Presents
Pamphlet #218
"Don't Disarm Soldiers on the
Homeland Battlefield"
Rules
of Engagement: Don't disarm Soldiers on the Battlefield
(Defensive Battle Plans
for the Next War)
by J.J. Johnson 09.14.01
http://www.sierratimes.com/archive/files/sep/14/jjjohnson.htm
As we're still digging
bodies from the rubble, we are asked to come
together as a people. We are asked to stand behind our
leadership and
show a united front. The
Federal Aviation Administration has laid out
new guidelines for airport
and aircraft security. As a frequent flyer,
it is obvious the FAA
took no input from those with the most experience
- air travelers. The knee-jerk
reaction of the FAA shows a pattern of
arrogance and ignorance
that will make it difficult to truly bring this
nation together, or make
it more secure against further attacks of this
nature. It is, in fact,
a pattern of government policy that has placed
this nation in peril today.
Here are some recommendations from frequent
traveler.
These recommendations may
not sit well with some people, but I believe
it is a compromise that
the government and the citizens can live with -
without jeopardizing the
civil liberties of the entire population.
Knowing that it's doubtful
we would be hit twice with the same maneuver
immediately, I will also
discuss other vulnerabilities here in the U.S.,
and how to deal with them.
My qualifications to speak on these matters
are listed at the end
of this article.
AIR TRAVEL
1) All law enforcement
personnel or concealed carry permit holders
having passed a certified
marksman course with a specified airline (with
training sponsored by
the airline or law enforcement controlling
authority) shall identify
themselves at the ticket counter with
certified identification.
At that point, a security officer shall
relieve them of their
service or personal arms and issue a self-defense
pistol and frangible ammo.
These arms must be returned before leaving
the destination airport.
2) Suspend carry-on luggage.
This may seem like an inconvenience to
many, but it has its benefits.
As a frequent flyer, I've lost count of
the number of times I
have been hit against the head, witnessed strained
shoulders, and backs,
with the young and elderly having problems with
placing baggage overhead.
Suspending carry-on luggage would also improve
boarding and de-boarding
time. It might also prevent someone from coming
on board saying they 'have
a bomb'
3) Cell phone use. Today,
Americans are lauding the fact that some of
the doomed airline passengers
were on cell phones reporting what was
going on during their
ill-fated flight. One cell-phone conversation
clearly averted a worse
disaster. But here's what many non-flyers do not
know: Cell phone use is
banned on commercial aircraft. Saving the White
House required brave souls
violating federal law. Solution: We are told
on flights that use of
electronic communication can interfere with the
pilot's communications.
Yet, many aircraft have phones on the back of
airline seats. Get better
communication for pilots, and let travelers
keep cell phones on. It
can save lives, and provide necessary
intelligence for counter-operations
during an emergency.
4) Arm all pilots.
5) Re-enforce cockpit doors
6) Insist that qualified
pilots notify the airlines of their flight
experience.
The first three simple
guidelines would have prevented what happened.
The others are added protection.
Frankly, all law abiding gun owners
should boycott any domestic
airline that prohibits light side arms on
aircrafts. They can give
us a hundred reasons why carrying guns on
planes is a bad idea.
I can give them 20,000 dead reasons why it's a
good idea - period.
WAR AND THE STRATEGY OF THE ENEMY
Before we discuss the following
subject, there are some things that must
be brought into focus
in order to defeat our enemy. As we mourn our
losses, we must, as Americans
fight off the emotion and rhetoric to
understand what happened,
and the true nature of our enemy. We're going
to war, America - It is
time to think and act like True American
Warriors.
The attacks on the World
Trade Center and The Pentagon were not
'cowardly acts of terrorism'.
They were acts of war. Those who carried
out their missions were
not cowards. More over, calling it evil and
barbaric is easy, since
it happened on our own soil. But we must not
overlook this cold fact:
This was one of the most
successful strategic assaults in combat
history. This was clearly
a tactical move to attack our financial
infrastructure, and command
and control facilities. To our enemy, the
thousands who perished
were mere 'collateral damage'. The mission as I
can see was to attack
both the financial and military means to for
counter action.
Did that last paragraph
make your stomach turn? This is war. Start
thinking like a warrior.
Our enemy took advantage
of the policy of 'centralization' and
authoritarian cultural
control in this country. They rightly assumed
that if only the U.S.
government mandated what security measures were in
place, the citizens and
the infrastructure would be caught off guard and
unprepared when 'central
targets were attacked.
And they were right.
Now, look at the new FAA
regulations. Mandated from On High. Little
decentralization. No consultation
with the next potential victims. Even
after knowing what happened
on United Airlines Flight 93, no thought of
empowering those closest
to the battle with the means to defend
themselves or take counter
action. Instead: Ban knives. Among the
initial acts this government
took immediately after the attack, the move
was to secure the President
and Congress. I applaud the move to suspend
air traffic, but that
seems like the only measure done so far to protect
the citizens. Plans have
been in place for years for a 'continuity of
government' scenario.
But what about it's citizens?
We reacted. We weren't prepared.
As many feel the enemy
we face may be still on U.S. soil, and more
Americans are vulnerable
to retaliation or more tactical assaults, the
citizens of this country
become by default - soldiers themselves. In
this war, we are in the
war zone, not just watching it on television. If
we are to win this war
- if we are to survive, the government of the
United States of America
will have to recognize this fact with respect
to its citizens. And the
citizens must accept this reality themselves,
and to each other.
We are soldiers. Our military
shall go on the offense. WE must be a
decentralized, defense
oriented society in order to protect our own
people. The President
has asked local and state law enforcement to
protect the citizenry.
While commendable, that is not nearly enough. We
have to do it. And in
order to do it, we have to anticipate what may be
targeted next, and takes
steps to prevent it. In battle, there are Rules
of Engagement between
the opposing forces on foreign battlefields. In
order to win this war
in decisive fashion, local, state and federal
governments must first
establish
Rules of Engagement on
this battlefield - called America.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
Did you know the interstate
highway system was built with the purpose of
moving military traffic?
Of course, it has become part of the American
way of life. Since my
wife was force to drive from the east coast (due
to the air shutdown),
we deliberately detoured her journey to a less
traveled bridge across
the Mississippi River. Why? Because we were
thinking like a warrior.
Major bridges and tunnels are prime
infrastructure targets.
Their destruction could cripple commerce,
civilian and military
traffic. These bridge supports should be watched.
The Bush Administration
recently said we were not ready to fight a war
on two fronts. If we must
put all our resources into this one, ending
the war on drugs would
free a lot of those resources domestically -
think about it.
This will required local
and state law enforcement to change their
priorities. To improve
their effectiveness, I would strongly suggest the
policies of pursuing suspects
for violations of 'political correctness',
and enforcing the suspension
of rights of animals and trees, in favor of
a more important duty
at hand.
America needs local and
state law enforcement spending more time
watching the Eads Bridge
and the Baltimore Tunnel than a marijuana
dealer or a gun collector.
Any state that has any
law banning firearms in vehicles should suspend
this law NOW. This goes
double for truckers. Truckers are the eyes,
ears, and soul of the
American highway system. Their talents have become
even more important with
the suspension of air traffic. You'll see more
of them on the highway.
For the first one who says they want no person
(especially truckers)
to be armed in their vehicles, I can respond with,
"where would you like
that hijacked petroleum, hazardous chemical or
liquid rocket fuel truck
to show up? At it's intended destination, or
detonated somewhere in
the vicinity of thousands of people?
Truckers, arm yourselves
NOW. Be on the lookout for anything strange at
truck stops. Do a good
walk around after every fuel stop. Fuel haulers:
park away from the other
trucks. All truckers should keep an eye out for
fuel haulers and HazMat
rigs. Something suspicious? Call the
authorities, contact him
on CB for identification. Use your best
judgment if you don't
get a response. Make sure all CB and cell phones
are in working order before
getting on the road.
And to Local and State
Law enforcement: No firearms checks in trucks or
vehicles. We are not the
enemy. We are defending America.
ENERGY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
This is an attack just
waiting to happen. I am confident the government
has taken steps to look
out for major energy installations (dams,
nuclear power plants,
etc.). But with American dependence on electricity
at this time, extra care
should be given to all substations, and
transmission towers. You
don't need a plane, a car bomb, or a cruise
missile. We're talking
bolt cutters and medium range rifles. The lineman
will know what to look
for, and where the key points are. For security
reasons, I will not go
into details here.
I will say this: targeting
key installations mentioned above are a lot
easier than defending
them. This is due again, to 'centralization'. We
are dependent on power
companies to provide electricity. Without it,
state leaders declare
emergencies.
Solution: The time has
come to switch to self-contained power systems.
Power companies can take
the lead. At any time, power can go down -
energy sources may become
crucial anywhere, at any time. Without going
into details, new businesses
can be started in this country by
installing 12 volt - DC
bypasses on many low wattage appliances. This
would allow many domestic,
business and industrial systems to run on
battery back ups if the
need arises. This is a long-term plan, but it
must be started NOW.
No more politics, people.
This is war. We are Americans. We are
defending America.
Did you enjoy the gas lines
and price jumps on September 11, 2001? Think
there may be a chance
of fuel interruptions during this period? Let's
start doing something
about it. It's called 'decentralization'.
Taking the side of the
environmentalists, we must move to alternative
fuel sources as soon as
possible. Are you hearing me, Detroit? Get your
engineers to work. Taking
the side against the environmentalists, I
would urge that all regulation
banning the exploration and refining of
domestic resources be
suspended during this
emergency. This is part of the reason we're in
this mess now - and everyone
knows it. We will need as much fuel as
possible until the domestic
changeover is made. Sharp eyes must be kept
on refineries, shipping
and pipelines. Again, this will require local
and state law enforcement
to change its priorities. Your job is to
'serve and protect'. It's
time to start doing it.
WATER AND SANITATION
Again, this is too easy,
and if preparations are not made, whole cites
could be left defenseless.
Home water purification systems are a must.
For those on municipal
water systems, I would urge plastic containers to
keep spare water on hand,
as much as possible. Paranoid? There is an
unexplained mega -fish
kill off the coast of Kuwait right now. Natural
or man-made? Wanna be
around to find out? When it comes to extra water:
better to have it and
not need it than to need it and not have it.
Those with wells should
have backups. Government officials should back
off prosecution of folks
who use too much water. During the recent
Klamath agreement, the
issue of Farmers needing water to grow food in
time of war came up. It
was one of the few valid arguments that got
through to federal officials.
Perhaps this is a good sign. In short:
have stand-by water ready.
Again, it's called decentralization.
COMMUNICATIONS
Yeah, they can go after
phone lines too, and since the Internet has not
gone totally wireless,
we'll need to look out for that as well. No
phones, no Internet, no
news, no information. If they are smart enough
to take down the World
Trade Center, a local phone system is small
potatoes (See: The Infrastructure).
All utility personnel should be on
the lookout for this.
In a given area, utility workers from different
utilities recognize each
other. Keep that in mind. Also watch for
unauthorized persons around
cell phone towers (in the event of covert,
local operations)
Most utility outfits have
strict rules about their workers being armed
in company vehicles. Again
for national security reasons, I will not say
what kind of havoc can
be caused with one or two trained operatives
getting hold of the right
utility vehicle on any given utility system.
Those who drive the vehicles
and 'work the line' know.
Before you write off what
I just said, remember: They successfully
hijacked 4 jumbo jets
simultaneously, didn't they?
Linemen, phone workers,
cable workers - arm yourselves. The way this war
may be fought, you may
find yourselves as prime targets. And make sure
you have backup communications.
In worse case scenarios,
electricity and communications may be knocked
out for quite a while.
Have a flashlight ready. And get a book or audio
tape on Morse code. Of
course you'll never have time to learn it - until
there's nothing else to
do. Knowing Morse code may help someone pull you
out of the rubble one
day.
This is serious, people.
You
want to beat these warriors? You have to
think like warriors. This
is war - a war that has been proven can, and
probably will, be brought
to a battlefield near you.
FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The Key here is simply
to keep the banks open. Banks meanwhile, should
begin looking heavily
into safe, online transactions, and making cash
more accessible. Simultaneous
car bomb attacks on several banks in a
given city can shut down
commerce fast. Banks should take precautions.
Inconvenient for your
customers and too expensive, you say? Wasn't an
issue with the federal
government after Oklahoma City. In the case of a
bank, it doesn't even
have to be a car bomb. Remember the Rome and
Vienna Airports back in
the 80's, and Prozac enhanced psychopaths in
restaurants, schools,
and other places in recent history.
Lesson learned: armed people can thwart such attacks.
These are just a few precautions
that need to be taken. All of America
is saying things will
never be the same again. They are right. Things
have to change. Our federal
government vows to protect us. They mandate
x-ray machines at all
airports, and 4 planes are hijacked
simultaneously. They put
barricades around their buildings, while the
World Trade Center is
there for the taking. The want armed guards on
planes and in airports,
but the potential victims can't even carry
knives.
Go ahead. Call me crazy,
Sen. Schumer and Clinton lovers. Then turn on
the news and witness the
results (in their own state) of doing it your
way.
We are at War, America.
Look at New York. Look at Washington right now.
Take a good look, dammit.
Don't hide our children from the truth
anymore. Our enemy has
proven that he can and will bring this battle to
our own soil. Americans
will support their troops in battle in a war
zone.
But there are simply not
enough law enforcement personnel to watch this
battlefield. If Congress
simply passed more laws taking the right of
self-defense away from
the people who will be working to support their
war machine and leave
us vulnerable, then don't bother sending the
military anywhere.
Our enemy is not stupid.
They took advantage of the lack of trust
between this government
and its people. If this government does not take
a hard, honest look at
this cold fact and respect the people's right of
self defense, we will
be sitting ducks for the next attack.
There are over 55,000 take-offs
a day with commercial and cargo aircraft
in the U.S. The federal
government barely has that number of civilian
law enforcement in arms.
There is no feasible way to train that many
that fast. The Airline
industry on the other hand, could handle 1.3
million passengers daily.
With law-abiding air travelers in arms - you
do the math.
The lesson of September 11, 2001:
Don't disarm your soldiers on
a battlefield.
It can cause heavy losses.
These are the new Rules of Engagement.
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