Pursuits, politicians, and stupidity....

Ages ago I was speaking with some Houston Police sergeants and officers about their short lived updated pursuit police. In summary, they could “pursue,” but not pursue. Well, the HPD command staff was a bit embarrassed the next day when the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (Harris County is most of Houston) pursued a suspect and after he was stopped, he was shocked. He said, in response to a TV reporter’s question,  "I though the cops  couldn't chase anymore...." Suffice to say the pursuit policy was revised.

I don't argue, chases are dangerous, for the cops, the suspects, and most importantly, the general public. That's why they can't be started for no reason. If we have the suspect's name, and it's a relatively minor crime, it's often better to let them go, pick them up the next day, or file a warrant. If you have a child molester or a murder suspect, that's another thing.

With that a background, let's look at Cleveland and how they handling this issue:

Cleveland policy called into question after LEOs take gunfire twice but told not to pursue

Officers were shot at during two separate incidents and supervisors would not allow officers to give chase

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams on Tuesday addressed growing concerns that the department's policy regarding chasing violent suspects is preventing officers from doing their jobs and emboldening criminals.

The chief's sharply worded memo comes less than a week after officers were shot at during two separate incidents and supervisors would not allow officers to give chase.

Both incidents, and three others involving officers who had their cars rammed by suspects but were not allowed to pursue them, led the police union and other city officials to question how Cleveland police officials are applying the policy on when officers are allowed to chase suspects.

"These criminals now feel empowered to do whatever they want because they know they're not going to be chased," Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek said. "When you shoot at a cop, you're shooting at every one of us."

Williams, who did not directly address the recent incidents, defended the department's policy by saying that his officers are authorized to chase suspects. He said he crafted the policy based on the best-practices for chases and that the policy gives the best chance at protecting both police officers and residents.

"Officers are authorized to conduct vehicle pursuits in order to take violent suspects or intoxicated drivers into custody," he wrote. "This most certainly includes suspects who have committed violence, including attempting to harm our police officers."

The city enacted the policy in 2014, two years after a deadly chase involving 62 police cars that ended with more than a dozen officers firing 137 shots and killing Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell, who were unarmed...

I found a decent summary of the facts on the Williams and Russell case. I found this interesting:

Why is a judge deciding this case?

Brelo waived his right to a jury trial last month. Prosecutors argued in a counter-motion that his decision was racially motivated, and that the black communities of Cleveland and East Cleveland have a right to hear the case.
But Judge John P. O'Donnell ruled that he will be the one to hear the trial, as in Ohio the right to have or refuse a jury lies with the defendant alone.

I underline the section because of the inherent racism of the prosecution. Don’t believe me? Imagine the outcry if a the DA said a white jury should try the case of a black man, accused of murdering a white grandmother.

...New policy enacted in 2014

The policy allows officers to chase people suspected of violent crimes or drunken driving. The officers are not allowed to give chase unless they get permission from a supervisor. If the supervisor calls off the chase at any point, they must stop or face discipline.

The policy is at some points intentionally vague, leaving room for supervisors to take into account a myriad of factors -- including road conditions, how fast the chase is going and how many others cars are on the road -- when deciding whether to authorize a chase.

"Officers shall err on the side of caution and interpret this policy in the most restrictive manner if, for any reason, this directive does not offer clear guidance for a specific set of circumstances," the policy says in bold type-face...

OK, the guidance is already clear. An officer will simply not pursue unless under extreme circumstances. Remember, a suspect takes off, the officer must start the chase to keep him in sight, concurrently call a supervisor on the radio (assuming it’s not tied up), explain detailed information, answer questions, and wait for the supervisor to say yes or no. Sometimes that can take a bit. Meanwhile, if the suspect crashes into a car, injuring or killing someone, the internal affairs report will say, “Officer Smith, as you were not authorized by a supervisor to pursue this suspect...”

Exaggeration? Ask the officers of Baltimore after the district attorney indicted them in the Freddy Gray with no evidence, their lives were destroyed.

Effective policing is, by its nature, aggressive and assertive. However, when cops are hamstrung by restrictive policy, and have no faith in the command staff to back them up,/= they will join the fire department. Sign on, wait for calls for service, answer them, and play it safe. And as the crime rate goes up, the people of Cleveland wil have to make a decision. Vote out the gutless wonders who put another group of gutless wonders in charge of the police.

Officer Down

Detective Sergeant Brian Scott Cuscino
New Castle Police Department, Pennsylvania
End of Watch Thursday, April 19, 2018
Age 44
Tour 17 years
Badge 3249

Detective Sergeant Brian Cuscino suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in the department's mandatory physical fitness program at approximately 7:30 am.

He collapsed while using a treadmill at a local gym that was authorized to be used for the wellness program. Another officer found him unconscious.

Sergeant Cuscino had served with the New Castle Police Department for 17 years and was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division and Special Response Team. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

He passed away on the same day he was to receive the department's Officer of the Quarter award.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Let it be.....

The weekend!

A very long week, last two days have been crazy. Managed to snake out an hour early and now I’m at home, cooling off, with my beautiful wife and two doggies. And the season premiere of Goliath.

To start what will hopefully be a great weekend, here is a great version of a Beatles classic

Officer Down

Sergeant Noel Ramirez:
Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Thursday, April 19, 2018
Age 29
Tour 7 years

Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey
Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Thursday, April 19, 2018
Age 25
Tour 2 years

Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey and Sergeant Noel Ramirez were shot and killed from ambush as they took their lunch break in a restaurant at 1122 East Wade Street, in Trenton.

At approximately 3:00 pm a male subject opened fire on them from outside of the establishment, fatally shooting both through the restaurant's front window. The man then went to his car in the parking lot and committed suicide.

Sergeant Ramirez had served with the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office for seven years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Deputy Lindsey had served with the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office for two years.

Rest in Peace Gentlemen…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

A good look at what needs to be disarmed in North Korea...

As the world looks at what to make of the short US-NK "summit," Foreign Policy has an excellent look at what has to be looked into. It's not just the nukes:

Nukes Aren’t the End of North Korea’s Arsenal

Any deal needs to remember Pyongyang's range of deadly programs.

Troy Stangarone

In a tweet on June 5, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his hope that his June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore could be “the start of something big.” True, a promise of denuclearization would be a genuinely important step forward. But that’s not the only threat North Korea poses — and if Trump really cares about the big picture, he needs to remember that.

The Iran nuclear deal was weak because it provided sanctions relief while failing to address Tehran’s ballistic missile program and the regime’s support for militias elsewhere. A North Korean nuclear deal that doesn’t address the country’s extensive chemical and biological weapons programs, as well as its aggressive cyber-operations, could lose political support over time as well. Any potential deal can’t just be words on paper; it needs to include real protections against backsliding...

Mr. Stangarone, I'm shocked FP let you mention that disaster (JCPOA) was such a disaster.

North Korea turned to chemical weapons shortly after the Korean War. They served as low-cost weapons of mass destruction to supplement North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, and they also provided a tactical means to counter superior U.S. and South Korean forces. As North Korea’s conventional military has deteriorated, chemical weapons are likely seen as more important for suppressing the advancement of U.S. and South Korean forces.

North Korea has demonstrated a willingness to both use and sell chemical weapons.North Korea has demonstrated a willingness to both use and sell chemical weapons. A United Nations panel of experts has documented North Korean cooperation with Syria on chemical weapons, and a VX nerve agent was used last year to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, allegedly on the supreme leader’s orders. Kim’s potential meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad only underscores the need to address this issue. U.N. Security Council resolutions also require North Korea to address this issue. Resolution 2270 calls for North Korea to meet its obligations under international treaties on biological weapons and to join the Chemical Weapons Convention.

North Korean cyberattacks are also a significant concern. In a relatively short period of time, Pyongyang has assembled one of the most capable groups of hackers in the world and uses them for a wide range of activities. Experts suspect that North Korea has hacked more than 100 banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, stealing up to $650 million. Beyond the government’s efforts to earn hard currency and evade sanctions, the Sony Pictures hack demonstrates Pyongyang’s willingness to go after private actors whose actions it doesn’t like.

While some of North Korea’s cyber-activities fall into the realm of traditional espionage that all states engage in, the United States and North Korea as part of any nuclear deal and peace process should agree to a series of limits on Pyongyang’s digital intrusions. In 2015, the United States and China agreed to refrain from using cyberattacks to steal intellectual property for economic gain, but Washington should look to build on that model given North Korea’s financial theft. This should include an agreement from North Korea not to engage in financial theft, while also refraining from using cyber-operations to intimidate private actors or steal their intellectual property. At the same time, North Korea should agree to refrain from selling its services or software to others to achieve the same purposes....

...At the same time, North Korea will need to allow foreign companies to repatriate profits. The fate of the Egyptian firm Orascom, which invested in North Korea and now has no way to get its money back, is a cautionary tale. After building North Korea’s first 3G network, Orascom has faced a series of problems operating in North Korea. It lost its exclusive license to operate in the country, now faces competition from the state-run Byol, and has been unable to . If firms are unable to take their profits home, there will be little incentive for the type of private-sector investment Trump has suggested.

North Korea’s failure to live up to prior agreements and the regime’s sudden shift in policy are reasons to approach the current talks cautiously. The United States should be open to the prospect of change but needs to ensure that there is a way to maintain pressure on North Korea if this is another false start. This is why any agreement needs a snapback provision to put sanctions back in place if North Korea backslides...

...As Trump himself has acknowledged, this is the beginning of a process. If the right elements aren’t built in from the beginning, there is a greater risk things will unravel in the future. Ensuring that the North Koreans understand that any final deal needs to address their other weapons programs, that they will need to undertake real economic reforms, and that any agreement will not be built on blind faith will help give the process a greater chance of succeeding.

Don't forget the thousands of tubes of artillery that can range Seoul, the ICBMs, and other missiles. Again, a first step, but there is an old Vulcan saying, "Only Nixon could go to China." The next few years will determine if there is also, "Only Trump could go to Pyongyang."

A look at "purging" the rolls....

Monday the Supreme Court had an excellent case come down, 5-4, which is to be expected. From the great website, Legal Insurrection:

...Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute presented a fairly boring legal issue of statutory construction.

The legal issue was whether the process used by Ohio to clean up its voter rolls complied with federal statutes.

The problem is significant, as the Supreme Court majority described in the opening paragraph of its Opinion issued today:

It has been estimated that 24 million voter registrations in the United States—about one in eight—are either invalid or significantly inaccurate. Pew Center on the States, Election Initiatives Issue Brief (Feb. 2012). And about 2.75 million people are said to be registered to vote in more than one State. Ibid.

At issue in today’s case is an Ohio law that aims to keep the State’s voting lists up to date by removing the names of those who have moved out of the district where they are registered. Ohio uses the failure to vote for two years as a rough way of identifying voters who may have moved, and it then sends a preaddressed, postage prepaid card to these individuals asking them to verify that they still reside at the same address. Voters who do not return this card and fail to vote in any election for four more years are presumed to have moved and are removed from the rolls. We are asked to decide whether this program complies with federal law.

Justice Alito, joined by Kennedy, Roberts, Gorsuch and Thomas, found that the Ohio process complied with the law. The alleged legal violation, that Ohio relied on mere non-voting to strike someone from the voter rolls, was not consistent with the facts. Ohio used a process, allowed by the statute, of sending a card to people who have not voted for two years asking them to confirm whether they have moved. If the card is not returned, the person would not be removed unless the person did not vote in the subsequent two federal election cycles. So it would take a total of 6 years not voting PLUS failure to return the card to be removed.

Justice Breyer wrote a dissent disagreeing with the statutory construction of the majority.

Basically, you don't vote for two years, they send a message. You send it back, you stay on the rolls. You don't return it, but vote next time, no issue. But if you don't vote for an additional four years afterwards, you name is removed from the voting rolls. Sounds like a logical process to insure dead people, or people who have moved from the district (aka Democratic voters,) no longer can vote. Sounds like we're insuring the vote. Who could have an issue with that? Well libtards, of course:

But it was Justice Sotomayor’s dissent which evoked the particular ire of the majority, who saw it as a policy disagreement with Congress:

… Congress enacted the NVRA against the backdrop of substantial efforts by States to disenfranchise low-income and minority voters, including programs that purged eligible voters from registration lists because they failed to vote in prior elections. The Court errs in ignoring this history and distorting the statutory text to arrive at a conclusion that not only is contrary to the plain language of the NVRA but also contradicts the essential purposes of the statute, ultimately sanctioning the very purging that Congress expressly sought to protect against.

Concerted state efforts to prevent minorities from voting and to undermine the efficacy of their votes are an unfortunate feature of our country’s history….

In concluding that the Supplemental Process does not violate the NVRA, the majority does more than just misconstrue the statutory text. It entirely ignores the history of voter suppression against which the NVRA was enacted and upholds a program that appears to further the very disenfranchisement of minority and low-income voters that Congress set out to eradicate. States, though, need not choose to be so unwise. Our democracy rests on the ability of all individuals, regardless of race, income, or status, to exercise their right to vote. The majority of States have found ways to maintain accurate voter rolls without initiating removal processes based solely on an individual’s failure to vote. See App. to Brief for League of Women Voters of the United States et al. as Amici Curiae 1a–9a; Brief for State of New York et al. as Amici Curiae 22–28. Communities that are disproportionately affected by unnecessarily harsh registration laws should not tolerate efforts to marginalize their influence in the political process, nor should allies who recognize blatant unfairness stand idly by. Today’s decision forces these communities and their allies to be even more proactive and vigilant in holding their States accountable and working to dismantle the obstacles they face in exercising the fundamental right to vote...

Again, this is a legitimate effort to insure a fair and accurate vote, but Justice Sotomayor:

"All of the legal defense funds out there, they're looking for people with Court of Appeals experience. Because it is - Court of Appeals is where policy is made," she said. "And I know, and I know, that this is on tape, and I should never say that. Because we don't 'make law,' I know. [Laughter from audience] Okay, I know. I know. I'm not promoting it, and I'm not advocating it. I'm, you know. [More laughter] Having said that, the Court of Appeals is where, before the Supreme Court makes the final decision, the law is percolating. Its interpretation, its application."

No Mrs Justice Sotomayor, the legislative and executive branches make "policy," It's up to the court to determine if this policy meets constitutional restrains. And seeing you voted for Obamacare, when the "fee" was called a "tax," your more than happy to make government policy. But Professor Jacobson had a great quote to sign you off with:

Personally, I love Sotomayor’s scorching dissents. I wish her a long career in dissent, scorching or otherwise.

Well done SCOTUS. Now, as the court takes up the Obamacare rulings in the future, hopefully they will make up for the abortion of law that was National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius.

Officer Down

Yarmouth Police Department, Massachusetts
End of Watch Thursday, April 12, 2018
Age 32
Tour 7 years, 5 months
Badge 5992

Sergeant Sean Gannon was shot and killed while assisting with a warrant service at 109 Blueberry Lane, in Barnstable.

Sgt. Gannon and his canine partner, Nero, were searching the home and located the wanted man in a closet. The man opened fire, fatally wounding Sgt. Gannon and wounding Nero. The man then barricaded himself inside the house for two hours before being taken into custody.

The 29-year-old subject was charged with Sgt. Gannon's murder. His record showed he had 111 prior offenses and was on probation.

Sergeant Gannon had served with the Yarmouth Police Department for 7-1/2 years and previously served with the Stonehill College Police Department and Nantucket Police Department. He is survived by his wife, parents, brother and sister.

Sgt. Gannon was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant with the Yarmouth Police Department a week after his death.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Patrolman Kevin F. Crossley:
Age 34
Tour 8 years
Badge 5988

Patrolman Kevin Crossley was killed in a vehicle crash at the intersection of Oriskany Boulevard and Westmoreland Street at approximately 7:55 pm.

A vehicle traveling on Oriskany Boulevard in the opposite direction attempted to make a left turn in front of Patrolman Crossley's patrol car, causing a collision. Patrolman Crossley was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Patrolman Crossley had served with the Whitesboro Police Department for eight years and also served as a part-time police officer with the Whitestown Police Department. He is survived by his parents and brother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Waiting on a sunny day.....

We got them!

Hot as hell right now in southern Texas, where is that cold weather we were complaining about back in January?

But seeing we've had the unofficial start of the summer, and my teacher friends are decompressing, I figured this would be a great song to go on.



Have a great weekend!

Officer Down

Police Officer Keith O'Neal Earle
Huntsville Police Department, Alabama
End of Watch Monday, April 9, 2018
Age 46
Tour 25 years
Badge 203

Police Officer Keith Earle succumbed to injuries sustained in a vehicle crash on March 26th, 2018, at the intersection of Pulaski Pike and Grizzard Road.

He was transported to Huntsville Hospital where his condition deteriorated until passing away on April 9th, 2018.

Officer Earle had served with the Huntsville Police Department for 25 years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down, Officer Safety, Police, Police Training

What's going on in the World Today 180606

Back when men didn't need safe spaces or worried about
micro aggressions. To the men and women who served mankind on one beachhead,
or another, thank you.

Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force: 

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. 

The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. 

In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. 

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. 

But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory. 

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. 

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Dwight D Eisenhower

General, U. S. Army 

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:

USA

The first drone warship just joined the Navy and now nearly every element of it is classified

The first warship to traverse open waters without a single crew member recently joined the U.S. Navy's fleet after eight years of development and testing.

And now nearly every element of the vehicle, known as the Sea Hunter, has become classified.

"About all I can tell you is that it has transitioned from [the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency] to the Navy, and that's a success in the world of science and technology," said Rear Adm. Nevin Carr. "And that's a good thing, because that means that there's a there there."

Carr talked to CNBC about the vessel's status shift during the Sea-Air-Space conference, the largest maritime expo in the United States. He is uniquely familiar with Sea Hunter since he oversaw its testing as chief of the Office of Naval Research and its current development as Leidos vice president and Navy strategic account executive.

Leidos is the sole defense contractor helping to engineer the vessel.

The product of 'mad science'

The concept for the unmanned vessel was born in 2010 out of the Pentagon's so-called mad science wing, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA.

The Pentagon's request from DARPA was colossal: Develop a drone warship capable of hunting submarines, detecting torpedoes and avoiding objects at sea while traveling at a top speed of 27 knots, or 31 mph.

Six years later, the crewless, 140-ton, 132-foot-long robotic ship, was christened as Sea Hunter on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon...


U.S. Army Scoping Out Potential Future Apache

PHOENIX—The U.S. Army is gathering potential requirements for another evolution of the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, which is now expected to remain in service into the 2040s and possibly the 2060s.

The possible improvements are being grouped into two categories of engineering change proposal (ECP): upgrades that could be incorporated relatively easily into the current AH-64E, and major changes that would require helicopters to return to the depot, says Rich Tyler, the Army’s Apache deputy program manager.

Topping the list of major changes is re-engining with the 3,000-shp Improved Turbine Engine, but the array of potential upgrades includes adding a propulsor and compounding wing to increase the helicopter’s performance. Also listed are sensor and survivability upgrades and an advanced cockpit and flight controls.

The requirements-gathering exercise is aimed at both upgrades to the AH-64E in fiscal 2019-2024 and a notional “Future Apache” that could be developed in fiscal 2021-25 and produced in fiscal 2025-2035. But there is not yet any formal requirement or program for an improved Apache, cautions Tyler, speaking on the sidelines of AHS International’s Forum 74 convention here on May 15...

A-29, AT-6 Face Off For Light Attack Experiment Part II

Sierra Nevada/Embraer’s A-29 Super Tucano and Textron Aviation’s AT-6B Wolverine are facing off over the sands of Holloman AFB, New Mexico, for the second phase of the U.S. Air Force’s Light Attack Experiment.
Over the next three months, pilots will fly the Super Tucano and AT-6B in a second evaluation designed to gather additional information about the aircraft’s capabilities in a light attack role, as well as interoperability with partner nations, the Air Force says. The event kicked off May 7.

The first phase took place in August 2017 at Holloman AFB, with four models of light attack aircraft, including the A-29 and AT-6 as well as Textron’s Scorpion jet and L-3-Air Tractor’s AT-802L Longsword. The goal of the high-profile experiment was to evaluate the four off-the-shelf aircraft for the light-attack counterterrorism mission ahead of a potential procurement.

Now the Air Force is taking the next step toward possibly buying a fleet of 100 aircraft or more to fight terrorists in the Middle East...

USAF prepares for rapid demo of high-energy laser weapon

The US Air Force has started preparing to rapidly stage a demonstration of a highly mature laser weapon system (LWS) for an unspecified “airborne vehicle”, with the potential for a follow-on production programme.

The plans for the near-term demonstration of a “High Energy Laser (HEL) Flexible Prototype” programme are revealed in an 11 May notice to potential suppliers from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC).

The notice outlines a plan to pay a supplier to deliver a HEL prototype and perform a system level ground verification test of an LWS within 12 months of contract award.

AFRICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ASIA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

EUROPE

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

LATIN/SOUTH AMERICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban militants besiege Farah provincial capital in Afghsanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Taliban insurgents launched attacks from multiple directions on the capital of Farah province in western Afghanistan near the border with Iran early Tuesday, killing and wounding "dozens" of security forces, a local official said. Fared Bakhtawer, head of the provincial council, said several security checkpoints in the city of Farah were overrun by Taliban fighters and that an intense gun battle was ongoing.

Bakhtawer said casualties were high among security forces, but couldn't provide a precise number.

"Security checkpoints around the city have collapsed in the hands of the Taliban, causing high casualties among security forces," he said.O REPORT

CHINA

China Enlists U.N. to Promote Its Belt and Road Project

Top United Nations officials are helping sell Xi Jinping’s signature foreign-policy initiative.

Speaking at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last July, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed suggested a way for African leaders to boost their economies and end decades of strife: sign up to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a plan to invest a trillion dollars or more into the construction of ports, roads, and railways across dozens of countries from East Asia to East Africa.

“We must work to take advantage of one of the world’s largest infrastructure initiatives,” Mohammed urged at the summit’s opening ceremony. “This is an opportunity not just to provide alternatives to silencing the guns for our people but one that will keep our assets both human and natural on the continent building our tomorrow today.”

The promotion highlighted the U.N.’s curious role in China’s public relations campaign to sell the Belt and Road to the developing world. In speech after speech, top U.N. officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, have sung its praises in terms that echo Chinese government talking points, portraying the Belt and Road Initiative as a vital pillar in a U.N.-sponsored plan to tackle poverty around the world by the year 2030.

The Chinese initiative, Guterres said in a speech before the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in May 2017, holds “immense potential” and promises greater market access for “countries yearning to become more integrated with the global economy.”

U.N. support for the Chinese project comes just as Beijing is facing growing criticism for imposing unsustainable debt burdens on poor countries and feeding suspicions that the program is a cover for projecting China’s economic and military interests.

In March, then-U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that Chinese “predatory loan practices” were encouraging dependency in African nations and “undercut[ting] their sovereignty.” European Union officials and European leaders have sounded the alarm about the political implications of greater Chinese investment, especially in Southern Europe. And China’s Asian neighbors are increasingly alarmed by Beijing’s checkbook diplomacy that threatens to upend the military balance across the Indo-Pacific region.

The United Nations, in contrast, has embraced the Belt and Road, which offers the prospect of trillions of dollars in desperately needed infrastructure investment at a time when the United States is cutting back foreign assistance.

“It’s an international stamp of approval to the Belt and Road Initiative at a time when it is under fire,” says Elizabeth Economy, a China scholar with the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State...

China tests bombers on South China Sea island
A July 2016 file photo shows a Chinese H-6K bomber patrolling islands and reefs, including Huangyan Island in the South China Sea.

(CNN) — China says it has landed long-range bombers for the first time on an island in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of maneuvers putting Beijing at odds with its neighbors and Washington over China's growing military presence around disputed islands.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) announced on Friday it successfully organized the takeoff and landing of several bombers, including the nuclear-capable H-6K, on an unspecified island. The PLA claimed the mission was a part of China's aim to achieve a broader regional reach, quicker mobilization, and greater strike capabilities.

A military expert, Wang Mingliang, was quoted in the statement as saying the training will hone the Chinese air force's war-preparation skills and its ability to respond to various security threats in the region, where China claims large swathes of territory...

...Over the past few years China has been rapidly transforming various reefs and inlets into artificial islands to install military infrastructure. Some experts have called them "unsinkable aircraft carriers..."

...The move is a strategic accomplishment for China to further reinforce its military and political power in the disputed waters.

Upgrading capabilities


The H-6K is a considerable upgrade from the fighter jets believed to have previously landed on the islands. China's top-of-the-line bomber is capable of reaching a nearly 1,900-nautical-mile (3,500-kilometer) radius. Flying the twin-engine bombers out of Woody Island would mean the entirety of Southeast Asia is within combat flight range, experts say.

"The H-6K is significant because it provides Beijing with longer-ranging bomber capabilities that can drop precision-guided munitions on both ground and sea targets," Rand Corp. defense analyst Derek Grossman said in an email to CNN.

"Moreover, landing the bomber on Woody Island provides an opportunity for Chinese pilots to train under realistic circumstances," Grossman said.

While Woody Island sits in the central South China Sea, the AMTI says satellite imagery indicates China has built near identical operational runways at its three main outposts in the Spratly Islands known as Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross Reef, which sit near the southern extent of the sea...

IRAN

Iran's Strategy for Surviving U.S. Sanctions

Highlights
Now that the United States is piling on sanctions, Iran's government is preparing for an inevitable economic decline.

Iran's political factions are in relative agreement about how to handle the economic pressure, at least over the next several months.

Tehran's goal will be to keep its head above water long enough to outlast the current U.S. administration. It will try to increase non-oil exports to make up for the loss of oil sales, implement financial reforms and slow the depreciation of its currency.

Iran's key priorities while it is coping with sanctions will be to keep prices for food and other goods down, minimize protests against the government, and make foreign exchange reserves last as long as possible.

One big question is how long Iran's discouraged population will trust the government's survival strategies before they start to protest against inflation and increasing wealth inequality

Iran is preparing for major economic and financial challenges now that the United States is ready to implement tough oil-specific sanctions in November. The government in Tehran is unwilling to heed Washington's demands, which include halting its missile program and ending its support for regional militias, because it considers these basic components of the country's defense strategy. So Iran is managing its economy for the long haul, hoping it can insulate itself against the effects of sanctions long enough to outlast the current U.S. administration...

IRAQ

Once Hated by U.S. and Tied to Iran, Is Sadr Now ‘Face of Reform’ in Iraq?

The Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr on his way to vote in the parliamentary election in Najaf, Iraq, on May 12.Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters
BAGHDAD — Iraqis are still haunted by memories of black-clad death squads roaming Baghdad neighborhoods a decade ago, cleansing them of Sunnis as the country was convulsed by sectarian violence.

Many of the mass killings in the capital were done in the name of Moktada al-Sadr, a cleric best remembered by Americans for fiery sermons declaring it a holy duty among his Shiite faithful to attack United States forces.

The militia he led was armed with Iranian-supplied weapons, and Mr. Sadr cultivated a strong alliance with leaders in Tehran, who were eager to supplant the American presence in Iraq and play the dominant role in shaping the country’s future.

Now, the man once demonized by the United States as one of the greatest threats to peace and stability in Iraq has come out as the surprise winner of this month’s tight elections, after a startling reinvention into a populist, anticorruption campaigner whose “Iraq First” message appealed to voters across sectarian divides...

ISRAEL

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

KOREAN PENINSULA

North Korea Signals Intent To Resolve Overflight Concerns

North Korea has committed to taking steps to improve its airspace safety, which could open the way for airlines to resume using North Korean airspace for overflights.

ICAO officials traveled to North Korea to hold talks with the reclusive nation’s civil aviation authorities.

During these meetings, North Korean aviation officials "made an unqualified pledge that no further unscheduled, unannounced missile testing or other activities hazardous to civil aviation will occur" over the country, ICAO said.

Concerns regarding missiles have been a major reason why foreign airlines do not overfly North Korea, even when such routes would be more efficient.

The ICAO mission included the agency’s air navigation bureau director Stephen Creamer and ICAO director Asia-Pacific office Arun Mishra. They met with North Korea’s General Administration of Civil Aviation (GACA) deputy director general Ri Yong Son.

GACA said there will be no more launches of ICBM missiles because of a government resolution, and North Korean officials remarked that the country’s nuclear arms program is complete, according to an ICAO summary of the meetings. GACA said it has procedures in place to ensure communication between military and civilian aviation authorities, and can "fully comply" with notification requirements.

North Korea expressed its "interest in opening new routes through [its] airspace for overflight traffic," ICAO said. The country’s aviation authorities have previously sent a request to ICAO to establish a new air traffic service route between North Korea’s Pyongyang flight information region (FIR) and the Incheon FIR, which is controlled by South Korea. ICAO has forwarded this proposal to South Korea...

North Korea replaces three top military leaders, Yonhap news agency reports

Three of North Korea’s top military officials have been replaced, a South Korean news agency reported Monday, marking an apparent shake-up in leader Kim Jong Un’s inner circle before next week’s planned summit with President Trump.

The report by the Yonhap news agency, citing an intelligence source, could not be independently verified.

But, if confirmed, the moves suggest another step in Kim’s ongoing reorganization in military leadership — this time bringing in younger military overseers to replace older ranks possibly at odds with his outreach to the United States and its ally South Korea, experts said...

RUSSIA

Russia hints at a nuclear armed drone submarine for 2027: The Poseidon drone submarine, should it be built, will be both nuclear powered and nuclear armed, a dangerous package inside an autonomous body.

Poseidon is an unsubtle name for a robot. So when a country decides to name a category of vessel after the god of the ocean, it suggests a gravitas, a significance that no lesser name would convey. This week, Russian media floated a new machine, an underwater uninhabited robot program, tentatively aimed at at 2027 release, which earns its divine moniker in the least subtle of ways: it’s built to carry and use nukes.

We first saw a glimpse of Poseidon or a Poseidon-like craft in the draft of the Pentagon’s nuclear posture review released this January, though it didn’t have that moniker then. That document referred to an “autonomous underwater vehicle” dubbed Kanyon by the Pentagon and formally labeled Ocean Multipurpose System Status-6. This vehicle would operate from another submarine, though it’s own speed and depth ranges fall within the capabilities listed this week for the Poseidon drone.

As reported by Russian state-owned media agency TASS, Poseidon is designed to be armed with a “two megatonne warhead,” primarily aimed at destroying hardened naval bases accessible from the sea. To get to those targets, the Poseidon will travel at depths of over 3,000 feet below the surface and with a top speed of around 80 mph. In addition to potentially carrying a nuclear warhead, the Poseidon will run on a nuclear powerplant...

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

CYBER ISSUES

Hacker Breaches Securus, the Company That Helps Cops Track Phones Across the US

A hacker has provided Motherboard with the login details for a company that buys phone location data from major telecom companies and then sells it to law enforcement.

A hacker has broken into the servers of Securus, a company that allows law enforcement to easily track nearly any phone across the country, and which a US Senator has exhorted federal authorities to investigate. The hacker has provided some of the stolen data to Motherboard, including usernames and poorly secured passwords for thousands of Securus’ law enforcement customers.

Although it’s not clear how many of these customers are using Securus’s phone geolocation service, the news still signals the incredibly lax security of a company that is granting law enforcement exceptional power to surveill individuals...

TERRORISM

Prison: A Training Ground for Terrorists

By Scott Stewart
VP of Tactical Analysis, Stratfor

Highlights

Hundreds of convicted jihadists are scheduled to be released from prison in the next few years, and their numbers will be bolstered by those prisoners who have embraced extremism while behind bars.

Prisons can serve as universities of crime for grassroots jihadists who lack terrorist tradecraft, and career criminals who convert will already possess skills useful in attacks.

The released extremists will add to the caseload for overburdened government forces working to counter the jihadist threat...
MISC

China Has Already Won the Drone Wars
Chinese companies are proving that America is not first in the UAV export market. Can Trump roll that back?

Jordan’s Chinese CH-4 drone on display at this year’s SOFEX arms show. (Sharon Weinberger/Foreign Policy)

AMMAN, Jordan — At a military airfield on the outskirts of the Jordanian capital, three American businessmen stood admiring the star exhibit, which looked eerily familiar: a large drone, armed with weapons under its wings, with a domed front.

“They brought the Predator here,” said one, in reference to the ubiquitous U.S. drone used in wars from Bosnia to Iraq.

“That is not a Predator,” another countered.

The drone on display was, in fact, a Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called the Rainbow CH-4, which has quickly spread around the world. Jordan bought the drone in 2015 but displayed it publicly for the first time this year at the Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference, known as SOFEX, a biennial event where companies market their latest wares.

Once upon a time, the sight would have been unthinkable: The MQ-1 Predator and its successor, the more lethal MQ-9 Reaper, were for more than a decade synonymous with armed drones. But that now is changing, not because Beijing has built a better drone but because it has been willing to sell them to countries where the United States wouldn’t.

For years, advocates of U.S. arms sales bemoaned tight export restrictions on armed drones, which has allowed China to move in on a lucrative market while depriving American companies of valuable business. Jordan had originally requested to buy the Reaper, made by San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, but was turned down. When Beijing subsequently secured the deal, Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter lamented in late 2015 that “China is seizing the opportunity.”

More than two years later, China’s growing share of the armed drone market is on display. To date, only the United Kingdom, France, and Italy have bought an armed version of the MQ-9 Reaper, while other U.S. allies, including Jordan, are flying Chinese drones, such as the CH-4.

The United States now belatedly is trying to recapture the armed drone market. For years, U.S. companies were restricted from such sales, in part as a result of the Missile Technology Control Regime, an international pact that aims to curb the export of certain long-range cruise missiles and drones. (China is not a signatory to the agreement.)...

...The CH-4, whose resemblance to the iconic Predator is no accident, follows a long tradition of Chinese technology manufacturing, whether in cars or smartphones: Make it look like a name-brand Western equivalent, but build it cheaper and good enough to get the job done. (Amusingly, a video at the show advertising the CH-4 called it “one of the best” UAVs in the world, as in, not the best.) Analysts have even suggested, albeit without proof, that China pilfered U.S. technical information for its drone program....

Uber Seeks International ‘Pilot’ City For UberAIR Trial

May 10, 2018 Guy Norris and Graham Warwick | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

LOS ANGELES—Ride-hailing operator Uber has issued an open call to cities around the world to bid to become the first international test site of the company’s proposed uberAIR aerial rideshare program.

The chosen community will join Dallas and Los Angeles, which have already been selected by Uber as U.S. launch cities for the pioneering urban air mobility initiative. Uber aims to begin demonstration flights in 2020 and initial commercial services in 2023.

The call for proposals, which must be submitted by July 1, is directed at cities with a greater metropolitan area population of more than 2 million and a density of more than 2,000 people per square mile. Uber says populations of this size will be able to support “pooled ridesharing services and thus benefit the most from an uberAIR network...”

Turbojet Runs Precursor to Hypersonic Engine Heat Exchanger Tests

Advanced propulsion developer Reaction Engines is nearing its first step toward validating its novel air-breathing hybrid rocket design at hypersonic conditions by firing up a vintage General Electric J79 turbojet to act as a heat source for testing, expected later this month.

The ex-military engine, formerly used in a McDonnell Douglas F-4, is a central element of Reaction’s specially developed high-temperature airflow test site, which will soon be commissioned at Front Range Airport, near Watkins, Colorado. The J79 will provide heated gas flow in excess of 1,000C (1,800F) which, together with conditioned ambient air, will be mixed to replicate inlet conditions representative of flight speeds up to and including Mach 5.

The flow will verify the operability and performance of the pre-cooler heat exchanger (HTX), which is at the core of Reaction’s Sabre (synergistic air-breathing rocket engine). It is also key to extracting oxygen from the atmosphere to enable acceleration to hypersonic speed from a standing start. The HTX will chill airflow to minus 150C in less than 1/20th of a second, and pass it through a turbo-compressor and into the rocket combustion chamber where it will be burned with sub-cooled liquid hydrogen (LH) fuel. Beyond Mach 5, and at an altitude approaching 100,000 ft. the inlet will be closed and the engine will continue to operate as a closed-cycle rocket engine fueled by onboard liquid oxygen and LH.

Full heat exchanger testing expected to begin in third quarter

Reaction Engine sees potential early roles for heat exchanger in turbofans and hypersonic systems

“The facility will be undergoing characterization throughout June,” says Adam Dissel, president of Reaction Engines Inc. “By mixing the flow we can control the ramp up and down, and it allows us to dial in the appropriate conditions so the pre-cooler will see an environment analogous to what it would see in a flight vehicle over a flight time line. If your vehicle took off from a runway and accelerated to Mach 5 over the next 4-5 min. we can dial in the temperatures, pressures and mass flows corresponding to that ascent. The whole set up allows us to do flight-like tests,” he adds...

Pentagon to Take Over Security Clearance Checks: The Defense Department is poised to take over background investigations for the federal government.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is poised to take over background investigations for the federal government, using increased automation and high-tech analysis to tighten controls and tackle an enormous backlog of workers waiting for security clearances, according to U.S. officials.

The change aims to fix a system whose weaknesses were exposed by the case of a Navy contractor who gunned down a dozen people at Washington's Navy Yard in 2013. He was able to maintain a security clearance despite concerns about his mental health and an arrest that investigators never reviewed.

Problems had earlier surfaced with former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who now lives in Russia to avoid charges for disclosing classified material, and Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, who went to prison for leaking classified documents, triggering calls to update the antiquated system to include more frequent criminal and financial checks of workers who have security clearances.

Another problem has been delays: a backlog of about 700,000 people, including high-ranking federal officials waiting as much as a year to get clearances. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, for example, received his permanent clearance just a few weeks ago, more than 16 months after Trump took office. The delay, his lawyer said, was caused by the backlog in the new administration and Kushner's extensive financial wealth, which required lengthy review...

Officer Down

Corporal Dale Shannon Hallman
Saluda County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina
End of Watch Friday, April 6, 2018
Age 30
Tour 5 years

Corporal Dale Hallman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Pencreek Road while responding to a call at approximately 1:00 a.m.

His patrol car left the roadway and overturned while he was en route to provide canine support in search of a subject who had fled into a wooded area.

Corporal Hallman, who also served as a lieutenant with the Saluda County fire department, served with the Saluda County Sheriff's Office for more than five years.

He is survived by his expectant wife and two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Back online

Been a crazy two weeks. Last Saturday we had the annual crawfish party and a lot more people than I though showed up. My youngest graduated high school last Sunday and we've had her party yesterday. I'm home for the first time in ages, and I hope to catch up on a few things, including the posting on my blog.

Hope you have a great week.

Respect for the constitutional separation of powers...what a quaint concept....

I've often said in the last election I didn't vote for Donald Trump, but against Mrs. Bill Clinton. That being said, I've been very pleased with many of his actions, chief of which was insuring a great jurist succeeded the late, great, Antonin Scalia. Neil Gorsuch has been a worthy successor to Justice Scalia, anchoring the court's conservative (should I say, constitution respecting) wing.

Yesterday the decision came down Epic Systems Corporations v. Lewis, a dispute on the ability of corporations, as a condition of employment, to require associates to settle disputes through binding arbitration, not in class action law suites. The court ruled, 5-4, that the law states if an employee agreed to this, it does prevent him from joining a class action law suit. Justice Gorsuch delivered the majority opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a decent she read openly in the court (The Notorious RBG was not happy).

Now I would like to point out this portion of the majority opinion:

These rules exist for good reasons. Respect for Congress as drafter counsels against too easily finding irreconcilable conflicts in its work. More than that, respect for the separation of powers counsels restraint. Allowing judges to pick and choose between statutes risks transforming them from expounders of what the law is into policymakers choosing what the law should be. Our rules aiming for harmony over conflict in statutory interpretation grow from an appreciation that it’s the job of Congress by legislation, not this Court by supposition, both to write the laws and to repeal them.

What a concept. Congress write law, the courts stick to interpreting if they are within the bounds of the constitution. Who would have thunk it?

The late Judge Robert Bork, nominee of Ronald Reagan. Bork had a brilliant legal mind and would have been a suburb justice, but Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden slandered the man. He responded truthfully, he would "defer the the legislature when the constitution is silent." Truthful and constitutional, but not the way Kennedy would have wanted it. Thankfully, a better way of thinking held up on this case. Well done SCOTUS.

Officer Down

Police Officer Phillip Lynn Meacham
Hopkinsville Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch Thursday, March 29, 2018
Age 38
Tour 13 years
Badge 418

Police Officer Phillip Meacham was shot and killed while assisting another officer who was attempting to arrest an escapee on Paulette Court at approximately 5:10 pm.

Officer Meacham, who was off-duty, heard the officer call for assistance and responded to the scene. He was shot by the subject, who then stole a truck and fled to Clarksville, Tennessee. The man was located in Clarksville by local officers and United States Marshals. He was shot and killed as the officers attempted to take him into custody.

Officer Meacham had served with the Hopkinsville Police Department for one year and had previously served with the Christian County Sheriff's Office for 12 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and parents.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Trooper First Class Kevin M. Miller
Connecticut State Police, Connecticut
End of Watch Thursday, March 29, 2018
Age 49
Tour 19 years, 6 months
Badge 1015

Trooper Kevin Miller was killed in a vehicle crash on eastbound I-84, in Tolland, at approximately 12:30 pm.

His patrol car collided with the back of a tractor-trailer that was traveling slower than other traffic in the right lane of the interstate.

Trooper Miller was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He had served with the Connecticut State Police for 19 years and was assigned to Troop C. He is survived by two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

The latest and greatest from the People's Democratic Republic of Kalifornia....

One of my friends from high school got hired by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, and I caught up with him years ago on Facebook and email. And he mentioned how much he loved California and had no plans to leave. Well, things like this have changed his way of thinking.

"Mike, as soon as I get my 25, I'm not sure where I'm going, but I'm out of here!"

Like what you ask? Well, getting second guessed when you're a street cop, to be expected. Now to get this...

Civilian panel: LAPD cops broke policy after shooting man who fired at LEOs

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police’s rank-and-file officers’ union said it was baffled by a ruling this week that found a dozen officers acted outside of LAPD policy in using lethal force against a suspect who fired at officers and a police helicopter in Sunland...

...It was the first time the department used snipers in a helicopter to shoot a suspect though officers also shot at the suspect from the ground.

Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said he was “kind of shocked” at the civilian panel’s split ruling.

“(The suspect) had a gun. He was shooting at officers. It was the ultimate safety risk,” Lally said Wednesday, adding that he had not yet seen the Inspector General’s report, which will be released in the coming days...

OK, we hear the usual suspects (BLM, DOJ, YouTube/Facebook experts, etc.) saying "he shot an unarmed man, that's wrong..." Now we have a suspect firing at officers and a police chopper, and it's still unjustified.

...Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck had argued that the 13 officers involved in the hours-long incident acted within policy. 

The Commission found that one police officer acted within policy in using lethal force. It was not clear Wednesday whether that officer acted from the helicopter or from the ground. 

Beck, echoing the findings of the department’s Use of Force Review Board, agreed “that an officer with similar training and experience (as the 13 officers involved) would reasonably believe Soderberg’s actions presented an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury and that the use of lethal force would be objectively reasonable,” according to his April 26 report to the Commission.

Lally noted that the officers tried to negotiate and used tear gas to diffuse the situation even after the attempts on their lives. The officers also operated with authorization from command staff... 

...The incident, which began on 9 a.m. that day, was prompted by a radio call at a home in Alethea Drive, LAPD previously said in a news release. A woman met Foothill Division officers outside the home after she awoke to find a man in the kitchen and then fled and called police. She told the officers there were firearms inside...

...Around 1 p.m., SWAT was on scene when the suspect began shooting in the direction of officers. Between 1 and 3 p.m., the suspect did not surrender and would intermittently shoot at officers, according to the department. During that same period, officers were involved in shootings with the suspect. In one instance, two officers shot at the suspect from a helicopter.

The suspect exited the residence around 3 p.m. and fell down a hillside, where he was determined to be dead. A handgun was recovered at the scene. 

The Commission found that officers and command staff acted within policy with regard to tactics, drawing and exhibiting a weapon, and less lethal use of force.

According to the Beck’s report to the Commission, a commander believed Soderberg was in a position where it would be “very dangerous for anybody to try to contain or engage him on foot.” 

The “aerial platform shooting” – or shooting from the helicopter – offered the ability to control the terrain from the air “and it was appropriate,” Beck wrote.

“It was essential to utilize the (aerial platform shooting) to prevent Soderberg from getting into the surrounding community,” thus prompting command staff to give approval to deploy it, he said.

Before he was shot, the suspect said he would “kill all those SWAT officers that are out there,” according to Beck’s report. 

OK. A turd is firing at officers and you're saying it's not right for us to return fire.  California cops, this is gonna be a serious gut check, going against what you believe, and have been trained to do. But if this is what will happen when your officers are clearly justified in using deadly force, what happens when it's a close call. And libtarded sacks of human excrement, days after the event, sitting on their asses in a comfortable chair, judge what you did as you were taking fire and wondering if you will make it home today. Pathetic.

Officer Down

Special Agent Melissa S. Morrow
United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Government
End of Watch Thursday, March 22, 2018
Age 48
Tour 22 years
Badge 1108

Special Agent Melissa Morrow died as the result of brain cancer that she developed following her assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the Pentagon following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. She was assigned to FBI Washington Field Office's Evidence Response Team and spent 10 weeks recovering and processing evidence from the site in hazardous and contaminated conditions.

Special Agent Morrow had served with the FBI for 22 years and was assigned to the Kansas City Field Office at the time of her passing. She is survived by her parents and sister.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed two of four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City. After the impact of the first plane, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.

As the evacuation continued, the first tower unexpectedly collapsed due as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The second tower collapsed a short time later. 71 law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.

A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.

The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon.

The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.

On September 9, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.

The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill, and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.

On May 1, 2011 members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan where Osama bin Laden was hiding. During the raid, they shot and killed bin Laden.

Rest in Peace Sis…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

The Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill....

A couple of years ago I finished William Manchester's three volume biography of Sir Winston Churchill, The Last Lion. While I was checking out some things on YouTube, stumped onto this. He was the last non royal family member to get a state funeral, until Lady Margaret Thatcher passed in 2013.

A great man passed one week to the day after I was born. But again, it's not how you're buried. It's how you're remembered. And Mr. Churchill is still remembered well.

RIP Sir Winston.

A new verse on a cop's classic!

Cop's have a strange relationship with the Almighty. To say the least, we're not the most reverent. We have to deal with the worse society has, and that requires our actions, often times, to be "Un-Christian."

But this kinda puts it into context. A new prayer to St. Michael.

Police Officer's Prayer to St. Michael

Saint Michael, heaven's glorious commissioner of police,

who once so neatly and successfully cleared God's premises

of all its undesirables, look with kindly and professional

eyes on your earthly force.

Give us cool heads, stout hearts, and uncanny flair for

investigation and wise judgement.

Make us the terror of burglars, the friend of children and

law-abiding citizens, kind to strangers, polite to bores,

strict with law-breakers and impervious to temptations.

You know, Saint Michael, from your own experiences

with the devil that the police officer's lot on earth is not

always a happy one; but your sense of duty that so

pleased God, your hard knocks that so surprised the

devil, and your angelic self-control give us inspiration.

And when we lay down our night sticks, enroll us in your

heavenly force, where we will be as proud to guard the

throne of God as we have been to guard the city of all

the people. Amen.

Officer Down

Police Officer Andres Laza-Caraballo
Juncos Municipal Police Department, Puerto Rico
End of Watch: Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Age: 31
Tour: 10 years
Badge: 162

Police Officer Andres Laza-Caraballo was shot and killed while intervening in a shooting incident while off duty at approximately 1:30 pm.

He was patronizing a barber shop on Calle Emilia Príncipe when several men started smoking marijuana in front of it. When the shop owner asked the men to leave he was attacked. Officer Laza-Caraballo identified himself as an officer and attempted to intervene when several of the subjects entered with rifles and opened fire.

Officer Laza-Caraballo was able to return fire, killing one of the men and wounding a second one before being fatally shot. The remaining two subjects fled the scene and remain at large. Three of the men, including the two who Officer Laza-Caraballo shot, were brothers.

Officer Laza-Caraballo had served with the Juncos Municipal Police Department for 10 years. He is survived by his two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

Friday...I need a laugh

It has been one long ass week. Started with a very early morning on Monday, but it was well worth it. I attended the Texas Peace Officer's Memorial in Austin. Every year the State of Texas commemorates the members of the Thin Blue Line who have passed in the line of duty. Followed by two days of overtime, plus getting up early again on Wednesday for an extra job. I'm dead.

And I need a laugh. Here are six great videos from Ron White. I saw him back in 2008, and I learned it's better to see him at the late show. He's already drunk when he walks on the stage. And my Christmas present for last year was two tickets to Ron White in San Antonio. The wife laughed her ass off, and so did I.

WARNING: LANGUAGE

With that said, enjoy!












Have a great weekend!

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Ryan Douglas Zirkle
Marin County Sheriff's Office, California
End of Watch: Thursday, March 15, 2018
Age: 24
Tour: 2 years, 6 months
Badge: 1784

Deputy Sheriff Ryan Zirkle was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 1, north of Point Reyes Station, while responding to a 911 hangup call shortly after 12:00 am.

His vehicle left the wet roadway as it entered a curve in the road, and struck a tree on the driver's side door. He was flown to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Zirkle had served with the Marin County Sheriff's Office for 2-1/2 years. He is survived by his fiancée, parents, and two brothers.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

LBJ Bio...

I recenlty read the first volumn of Robert Caro's four (soon to be five) bio of Lyndon Johnson, The Path to Power. To be fully honest, LBJ, in my humble opinion, is the worse president in the history of the republic. When I am asked why, my answer always starts with, "I'll give you fifty-eight thousand reasons, their names are on a wall in Washington D.C."

That being said, this book is phenomenal. A very detailed story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country. The Path to Power reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and ambition that set LBJ apart. It follows him from the Hill Country to New Deal Washington, from his boyhood through the years of the Depression to his debut as Congressman, his heartbreaking defeat in his first race for the Senate, and his attainment, nonetheless, at age 31, of the national power for which he hungered. In this book, one is brought as close as we have ever been to a true perception of political genius and the American political process.

The Path to Power is the first volumn, and it's been on my "to read" shelve for over 2 years. The next three (Means of Accent, The Passage of Power, and Master of the Senate) are on the shelf and will be read in the next year.

Now the good news. The fifth volumn is coming!

An epic biography is nearing its close. Slowly but surely.

Those waiting for the fifth and final planned installment of Robert A. Caro’s award-winning life of Lyndon B. Johnson might be both heartened and frustrated by the historian’s most recent update on his progress.

In an interview recorded in New York on May 18 with C-Span’s Brian Lamb (to air on the news channel sometime this summer), Mr. Caro said he had most of the research and 400 typed pages of the manuscript for the next book done. But “one more big thing” remains, he said: A trip to Vietnam.

Mr. Caro lived in the Texas Hill Country while writing and researching the first volume, which covered Johnson’s youth.

“I’m not going to change the way I do it just because I’m getting older,” Mr. Caro, 81, said of the process. “I don’t know what the point would be of that.”

He continued: “I want to go to the great battlefields of Hue. I want to describe — there are a number of good books on this, but I always want to go for myself — what it’s like to fight in the jungle, because that’s really something we hadn’t really encountered.” He added, “There’s a lot of stuff I want to do.”

I hope to hear of a publication date soon!

Officer Down

Police Officer Scotty Hamilton
Pikeville Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Age 35
Tour 12 years
Badge 111

Police Officer Scotty Hamilton was shot and killed at approximately 11:30 pm as he and a Kentucky State Police trooper conducted criminal patrol on Hurricane Road, in the Hurricane Creek area of Pike County.

The officers were in the area as a result of recent narcotics activity when they encountered a suspicious vehicle. As Officer Hamilton checked the area for the vehicle's occupants he encountered a man and was shot in the head.

One suspect was taken into custody at the scene. A second suspect fled the scene but apprehended several days later.

Officer Hamilton had served with the Pikeville Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and child.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.