A New Economic Stimulus Package & Security System via The Space Preservation Act and Companion Space Preservation Treaty.
January 2003,
Institute for Cooperation in Space.
On June 13, 2002 the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty was terminated following the unilateral notice of abrogation by the U.S. Administration on December 13, 2001. This action permits research, development, testing, manufacturing, production and deployment of space-based weapons, and components of the National Missile Defense (NMD) system to go forward, instigating a destabilizing, costly and dangerous arms race in space. Some estimates are that the NMD system -- which is partly space-based may cost up to $238 billion, and that is just the beginning. Achieving an enforceable, permanent ban on space-based weapons is feasible only at this moment in history and this is within our practical reach.
The Space Preservation Act of 2002 (H.R. 3616), to be reintroduced in 2003 by Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Co-Chair of the House Space and Aviation Caucus and Chair of the House Progressive Caucus, directs the U.S. President to work toward "negotiating, adopting and implementing an international treaty banning space-based weapons and the use of weapons to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit."
Companion to the Space Preservation Act is an up-to-date world treaty, the Space Preservation Treaty. This Space Preservation Treaty will fill the legal void left by the breaking of the ABM Treaty and will fulfill the needs of all treaties intending to keep space as a weapons-free zone for the benefits to all humankind. Similar to the Space Preservation Act, the Space Preservation Treaty provides that "Each State Party to this Treaty shall:
(1) implement a ban on space-based weapons;
(2) implement a ban on the use of weapons to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit; and immediately order the permanent termination of research and development, testing, manufacturing, production and deployment of all space-based weapons of such State Party."
Under the terms of the Space Preservation Treaty, once three nations sign it and deposit it at the United Nations office of the Secretary General as Treaty Depositary, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will be required to report publicly to the U.N. General Assembly every 90 days on progress under the Space Preservation Treaty. Once 20 nations have signed and ratified the Space Preservation Treaty it will go into force and the Outer Space Peacekeeping Agency will be funded and established to monitor outer space and enforce the ban on space-based weapons. The Space Preservation Treaty incorporates the exact wording and intent of the Space Preservation Act, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, and international proposals, including the Chinese-Russian proposal. It is, therefore, ready for signatures and for immediate deposit at the U.N. Secretariat. This Space Preservation Treaty and the movement to support it will help put necessary pressure on the U.S. congress and administration.
Article IV of the Space Preservation Treaty requires that "Each State party to this Treaty agrees to the establishment, funding, equipping and deployment of an outer space peacekeeping agency, whose mission is to monitor outer space and enforce the permanent ban of space-based weapons under this Treaty." Article VII of the Treaty provides that "The provisions of Articles 1 and II of this Treaty shall apply to all States, regardless of whether such States are signatures to this Treaty." One hundred sixteen (116) nations have signed the 1967 U.N. Outer Space Treaty, banning weapons of mass destruction from outer space. The Space Preservation Treaty establishes an agency that will monitor and enforce the ban.
Most leaders of the world are on record wanting to ban space-based weapons. On April 12, 2001, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan announced his support of a ban on space-based weapons. The Secretary General stated that the international community recognized early that a legal regime for outer space was needed to prevent space from becoming another arena of military confrontation. On November 29, 2001, the U.N. General Assembly approved by a 156-0 vote the basis for a treaty establishing a permanent ban on space-based weapons (Resolution 56/535), by stating the Member Nations were "convinced that further measures should be examined in the search for effective and verifiable bilateral and multilateral agreements in order to prevent an arms race in outer space, including the weaponization of outer space." On November 20, 2000, a similar U.N. General Assembly resolution to prevent an arms race in space (Resolution 55/32) was approved where the final adopting vote was 163-0. [1]
The Space Preservation Treaty is an effective and verifiable multilateral agreement to prevent an arms race in outer space, including the weaponization of outer space.
Key space faring nation leaders have publicly stated they are in favor of banning space-based weapons. Deputy Prime Minister John Manley of Canada on July 26, 2001 stated, "Canada would be very happy to launch an initiative to see an international convention preventing the weaponization of space." [2] Canada first called for a ban on space-based weapons 20 years ago in 1982 and again in 1998 and 1999.
On September 28, 2001, just two weeks after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, in a major speech at the United Nations in New York, Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov stated, "Russia invites the world community to start working out a comprehensive agreement on the non-deployment of weapons in outer space and on the non-use of force against space objects. As the first practical step in this direction, a moratorium could be declared on the deployment of weapons in outer space pending a relevant international agreement. Preventing the deployment of weapons in outer space forms an important part of the set of measures designed to ensure strategic stability."
On June 6, 2001, China formally proposed possible provisions of a "Treaty on the Prevention of the Weaponization of Outer Space." China stated, "China is dedicated to promoting the international community to negotiate and conclude an international legal instrument on the prevention of the weaponization of space and an arms race in outer space."
Nearly 300 U.S. and international non-governmental organizations have formally endorsed the Space Preservation Act, and that movement is rapidly growing around the US and worldwide.
A forthcoming D.C. press conference will introduce the Space Preservation Act, and a forthcoming Space Preservation Treaty-signing Conference will produce a literal lid on the arms race with continued R&D and exploration that will cause a new economic stimulus package to emerge that is no longer based on war for peace, put on bringing the world together in real peace. There will be an interactive world media and community event, whereby the nation-state leaders signing the Space Preservation Treaty will be acknowledged and will empower a new cooperative Space Age reality for humankind: a ban on space-based weapons and the foundation of a cooperative world space economy, security system and society. And a new U.S. President, a new Commander in Chief, will be elected in 2004 who is the voice of all progressive issues and who is the voice for this win-win platform.
After the breakdowns of 2001-2, the breakthroughs of 2003-4 will produce the signing of the Space Preservation Treaty, and the first 20 nations who sign on will enact the Treaty that will help put necessary pressure on the US Congress and Administration to pass the Space Preservation Act.
This ban on space-based weapons, and the awareness that this is an Aikido style approach that is not intended to shut down the military industrial lab university intelligence complex, will awaken and expand the positive realities we all want.
This one act has the potential to shift our collective consciousness to:
• Enhance world health and education
• Help create a clean and safe sustainable environment
• Support international security needs through information sharing
• Stimulate the world economy based on the R&D of clean energy
• Create a consciousness of our place in the infinite universe
• Lead to peace on earth because there is peace preserved in space
BUILDING A WORLD COOPERATIVE SPACE ECONOMY
The Space Preservation Act and the companion Space Preservation Treaty facilitate future public and private investment in world cooperative space ventures that are not related to space-based weapons, and the consequent stimulation of the new national and world Space Age economy. Section 6 of the Space Preservation Act of 2002 specifically permits "the use of funds for
(1) space exploration,
(2) space research and development;
(3) testing, manufacturing or production that is not related to space-based weapons or systems; and civil, commercial or defense activities (including communications, navigation, surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning or remote sensing) that are not related to space-based weapons or systems."
The public and private investment in space activities that are not related to space-based weapons will open the way to significant positive impacts on national and world economies as jobs, new training programs and investments expand in the civil, commercial, entrepreneurial and military sectors to meet the demand for the R&D of clean and safe Space Age technology, products and services that can and will be applied directly to solving urgent problems of humans and other animals and our environment and energy issues.
Investment in non-weapons space capital goods and services that come from space industries, businesses, labs and factories, space habitats, space hotels and resorts, hospitals, schools and universities, elevators, solar and other energy sources, and craft create economic multiplier effects which in turn will have positive impacts on terrestrial and space-related jobs and training programs and on the expanding consumer and producer economies.
A space factory, for example, is a capital good that in turn multiplies the investment put into it by producing unlimited and conscious jobs, goods and services for the growing space and terrestrial economy.
A space-based weapons industry is limited and must continually generate more war, dumping old weapons, testing new ones, and rationalizing budgets for the new weapons and wars, and this is an example of a capital good that does not itself produce an abundance of jobs, goods and services.
A space hospital, for example, will expand our knowledge or healing approaches and technologies and will steer the medical profession and related industries towards all kinds of higher, more sophisticated, consciously applied healing techniques.
A space hotel and resort will expand our travel and communication devices to help bring the world together with a vision of a future of adventure into unknown places.
A space school and university will bring education to new heights. The highest tools of technology will be applied to enhancing communication, information exchanges and the applications of our selves and our technologies, products and services in new ways our minds can see, hearts feel, and spirits know that we all can envision as we educate worldwide about the space that is the common heritage of all world citizens.
As we have learned to live, work and travel cooperatively in space for the past nearly 50 years, we will learn to live, work and travel on earth in peace on our home planet.
Banning space-based weapons will create a new era of cooperative expansion worldwide in the context of a whole new space age paradigm, a whole new way of thinking by humankind, as we evolve into the Universe with unprecedented benefits, opportunities and prosperity for all - including for so-called adversaries.
By capping the arms race before it escalates into space, we are transforming the entire war industry (and mindset) into a cooperative world space industry. The benefits and opportunities that result will help to bring the world together in peace and cooperation, in health and happiness, respecting all sacred life, with love in peace.
The largest research and development (R&D) program in history is now mandated to weaponize space. Even with all the protests, the war industry has expanded and plans to evolve into space. Satellites can be used as force multipliers in war situations, or as ways to educate, heal, clean-up our environment, prepare with early warning of man-made or natural disasters, and to verify arms agreements including the elimination of nuclear weapons and other dangerous and polluting technologies. Replacement of these technologies is going to be big business with a consciousness. How we evolve into space is now OUR choice.
Obviously, this ban will not immediately solve all problems on earth, so we have to work on them all simultaneously. This bill will not end all wars immediately, immediately end the nuclear industry or heal everyone, but it is the necessary step to making that happen.
This bill will not stop local gang warfare or domestic disputes in the home immediately, but it will show youth that there is going to be a healthy future with exciting and real job possibilities. This bill will not immediately eliminate poverty or the homelessness or clean up our environment or heal sick children and other animals. But it will free technology and intention to solve those problems instead of being applied to war games. Even though this bill is about banning space-based weapons, it is the bill that will cause the massive shift in consciousness and make it possible for the Complex to move into space in a way that will cause everything to change so that all issues will be positively impacted.
IMAGINE when the people of the world realize we have "capped," put a literal lid on the arms race, stopped war before it entered into the vastness of space above all our heads, stopped the "domination and control" mindset that has had an on-going plan for decades to dump old weapons in various war torn areas, to test new weapons always aimed at improving them so they can "seize the high ground," so that they can build more fear factors and then rationalize the budgets necessary to fund those in the Complex in a way that tempted people to work in that grid even if they didn't buy into the illusion of fear premises that perpetuate this momentum and anger around the world. Finally, this pattern will be broken.
This ban on space-based weapons, passing this specific Space Preservation Act and Treaty is THE most important vital step we need to take in our lifetime.
It is our RESPONSIBILITY, OUR responsibility to get these documents passed into law before the current US administration can make this unstoppable as they plan to do before the next Presidential election.
Passing this bill and Treaty is the necessary giant step for all humankind, the step that will pivot us and all of our issues so we can deal with them in a sane manner.
Together, we will achieve the ban on space-based weapons. We have no choice - it's now or never. The bill and companion world treaty are what we need to quickly and calmly fill the legal void that exists today. This treaty incorporates the best from other treaties and resolutions. You cannot please everyone, but you can get the job done with these documents. We must do this. We have no more time for debates, controversy, re-writes or distractions.
This bill and treaty is bringing us together at this critical moment. We are networking and forming what may be the fastest growing movement in history. Please join in. Young and old, from all cultures are rising above their different perspectives and issues in solidarity to rally around this one vital issue, and around the Space Preservation Act and Treaty, around the Congressman who leads the way and who is our voice on the Hill and around the world.
For and with the children on our planet, we World Citizens and Leaders who can choose and make this reality real, do not want space-based battle stations, space bombers, and space-based weapons or other dangerous space-based technology. We'll take the space stations and habitats, schools and universities, hospitals, hotels and resorts, industries and labs, elevators and crafts in space, solar energy and other alternatives we can learn about and create. But no way will there be space-based weapons or any weapons that could damage or destroy our eyes and ears in the sky.
We want the world's leaders to sign and ratify the Space Preservation Treaty immediately. We want the leaders of Canada to wake up and convene an emergency Space Preservation Treaty Conference as soon as possible. We want our world's leaders to tell the US congress and administration that they will not participate in building and deploying these weapons. It is important to note here, before ending this treatise, that weapons deployed in space will have the ability to target any point on earth with great accuracy, allowing the nation controlling those weapons to dominate the entire earth with impunity.
Choosing a future for humankind without space-based weapons is feasible right now, but only BEFORE actual weapons are placed in space. Do whatever you can to focus with intention on this issue, in order to get this Space Preservation Act and companion Space Preservation Treaty passed into law in 2003-4.
TIME is of the ESSENCE. TOGETHER, WE CAN DO THIS.
WE MUST DO THIS.
WE WILL DO THIS.
Hubble finds mysterious disk of blue stars around a black hole [heic0512]
European Space Agency,
20 Sep 2005
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have identified the source of a mysterious blue light surrounding a supermassive black hole in our neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy (M31). Though the light has puzzled astronomers for more than a decade, the new discovery makes the story even more mysterious.
The blue light is coming from a disk of hot, young stars. These stars are whipping around the black hole in much the same way as planets in our solar system are revolving around the Sun. Astronomers are perplexed about how the pancake-shaped disk of stars could form so close to a giant black hole. In such a hostile environment, the black hole's tidal forces should tear matter apart, making it difficult for gas and dust to collapse and form stars. The observations, astronomers say, may provide clues to the activities in the cores of more distant galaxies.
Grand view of the Andromeda Galaxy (left) and detailed image of its core (top right). The core's structure is found to be composed of a ring of older stars and a more compact disk of younger stars surrounding the central black hole (artist's impression bottom right).
Photo Credit image at left: ©2002, R. Gendler, Photo by Robert Gendler. Credits for image at top, right: NASA, ESA and T. Lauer (NOAO/AURA/NSF). Credits for illustration at bottom, right: NASA, ESA and A. Feild (STScI).
By finding the disk of stars, astronomers also have collected what they say is ironclad evidence for the existence of the monster black hole. The evidence has helped astronomers rule out all alternative theories for the dark mass in the Andromeda Galaxy's core, which scientists have long suspected was a black hole.
"Seeing these stars is like watching a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You know it happened but you don't know how it happened," said Tod Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. He and a team of astronomers, led by Ralf Bender of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, and John Kormendy of the University of Texas in Austin, made the Hubble observations. The team's results will be published in the September 20, 2005 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.
Hubble Probes Strange Blue Light
Astronomer Ivan King of the University of Washington and colleagues first spotted the strange blue light in 1995 with the Hubble Space Telescope. He thought the light might have come from a single, bright blue star or perhaps from a more exotic energetic process. Three years later, Lauer and Sandra Faber of the University of California at Santa Cruz used Hubble again to study the blue light. Their observations indicated that the blue light was a cluster of blue stars.
Now, new spectroscopic observations by Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) reveal that the blue light consists of more than 400 stars that formed in a burst of activity about 200 million years ago. The stars are tightly packed in a disk that is only a light-year across. The disk is nested inside an elliptical ring of older, cooler, redder stars, which was seen in previous Hubble observations.
The astronomers also used STIS to measure the velocities of those stars. They obtained the stars' speeds by calculating how much their light waves are stretched and compressed as they travel around the black hole. Under the black hole's gravitational grip, the stars are travelling very fast: 3.6 million kilometres an hour (1000 kilometres a second). They are moving so fast that it would take them 40 seconds to circle the Earth and six minutes to arrive at the Moon. The fastest stars complete an orbit in 100 years. Andromeda's active core probably made similar disks of stars in the past and may continue to make them.
"The blue stars in the disk are so short-lived that it is unlikely in the long 12-billion-year history of Andromeda that such a short-lived disk would appear now," Lauer said. "That's why we think that the mechanism that formed this disk of stars probably formed other stellar disks in the past and will trigger them again in the future. We still don't know, however, how such a disk could form in the first place. It still remains an enigma."
The astronomers credit Hubble's superb vision for finding the disk. "Only Hubble has the resolution in blue light to observe this disk," said team member Richard Green of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson. "It is so small and so distinct from the surrounding red stars that we were able to use it to probe into the very dynamical heart of Andromeda. These observations were taken by the members of our team that built STIS. We designed its visible channel specifically to seize such an opportunity - to measure starlight closer to a black hole than in any other galaxy outside our own."
Solid Evidence for a Monster Black Hole
In addition to the discovery of the disk of stars, the astronomers used this uniquely close look at Andromeda to prove unambiguously that the galaxy hosts a central black hole. In 1988, in independent ground-based studies, John Kormendy and the team of Alan Dressler and Douglas Richstone discovered a central dark object in Andromeda that they believed was a supermassive black hole. This was the first strong case for what are now 40 detections of black holes, most of them made by Hubble. Those observations, however, did not definitively rule out other, very exotic, and far less likely, alternatives.
"There are compelling reasons to believe that these are supermassive black holes," Kormendy said. "But extreme claims require extraordinarily strong evidence. We have to be sure that these are black holes and not dark clusters of dead stars."
The STIS observations of Andromeda are so precise that astronomers have eliminated all other possibilities for what the central, dark object could be. They also calculated that the black hole's mass is 140 million Suns, which is three times more massive than once thought.
So far, dark clusters have definitively been ruled out in only two galaxies, NGC 4258 and our galaxy, the Milky Way. "These two galaxies give us unambiguous proof that black holes exist," Kormendy added. "But both are special cases - NGC 4258 contains a disk of water masers that we observe with radio telescopes, and our galactic centre is so close that we can follow individual stellar orbits. Andromeda is the first galaxy in which we can exclude all exotic alternatives to a black hole using Hubble and using the same techniques by which we find almost all supermassive black holes."
"Studying black holes always was a primary mission of Hubble," Kormendy said. "Nailing the black hole in Andromeda is without a doubt an important part of its legacy. It makes us much more confidant that the other central dark objects detected in galaxies are black holes, too."
"Now that we have proven that the black hole is at the centre of the disk of blue stars, the formation of these stars becomes hard to understand," Bender added. "Gas that might form stars must spin around the black hole so quickly - and so much more quickly near the black hole than farther out - that star formation looks almost impossible. But the stars are there."
A Galaxy's Active Core
The black hole and the disk of stars are not the only pieces of architecture in Andromeda's core. A team led by Lauer and Faber used Hubble in 1993 to discover that the galaxy appears to have a double cluster of stars at its centre. This finding was a surprise, because two clusters should merge into one in only a few hundred thousand years. Scott Tremaine of Princeton University solved this problem by suggesting that the "double nucleus" was actually a ring of old, red stars. The ring looked like two star clusters because astronomers were only seeing the stars on the opposite ends of the ring. The ring is about five light-years from the black hole and its surrounding disk of blue stars. The disk and the ring are tilted at the same angle as viewed from Earth, suggesting that they may be related.
Although astronomers are surprised to find a blue disk of stars swirling around a supermassive black hole, they also say the puzzling architecture may not be that unusual.
"The dynamics within the core of this neighbouring galaxy may be more common than we think," Lauer explained. "Our own Milky Way apparently has even younger stars close to its own black hole. It seems unlikely that only the closest two big galaxies should have this odd activity. So this behaviour may not be the exception but the rule. And we have found other galaxies that have a double nucleus."
# # #
Notes for editors
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
Contacts
Ralf Bender
Universitaets-Sternwarte der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Tel: +49-89-2180-5999
E-mail: benderusm.uni-muenchen.de
Lars Lindberg Christensen
Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre, Garching, Germany
Tel: +49-(0)89-3200-6306
Cellular: +49-(0)173-3872-621
E-mail: larseso.org
Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, USA
Tel: +1-410-338-4493
E-mail: dweaverstsci.edu
Rebecca Johnson
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tx., USA
Tel: +1-512-475-6763
E-mail: rjohnsonstardate.utexas.edu
Doug Isbell
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Ariz., USA
Tel: +1-520-318-8214
E-mail: disbellnoao.edu
20 Sep 2005
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have identified the source of a mysterious blue light surrounding a supermassive black hole in our neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy (M31). Though the light has puzzled astronomers for more than a decade, the new discovery makes the story even more mysterious.
The blue light is coming from a disk of hot, young stars. These stars are whipping around the black hole in much the same way as planets in our solar system are revolving around the Sun. Astronomers are perplexed about how the pancake-shaped disk of stars could form so close to a giant black hole. In such a hostile environment, the black hole's tidal forces should tear matter apart, making it difficult for gas and dust to collapse and form stars. The observations, astronomers say, may provide clues to the activities in the cores of more distant galaxies.
Grand view of the Andromeda Galaxy (left) and detailed image of its core (top right). The core's structure is found to be composed of a ring of older stars and a more compact disk of younger stars surrounding the central black hole (artist's impression bottom right).
Photo Credit image at left: ©2002, R. Gendler, Photo by Robert Gendler. Credits for image at top, right: NASA, ESA and T. Lauer (NOAO/AURA/NSF). Credits for illustration at bottom, right: NASA, ESA and A. Feild (STScI).
By finding the disk of stars, astronomers also have collected what they say is ironclad evidence for the existence of the monster black hole. The evidence has helped astronomers rule out all alternative theories for the dark mass in the Andromeda Galaxy's core, which scientists have long suspected was a black hole.
"Seeing these stars is like watching a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You know it happened but you don't know how it happened," said Tod Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. He and a team of astronomers, led by Ralf Bender of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, and John Kormendy of the University of Texas in Austin, made the Hubble observations. The team's results will be published in the September 20, 2005 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.
Hubble Probes Strange Blue Light
Astronomer Ivan King of the University of Washington and colleagues first spotted the strange blue light in 1995 with the Hubble Space Telescope. He thought the light might have come from a single, bright blue star or perhaps from a more exotic energetic process. Three years later, Lauer and Sandra Faber of the University of California at Santa Cruz used Hubble again to study the blue light. Their observations indicated that the blue light was a cluster of blue stars.
Now, new spectroscopic observations by Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) reveal that the blue light consists of more than 400 stars that formed in a burst of activity about 200 million years ago. The stars are tightly packed in a disk that is only a light-year across. The disk is nested inside an elliptical ring of older, cooler, redder stars, which was seen in previous Hubble observations.
The astronomers also used STIS to measure the velocities of those stars. They obtained the stars' speeds by calculating how much their light waves are stretched and compressed as they travel around the black hole. Under the black hole's gravitational grip, the stars are travelling very fast: 3.6 million kilometres an hour (1000 kilometres a second). They are moving so fast that it would take them 40 seconds to circle the Earth and six minutes to arrive at the Moon. The fastest stars complete an orbit in 100 years. Andromeda's active core probably made similar disks of stars in the past and may continue to make them.
"The blue stars in the disk are so short-lived that it is unlikely in the long 12-billion-year history of Andromeda that such a short-lived disk would appear now," Lauer said. "That's why we think that the mechanism that formed this disk of stars probably formed other stellar disks in the past and will trigger them again in the future. We still don't know, however, how such a disk could form in the first place. It still remains an enigma."
The astronomers credit Hubble's superb vision for finding the disk. "Only Hubble has the resolution in blue light to observe this disk," said team member Richard Green of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson. "It is so small and so distinct from the surrounding red stars that we were able to use it to probe into the very dynamical heart of Andromeda. These observations were taken by the members of our team that built STIS. We designed its visible channel specifically to seize such an opportunity - to measure starlight closer to a black hole than in any other galaxy outside our own."
Solid Evidence for a Monster Black Hole
In addition to the discovery of the disk of stars, the astronomers used this uniquely close look at Andromeda to prove unambiguously that the galaxy hosts a central black hole. In 1988, in independent ground-based studies, John Kormendy and the team of Alan Dressler and Douglas Richstone discovered a central dark object in Andromeda that they believed was a supermassive black hole. This was the first strong case for what are now 40 detections of black holes, most of them made by Hubble. Those observations, however, did not definitively rule out other, very exotic, and far less likely, alternatives.
"There are compelling reasons to believe that these are supermassive black holes," Kormendy said. "But extreme claims require extraordinarily strong evidence. We have to be sure that these are black holes and not dark clusters of dead stars."
The STIS observations of Andromeda are so precise that astronomers have eliminated all other possibilities for what the central, dark object could be. They also calculated that the black hole's mass is 140 million Suns, which is three times more massive than once thought.
So far, dark clusters have definitively been ruled out in only two galaxies, NGC 4258 and our galaxy, the Milky Way. "These two galaxies give us unambiguous proof that black holes exist," Kormendy added. "But both are special cases - NGC 4258 contains a disk of water masers that we observe with radio telescopes, and our galactic centre is so close that we can follow individual stellar orbits. Andromeda is the first galaxy in which we can exclude all exotic alternatives to a black hole using Hubble and using the same techniques by which we find almost all supermassive black holes."
"Studying black holes always was a primary mission of Hubble," Kormendy said. "Nailing the black hole in Andromeda is without a doubt an important part of its legacy. It makes us much more confidant that the other central dark objects detected in galaxies are black holes, too."
"Now that we have proven that the black hole is at the centre of the disk of blue stars, the formation of these stars becomes hard to understand," Bender added. "Gas that might form stars must spin around the black hole so quickly - and so much more quickly near the black hole than farther out - that star formation looks almost impossible. But the stars are there."
A Galaxy's Active Core
The black hole and the disk of stars are not the only pieces of architecture in Andromeda's core. A team led by Lauer and Faber used Hubble in 1993 to discover that the galaxy appears to have a double cluster of stars at its centre. This finding was a surprise, because two clusters should merge into one in only a few hundred thousand years. Scott Tremaine of Princeton University solved this problem by suggesting that the "double nucleus" was actually a ring of old, red stars. The ring looked like two star clusters because astronomers were only seeing the stars on the opposite ends of the ring. The ring is about five light-years from the black hole and its surrounding disk of blue stars. The disk and the ring are tilted at the same angle as viewed from Earth, suggesting that they may be related.
Although astronomers are surprised to find a blue disk of stars swirling around a supermassive black hole, they also say the puzzling architecture may not be that unusual.
"The dynamics within the core of this neighbouring galaxy may be more common than we think," Lauer explained. "Our own Milky Way apparently has even younger stars close to its own black hole. It seems unlikely that only the closest two big galaxies should have this odd activity. So this behaviour may not be the exception but the rule. And we have found other galaxies that have a double nucleus."
# # #
Notes for editors
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
Contacts
Ralf Bender
Universitaets-Sternwarte der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Tel: +49-89-2180-5999
E-mail: benderusm.uni-muenchen.de
Lars Lindberg Christensen
Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre, Garching, Germany
Tel: +49-(0)89-3200-6306
Cellular: +49-(0)173-3872-621
E-mail: larseso.org
Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, USA
Tel: +1-410-338-4493
E-mail: dweaverstsci.edu
Rebecca Johnson
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tx., USA
Tel: +1-512-475-6763
E-mail: rjohnsonstardate.utexas.edu
Doug Isbell
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Ariz., USA
Tel: +1-520-318-8214
E-mail: disbellnoao.edu
Is America preparing for Martial Law?
by Michel Chossudovsky,
10 April 2005.
The Department of Homeland Security recently carried out an extensive anti-terrorist exercise entitled TOPOFF 3 (April 4-8, 2005). The "drill" was described by officials as "a multilayered approach to improving North American security".
The stated objective of the TOPOFF 3 "Full Scale Exercise" was to "prepare America" in the case of an actual bioterrorism attack by Al Qaeda:
".. we deliberately built the scenario as a very complex WMD bioterrorism attack in New Jersey, as well as a kind of a dual-header in the state of Connecticut in terms of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, and then a simultaneous chemical attack.
The system in TOPOFF 3 across the board was tested as never before, and this was deliberate. We wanted to test the full range of our incident management processes and protocols that spanned prevention, intelligence and information-sharing, and then the more classic or traditional response and recovery. But really for the first time in a national-level exercise, we really got at a near simultaneous WMD attack which is, of course, very, very stressful for the federal folks, as well as our state, local and international partners. (DHS spokeperson at Press Conference, * april, 2005, complete transcript at http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-9058.html )
"The War on Terrorism"
These exercises must be understood in the broader context of America's National Security doctrine, which presents Al Qaeda as the main threat to the American homeland.
The "war on terrorism" is the central building block of the administration's foreign policy and domestic security agendas. In the words of DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff:
Homeland security is one piece of a broader strategy [which] brings the battle to the enemy... But while one key to defense is offense, it is not the entirety of our security picture. For we also need a “defense in depth” as part of the strategic whole. That means even as we pursue terrorists overseas, we work at home to prevent infiltration by terrorists and their weapons; to protect our people and places if infiltration occurs; and to respond and recover if an attack is carried out. This is embodied in our strategy of building multiple barriers to terrorist attacks.(Transcript of complete March 2005 speech of Secr. Michael Chertoff at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=42&content=4392 empasis added)
Illusive Outside enemy
Known and documented, Al Qaeda is a creation of the US intelligence apparatus.
The purpose of the TOPOFF anti-terrorist exercises is not to "defend America" against terrorists, but to build a consensus within federal, State and municipal bodies, as well as within the business community and civil society (hospitals, schools, etc.) that this illusive outside enemy exists and that "the threat is real".
We are not dealing with a classical media disinformation campaign. While the TOPOFF exercise has been casually mentioned in press reports, it is not the object of a national debate.
With regard to TOPOFF, the consensus building process is "internal", it does not pertain the public at large. it is largely addressed to key decision-makers within these various governmental and nongovernmental bodies. It includes more than 10,000 participants in important decision-making positions (federal and State officials, law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals, etc), who may be called to act in the case of an emergency situation. These individuals in turn have a mandate to spread the word within their respective organizations, --i.e. with their coworkers and colleagues, as well as with the people working under their direct supervision.
In other words, this consensus building process reaches out to tens of thousands of people in positions of authority. The antiterrorist agenda and exercises thus become a "talking point" within numerous governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
In turn, the holding of these antiterrorist exercises supports the National Security doctrine of "preemptive war", --i.e. that America has to legitimate right to self defense by intervening in foreign lands and that America must defend itself against terrorists. It also sustains the myth of WMD in the hands of terrorists, being used against America, when in fact the US is the largest producer of WMD, with a defense budget of more than 400 billion dollars a year.
The objective is to sustain the war and national security agenda --and of course the possibility of martial law-- within the governmental, nongovernmental and corporate business sectors.
Ultimately, the objective is develop across the land, an unequivocal acceptance by key officials (and of their coworkers and subordinates), from the federal to the local level, for an emergency situation, where civil liberties and the rights of citizens would be suspended:
Officials will not give a specific figure, but they say the exercise involved several thousand fake deaths and thousands more injuries. This time, the sick and dying were only acting. But officials are aware that someday there could well be a real attack. They say the more they learn about how to coordinate prevention and response efforts, the better job they will be able to do to minimize casualties if and when that happens. ( http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-04-08-voa81.cfm
From TOPOFF 2 to the "Full Scale Exercise": TOPOFF 3
The previous "anti-terrorist exercise" entitled TOPOFF 2 was held two years ago in May 2003. It was described as "the largest and most comprehensive terrorism response and homeland security exercise ever conducted in the United States." It was carried out in a military style exercise by federal, State and local level governments, including Canadian participants. TOPOFF 2 established various "scenarios" under a Red Code Alert.
In other words, it was conducted on the same assumptions as a military exercise, in anticipation of an actual war situation, examining various WMD terror attack scenarios and the institutional response of State and local governments:
"It assessed how responders, leaders, and other authorities would react to the simulated release of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in two U. S. cities, Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL. The exercise scenario depicted a fictitious, foreign terrorist organization that detonated a simulated radiological dispersal device (RDD or dirty bomb) in Seattle and released the pneumonic plague in several Chicago metropolitan area locations. There was also significant pre-exercise intelligence play, a cyber-attack, and credible terrorism threats against other locations."
(For full text see, Department of Homeland Security, Summary Conclusions From National Exercise, Office of the Press Secretary, December 19, 2003, http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=2693 )
The April 2005 so-called Full Scale Exercise`` TOPOFF 3 goes much further than the May 2003 TOPFF 2.
TOPOFF 3 involved a larger number of individual participants. Moreover, in addition to Canada which had been involved in TOPOFF 2 , the exercise also included the participation of Britain's Home Office. The UK had labeled its exercise "Atlantic Blue", whereas Canada designated its component of TOPOFF 3 as "Triple Play".
While there was mention of the Canadian exercise in the news, the details of "Atlantic Blue" were not revealed, nor were they reviewed in the British press. Britain's Home Office Minister Hazel Blears admitted in March that "There will be no visible 'on the ground' activity within the UK exercise". (quoted in the Sunday Express, 3 April 2005).
TOPOFF 3: Organizational Structure
More than 200 Federal, State, local, tribal, private sector, and international agencies and organizations and volunteer groups were involved.
TOPOFF 3 was organized in terms of five separate "venues": 1. Interagency, 2. Connecticut, 3. New Jersey: 4. United Kingdom, 5. Canada:
The FSE offers agencies and jurisdictions a way to exercise a coordinated national and international response to a large-scale, multipoint terrorist attack. It allows participants to test plans and skills in a real-time, realistic environment and gain the in-depth knowledge that only experience can provide."
The TOPOFF 3 scenario will depict a complex terrorist campaign and drive the exercise play through the homeland security system, beginning in Connecticut and New Jersey, and leading to national and international response.
Over the course of several days fire personnel will conduct search and rescue, hospitals will treat the injured (played by role players), subject-matter experts will analyze the effects of the attack on public health, and top officials will deploy resources and make the difficult decisions needed to save lives.
An internal Virtual News Network (VNN) and news website will provide real-time reporting of the story like an actual TV network would. The mock media will keep players up-to-date on unfolding events and enable decision makers to face the challenge of dealing with the real world media. Only participating agencies can view the VNN broadcast.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0588.xml
TEXT BOX: TOPOFF 3 FSE Exercises (4-8 April 2005)
Connecticut
Simulated chemical attack on the New London waterfront and a simulated mustard gas attack.
New Jersey:
Simulated biological attack in Union and Middlesex Counties.
It involved "terrorists" spreading plague from an SUV in Union County, eventually "killing" 8,694 and "sickening" some 40,000. (See http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050409/NEWS03/504090432/1007
The New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force will dissect how every state department performed during exercise. And the Homeland Security Department will analyze the performance of the more than 200 agencies that participated in TopOff 3 and issue an "after action" report in the next four to six months.
"This is not over until we fully capture all of the lessons learned," said Robert Stephan, director of the agency's Incident Management Group. "This phase is perhaps the more significant phase, showing us where we did well and where we need to make improvement."
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-9/111302486385150.xml
Canada
Coordinated by Canada's Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the RCMP, eighteen Canadian federal departments, as well as the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, took part in the mock terror attack.
"Officials circulate word the ocean-going ship Castlemaine, en route to Halifax, carries a container holding chemicals for creating a weapon of mass destruction - possibly like the deadly substance already released in the United States and Britain. A meeting is hastily called to devise a plan." ( http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=3295af24-3ceb-4aae-b6cc-12a76bd32e17 )
Scenario of a Code Red alert
The TOPOFF exercise prepares the Nation for an emergency under a Code Red alert. More specifically, it sets the stage within the various governmental bodies and organizations. The exercise moulds the behavior of public officials
According to official statements, an "actual terrorist attack" of the type envisaged under TOPOFF 3 would inevitably lead to a Code Red Alert. The latter in turn, would create conditions for the (temporary) suspension of the normal functions of civilian government. This scenario had already been envisaged by former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge in a CBS News Interview back in December 2003:
"If we simply go to red ... it basically shuts down the country,"
meaning that civilian government bodies would be closed down and taken over by an Emergency Administration.
The scenario is also detailed at the Homeland department's Ready.Gov website at http://www.ready.gov/
Text Box
The Department of Homeland Security's "Ready.Gov Instructions"
"Terrorists are working to obtain biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapons, and the threat of an attack is very real. Here at the Department of Homeland Security, throughout the federal government, and at organizations across America we are working hard to strengthen our Nation's security. Whenever possible, we want to stop terrorist attacks before they happen. All Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack. While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what your personal circumstances will be, there are simple things you can do now to prepare yourself and your loved ones."
Source: Ready.Gov America, Overview: http://www.ready.gov/overview.html
Emergency Scenario
A Code Red alert, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) , would create conditions for the ("temporary" we are told) suspension of the normal functions of civilian government. According to FEMA, code red would:
Increase or redirect personnel to address critical emergency needs; Assign emergency response personnel and pre-position and mobilize specially trained teams or resources; Monitor, redirect, or constrain transportation systems; and Close public and government facilities not critical for continuity of essential operations, especially public safety. (FEMA, http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/security.pdf )
Several functions of civilian administration would be suspended, others would be transferred to the jurisdiction of the military. More generally, the procedure would disrupt government offices, businesses, schools, public services, transportation, etc.
"Continuity in Government" (COG)
A secret "Shadow government" under the classified "Continuity of Operations Plan" was installed on September 11, 2001.(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A20584-2002Feb28?language=printer ).
Known internally as "Continuity of Government" or COG, the secret Shadow government would become functional in the case of a code red alert, leading to the redeployment of key staff to secret locations.
Code red alert would suspend civil liberties, including public gatherings and/ or citizens' protests against the war or against the Administration's decision to declare martial law.
The emergency authorities would also have the authority to exert tight censorship over the media and would no doubt paralyze the alternative news media on the internet.
In turn, code red alert would trigger the "civilian" Homeland Emergency response system, including the DHS' Ready.Gov instructions, the Big Brother Citizen Corps, not to mention the USAonWatch and the Department of Justice Neighborhood Watch Program which have a new post 9/11 mandate to "identify and report suspicious activity in neighborhoods" across America. The DOJ Neighborhood Watch is involved in " Terrorism Awareness Education" (www.USAonWatch.org ).
Under the Citizen Corps, which is a component of the USA Freedom Corps, citizens across America are invited to participate in what could potentially develop into a civilian militia:
Americans are responding to the evil and horror of the terrorist attacks of September 11 with a renewed commitment to doing good … As part of that initiative, we created Citizen Corps to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation.
… We are asking cities and counties across the country to create Citizen Corps Councils of their own design, bringing together first responders, volunteer organizations, law enforcement agencies, and community-serving institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. Some Citizen Corps Councils will feature local activities that reflect new and existing national programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Community Emergency Response Teams, Volunteers in Police Service, and the Medical Reserve Corps. Some will include local programs that involve partnerships with law enforcement agencies, hospitals, first responders, and schools. What all Citizen Corps Councils will have in common is that our local leaders will be working to expand opportunities for their community members to engage in volunteer service that will support emergency preparation, prevention, and response. (Citizen Corps, Guide for Local Officials, President Bush's introductory remarks, http://www.citizencorps.gov/pdf/council.pdf )
The Role of the Military
What would be the involvement of the Military in a code red emergency situation?
In theory, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 adopted in the wake of the US civil war, prevents the military from intervening in civilian police and judicial functions. This law is central to the functioning of constitutional government.
While the Posse Comitatus Act is still on the books, in practice the legislation is no longer effective in preventing the militarization of civilian institutions.(See Frank Morales at http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR309A.html ).
Legislation inherited from the Clinton administration, not to mention the post 9/11 Patriot Acts I and II, "blurs the line between military and civilian roles". It allows the military to intervene in judicial and law enforcement activities even in the absence of an emergency situation.
In 1996, legislation was passed which allowed the military to intervene in the case of a national emergency (e.g.. a terrorist attack). In 1999, Clinton's Defense Authorization Act (DAA) extended those powers (under the 1996 legislation) by creating an "exception" to the Posse Comitatus Act, which permits the military to be involved in civilian affairs "regardless of whether there is an emergency". (See ACLU at http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=8683&c=24 )
"The new proposed exception to the Posse Comitatus Act would further expand a controversial measure adopted by Congress in 1996 that permitted military involvement in "emergencies" involving chemical and biological weapons crimes.
Under that new measure, which was proposed by the Defense Department, the military would be authorized to deal with crimes involving any chemical or biological weapons -- or any other weapon of mass destruction -- regardless of whether there is an "emergency." In addition, the new proposal would lift requirements that the military be reimbursed for the cost of its intervention, thus likely increasing the number of requests for military assistance.
"Under this new provision," Nojeim said, "the mere threat of an act of terrorism would justify calling in military units. That represents a loophole large enough to drive a battalion of army tanks through."
The defense authorization bill would also require the Pentagon to develop a plan to assign military personnel to assist Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to "respond to threats to national security posed by entry into the U.S. of terrorists or drug traffickers."
"the mere threat of an act of terrorism would justify calling in military units. That represents a loophole large enough to drive a battalion of army tanks through." (ibid)
In other words, the Clinton era legislation had already laid the legal and ideological foundations of the "war on terrorism".
Despite this 1999 "exception" to the Posse Comitatus Act", which effectively invalidates it, both the Pentagon and Homeland Security, have been actively lobbying Congress for the outright repeal of the 1878 legislation:
"new rules are needed to clearly set forth the boundaries for the use of federal military forces for homeland security. The Posse Comitatus Act is inappropriate for modern times and needs to be replaced by a completely new law ...
It is time to rescind the existing Posse Comitatus Act and replace it with a new law. ... The Posse Comitatus Act is an artifact of a different conflict-between freedom and slavery or between North and South, if you prefer. Today's conflict is also in a sense between freedom and slavery, but this time it is between civilization and terrorism. New problems often need new solutions, and a new set of rules is needed for this issue.
President Bush and Congress should initiate action to enact a new law that would set forth in clear terms a statement of the rules for using military forces for homeland security and for enforcing the laws of the United States.
(John R. Brinkerhoff, former associate director for national preparedness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Articles/brinkerhoffpossecomitatus.htm )
The Posse Comitatus Act, is viewed by military analysts as a "Legal Impediment to Transformation":
"[The Posse Comitatus Act constitutes] a formidable obstacle to our nation's flexibility and adaptability at a time when we face an unpredictable enemy with the proven capability of causing unforeseen catastrophic events. The difficulty in correctly interpreting and applying the Act causes widespread confusion at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of our military. Given that future events may call for the use of the military to assist civil authorities, a review of the efficacy of the PCA is in order. ( Donald J. Currier, The Posse Comitatus Act: A Harmless Relic from the Post-Reconstruction Era or a Legal Impediment to Transformation? Authors; Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pa, September 2003)
The ongoing militarization of civilian justice and law enforcement is a bi-partisan project. Senator Joseph Biden (a Democrat), former Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been waging, since the mid-1990s, in consultation with his Republican counterparts, a battle for the outright repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act.
The Patriot Legislation
In turn, the Bush administration PATRIOT Acts have set the groundwork of the evolving Homeland Security State. In minute detail, they go much further in setting the stage for the militarisation of civilian institutions.
The various provisions are very detailed and precise. The USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 entitled "Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" as well as the "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003," ("PATRIOT Act II") create the conditions for the militarization of justice and police functions:
The "PATRIOT Act" is a repressive "coordination" of the entities of force and deception, the police, intelligence and the military. It broadens, centralizes and combines the surveillance, arrest and harassment capabilities of the police and intelligence apparatus. Homeland defense is, in essence, a form of state terrorism directed against the American people and democracy itself. It is the Pentagon Inc. declaring war on America.
The "domestic war on terrorism" hinges upon the Pentagon's doctrine of homeland defense. Mountains of repressive legislation are being enacted in the name of internal security. So called "homeland security", originally set within the Pentagon's "operations other than war", is actually a case in which the Pentagon has declared war on America. Shaping up as the new battleground, this proliferating military "doctrine" seeks to justify new roles and missions for the Pentagon within America. Vast "legal" authority and funds to spy on the dissenting public, reconfigured as terrorist threats, is being lavished upon the defense, intelligence and law enforcement "community."
All this is taking place amidst an increasingly perfected "fusion" of the police and military functions both within the US and abroad, where the phenomena is referred to as "peacekeeping", or the "policization of the military". Here in America, all distinction between the military and police functions is about to be forever expunged with the looming repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act.
In other words, the "New World Law and Order" based on the repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act, requires a system of domestic and global counterinsurgency led by the Pentagon.
(Frank Morales, Homeland Defense: The Pentagon Declares War on America, http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR312A.html In 2003, Frank Morales was granted A Project Censored Award of Sonoma University, Cal.
Even under a functioning civilian government, the PATRIOT Acts have already instated several features of martial law. The extent to which they may be applied is at the discretion of the military authorities.
The 2003 Patriot Act II goes much further in extending and enlarging the "Big Brother functions" of control and surveillance of people. It vastly expands the surveillance and counterinsurgency powers, providing government access to personal bank accounts, information on home computers, telephone wire tapping, credit card accounts, etc. (for further details, see Ratical.org at http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/USAPA2.html#DSEAanalysis
The Role of Northern Command (Northcom)
Northern Command (Northcom) (based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado) was set up in April 2002 specifically in the context of "the pre-emptive war on terrorism".
The creation of Northcom is consistent with the de facto repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act. In fact, the position of a "Homeland Defense Command" leader "in the event of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil", had already been envisaged in early 1999 by Clinton's Defense Secretary William Cohen. ( http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Civil_Liberties/Posse_Comitatus_Law.html ).
Following the Bush Administration's decision to create Northcom, the White House instructed Justice Department lawyers "to review the Posse Comitatus law in light of new security requirements in the war on terrorism." The 1878 Act was said to "greatly restrict the military's ability to participate in domestic law enforcement". (National Journal, Government Record, 22 July 2002)
The role of Northern Command defined in the Pentagon's "Joint Doctrine for Homeland Security (JP-26)", constitutes a blueprint on how to defend the Homeland.
Martial law could be triggered even in the case of a bogus terror alert based on fabricated intelligence. Even in the case where it is known and documented to senior military officials that the "outside enemy" is fabricated, a martial law situation, characterized by detailed command military/ security provisions, would become operational almost immediately.
Northcom has a mandate to "defend the homeland" against this illusive "outside enemy", (Al Qaeda) which is said to be threatening the security of America. According to Frank Morales, "the scenario of a military take-over of America is unfolding." And Northern Command is the core military entity in this takeover and militarisation of civilian institutions.
Northcom's "Command Mission" encompasses a number of "non-military functions" including "crisis management" and "domestic civil support". Under Northcom jurisdiction, the latter would imply a process of "military support to federal, state and local authorities in the event of a terror attack". The latter would include:
the preparation for, prevention of, deterrence of, preemption of, defense against, and response to threats and aggression directed towards U.S. territory, sovereignty, domestic population, and infrastructure; as well as crisis management, consequence management, and other domestic civil support." (See http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/northcom.htm )
Northcom is described as having "a Creeping Civilian Mission". (David Isenberg, Asian Times, 5 December 2003). Since its inception, it has been building capabilities in domestic intelligence and law enforcement. It is in permanent liaison with the DHS and the Justice Department. It has several hundred FBI and CIA officers stationed at its headquarters in Colorado. (National Journal, 1 May 2004). It is in permanent liaison, through an advanced communications system, with municipalities and domestic civilian law enforcement agencies around the country. (Ibid). It also has links to Canadian military and government authorities through the so-called "binaitonal planning group". (See Is the Annexation of Canada part of Bush's Military Agenda? November 2004 http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO411C.html )
Meanwhile the CIA, which has a unit operating out of Northcom, has extended its mandate to issues of "domestic intelligence".
In the case of a Code Red Alert, a national emergency would be declared. Northern Command would deploy its forces on air, land and sea. Several functions of civilian government would be transferred to Northcom headquarters, which already has several structures, which enables it to oversee and supervise civilian institutions.
In other words, Northcom's "command structure" would be activated in the case of a code red terror alert. But Northcom does not require, in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Defense Authorization Act (DAA), a terror alert, a terror attack or a war-like situation to intervene in the country's civilian affairs.
The jurisdiction of the Northern Command now extends from Mexico to Alaska. Under ("bi-national") agreements signed with Canada and Mexico, Northern Command can intervene and deploy its forces and military arsenal on land, air and sea in Canada (extending into its Northern territories), throughout Mexico and in parts of the Caribbean. (See http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/northcom.htm )
Taken together, the existing legislation grants the military extensive rights to intervene in an "emergency situation", without the prior formal approval of the Commander in Chief.
America's Big Brother Data Banks
To prepare for new "law enforcement" missions for the military within America, overseen by the Northern Command, the Center for Law and Military Operations, based in Charlottesville, Virginia has published a "useful" Handbook entitled "Domestic Operational Law for Judge Advocates." According to Frank Morales, the Handbook:
"attempts to solidify, from a legal standpoint, Pentagon penetration of America and it's 'operations other than war,' essentially providing the U.S. corporate elite with lawful justification for its class war against the American people, specifically those that resist the "new world law and order" agenda." (Frank Morales, Homeland Defense and the Militarisation of America, Global Outlook, No. 6, Winter 2004, http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR309A.html )
According to Morales: "the 'war on terrorism' is the cover for the war on dissent." which requires setting up comprehensive procedures and data banks for the surveillance of individual citizens.
In this context, In the wake of September 11, the Bush Administration established its proposed Big Brother data bank: "the Total Information Awareness Program (TIAP).
TIAP was operated by the Information Awareness Office (IAO), which had a mandate "to gather as much information as possible about everyone, in a centralized location, for easy perusal by the United States government." This would include medical records, credit card and banking information, educational and employment data, records concerning travel and the use of internet, email, telephone and fax.
TIAP was operated in the offices of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a division of the Pentagon in Northern Virginia. (See Washington Post, 11 Nov 2002 at http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40942-2002Nov11 )
Ironically, when it was first set up, it was headed by a man with criminal record, former National Security Adviser ret. Admiral John Poindexter.
Pointexter, who had been indicted on criminal charges for his role in the Iran Contra scandal during the Reagan Administration, subsequently resigned as TIAP Director and the program was "officially" discontinued.
(See Pointedexter's PowerPoint presentation at http://www.darpa.mil/darpatech2002/presentations/iao_pdf/slides/poindexteriao.pdf )
While the IAO no longer exists in name, the initiative of creating a giant data bank was by no means abandoned. Several US government bodies including Homeland Security, the CIA and the FBI, respectively oversee giant "Big Brother" data banks, which are fully operational. They also collaborate in the controversial Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange ( MATRIX). The latter is defined as "a crime-fighting database" used by law enforcement agencies, the US Justice Department and Homeland Security.
The National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, sets the framework for establishing a centralized "Information Sharing Network" which will coordinate data from "all available sources". The proposed network would bring together the data banks of various government agencies under a single governmental umbrella. (Deseret Morning News, 29, 2004). Needless to say, this integration of Big Brother data banks also includes tax records, immigration data as well as confidential information on travelers.
Similar procedures have been implemented in Canada. The federal government in Ottawa is collaborating with the US, leading to the eventual merger of tax and immigration data banks between the two countries.
(Text of the C-7 Public Safety Act at http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/3/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-7/C-7_3/C-7TOCE.html
see also http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?Parl=37&Ses=3&ls=c7 and http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1074294906470
America at a Critical Crossroads
Unquestionably America is at the crossroads of the most serious crisis in its history.
The coded terror alerts and "terror events", which have been announced by DHS are part of a disinformation campaign carried out by the CIA, the Pentagon, the State Department and Homeland Security.
US intelligence is not only involved in creating phony terror warnings, it is indirectly also behind the terror groups, providing them with covert support.( See http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO301B.html )
Meanwhile, the militarization of civilian institutions is not only contemplated, it has become a talking point on network TV; it is openly debated as a "solution" to "protecting American democracy" which is said to be threatened by Islamic terrorists.
The implications of a code red alert are rarely the object of serious debate.
The terror exercises under TOPOFF serve to condition public officials and key decision makers. In turn through media disinformation, citizens are being prepared and gradually conditioned for the unthinkable.
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© Copyright MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY 2005.
10 April 2005.
The Department of Homeland Security recently carried out an extensive anti-terrorist exercise entitled TOPOFF 3 (April 4-8, 2005). The "drill" was described by officials as "a multilayered approach to improving North American security".
The stated objective of the TOPOFF 3 "Full Scale Exercise" was to "prepare America" in the case of an actual bioterrorism attack by Al Qaeda:
".. we deliberately built the scenario as a very complex WMD bioterrorism attack in New Jersey, as well as a kind of a dual-header in the state of Connecticut in terms of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, and then a simultaneous chemical attack.
The system in TOPOFF 3 across the board was tested as never before, and this was deliberate. We wanted to test the full range of our incident management processes and protocols that spanned prevention, intelligence and information-sharing, and then the more classic or traditional response and recovery. But really for the first time in a national-level exercise, we really got at a near simultaneous WMD attack which is, of course, very, very stressful for the federal folks, as well as our state, local and international partners. (DHS spokeperson at Press Conference, * april, 2005, complete transcript at http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-9058.html )
"The War on Terrorism"
These exercises must be understood in the broader context of America's National Security doctrine, which presents Al Qaeda as the main threat to the American homeland.
The "war on terrorism" is the central building block of the administration's foreign policy and domestic security agendas. In the words of DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff:
Homeland security is one piece of a broader strategy [which] brings the battle to the enemy... But while one key to defense is offense, it is not the entirety of our security picture. For we also need a “defense in depth” as part of the strategic whole. That means even as we pursue terrorists overseas, we work at home to prevent infiltration by terrorists and their weapons; to protect our people and places if infiltration occurs; and to respond and recover if an attack is carried out. This is embodied in our strategy of building multiple barriers to terrorist attacks.(Transcript of complete March 2005 speech of Secr. Michael Chertoff at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=42&content=4392 empasis added)
Illusive Outside enemy
Known and documented, Al Qaeda is a creation of the US intelligence apparatus.
The purpose of the TOPOFF anti-terrorist exercises is not to "defend America" against terrorists, but to build a consensus within federal, State and municipal bodies, as well as within the business community and civil society (hospitals, schools, etc.) that this illusive outside enemy exists and that "the threat is real".
We are not dealing with a classical media disinformation campaign. While the TOPOFF exercise has been casually mentioned in press reports, it is not the object of a national debate.
With regard to TOPOFF, the consensus building process is "internal", it does not pertain the public at large. it is largely addressed to key decision-makers within these various governmental and nongovernmental bodies. It includes more than 10,000 participants in important decision-making positions (federal and State officials, law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals, etc), who may be called to act in the case of an emergency situation. These individuals in turn have a mandate to spread the word within their respective organizations, --i.e. with their coworkers and colleagues, as well as with the people working under their direct supervision.
In other words, this consensus building process reaches out to tens of thousands of people in positions of authority. The antiterrorist agenda and exercises thus become a "talking point" within numerous governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
In turn, the holding of these antiterrorist exercises supports the National Security doctrine of "preemptive war", --i.e. that America has to legitimate right to self defense by intervening in foreign lands and that America must defend itself against terrorists. It also sustains the myth of WMD in the hands of terrorists, being used against America, when in fact the US is the largest producer of WMD, with a defense budget of more than 400 billion dollars a year.
The objective is to sustain the war and national security agenda --and of course the possibility of martial law-- within the governmental, nongovernmental and corporate business sectors.
Ultimately, the objective is develop across the land, an unequivocal acceptance by key officials (and of their coworkers and subordinates), from the federal to the local level, for an emergency situation, where civil liberties and the rights of citizens would be suspended:
Officials will not give a specific figure, but they say the exercise involved several thousand fake deaths and thousands more injuries. This time, the sick and dying were only acting. But officials are aware that someday there could well be a real attack. They say the more they learn about how to coordinate prevention and response efforts, the better job they will be able to do to minimize casualties if and when that happens. ( http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-04-08-voa81.cfm
From TOPOFF 2 to the "Full Scale Exercise": TOPOFF 3
The previous "anti-terrorist exercise" entitled TOPOFF 2 was held two years ago in May 2003. It was described as "the largest and most comprehensive terrorism response and homeland security exercise ever conducted in the United States." It was carried out in a military style exercise by federal, State and local level governments, including Canadian participants. TOPOFF 2 established various "scenarios" under a Red Code Alert.
In other words, it was conducted on the same assumptions as a military exercise, in anticipation of an actual war situation, examining various WMD terror attack scenarios and the institutional response of State and local governments:
"It assessed how responders, leaders, and other authorities would react to the simulated release of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in two U. S. cities, Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL. The exercise scenario depicted a fictitious, foreign terrorist organization that detonated a simulated radiological dispersal device (RDD or dirty bomb) in Seattle and released the pneumonic plague in several Chicago metropolitan area locations. There was also significant pre-exercise intelligence play, a cyber-attack, and credible terrorism threats against other locations."
(For full text see, Department of Homeland Security, Summary Conclusions From National Exercise, Office of the Press Secretary, December 19, 2003, http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=2693 )
The April 2005 so-called Full Scale Exercise`` TOPOFF 3 goes much further than the May 2003 TOPFF 2.
TOPOFF 3 involved a larger number of individual participants. Moreover, in addition to Canada which had been involved in TOPOFF 2 , the exercise also included the participation of Britain's Home Office. The UK had labeled its exercise "Atlantic Blue", whereas Canada designated its component of TOPOFF 3 as "Triple Play".
While there was mention of the Canadian exercise in the news, the details of "Atlantic Blue" were not revealed, nor were they reviewed in the British press. Britain's Home Office Minister Hazel Blears admitted in March that "There will be no visible 'on the ground' activity within the UK exercise". (quoted in the Sunday Express, 3 April 2005).
TOPOFF 3: Organizational Structure
More than 200 Federal, State, local, tribal, private sector, and international agencies and organizations and volunteer groups were involved.
TOPOFF 3 was organized in terms of five separate "venues": 1. Interagency, 2. Connecticut, 3. New Jersey: 4. United Kingdom, 5. Canada:
The FSE offers agencies and jurisdictions a way to exercise a coordinated national and international response to a large-scale, multipoint terrorist attack. It allows participants to test plans and skills in a real-time, realistic environment and gain the in-depth knowledge that only experience can provide."
The TOPOFF 3 scenario will depict a complex terrorist campaign and drive the exercise play through the homeland security system, beginning in Connecticut and New Jersey, and leading to national and international response.
Over the course of several days fire personnel will conduct search and rescue, hospitals will treat the injured (played by role players), subject-matter experts will analyze the effects of the attack on public health, and top officials will deploy resources and make the difficult decisions needed to save lives.
An internal Virtual News Network (VNN) and news website will provide real-time reporting of the story like an actual TV network would. The mock media will keep players up-to-date on unfolding events and enable decision makers to face the challenge of dealing with the real world media. Only participating agencies can view the VNN broadcast.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0588.xml
TEXT BOX: TOPOFF 3 FSE Exercises (4-8 April 2005)
Connecticut
Simulated chemical attack on the New London waterfront and a simulated mustard gas attack.
New Jersey:
Simulated biological attack in Union and Middlesex Counties.
It involved "terrorists" spreading plague from an SUV in Union County, eventually "killing" 8,694 and "sickening" some 40,000. (See http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050409/NEWS03/504090432/1007
The New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force will dissect how every state department performed during exercise. And the Homeland Security Department will analyze the performance of the more than 200 agencies that participated in TopOff 3 and issue an "after action" report in the next four to six months.
"This is not over until we fully capture all of the lessons learned," said Robert Stephan, director of the agency's Incident Management Group. "This phase is perhaps the more significant phase, showing us where we did well and where we need to make improvement."
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-9/111302486385150.xml
Canada
Coordinated by Canada's Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the RCMP, eighteen Canadian federal departments, as well as the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, took part in the mock terror attack.
"Officials circulate word the ocean-going ship Castlemaine, en route to Halifax, carries a container holding chemicals for creating a weapon of mass destruction - possibly like the deadly substance already released in the United States and Britain. A meeting is hastily called to devise a plan." ( http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=3295af24-3ceb-4aae-b6cc-12a76bd32e17 )
Scenario of a Code Red alert
The TOPOFF exercise prepares the Nation for an emergency under a Code Red alert. More specifically, it sets the stage within the various governmental bodies and organizations. The exercise moulds the behavior of public officials
According to official statements, an "actual terrorist attack" of the type envisaged under TOPOFF 3 would inevitably lead to a Code Red Alert. The latter in turn, would create conditions for the (temporary) suspension of the normal functions of civilian government. This scenario had already been envisaged by former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge in a CBS News Interview back in December 2003:
"If we simply go to red ... it basically shuts down the country,"
meaning that civilian government bodies would be closed down and taken over by an Emergency Administration.
The scenario is also detailed at the Homeland department's Ready.Gov website at http://www.ready.gov/
Text Box
The Department of Homeland Security's "Ready.Gov Instructions"
"Terrorists are working to obtain biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapons, and the threat of an attack is very real. Here at the Department of Homeland Security, throughout the federal government, and at organizations across America we are working hard to strengthen our Nation's security. Whenever possible, we want to stop terrorist attacks before they happen. All Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack. While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what your personal circumstances will be, there are simple things you can do now to prepare yourself and your loved ones."
Source: Ready.Gov America, Overview: http://www.ready.gov/overview.html
Emergency Scenario
A Code Red alert, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) , would create conditions for the ("temporary" we are told) suspension of the normal functions of civilian government. According to FEMA, code red would:
Increase or redirect personnel to address critical emergency needs; Assign emergency response personnel and pre-position and mobilize specially trained teams or resources; Monitor, redirect, or constrain transportation systems; and Close public and government facilities not critical for continuity of essential operations, especially public safety. (FEMA, http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/security.pdf )
Several functions of civilian administration would be suspended, others would be transferred to the jurisdiction of the military. More generally, the procedure would disrupt government offices, businesses, schools, public services, transportation, etc.
"Continuity in Government" (COG)
A secret "Shadow government" under the classified "Continuity of Operations Plan" was installed on September 11, 2001.(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A20584-2002Feb28?language=printer ).
Known internally as "Continuity of Government" or COG, the secret Shadow government would become functional in the case of a code red alert, leading to the redeployment of key staff to secret locations.
Code red alert would suspend civil liberties, including public gatherings and/ or citizens' protests against the war or against the Administration's decision to declare martial law.
The emergency authorities would also have the authority to exert tight censorship over the media and would no doubt paralyze the alternative news media on the internet.
In turn, code red alert would trigger the "civilian" Homeland Emergency response system, including the DHS' Ready.Gov instructions, the Big Brother Citizen Corps, not to mention the USAonWatch and the Department of Justice Neighborhood Watch Program which have a new post 9/11 mandate to "identify and report suspicious activity in neighborhoods" across America. The DOJ Neighborhood Watch is involved in " Terrorism Awareness Education" (www.USAonWatch.org ).
Under the Citizen Corps, which is a component of the USA Freedom Corps, citizens across America are invited to participate in what could potentially develop into a civilian militia:
Americans are responding to the evil and horror of the terrorist attacks of September 11 with a renewed commitment to doing good … As part of that initiative, we created Citizen Corps to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation.
… We are asking cities and counties across the country to create Citizen Corps Councils of their own design, bringing together first responders, volunteer organizations, law enforcement agencies, and community-serving institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. Some Citizen Corps Councils will feature local activities that reflect new and existing national programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Community Emergency Response Teams, Volunteers in Police Service, and the Medical Reserve Corps. Some will include local programs that involve partnerships with law enforcement agencies, hospitals, first responders, and schools. What all Citizen Corps Councils will have in common is that our local leaders will be working to expand opportunities for their community members to engage in volunteer service that will support emergency preparation, prevention, and response. (Citizen Corps, Guide for Local Officials, President Bush's introductory remarks, http://www.citizencorps.gov/pdf/council.pdf )
The Role of the Military
What would be the involvement of the Military in a code red emergency situation?
In theory, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 adopted in the wake of the US civil war, prevents the military from intervening in civilian police and judicial functions. This law is central to the functioning of constitutional government.
While the Posse Comitatus Act is still on the books, in practice the legislation is no longer effective in preventing the militarization of civilian institutions.(See Frank Morales at http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR309A.html ).
Legislation inherited from the Clinton administration, not to mention the post 9/11 Patriot Acts I and II, "blurs the line between military and civilian roles". It allows the military to intervene in judicial and law enforcement activities even in the absence of an emergency situation.
In 1996, legislation was passed which allowed the military to intervene in the case of a national emergency (e.g.. a terrorist attack). In 1999, Clinton's Defense Authorization Act (DAA) extended those powers (under the 1996 legislation) by creating an "exception" to the Posse Comitatus Act, which permits the military to be involved in civilian affairs "regardless of whether there is an emergency". (See ACLU at http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=8683&c=24 )
"The new proposed exception to the Posse Comitatus Act would further expand a controversial measure adopted by Congress in 1996 that permitted military involvement in "emergencies" involving chemical and biological weapons crimes.
Under that new measure, which was proposed by the Defense Department, the military would be authorized to deal with crimes involving any chemical or biological weapons -- or any other weapon of mass destruction -- regardless of whether there is an "emergency." In addition, the new proposal would lift requirements that the military be reimbursed for the cost of its intervention, thus likely increasing the number of requests for military assistance.
"Under this new provision," Nojeim said, "the mere threat of an act of terrorism would justify calling in military units. That represents a loophole large enough to drive a battalion of army tanks through."
The defense authorization bill would also require the Pentagon to develop a plan to assign military personnel to assist Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to "respond to threats to national security posed by entry into the U.S. of terrorists or drug traffickers."
"the mere threat of an act of terrorism would justify calling in military units. That represents a loophole large enough to drive a battalion of army tanks through." (ibid)
In other words, the Clinton era legislation had already laid the legal and ideological foundations of the "war on terrorism".
Despite this 1999 "exception" to the Posse Comitatus Act", which effectively invalidates it, both the Pentagon and Homeland Security, have been actively lobbying Congress for the outright repeal of the 1878 legislation:
"new rules are needed to clearly set forth the boundaries for the use of federal military forces for homeland security. The Posse Comitatus Act is inappropriate for modern times and needs to be replaced by a completely new law ...
It is time to rescind the existing Posse Comitatus Act and replace it with a new law. ... The Posse Comitatus Act is an artifact of a different conflict-between freedom and slavery or between North and South, if you prefer. Today's conflict is also in a sense between freedom and slavery, but this time it is between civilization and terrorism. New problems often need new solutions, and a new set of rules is needed for this issue.
President Bush and Congress should initiate action to enact a new law that would set forth in clear terms a statement of the rules for using military forces for homeland security and for enforcing the laws of the United States.
(John R. Brinkerhoff, former associate director for national preparedness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Articles/brinkerhoffpossecomitatus.htm )
The Posse Comitatus Act, is viewed by military analysts as a "Legal Impediment to Transformation":
"[The Posse Comitatus Act constitutes] a formidable obstacle to our nation's flexibility and adaptability at a time when we face an unpredictable enemy with the proven capability of causing unforeseen catastrophic events. The difficulty in correctly interpreting and applying the Act causes widespread confusion at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of our military. Given that future events may call for the use of the military to assist civil authorities, a review of the efficacy of the PCA is in order. ( Donald J. Currier, The Posse Comitatus Act: A Harmless Relic from the Post-Reconstruction Era or a Legal Impediment to Transformation? Authors; Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pa, September 2003)
The ongoing militarization of civilian justice and law enforcement is a bi-partisan project. Senator Joseph Biden (a Democrat), former Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been waging, since the mid-1990s, in consultation with his Republican counterparts, a battle for the outright repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act.
The Patriot Legislation
In turn, the Bush administration PATRIOT Acts have set the groundwork of the evolving Homeland Security State. In minute detail, they go much further in setting the stage for the militarisation of civilian institutions.
The various provisions are very detailed and precise. The USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 entitled "Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" as well as the "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003," ("PATRIOT Act II") create the conditions for the militarization of justice and police functions:
The "PATRIOT Act" is a repressive "coordination" of the entities of force and deception, the police, intelligence and the military. It broadens, centralizes and combines the surveillance, arrest and harassment capabilities of the police and intelligence apparatus. Homeland defense is, in essence, a form of state terrorism directed against the American people and democracy itself. It is the Pentagon Inc. declaring war on America.
The "domestic war on terrorism" hinges upon the Pentagon's doctrine of homeland defense. Mountains of repressive legislation are being enacted in the name of internal security. So called "homeland security", originally set within the Pentagon's "operations other than war", is actually a case in which the Pentagon has declared war on America. Shaping up as the new battleground, this proliferating military "doctrine" seeks to justify new roles and missions for the Pentagon within America. Vast "legal" authority and funds to spy on the dissenting public, reconfigured as terrorist threats, is being lavished upon the defense, intelligence and law enforcement "community."
All this is taking place amidst an increasingly perfected "fusion" of the police and military functions both within the US and abroad, where the phenomena is referred to as "peacekeeping", or the "policization of the military". Here in America, all distinction between the military and police functions is about to be forever expunged with the looming repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act.
In other words, the "New World Law and Order" based on the repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act, requires a system of domestic and global counterinsurgency led by the Pentagon.
(Frank Morales, Homeland Defense: The Pentagon Declares War on America, http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR312A.html In 2003, Frank Morales was granted A Project Censored Award of Sonoma University, Cal.
Even under a functioning civilian government, the PATRIOT Acts have already instated several features of martial law. The extent to which they may be applied is at the discretion of the military authorities.
The 2003 Patriot Act II goes much further in extending and enlarging the "Big Brother functions" of control and surveillance of people. It vastly expands the surveillance and counterinsurgency powers, providing government access to personal bank accounts, information on home computers, telephone wire tapping, credit card accounts, etc. (for further details, see Ratical.org at http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/USAPA2.html#DSEAanalysis
The Role of Northern Command (Northcom)
Northern Command (Northcom) (based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado) was set up in April 2002 specifically in the context of "the pre-emptive war on terrorism".
The creation of Northcom is consistent with the de facto repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act. In fact, the position of a "Homeland Defense Command" leader "in the event of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil", had already been envisaged in early 1999 by Clinton's Defense Secretary William Cohen. ( http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Civil_Liberties/Posse_Comitatus_Law.html ).
Following the Bush Administration's decision to create Northcom, the White House instructed Justice Department lawyers "to review the Posse Comitatus law in light of new security requirements in the war on terrorism." The 1878 Act was said to "greatly restrict the military's ability to participate in domestic law enforcement". (National Journal, Government Record, 22 July 2002)
The role of Northern Command defined in the Pentagon's "Joint Doctrine for Homeland Security (JP-26)", constitutes a blueprint on how to defend the Homeland.
Martial law could be triggered even in the case of a bogus terror alert based on fabricated intelligence. Even in the case where it is known and documented to senior military officials that the "outside enemy" is fabricated, a martial law situation, characterized by detailed command military/ security provisions, would become operational almost immediately.
Northcom has a mandate to "defend the homeland" against this illusive "outside enemy", (Al Qaeda) which is said to be threatening the security of America. According to Frank Morales, "the scenario of a military take-over of America is unfolding." And Northern Command is the core military entity in this takeover and militarisation of civilian institutions.
Northcom's "Command Mission" encompasses a number of "non-military functions" including "crisis management" and "domestic civil support". Under Northcom jurisdiction, the latter would imply a process of "military support to federal, state and local authorities in the event of a terror attack". The latter would include:
the preparation for, prevention of, deterrence of, preemption of, defense against, and response to threats and aggression directed towards U.S. territory, sovereignty, domestic population, and infrastructure; as well as crisis management, consequence management, and other domestic civil support." (See http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/northcom.htm )
Northcom is described as having "a Creeping Civilian Mission". (David Isenberg, Asian Times, 5 December 2003). Since its inception, it has been building capabilities in domestic intelligence and law enforcement. It is in permanent liaison with the DHS and the Justice Department. It has several hundred FBI and CIA officers stationed at its headquarters in Colorado. (National Journal, 1 May 2004). It is in permanent liaison, through an advanced communications system, with municipalities and domestic civilian law enforcement agencies around the country. (Ibid). It also has links to Canadian military and government authorities through the so-called "binaitonal planning group". (See Is the Annexation of Canada part of Bush's Military Agenda? November 2004 http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO411C.html )
Meanwhile the CIA, which has a unit operating out of Northcom, has extended its mandate to issues of "domestic intelligence".
In the case of a Code Red Alert, a national emergency would be declared. Northern Command would deploy its forces on air, land and sea. Several functions of civilian government would be transferred to Northcom headquarters, which already has several structures, which enables it to oversee and supervise civilian institutions.
In other words, Northcom's "command structure" would be activated in the case of a code red terror alert. But Northcom does not require, in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Defense Authorization Act (DAA), a terror alert, a terror attack or a war-like situation to intervene in the country's civilian affairs.
The jurisdiction of the Northern Command now extends from Mexico to Alaska. Under ("bi-national") agreements signed with Canada and Mexico, Northern Command can intervene and deploy its forces and military arsenal on land, air and sea in Canada (extending into its Northern territories), throughout Mexico and in parts of the Caribbean. (See http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/northcom.htm )
Taken together, the existing legislation grants the military extensive rights to intervene in an "emergency situation", without the prior formal approval of the Commander in Chief.
America's Big Brother Data Banks
To prepare for new "law enforcement" missions for the military within America, overseen by the Northern Command, the Center for Law and Military Operations, based in Charlottesville, Virginia has published a "useful" Handbook entitled "Domestic Operational Law for Judge Advocates." According to Frank Morales, the Handbook:
"attempts to solidify, from a legal standpoint, Pentagon penetration of America and it's 'operations other than war,' essentially providing the U.S. corporate elite with lawful justification for its class war against the American people, specifically those that resist the "new world law and order" agenda." (Frank Morales, Homeland Defense and the Militarisation of America, Global Outlook, No. 6, Winter 2004, http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR309A.html )
According to Morales: "the 'war on terrorism' is the cover for the war on dissent." which requires setting up comprehensive procedures and data banks for the surveillance of individual citizens.
In this context, In the wake of September 11, the Bush Administration established its proposed Big Brother data bank: "the Total Information Awareness Program (TIAP).
TIAP was operated by the Information Awareness Office (IAO), which had a mandate "to gather as much information as possible about everyone, in a centralized location, for easy perusal by the United States government." This would include medical records, credit card and banking information, educational and employment data, records concerning travel and the use of internet, email, telephone and fax.
TIAP was operated in the offices of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a division of the Pentagon in Northern Virginia. (See Washington Post, 11 Nov 2002 at http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40942-2002Nov11 )
Ironically, when it was first set up, it was headed by a man with criminal record, former National Security Adviser ret. Admiral John Poindexter.
Pointexter, who had been indicted on criminal charges for his role in the Iran Contra scandal during the Reagan Administration, subsequently resigned as TIAP Director and the program was "officially" discontinued.
(See Pointedexter's PowerPoint presentation at http://www.darpa.mil/darpatech2002/presentations/iao_pdf/slides/poindexteriao.pdf )
While the IAO no longer exists in name, the initiative of creating a giant data bank was by no means abandoned. Several US government bodies including Homeland Security, the CIA and the FBI, respectively oversee giant "Big Brother" data banks, which are fully operational. They also collaborate in the controversial Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange ( MATRIX). The latter is defined as "a crime-fighting database" used by law enforcement agencies, the US Justice Department and Homeland Security.
The National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, sets the framework for establishing a centralized "Information Sharing Network" which will coordinate data from "all available sources". The proposed network would bring together the data banks of various government agencies under a single governmental umbrella. (Deseret Morning News, 29, 2004). Needless to say, this integration of Big Brother data banks also includes tax records, immigration data as well as confidential information on travelers.
Similar procedures have been implemented in Canada. The federal government in Ottawa is collaborating with the US, leading to the eventual merger of tax and immigration data banks between the two countries.
(Text of the C-7 Public Safety Act at http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/3/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-7/C-7_3/C-7TOCE.html
see also http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?Parl=37&Ses=3&ls=c7 and http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1074294906470
America at a Critical Crossroads
Unquestionably America is at the crossroads of the most serious crisis in its history.
The coded terror alerts and "terror events", which have been announced by DHS are part of a disinformation campaign carried out by the CIA, the Pentagon, the State Department and Homeland Security.
US intelligence is not only involved in creating phony terror warnings, it is indirectly also behind the terror groups, providing them with covert support.( See http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO301B.html )
Meanwhile, the militarization of civilian institutions is not only contemplated, it has become a talking point on network TV; it is openly debated as a "solution" to "protecting American democracy" which is said to be threatened by Islamic terrorists.
The implications of a code red alert are rarely the object of serious debate.
The terror exercises under TOPOFF serve to condition public officials and key decision makers. In turn through media disinformation, citizens are being prepared and gradually conditioned for the unthinkable.
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Pres. Bill Clinton on Life in the Universe
Clinton's worldview: part two
By Lara Wozniak,
14 September 2005
The second part of former US President Clinton's keynote address to CLSA's Investor Forum in Hong Kong this Monday
[Excerpt]
From president to president, do you pass along a list of secrets - you know like where's Jimmy Hoffa? What really happened at Roswell? Without giving away any state secrets, is there something that we can all look forward to in the future to read about that you know that we don't know that will make reading the National Enquirer required reading?
(Laughing and blushing) Well I don't know if you all heard this, but, there was actually, when I was president in my second term, there was an anniversary observance of Roswell. Remember that? People came to Roswell, New Mexico from all over the world. And there was also a site in Nevada where people were convinced that the government had buried a UFO and perhaps an alien deep underground because we wouldn't allow anybody to go there. And uhm… I can say now, 'cause it's now been released into the public domain. I had so many people in my own administration that were convinced that Roswell was a fraud but this place in Nevada was really serious, that there was an alien artefact there. So I actually sent somebody there to figure it out. And it was actually just a secret defence installation, alas, doing boring work that we didn't want anybody to else see.
So let me give you a serious thing, though. In 2000, I was able to participate with Tony Blair and representatives of the French, German and Japanese and Canadian governments in announcing that we had succeeded in sequencing the human genome. Perhaps some of you have investments in all these bio-development companies and now you know that we cloned Dolly the sheep and apparently they may have cloned a dog. And my own view is that assuming we don't do something stupid like burn ourselves up with the global warming or blow ourselves up with a military conflict that we could have just as easily avoid, I think a lot of these bio-technology issues will be the dominant sort of intellectual and ethical challenges of the lives of those of you who are 10, 20, 30 years younger than I am.
Because I think that we are going to be able to save peoples' lives that, you know, in my generation couldn't be saved. And we are going to come up against the limits of our own mortality in a way we never could before. And a lot of the things that happen - good and bad - will be stranger than anything ever written in science fiction. But I don't know the answers, which is one reason I would like to live to be 100 just to see what happens. (Laughter)
So that means there's a list? Or no list? (More laughter - that drowns out his question.)
What? What did you say? I don't know what you said, but you should have said, 'There's absolutely no risk of that. Given my misspent youth, I'm lucky to be here now.'
What I did say was, is there really no list? Or is there a list?
If there is one, I don't know it. The Roswell thing, I think, really was an illusion. I don't think it happened. I mean I think there are rational explanations and I did attempt to find out if there were any secret government documents that revealed things. If there were, they were concealed from me too. And if there were, well I wouldn't be the first American president that underlings have lied to, or that career bureaucrats have waited out. But there may be some career person sitting around somewhere, hiding these dark secrets, even from elected presidents. But if so, they successfully eluded me…and I'm almost embarrassed to tell you I did (chuckling) try to find out.
(Laughter and applause.)
I do believe, by the way - one more flaky thing - you can also be flaky when you're out of office. I believe that now that we know that there are not hundreds, not millions but billions of other solar systems out there, thanks to the Hubble telescope and what we know about black holes of the universe, and all of that, the dimensions of physics are such that I would be quite surprised if in the lifetimes of people that are no older than 30 years old, we don't discover some form of life in another universe.
It's pretty clear that there was something approaching elemental life on Mars at one time in the past, based on what we discovered there. So I say that, only to say this: I hope all of you, wherever you live, will continue to support space exploration, whether manned or unmanned, it's not so important, but that we keep doing it. And I'm afraid that there will be a waning interest in it, in the future. I think that's a great mistake. I think we should continue to explore the boundaries of our existence, both into the earth and beyond the skies.
When I was president we discovered in the bottom of the Amazon River, (we were just a small part of this, but we discovered) two previously undiscovered forms of marine life so deep in the Amazon that they had never been found, in all the efforts of marine biologists.
So I think that there are a lot of interesting discoveries - biological, on earth and other discoveries in the heavens that those of you who are younger will get to see unfold. You'll have all kinds of problems with them, but on balance it'll be a plus. And it'll make life much more interesting.
Read Full Article:
http://www.financeasia.com/articles/4E718926-9027-7E17-4B7EF9778FE76A1C.cfm
Source: EXOPOLITICS: Politics, Government, and Law in the Universe
Date: 14/09/05 19:57
By: Alfred Lambremont Webre, JD, MEd
By Lara Wozniak,
14 September 2005
The second part of former US President Clinton's keynote address to CLSA's Investor Forum in Hong Kong this Monday
[Excerpt]
From president to president, do you pass along a list of secrets - you know like where's Jimmy Hoffa? What really happened at Roswell? Without giving away any state secrets, is there something that we can all look forward to in the future to read about that you know that we don't know that will make reading the National Enquirer required reading?
(Laughing and blushing) Well I don't know if you all heard this, but, there was actually, when I was president in my second term, there was an anniversary observance of Roswell. Remember that? People came to Roswell, New Mexico from all over the world. And there was also a site in Nevada where people were convinced that the government had buried a UFO and perhaps an alien deep underground because we wouldn't allow anybody to go there. And uhm… I can say now, 'cause it's now been released into the public domain. I had so many people in my own administration that were convinced that Roswell was a fraud but this place in Nevada was really serious, that there was an alien artefact there. So I actually sent somebody there to figure it out. And it was actually just a secret defence installation, alas, doing boring work that we didn't want anybody to else see.
So let me give you a serious thing, though. In 2000, I was able to participate with Tony Blair and representatives of the French, German and Japanese and Canadian governments in announcing that we had succeeded in sequencing the human genome. Perhaps some of you have investments in all these bio-development companies and now you know that we cloned Dolly the sheep and apparently they may have cloned a dog. And my own view is that assuming we don't do something stupid like burn ourselves up with the global warming or blow ourselves up with a military conflict that we could have just as easily avoid, I think a lot of these bio-technology issues will be the dominant sort of intellectual and ethical challenges of the lives of those of you who are 10, 20, 30 years younger than I am.
Because I think that we are going to be able to save peoples' lives that, you know, in my generation couldn't be saved. And we are going to come up against the limits of our own mortality in a way we never could before. And a lot of the things that happen - good and bad - will be stranger than anything ever written in science fiction. But I don't know the answers, which is one reason I would like to live to be 100 just to see what happens. (Laughter)
So that means there's a list? Or no list? (More laughter - that drowns out his question.)
What? What did you say? I don't know what you said, but you should have said, 'There's absolutely no risk of that. Given my misspent youth, I'm lucky to be here now.'
What I did say was, is there really no list? Or is there a list?
If there is one, I don't know it. The Roswell thing, I think, really was an illusion. I don't think it happened. I mean I think there are rational explanations and I did attempt to find out if there were any secret government documents that revealed things. If there were, they were concealed from me too. And if there were, well I wouldn't be the first American president that underlings have lied to, or that career bureaucrats have waited out. But there may be some career person sitting around somewhere, hiding these dark secrets, even from elected presidents. But if so, they successfully eluded me…and I'm almost embarrassed to tell you I did (chuckling) try to find out.
(Laughter and applause.)
I do believe, by the way - one more flaky thing - you can also be flaky when you're out of office. I believe that now that we know that there are not hundreds, not millions but billions of other solar systems out there, thanks to the Hubble telescope and what we know about black holes of the universe, and all of that, the dimensions of physics are such that I would be quite surprised if in the lifetimes of people that are no older than 30 years old, we don't discover some form of life in another universe.
It's pretty clear that there was something approaching elemental life on Mars at one time in the past, based on what we discovered there. So I say that, only to say this: I hope all of you, wherever you live, will continue to support space exploration, whether manned or unmanned, it's not so important, but that we keep doing it. And I'm afraid that there will be a waning interest in it, in the future. I think that's a great mistake. I think we should continue to explore the boundaries of our existence, both into the earth and beyond the skies.
When I was president we discovered in the bottom of the Amazon River, (we were just a small part of this, but we discovered) two previously undiscovered forms of marine life so deep in the Amazon that they had never been found, in all the efforts of marine biologists.
So I think that there are a lot of interesting discoveries - biological, on earth and other discoveries in the heavens that those of you who are younger will get to see unfold. You'll have all kinds of problems with them, but on balance it'll be a plus. And it'll make life much more interesting.
Read Full Article:
http://www.financeasia.com/articles/4E718926-9027-7E17-4B7EF9778FE76A1C.cfm
Source: EXOPOLITICS: Politics, Government, and Law in the Universe
Date: 14/09/05 19:57
By: Alfred Lambremont Webre, JD, MEd
White Band Day - Wake Up To Poverty
On 10 September, ahead of the United Nations Summit, people across the world will unite for the second White Band Day to demand that world leaders Wake-Up to Poverty. Thousands of people will be holding breakfast meetings with politicians, all night vigils, rallies outside state buildings, jamborees, petitions, and much more. World leaders will literally be waking-up to the voices of people demanding action to end poverty before they depart for the UN Summit.
Source: GCAP
GCAP page on the UN World Summit (including news, background and information papers, NGO statements, lobby and policy guidelines, and calendar of events)
World Summit - 14-16 September
Take Action: Send a message to the UN Summit!
Source: GCAPGCAP page on the UN World Summit (including news, background and information papers, NGO statements, lobby and policy guidelines, and calendar of events)
World Summit - 14-16 September
Take Action: Send a message to the UN Summit!
Hubble Makes Movie of Neptune's Dynamic Atmosphere
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures the distant blue-green world, Neptune, and its satellites in this portrait. Astronomers used Hubble’s assortment of filters to pinpoint high altitude clouds floating above the methane rich atmosphere. The images have been assembled into a time-lapse movie revealing the orbital motion of the satellites. The icy moons seen in this view are Proteus (the brightest), Larissa, Despina, and Galatea. Neptune had 13 moons at last count. In Roman mythology, Larsissa and Despina were Neptunes’s daughters.
Credit: NASA, ESA, E. Karkoschka (University of Arizona), and H.B. Hammel (Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado)
Credit: NASA, ESA, E. Karkoschka (University of Arizona), and H.B. Hammel (Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado)
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