they'll have to throw this story into the list of "arguments we tried to use to distract attention" but failed. [More white House excuses that don't make sense, just like 9-11.]
The ball is back in the RNC court.
In re the other Haloscan comments, feel free to discuss the following issues:
A. If the NYT covered it "incorrectly," feel free to "show which parts" have been sanitized; and how their "retractions" compare with the other coverage by UPI, San Francisco, and the STL Dispatch.
B. Feel free to be specific with "which socialist website" you are referring to; or are you dismissing the site because that's where the authors posted their information?
C. Do you have a link for the HuffingtonPost "retraction" you referred to; how does this "retraction" square with the subsequent coverage by UPI, Independent, San Francisco, and Saint Louis Dispatch; or are we to believe that a single retraction would dismiss all other accounts worldwide?
D. Are we to ignore the accounts by Russel in what he discussed?
E. How does the above "retraction" square with the other reports of misconduct, as reported by Democracy Now?
F. If the media is "out of control," why would the court possibly grant "full access" as the Houston court did for CNN?
G. If you're not happy with the NYT article, is there something stopping you from interviewing NYT's Harris and reporting your findings on your own website?
Summary
The RNC has a clear strategy at this point:
Ask the public to dismiss information because of "the source", but then use vague sources to discredit sources.
Discredit the media, to distract attention from the President's problems and the Sheriff's statements.
Shift attention from the issues of JTTF abuse and focus on the theme of "We hate the media" [which does nothing to address the Congressional review of JTTF].
Ignore the Sheriff's confirmation of the story, above and beyond what the media may or may not have correctly stated
Shift the debate from the issues, and focus on "whether the facts in the articles can or cannot be corroborated" by those who want to make vague references to things and then whine, "the facts are not clear,"
Assert that the "Sheriff's reports" are to be dismissed by an unnamed "retraction on Huffington Post," but they provide no link or basis to put more weight on the "retraction" than the original reports.
In other words, they're using non-sense to explain away a major problem for JTTF: Why they should be trusted to be a reliable force to "do the right thing," when they consistently abuse human rights in the United States.
Summation
The scale tilts toward confirmation of the original account, and dismissal of any allegations to the contrary.
Recommendation
DOJ IG and GAO investigation warranted.
Ignore all the above
You can debate all you want back and forth of "what happened" or "what should or should not be done."
Fact of the matter is: The 82nd Airborne is now putting pressure on the media to stay 300 meters away.
Louisiana is getting the same media clamp down as Baghdad, but it's going on in America.
Sheriff Credibility
He's up for re-election, so why are we questioning what he's reported on what happened?
Shootings: Excuses Gretna Public Officials Used
The substantive details above have been confirmed not only by the Gretna officials, but the city officials subsequently issued a proclamation endorsing the actions. Kind of like the Polish government saying in my personal opinion, "Hitler, you did the right thing."
Absurd Excuse: Nobody from the Mayor's office sent us an official notification
Self evidently, there was a problem. Nobody had to tell Greta officials "what was going on," because their actions indicated a clear undersatnding of what was going on inter alia:
A. Using buses to evacuate storm victimes;
B. Still accepting evacusees in cars; and
C. Shooting over pedestrian heads.
The conduct of the city officials showed that [a] Gretna was overwhelmed; and [b] Gretna failed to notify FEMA.
Absurd Excuse: We couldn't handle the extra load
If this was known, why didn't Gretna officials call FEMA or other local areas to request assistance?
Absurd Excuse: We didn't intend to inflict emotional distress by shooting at them
By shooting at others, Gretna official actions are linked to that result. It is reasonable to conclude that by firing over evacuees heads after they were told to walk into the police barricade, that this would cause emotional distress.
Absurd Excuse: We did the right thing by shooting at them
Does this mean that if the tables were turned and Gretna suffered a natural disaster, it would be acceptable for New Orleans officials to do the same to Gretna residents?
Absurd Excuse: We didn't block everyone, just those who were walking
This is unequal treatment--those in cars were allowed to pass
Summary
Actions like this tend to dissuade national public conern whether Gretna does or does not have the ability to respond to future natural disasters.
It is possible that if Gretna officials or residents face a disaster than neighboring parishes will reciprocate: Refuse to provide assistance, or call FEMA to send additional help.
Thus, when we read the following "shortages," we simply yawn:
Officials in Gretna, Louisiana, along with Ocean Springs and Moss Point, Mississippi, say their residents have received clothing and food, but other items needed on a day to day basis are impossible to find. Ref
Why should anyone care about Gretna? Gretna shot at others who were asking for help.
Don't let them forget it. Take the time to remind them: Send empty boxes with notes saying, "We were going to send you something useful, but we heard you were shooting people. That's not nice."
Here's another absurd request.
It all started when they heard there was a need for body armor in Gretna, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans.Mind you, keep in mind they've shot at others, and scared them away. So why would they need body armor if "all the hooligans" are not in the area? Or are we saying that "the bad people are already in Gretna?"
That police department lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Ref
Here is a story about truckers who might want to turn around and forget about Gretna:
Marden was reached on his cell phone early Monday. He was driving 180 miles from Mobile, Ala., to a mall in Gretna, La. Mobile is the closest place to the destruction he could find hotel rooms.Who cares about Gretna? They like to shoot at people and not ask for help. Let them wait their turn. Put Gretna last on the list for relief. Send your help to Texas.
Marden and his five buyers and shippers were headed to a department store at the Oakwood Center Mall, outside New Orleans. The mall made national news after part of it was looted and set afire.Ref
Look at all these relief supplies that are piling up.
The request also asked for old or out of date police equipment that the department would be willing to donate to law enforcement families of Gretna Louisiana.Why should we bother to send trucks to deliver this stuff to the Nazis in Gretna?
Police Chief Mark Demeropolis said before they knew it, one entire garage bay of the municipal building was filled with clothes, diapers, water, police equipment, batteries, flashlights, food and just about anything else you could image.
According to this sworn testimony before Congress, Gretna is 18 feet above sea level.
The transmitter site in Gretna, Louisiana is 18 feet above sea level which is one of the primary reasons we have been able to stay on air throughout this disaster.RefSo why should any one care about Gretna? There are other places that are higher on the priority list.
WHSV in Baltimore, Maryland doesn't sound like they've heard the news:
A caravan of more than 50 Balitmore units were in Staunton Sunday afternoon, gassnig-up for its relief efforts in Gretna, Louisiana. The city lies just outside New Orleans, but says FEMA's response to the area has been non-existent.What's Gretna's excuse for not calling FEMA; Gretna has enough firepower to turn people away, why not let them remain isolated while the "more needy" get attention?
Ref
WHy is Howard County bothering to go?
Twenty members of Howard County’s Department of Fire and Rescue Services were deployed to Gretna, Louisiana Sept. 3 to assist with relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. . . . The Howard County corps will assist in search and rescue efforts as part of the Maryland Task Force II Urban Search and Rescue Team. The county also has contributed two trucks, two trailers and forty 800 megahertz radios to the cause. Ref
Let Greta go to the bottom of the priority list. Send your help where it is needed: There are places in Mississippi that still are without power and they have no food.
Divert all the relief efforts from Gretna, La. and send it elsewhere.
KRNV [Reno, Nevada] should be told about Gretna:
The local governments have "adopted" the small towns of Gretna, Louisiana and Ocean Springs and Moss Point in Mississippi to help in their disaster recovery.Thanks for the supplies Reno, but could you send them to Mississippi instead. Gretna likes to shoot at people who need assistance.
Reno-area residents are being asked to donate specific, new items that people in the Gulf Coast have requested, baby wipes, diapers, personal hygiene items, household tools, and paper and plastic plates, cups, eating utensils and garbage bags.Ref
posted by Constant @ 1:18 PM
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