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Black Talk Host Says Obama Not Truthful; Reveals Facts

Jim Kouri — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:27:48 +0000

While the mainstream news media attempt to destroy — yes, destroy — Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, they cannot resist the impulse to overlook the lies, half-truths and deceptions of Barack Obama and his comrades on the left.

Terry Anderson, an African-American talk show host in Los Angeles, provides a list of 39 things Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Obama claims are facts, but further investigation shows they are not exactly correct.

Senator Obama is easily sailing through his campaign without media scrutiny, while reporters rummage through Gov. Sarah Palin’s past in order to discover anything that may hurt her politically.

While Oprah Winfrey practically lap-danced for Obama, she’s refusing to have Palin as a guest on her show (see petition urging Oprah to invite Gov. Palin to be a guest on her syndicated television show http://www.palinpetition.com/).

Anderson’s list is quite interesting:
1.) Selma March Got Me Born – NOT EXACTLY, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 – Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965. (Google’Obama Selma ‘ for his full March 4, 2007 speech and articles about its various untruths.)

2.) Father Was A Goat Herder – NOT EXACTLY, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.

3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter – NOT EXACTLY, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had.

4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom – NOT EXACTLY, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya . It is the first widespread violence in decades. The current government is pro-American but Odinga wants to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law. Your half-brother, Abongo Oba ma, is Odinga’s follower. You interrupted your New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone. Check out the following link for verification of that…and for more. Obama’s cousin Odinga in Kenya ran for president and tried to get Sharia muslim law in place there. Whe n Odinga lost the elections, his followers have burned Christians’ homes and then burned men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took shelter.. Obama SUPPORTED his cousin before the election process here started. Google Obama and Odinga and see what you get. No one wants to know the truth.

http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/290390

5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian – NOT EXACTLY, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn’t allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982271/posts

6.) My Name is African Swahili – NOT EXACTLY, your name is Arabic and ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack came) means ‘blessed’ in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama. Barack Hussein Obama is not half black. If elected, he would be the first Arab-American President, not the first black President. Barack Hussein Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother’s side and 43.75% Arabic and 6.25% African Negro from his father’s side. While Barack Hussein Obama’s father was from Kenya , his father’s family was mainly Arabs.. Barack Hussein Obama’s father was only 12.5% African Negro and 87.5% Arab (his father’s birth certificate even states he’s Arab, not African Negro). From….and for more….go to…..http://www.arcadeathome.com/newsboy.phtml?Barack_Hussein_Obama_-_Arab-American,_only_6.25%25_African

7.) I Never Practiced Islam – NOT EXACTLY, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run for office. 4-3-08 Article ‘Obama was ‘quite religious in islam” http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60559

8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian – NOT EXACTLY, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book). February 28, 2008. Kristoff from the New York Times a year ago: Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as ‘one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.’ This is just one example of what Pamela is talking about when she says ‘Obama’s narrative is being altered, enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts.’

9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian – NOT EXACTLY, not one teacher says you could speak the language.

10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia , I Have More Foreign Experience – NOT EXACTLY, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn’t even speak the language. What did you learn except how to study the Koran and watch cartoons.

11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs – NOT EXACTLY, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.

12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion – NOT EXACTLY, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify – your classmates said you were just fine

13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office – & lt; FONT face=Arial color=purple size=2>NOT EXACTLY, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.

14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life – NOT EXACTLY, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.

15.) I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ‘08 – NOT EXACTLY, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.

16.) Voting ‘Present’ is Common In Illinois Senate – NOT EXACTLY, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.

17.) Oops, I Misvoted -&nb sp;NOT EXACTLY, only when caught by church groups and Democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.

18.) I Was A Professor Of Law – NOT EXACTLY, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer – NOT EXACTLY, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill – NOT EXACTLY, you didn’t write it, introduce it, change it or create it.

21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass – NOT EXACTLY, it took just 14 days from start to finish.

22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill – NOT EXACTLY, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation – mainly because of your Nuclear donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.

23.) I Have Released My State Records – NOT EXACTLY, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.

24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess – NOT EXACTLY, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens . You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.

25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America – NOT EXACTLY, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.

26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois – NOT EXACTLY, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.

27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year – NOT EXACTLY, they were not YOUR bills, but rath er handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.

28.) No One on my campaign contacted Canada about NAFTA – NOT EXACTLY, the Canadian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.

29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism – NOT EXACTLY, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction off Israel

30.) I Want All Votes To Count – NOT EXACTLY, you said let the delegates decide.

31.) I Want Americans To Decide – NOT EXACTLY, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.

32.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate – NOT EXACTLY, you passed 26, most of which you didn’t write yourself.

33.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics – NOT EXACTLY, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.

34.) I Don’t Take PAC Money – NOT EXACTLY, you take loads of it.

35.) I don’t Have Lobbysists – NOT EXACTLY, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.

36.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad – NOT EXACTLY, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.

37.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq – NOT EXACTLY, you weren’t in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time.

38.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care – NOT EXACTLY, your plan leaves us all to pay for the 15,000,000 (That’s 15 Million) who don’t have to buy it.

39.) My uncle liberated Auschwitz concentration camp – NOT EXACTLY, your mother had no brothers and the Russan army did the liberating.

He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He’s a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com. He’s also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he’s syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He’s appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri’s own website is located at http://jimkouri.us

Charlie Rangel Accused of Being Tax Cheat

Jim Kouri — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:29:38 +0000

Congressman Charles Rangel, chairman of the powerful committee that writes the nation’s tax code, failed to pay an unspecified amount in federal taxes during the past five years on rental income from a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic, according to several news stories. Representative Charles B. Rangel is head of the House tax-writing committee.

Mr. Rangel, a Harlem Democrat who is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, has owned the beachfront house at the Punta Cana resort and club since 1988, but never declared the $75,000 in rental income he has earned either on his tax returns or on his Congressional financial disclosure form.

When Mr. Rangel’s legal advisers first acknowledged the unreported income last week, during interviews with reporters, they said his accountants had determined that he would probably owe back taxes to the city and New York State, but not the federal government.

But on Tuesday, his lawyer, Lanny Davis, said that the accountants had since revised their calculations and determined that Mr. Rangel would owe “a modest amount” to the federal government for unpaid taxes over the last five years. Mr. Davis said Mr. Rangel was likely to owe both the state and the city a similar amount over the same period. The combined total of back taxes owed to the city, state and federal governments will probably be “several thousands of dollars,” Mr. Davis said.

Well, let’s take a look at the real Charlie Rangel as evidenced in a little known story of how a New York City detective knocked the robust politician on his keister following the utterance of a Rangelism in the 1960s:

Sidney was one of New York City’s first African-American detectives. In fact, he was so good at policing in the city’s toughest neighborhoods, that he was promoted to the coveted rank of 1st Grade Detective in the NYPD, the youngest in New York’s history. A former Marine — one of the first blacks to be accepted into the Marine Corps in 1945 — Sid was your consummate police officer. Tough, relentless and proud Sid tempered his tough street persona with intelligence and a sense of fairness that won the respect of his superiors, his fellow cops and the citizens he served. Sid came from a black family of achievement with one brother becoming a police captain and another serving as a colonel in the US Army.

While still a young detective, Sidney arrested a black man who was dealing drugs on streets and schoolyards of Harlem. The drug dealer sold heroin to black youngsters who were being told over and over again since they were knee high that their lives were hopeless in an America that at best cared little for them, at worst wanted them in prison or dead. They were indoctrinated with this rhetoric by the likes of Charlie Rangel, white liberals and their echo chamber, the mainstream news media. Detective Sid had little compassion for a man who sold drugs to black kids.

At the time, Charlie Rangel was an up-and-coming political hack in the local Democrat Club and a lawyer more adept at shooting off his mouth than arguing his positions on jurisprudence. Rangel ended up representing the drug-pushing punk — whose parents, by the way, were financially very well off. The punk’s dad was a bigtime contributor to the local Democrat Party and a supporter of Rangel for congressman which led to Rangel acting on behalf of an unrepentant drug pusher. Ironically, Rangel later would become chairman of Congress’ Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control.

So Charles Rangel, attorney-at-law, visited my partner Sid in order to get him to back off and perhaps change some of the testimony should the case go to trial. The young detective told Rangel, “No way. That skell sells poison to kids.” At that point Charlie Rangel, a known bully in Harlem and northern Manhattan, called Sid an Uncle Tom and got in his face. The six-foot tall detective hauled off and bopped him right in his face and Rangel went down. After getting up from the floor and brushing himself off, the opulent future congressman made some empty threats of retaliation, however Rangel never filed departmental charges of police brutality. Sid believed Charlie Rangel knew if he did he would find himself in a jackpot over witness tampering and he may have had to kiss his political career goodbye.

So now whenever you see Congressman Charles Rangel on television ridiculing the president or denigrating the US military, think about a fat lawyer lying flat on his back at the feet of a patriot, a leader and one of the best cops who ever breathed.

CAIR Attempts to Sabotage Law Enforcement Terrorism Training

Jim Kouri — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:00:16 +0000

(The following is based on material obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police.)

The Council for American Islamic Relations has been trying in vain to stop a counter- terrorism program in Sarasota Florida, aimed at providing first responders with information on subjects such as building safety, suicide terrorism, technologies against terrorism and more. This is part of CAIR’s program to stop Security Solutions International (SSI) — an organization that has trained more than 500 Federal, State and Local agencies since 2004.

SSI officials, CAIR attempted to stop a training program for cops and security personnel in Seattle last Memorial Day. Fortunately, they failed.

“As Americans, we can not allow the civil liberties of our great country to be exploited by groups that are intent on creating a fundamentalist Islamic regime here in the USA”, says Sol Bradman, CEO of Security Solutions International, the organizers of the Sarasota Sheriffs 3rd Annual Gulf Coast Terrorism conference being held in Sarasota from the 15th to the 19th of September for the benefit of Homeland Security professionals — coming from as far as Australia to attend what is being called the most innovative terrorism prevention conference in the USA.

“This is not about incitement against Muslims, as CAIR wants us to believe. Our mission is to protect all Americans against terrorism but also against the abuse of our laws.” This is Lawfare against US First Responders and therefore against the USA by the pseudo legal wing of the Global Jihad in America,” says Bradman.

“The modus operandi is simple; use the freedoms and loopholes of the most liberal nation on earth to help finance and direct the world’s most violent international terrorism cells,” he added.

Daniel Pipes, the Harvard Professor, publisher and head of the Middle East Forum, has consistently pointed out that CAIR is riddled with extremists and has been closely linked to organizations that have been convicted or individuals convicted of terrorism. The group, that claims to represent US Muslims but is cited by many US Muslims as being a thinly veiled cover group for extremists, is losing membership. Nonetheless, they mount campaigns to get training and other valuable help to US First Responders stopped, canceled, delegitimized and several jurisdictions have folded attempts to hold counter terror training.

On September 3rd, a Sarasota blog published an article claiming that sources have produced solid information that Morris Days, the Manager for Civil Rights at the CAIR MD/VA chapter, who was widely publicized by CAIR as one of its civil rights attorneys, was in fact not an attorney, and failed to provide services for Muslim American clients who came to CAIR for assistance and who paid for Days’ services. Not only has CAIR not revealed the facts about Days and his fraudulent, criminal behavior, but as of yesterday, September 2, 2008, the CAIR National office in Washington, D.C. continued to post articles at its website naming Days as an attorney.

The Florida representative of CAIR has been sending everyone in Sarasota pleas to stop the program under the argument that it represents an attempt to stereotype all Muslims as Terrorists. SSI is well known for fair and balanced training at a highly professional level and actively discourages racial and ethnic profiling because this bad counter terrorism practice.

Not only was CAIR Florida actively touting the innocence of convicted Terrorist, Sami Al-Arian but CAIR Florida also claimed that two students at South Florida University in Tampa were carrying 4th of July firecrackers in the trunk of their car but later the two admitted to carrying explosives for the purposes of committing terrorist acts. Tampa has often suffered from the effects of Radical Islam.

To counter this, SSI is offering a special day: “Allah in America”. Speakers such as Andrew Whitehead, the founder of Anti-Cair will attend and speak as a result of his ceaseless dedication in fighting radical extremism in the US,channeled through the Anti-CAIR organization including frequent posts based on investigative reporting that exemplify the very essence of Islamic radicalism, including repeated attempts to threaten our constitutional freedoms.

SSI’s program, the Threat of Radical Jihadist to the World, prepared by a Muslim counter terror law enforcement officer from California will also be presented with an emphasis on CAIR and other extremist groups that operate under the guise of civil rights.

So-called anti-terrorist organizations, aligned with Islamic extremism, blatantly abuse the laws, freedoms and loopholes of the most liberal nation on earth to help finance and direct the world’s most violent international terrorism cells.

The “Protecting the Homeland” organization charter embodies two main objectives: ceaseless dedication in counter-acting Islamic radicals who repeatedly attempt to threaten our constitutional freedoms, and channeling funds to educate US First Responders through sponsorship of training programs in the USA and Israel.

Nation’s Largest Police Organization Endorses McCain-Palin

Jim Kouri — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:43:51 +0000

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, today announced the organization’s endorsement of Senator John S. McCain III for the office of President.

“The FOP carefully considered the records and the responses of both candidates and, in our evaluation, Senator McCain will provide greater leadership for our country and for our nation’s law enforcement officers,” Canterbury said. “We will be proud to stand behind him this November, and to stand with him for the next four years.”

For a candidate to receive the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, he must receive a two-third majority of the National Board, which is made up of one Trustee from each of the organization’s State Lodges.

“Our National Board, and the more than 327,000 members of the FOP, acquainted themselves with Senator McCain’s record, and, after meeting with him face to face in July, he made it very clear that he is with us on the issues most important to our members,” Canterbury said.

“Like our members, he sees issues through the eyes of someone that has been on the front lines. That is exactly the kind of perspective, and the kind of leadership, that we need in the White House.”

Canterbury cited Senator McCain’s strong support for the FOP’s efforts to amend the Law Enforcement Officers’ Safety Act and pledged to work with the organization in crafting our nation’s law enforcement policy.

“Senator John McCain is a proven leader with a clear record of support for the men and women who put their lives on the line — just as he did — to defend our communities and our nation,” Canterbury said.

“I am proud to offer the Senator our endorsement today and I look forward to working with the McCain Administration over the next four years,” he concluded.

The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement labor organization in the United States, with more than 327,000 members.

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he’s a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he’s the new editor for the House Conservatives Fund’s weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He’s a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com. He’s also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he’s syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He’s appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri’s own website is located at http://jimkouri.us

World’s First Exhibit Dedicated to Understanding Terrorism Set to Open

Jim Kouri — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:25:29 +0000

The Center for Empowered Living and Learning (The CELL) held a reception yesterday in Denver to introduce its inaugural exhibit, entitled “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: Understanding the Threat of Terrorism.”

The CELL is a non-profit, non-partisan institution dedicated to educating citizens on the most important issue of our time — terrorism. The exhibit will make available to the public for the first time learning tools that are capable of teaching citizens about the true nature of terrorism and how it affects each and every one of us in our daily lives.

“The CELL is becoming one of the most talked-about institutions to take root in our great city,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “The exhibit does a great job of addressing and explaining the difficult subject of terrorism, and while it is a serious experience, The CELL allows individuals to educate and ultimately empower themselves in the goal of terrorism prevention.”

The keynote speaker at Wednesday’s reception was Brian Jenkins, a senior advisor to the RAND Corporation, and an expert in terrorism, counterinsurgency and homeland security. He is a highly-respected author and commentator and was part of The CELL’s content development team. Mayor John Hickenlooper and The CELL founder Larry A. Mizel introduced Jenkins to the audience.

“It is our intent that once people experience The CELL exhibit, they will be more engaged and focused on the need for community involvement and preparedness in response to the current ongoing global terrorism threat,” said Melanie Pearlman, Executive Director of The CELL. “This is an educational and interactive exhibit that uses state-of-the-art multi-media tools, and was created in consultation with world-renowned terrorism experts and designed by Academy Award-winning artists.”

“We are pleased to have introduced the exhibit today in front of many visitors who are here in Denver attending the Democratic National Convention,” said Pearlman. “They might not otherwise get the opportunity to explore this complex subject matter in a state-of-the-art facility,” Pearlman added. During the past three days of the DNC, The CELL has played host to such dignitaries as Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Jim DeMint, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, as well as CELL contributor and former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani.

The CELL also intends to begin working with universities, first-responders and law enforcement officials on programs and outreach that will promote greater awareness and more effective means of combating terrorism. Early efforts have already included co-hosting a seminar with the Naval Post Graduate School on preparedness and response coordination for the Democratic National Convention activities here in Denver for local business and first- responder communities.

The design, concept and production of The CELL and its exhibit began in 2004. It will be open to the public beginning Tuesday, September 2, 2008.

The Center for Empowered Living & Learning is located within the Denver Civic Center Cultural Complex, adjacent to the new Denver Art Museum. For more information, please visit http://www.thecell.org/.

Source: Center for Empowered Living and Learning

Democrat Congressman Urges Immigrants to Illegally Vote?

Jim Kouri — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:49:37 +0000

In the midst of the Democrat National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Democrat Congressman Luis Gutierrez urged immigrants to join him in supporting Barack Obama in the upcoming presidential election.

While the representative from Illinois did not come out and tell illegal and legal immigrants to vote for Obama, it’s difficult to see how immigrants can help Obama except by voting for him. And most states do little, if anything, to prevent voter fraud.

“If you want change, it is time for Latinos and for immigrants to rally behind the next President of the United States, Barack Obama. Tonight, I ask my friends in the Latino community, in the immigrant community, please join me, because Barack Obama is the change we need,” said Rep. Gutierrez

“[W]hen Barack Obama occupies the White House, that is the community our president will defend and respect by fighting for comprehensive immigration reform. Reform that keeps mothers and children and families together. Reform that brings hard-working people out of the shadows of disgrace and into the sunlight of dignity. That enforces our laws, keeps our borders secure, and our nation safe,” Gutierrez added.

Most of the mainstream media ignored the speech so as not to let Americans know what an Obama presidency will truly mean: no more borders, more aliens, more welfare, and more crime.

Congressman Gutierrez has been a long-time proponent of amnesty and opponent of immigration enforcement. He even went so far recently as to openly call for a suspension of all such immigration enforcement actions until Congress passes “comprehensive” immigration reform.

In an article I wrote earlier this month, I exposed Gutierrez and his recent remarks.
Adopting the rhetoric of the radical left, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) explicitly compared the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to those of Nazi Germany’s most infamous secret police force, the Gestapo.

Also, in an article appearing in the online publication The Politico on August 6, Gutierrez lowered himself to using inflammatory rhetoric simply unacceptable for a member of Congress. “You know who is in charge now? The Gestapo agents at Homeland Security. They are in charge,” Gutierrez told The Politico.

In recent months ICE has increased its efforts to enforce laws against the employment of illegal aliens. In addition to arresting people for violations of US immigration law, ICE has also taken action against people involved in identity theft and the employment of underage workers.

Working with local law enforcement agencies, ICE is showing some success in capturing large numbers of illegal aliens who are members of organized crime gangs such as MS-13, the Mexican Mafia and others. In one report, obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police, ICE revealed that its agents arrested over 10,000 criminal aliens who are being charged with murders, rapes, robberies and other violent crimes.

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he’s a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he’s the new editor for the House Conservatives Fund’s weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

Maritime Experiment Focuses on Enhancing Nation’s Port Security

Jim Kouri — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:07:48 +0000

The US Navy, US Coast Guard and SRI International — a private security firm – are deploying a suite of advanced port security technologies, trained personnel, and are executing tactical procedures as part of a homeland security experiment in the waters of Tampa Bay through the end of August.

Collectively described as an “Adaptive Force Package,” the suite supports local incident response under the command of the Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, with the involvement of numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies from the Tampa Bay region. The experiment began on Aug. 20 and will conclude on Aug. 28. Civilian and military visitors will be invited to a briefing and will have an opportunity to observe Adaptive Force Package technology at the conclusion of the experiment.

The Navy’s overarching goal of the experiment is to both demonstrate the platform’s independent employment of Mine Countermeasures Mission Modules developed for the Littoral Combat Ship and to address the US Fleet Forces and Commander of the Navy’s Third Fleet Sea Trials objective for this capability. This limited-objective demonstration will serve as a core event that will benefit Coast Guard and local authorities as they work to improve civil-military procedures and incident response utilizing the Incident Command System to safeguard our nation’s ports and waterways.

The experiment offers participants the opportunity to practice working together under the framework of a Department of Defense and Department of the Navy response to a Department of Homeland Security Maritime Operational Threat Response. The team will study the best use of command and control systems for guiding the flow of information from responding units to the key decision makers in the Unified Command. Further, the team will focus on ways to reduce risks to navigation and the general public while neutralizing an underwater threat.

The Coast Guard will be responsible for incident command in the experiment. Its role is to coordinate the response and actions of private-sector maritime stakeholders with military and civilian law enforcement actions.

SRI International will support in-water operations by surveying the underwater test area, deploying inert mine and improvised-explosive-device like-objects and providing surface support. The SRI team will also deploy specialized, high-resolution 3-D sonar for new change-detection technology that will be used to confirm the identity of any potential threat.

Forensic evidence will be gathered by the Underwater Crime Scene Investigation Team from Florida State University and analyzed by the National Forensic Science Technology Center Mobile Crime Lab.

Participants include the US Coast Guard and the Port of St. Petersburg, the Naval Mine Warfare and Antisubmarine Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Program Executive Office (Littoral and Mine Warfare), Office of Naval Research, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, SRI International’s Marine Technology Program and National Center for Maritime and Port Security, National Forensics Science Technology Center and Florida State University.

Source: The US Navy

Homeland Security: TSA Using Covert Operatives to Test Security Measures

Jim Kouri — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:21:11 +0000

(The following article is based on reports and material obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police. The material presented herein is not classified information.)

The Transportation Security Administration uses undercover, or covert, testing to approximate techniques that terrorists may use to identify vulnerabilities in and measure the performance of airport security systems.

During these tests, undercover inspectors attempt to pass threat objects through passenger and baggage screening systems, and access secure airport areas. In response to a request by the US Congress, the General Accountability Office examined the TSA’s strategy for conducting covert testing of the transportation system and the extent to which the agency has designed and implemented its covert tests to achieve identified goals; and the results of TSA’s national aviation covert tests conducted from September 2002 to June 2007, and the extent to which TSA uses the results of these tests to mitigate security vulnerabilities.

To conduct this work, GAO analyzed covert testing documents and data and interviewed TSA and transportation industry officials.

TSA has designed and implemented risk-based national and local covert testing programs to achieve its goals of identifying vulnerabilities and measuring the performance of the aviation security system, and has begun to determine the extent to which covert testing will be used in non-aviation modes of transportation. TSA’s Office of Inspection (OI) used information on terrorist threats to design and implement its national covert tests and determine at which airports to conduct tests based on the likelihood of a terrorist attack.

However, OI did not systematically record the causes of test failures or practices that resulted in higher pass rates for tests. Without systematically recording reasons for test failures, such as failures caused by screening equipment not working properly, as well as reasons for test passes, TSA is limited in its ability to mitigate identified vulnerabilities.

OI officials stated that identifying a single cause for a test failure is difficult since failures can be caused by multiple factors. TSA recently redesigned its local covert testing program to more effectively measure the performance of passenger and baggage screening systems and identify vulnerabilities.

However, it is too early to determine whether the program will meet its goals since it was only recently implemented and TSA is still analyzing the results of initial tests. While TSA has a well established covert testing program in commercial aviation, the agency does not regularly conduct covert tests in non-aviation modes of transportation.

Select domestic and foreign transportation organizations and DHS components use covert testing to identify security vulnerabilities in non-aviation settings. However, TSA lacks a systematic process for coordinating with these organizations. TSA covert tests conducted from September 2002 to June 2007 have identified vulnerabilities in the commercial aviation system at airports of all sizes, and the agency could more fully use the results of tests to mitigate identified vulnerabilities.

While the specific results of these tests and the vulnerabilities they identified are classified, covert test failures can be caused by multiple factors, including screening equipment that does not detect a threat item, Transportation Security Officers, formerly known as screeners, not properly following TSA procedures when screening passengers, or TSA screening procedures that do not provide sufficient detail to enable TSOs to identify the threat item.

TSA’s Administrator and senior officials are routinely briefed on covert test results and are provided with test reports that contain recommendations to address identified vulnerabilities. However, TSA lacks a systematic process to ensure that OI’s recommendations are considered and that the rationale for implementing or not implementing OI’s recommendations is documented.

Without such a process, TSA is limited in its ability to use covert test results to strengthen aviation security. TSA officials stated that opportunities exist to improve the agency’s processes in this area. In May 2008, GAO issued a classified report on TSA’s covert testing program. That report contained information that was deemed either classified or sensitive. This version of the report summarizes our overall findings and recommendations while omitting classified or sensitive security information.

FBI, TSA Hold Major Terrorism and Transportation Conference in New York

Jim Kouri — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:33:07 +0000

Last week over 700 law enforcement personnel, intelligence professionals, and private sector officials attended the Terrorism and Transportation Conference convened in New York, New York, hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland Security Department’s Transportation Security Administration. This four-day conference was held to bring together terrorism first responders, private industry security managers, and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) experts. The event was the largest-ever sponsored by the FBI and TSA to jointly address terrorism and transportation.

Keynote speakers included FBI New York Division Assistant Director in Charge Mark Mershon, TSA Administrator Kip Hawley, New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly, United States Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, and The Port Authority of New York/New Jersey Police Superintendent Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr.

Invited panelists addressed prevention, preparedness, and response to terrorist acts involving buses, airplanes, subways, freight trains, shipping, and other transportation modes, with an emphasis on law enforcement coordination, cooperation, preparedness, and prevention.

Members from several federal, state, and local law enforcement departments and private industry partners participated in the conference. In addition, international law enforcement officials were in attendance from Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

“Unfortunately, 9/11 changed the way the world thinks about their vulnerability aboard airliners. Tokyo, Madrid, and London further illustrated that the rails and buses were not immune from terrorist attack,” said Assistant Director Mershon.

“Our goal is to make certain we coordinate to the fullest extent possible with our law enforcement partners, including first responders and WMD experts. We want to ensure preparedness in combating the growing threat of transportation sector terrorism ,” he said.

“Counterterrorism today is a team activity. TSA’s strategy is to start with intelligence; partner with law enforcement, airports, our international colleagues and industry partners, and the public; and use security measures that are flexible, widely deployable, mobile, and layered to cover our open transportation network. If the terrorists’ strength is that they have no deadlines, rules, or borders, ours is that this is our turf, there are a lot of us, and we have a lot of resources,” said TSA Administrator Kip Hawley.

Rampant Voter Fraud by Illegal Aliens Ignored by Government and Media

Jim Kouri — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:55:42 +0000

A new study released by the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation provides proof that illegal aliens and immigrants with green cards are committing rampant voter fraud in the United States.

Reports of ineligible persons registering to vote have raised concerns about state processes for verifying voter registration lists. States usually base voter eligibility on the voter’s age, US citizenship, mental competence, and felon status.

Although individual states run elections, Congress has authority to affect the administration of the elections. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) had set a deadline for states to have a statewide voter registration list and list verification procedures.

For example, the methods used in seven selected states to verify voter eligibility and ensure accuracy of voter registration lists were varied and include relying on registrant self attestation, return mailings, and checking against lists of felony convictions or deceased individuals. Some states, for instance, failed to do any more than ask on their application forms if the registrant was a US citizen. The applicant will merely check off the “Yes” box, but there is no action to verify the authenticity of that answer.

“The voter registration officials simply take the word of the registrant with no follow-up,” said conservative political strategist Michael Baker.

“Some states that require some backup documentation merely ask for a utility bill or a driver’s license — neither of which prove citizenship. In other words, legal or illegal aliens can easily register to vote in local and national elections,” warns Baker.

According to a Congressional study of voter fraud, other challenges such as identifying duplicate registrations in other states or having insufficient information to match other data sources with voter registration lists may continue to be issues.

While federal data sources have the potential to help state election officials identify registrants who may be convicted felons or non-citizens, few states communicate with federal agencies such as the Homeland Security Department’s immigration section.

Many government officials — mostly liberals — claim that illegal aliens voting is not a major problem, conservative activists respond that while the potential number identified may be small, an election can be decided by a few votes. In 2004, the presidential race between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush was decided by a few hundred votes in Florida.

“While the news media perpetuated the assertion that Bush and the GOP ’stole’ the election, it could very well have been illegal aliens voting in Florida that made the outcome so close,” said former NYPD cop, now security firm owner, Sid Francis.

“Bush may have beaten Gore by more votes if illegals were excluded, since immigrants tend to vote for Democrats. Or Gore could have won decisively had there been prior screening before people were allowed into the voting booths,” said Det. Francis.

“There was absolutely no mention in the mainstream media regarding suspected voter fraud by illegal or legal aliens. It was much easier for the agenda-driven newspeople to accuse Republicans of stealing the election,” added Baker.

“Florida is not unique. Thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote in some states, and tens if not hundreds of thousands in total may be present on the voter rolls nationwide. These numbers are significant: Local elections are often decided by only a handful of votes, and even national elections have likely been within the margin of the number of non-citizens illegally registered to vote,” said Hans A. von Spakovsky, a researcher at the Heritage Foundation.

“There is no reliable method to determine the number of non-citizens registered or actually voting because most laws to ensure that only citizens vote are ignored, are inadequate, or are systematically undermined by government officials. Those who ignore the implications of non-citizen registration and voting either are willfully blind to the problem or may actually favor this form of illegal voting,” said Spakovsky, an expert on the subject of illegal aliens and immigration law, during an interview on Fox News Channel.

As far as felons, US Attorneys are required to notify state election officials of federal felony convictions, but the information is not always easy for election officials to interpret or complete, according to New Jersey GOP strategist Janice Martin.

“Americans would be shocked to discover that hundreds of thousands of general election voters are illegal aliens, green-card immigrants, and criminals who’ve murdered, raped and robbed US citizens. And guess which political party benefits the most from their votes? The one that’s pushing for amnesty and a bag full of free goodies,” said Martin.

Dr. von Spakovsky believes many government officials and politicians are complicit in the voter fraud problem.

“To keep non-citizens from diluting citizens’ votes, immigration and election officials must cooperate far more effectively than they have to date, and state and federal officials must increase their efforts to enforce the laws against non-citizen voting that are already on the books,” he wrote in his Heritage Foundation study on illegal alien voter fraud.

“While the liberal media and the liberal establishment ignore what is a huge scandal, American voters are having their rights violated. When an illegal aliens or felon or other person prohibited by law to vote, their votes cancels out those of American citizens,” warns Baker.

“Liberals want illegal aliens and felons to vote. They benefit from such rampant fraud.”