Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: 2ND IN KEYSTONE PIPELINE SERIES - ICYMI: Keystone ...
Patriot or Traitor: 2ND IN KEYSTONE PIPELINE SERIES - ICYMI: Keystone ...: TransCanada continues to use the talking point that the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline will be the "safest pipeline ever," but the truth...
2ND IN KEYSTONE PIPELINE SERIES - ICYMI: Keystone XL Will Not Use Advanced Spill Protection Tech
TransCanada continues to use
the talking point that the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline will be the "safest
pipeline ever," but the truth is that the tar sands pipeline will not even be
using advanced spill protection technology.
TransCanada’s credibility and safety record are already questionable: in just its first year of operation, TransCanada’s existing Keystone pipeline leaked fourteen times in the U.S., a hundred times more leaks than TransCanada predicted. Federal pipeline safety officials have shut down the pipeline because of mechanical issues, Canadian regulators are auditing the company for systemic safety violations, and a former employee reported that systematic shortcuts were taken in the construction of Keystone I which compromised its safety.
Now, the company is taking shortcuts in the leak detection technology on its latest project—risking irrigation and drinking water in America’s heartland.
From Inside Climate News:
The leak detection technology that will be used on the Keystone XL, for instance, is standard for the nation's crude oil pipelines and rarely detects leaks smaller than 1 percent of the pipeline's flow. The Keystone will have a capacity of 29 million gallons per day—so a spill would have to reach 294,000 gallons per day to trigger its leak detection technology.
The Keystone XL also won't get two other safeguards found on the 19-mile stretch of the pipeline over Austin's aquifer: a concrete cap that protects the Longhorn from construction-related punctures, and daily aerial or foot patrols to check for tiny spills that might seep to the surface.
Experts interviewed by InsideClimate News estimate it would cost less than $10 million—roughly 0.2 percent of the Keystone's $5.3 billion budget—to add external sensor cables, a concrete cap and extra patrols to the 20 miles of the pipeline in Nebraska where a spill would be most disastrous. The water table in that area lies less than 20 feet below the surface and provides ranchers with a steady supply of fresh water.
Although the Keystone XL would run 1,200 miles across the nation's heartland, the area of greatest concern has always been Nebraska, where it crosses 222 miles of the Ogallala aquifer. Last year, TransCanada agreed to move the line out of Nebraska's Sandhills region, a fragile landscape that became a symbol for the project's opponents. But the new route still goes through 20 miles of Nebraska where the water table is less than 20 feet below ground—high enough for groundwater to bubble to the surface during the spring. An additional 70 miles crosses areas where the water table is 20 to 50 feet underground.
The [2010] Enbridge accident showed what happens when dilbit spills into a river. But little is known about how dilbit might behave in an aquifer, said Wayne Woldt, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor who studies groundwater management.
Once an aquifer is contaminated, it's virtually impossible to restore it to its pristine condition, Woldt said. The extent of damage would depend on the size of the spill and on how the dilbit moves within the aquifer.
TransCanada’s credibility and safety record are already questionable: in just its first year of operation, TransCanada’s existing Keystone pipeline leaked fourteen times in the U.S., a hundred times more leaks than TransCanada predicted. Federal pipeline safety officials have shut down the pipeline because of mechanical issues, Canadian regulators are auditing the company for systemic safety violations, and a former employee reported that systematic shortcuts were taken in the construction of Keystone I which compromised its safety.
Now, the company is taking shortcuts in the leak detection technology on its latest project—risking irrigation and drinking water in America’s heartland.
From Inside Climate News:
The leak detection technology that will be used on the Keystone XL, for instance, is standard for the nation's crude oil pipelines and rarely detects leaks smaller than 1 percent of the pipeline's flow. The Keystone will have a capacity of 29 million gallons per day—so a spill would have to reach 294,000 gallons per day to trigger its leak detection technology.
The Keystone XL also won't get two other safeguards found on the 19-mile stretch of the pipeline over Austin's aquifer: a concrete cap that protects the Longhorn from construction-related punctures, and daily aerial or foot patrols to check for tiny spills that might seep to the surface.
Experts interviewed by InsideClimate News estimate it would cost less than $10 million—roughly 0.2 percent of the Keystone's $5.3 billion budget—to add external sensor cables, a concrete cap and extra patrols to the 20 miles of the pipeline in Nebraska where a spill would be most disastrous. The water table in that area lies less than 20 feet below the surface and provides ranchers with a steady supply of fresh water.
Although the Keystone XL would run 1,200 miles across the nation's heartland, the area of greatest concern has always been Nebraska, where it crosses 222 miles of the Ogallala aquifer. Last year, TransCanada agreed to move the line out of Nebraska's Sandhills region, a fragile landscape that became a symbol for the project's opponents. But the new route still goes through 20 miles of Nebraska where the water table is less than 20 feet below ground—high enough for groundwater to bubble to the surface during the spring. An additional 70 miles crosses areas where the water table is 20 to 50 feet underground.
The [2010] Enbridge accident showed what happens when dilbit spills into a river. But little is known about how dilbit might behave in an aquifer, said Wayne Woldt, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor who studies groundwater management.
Once an aquifer is contaminated, it's virtually impossible to restore it to its pristine condition, Woldt said. The extent of damage would depend on the size of the spill and on how the dilbit moves within the aquifer.
###
For more information,
contact:
Josh Mogerman, jmogerman@nrdc.org, 312-651-7909
Jane Kleeb, jane@boldnebraska.org, 402-705-3622
Josh Mogerman, jmogerman@nrdc.org, 312-651-7909
Jane Kleeb, jane@boldnebraska.org, 402-705-3622
Monday, December 17, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: FIRST COMMENTARY ON INFORMING THE PUBLIC THE DIFFE...
Patriot or Traitor: FIRST COMMENTARY ON INFORMING THE PUBLIC THE DIFFE...: Last Week in Keystone XL: Cruder Than Crude Below is a recap of last week’s n...
FIRST COMMENTARY ON INFORMING THE PUBLIC THE DIFFERENCE IN CRUDE OIL AND THE KEYSTONE PIPE LINE THAT DESIRES TO PIPE BITUMEN AN ENVIRONMENTIAL HAZARD.
Last Week in Keystone XL:
Cruder Than Crude
Below is a recap of last
week’s news related to the ongoing Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. TransCanada’s
is fighting a losing battle to convince the public that tar sands oil is the
same as crude. See below for more:
News &
Developments:
- TransCanada has long been
claiming that there is no difference between crude oil and the tar sands, but
the differences are being put on display. Big Oil companies have long made
this irrational argument despite the fact that IRS classifies dilbit differently from traditional
crude, as does Congress. But recently, a Texas landowner and the Los
Angeles Times editorial board made sure TransCanada and the American public
were aware of the critical distinctions.
Last week, the Los Angeles Times editorialized that TransCanada’s “’dilbit’ problem” is the sticking point for the company’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The editorial board said, “Bitumen is a tarry substance derived from oil sands that forms a sticky solid at room temperature; moving it through a pipeline requires pressure and dilution, usually using benzene, a carcinogen. Environmentalists claim bitumen is more corrosive than crude oil and poses more risks to pipelines, though engineers tend to disagree; meanwhile, there is no question that it behaves differently in the environment. For one thing, crude oil tends to float on water, whereas bitumen usually sinks. This has created a serious environmental problem in Michigan, where a 2010 spill on the Kalamazoo River sent hundreds of thousands of gallons of bitumen to the bottom; ongoing cleanup has cost more than $800 million, making it the most expensive onshore pipeline spill in U.S. history.”
“Dilbit” has come into the spotlight because Texas landowner Retired Marine Michael Bishop filed a Pro Se lawsuit against TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, which has started work on the southern portion of the proposed line from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. In the suit, Bishop claims that TransCanada has intentionally misled and misrepresented the project to Americans and Texas landowners.
The LA Times piece says of the case, “At the heart of Bishop's case is the fact that although TransCanada considers bitumen and crude oil to be essentially the same, the IRS disagrees. In fact, it exempts companies that transport bitumen derived from tar sands from an 8-cents-a-barrel tax levied on transporters of crude. TransCanada can't reasonably claim this tax exemption while pretending it's moving crude oil. More important, we'd like to see the State Department, which is conducting an environmental study of the northern portion of the Keystone XL route, include some analysis of any heightened risks posed by transporting dilbit.”
- In a letter mailed to
President Obama yesterday, 18 Nebraskans responded to the 18 US Senators who
asked the President for a meeting on the Keystone XL pipeline by requesting
their own “Beef and Beer Summit” to discuss their concerns about the tar sands
pipeline. These 18 landowners are major stakeholders in the project, whose
lives and lands will be affected should the tar sands pipeline get
approved.
Susan Dunavan, a Nebraska landowner who signed the letter said, "As a grandmom whose land is in the path of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, I challenge [President Obama] to meet with the Nebraska 18, ordinary citizens who do not have an "agenda" to further a political career or promote huge foreign corporations. Please meet with those of us who care about the future of our land and water, our state and our country... a future that money and influence cannot buy. Please meet with the citizens of the State of Nebraska who want a future for our children, our grandchildren and those yet unborn."
- President Obama has made
it clear time and again that climate change—and his climate legacy—will be a
focus of his second term. Just the
other day, Van Jones said that climate “is going to be the issue that he's
judged on.” So far, the President and his administration have given little
indication that it will consider the serious impacts the Keystone XL tar sands
pipeline will have on climate change.
A Bloomberg BusinessWeek article confirms what environmental advocates have long been saying: an Environmental Impact Study of the pipeline will be meaningless without a climate assessment. “The U.S. environmental assessment of a new Keystone XL pipeline route from Canada will be meaningless unless it considers the effect mining of oil sands has on climate change, opponents of the project said,” the article reads. It continues, “The State Department may release within days the updated review of the path from Alberta to the Gulf Coast proposed by TransCanada Corp. (TRP) President Barack Obama rejected a route that crossed an aquifer in Nebraska. Environmentalists say producing oil from Alberta’s tar sands releases more carbon dioxide than conventional drilling, worsening global warming. The review will be “a meaningless document unless it includes a serious review of the very serious climate impacts of the tar sands development the pipeline will trigger,” Trey Pollard, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, said in a statement.”
Quotes of the
Week:
- "I'm fighting for the little
guy out here who can't fight for himself. They can put you through the financial
wringer. But in the end, we will prevail. He said he's hoping that he not only
succeeds in his case, but that others join in. If I prevail in this suit, this
is going to open the door for every landowner from Canada down to the refineries
[to sue the company]. And I don't think TransCanada can handle that." – Mike Bishop, landowner suing
TransCanada
- “While none of us carry a prestigious nametag other than farmer, rancher, mom, dad, grandma or grandpa, we too represent the concerns of a lot (of) folks here at home. ” –The Nebraska 18
In Case You Missed
It:
- Not on My Land – Landowners and other
opponents of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline joined HuffPost Live to discuss
the implications of the controversial pipeline should it cross their
land.
- Brigadier General On Keystone XL Pipeline: 'All Americans Should Be Outraged' – As part of the above segment, “former U.S. Army Brigadier General Steven M. Anderson spoke out against the building of the Keystone XL pipeline, warning that "all Americans should be outraged" about the national security implications of the project.”
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Rick Perry: Obamacare Won't Be Successful
Obamacare doesn’t have much of a chance of working because of
the wariness of states over the creation of health insurance exchanges,
according to Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
“The exchanges are not going to work because states are wise enough not to go into a relationship when you don’t know what the rules are. You don’t know what the cost is going to be," Perry told Forbes magazine.
States have until Friday to decide whether to create their own health insurance exchanges that will help people learn about how and where to buy insurance. The federal government will step in and run exchanges for states that opt out of creating their own.
Alert: Will Raising Taxes Help or Hurt America? Vote Here!
“The idea that you’ve got a state instituted exchange, but it has to be federally approved. So the fact is the federal government’s going to have to run these. And they don’t have the expertise, nor do they have the money,’’ Perry said.
Perry, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination this year, said he believes “wise governors and wise legislatures will say, ‘No, thank you.’
“Medicaid is a broken system. And the idea that we would expand and put more money and more people into a broken system is not unlike putting another 1,000 people on the Titanic. You know how this is going to turn out. And it’s going to be a disaster.’’
Perry said states should be given “the opportunity to innovate, to put in the programs that best serve their citizens . . .
“Bobby Jindal, one of the brightest innovators in the country. Rick Scott over in Florida, who spent his lifetime in health care. And a host of other governors, hopefully Democrat and Republican governors, will put ideas forward, put concepts forward, try them out in their states.’’
Monday, October 22, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: PAUL HARVEY, APRIL 3, 1965
Patriot or Traitor: PAUL HARVEY, APRIL 3, 1965: This was done 47 years ago and look what we have now. Paul Harvey was a very perceptive person and one who seemed to have a ha...
PAUL HARVEY, APRIL 3, 1965
|
This was done 47 years ago and look
what we have now. Paul Harvey was a very perceptive person
and one who seemed to have a handle on how things were progressing in a very
non-productive and negative way.
This
video ..... should certainly be seen
by everyone. Have sound on...
This was 47 years ago. April
3, 1965. An amazing prediction.
Do you remember the famous ABC radio commentator Paul Harvey? Millions of Americans listened to his programs which were broadcast over 1,200 radio stations nationwide. When you listen to this, remember, the commentary was broadcast 47 years ago on April 3, 1965. It's short...less than three minutes. You will be amazed. |
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: Mom of Slain Diplomat: 'My Son Is Not Very Optimal...
Patriot or Traitor: Mom of Slain Diplomat: 'My Son Is Not Very Optimal...: Friday, 19 Oct 2012 02:58 PM By Todd Beamon Share: ...
Mom of Slain Diplomat: 'My Son Is Not Very Optimal — He Is Very Dead'
Friday, 19 Oct 2012 02:58 PM
Read more on Newsmax.com: Mom of Slain Diplomat: 'My Son Is Not Very Optimal — He Is Very Dead'
Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!
Patriot or Traitor: Teacher forces student to do 'Islamic hand sign'
Patriot or Traitor: Teacher forces student to do 'Islamic hand sign': Contributed by: Fran Martin Now facing assault after girl left 'dripping with blood' Tara Harris and husband Dale Harri...
Teacher forces student to do 'Islamic hand sign'
Contributed by: Fran Martin
Now facing assault after girl left 'dripping with blood'
Tara Harris and husband Dale Harris, (Credit WAVY-TV)
- Losing Our SonsWatch This Riveting Documentary on Islamic Extremism in America. www.losingoursons.com
The report said the elementary school teacher, who openly campaigns for Barack Obama in the classroom, was trying to teach students an “Islamic hand sign” when she yanked the arm of the student, the 10-year-old daughter of Stephanie Bennett, and the student was injured.
“When [the student] didn’t get [the hand sign] right, [Harris] went over and yanked her hand out of her desk and my daughter’s hand got hung up on the metal wire on her file folder and the skin got caught on it,” said the mother.
“The other children saw my daughter’s hand dripping with blood after the teacher had gotten so mad that she went to twist my daughter’s hand into an Islamic sign.”
The mother told the Blaze she called police as soon as she learned what had happened. She said the school confirmed the teacher was placed on administrative leave. She said later the school told her the teacher was terminated from the system.
Officer Leo Kosinski in Chesapeake told the Blaze Harris was charged with a misdemeanor and released on a summons.
See Robert Spencer’s stunning conclusions in “Did Muhammad Exist?” – which reveals the “surprisingly shaky historical foundations for Islam.”
“It’s still a criminal charge. It happened at the school and it involved a student,” he said.
Bennett, whose daughter attends Butts Road Intermediate School in Chesapeake, said this teacher previously has tried to “indoctrinate” students in Islamic thought.
The incident, on Oct. 2, happened this way, she said: “The teacher was going over Islamic hand signs with the children – she stayed on this issue for two days straight during their reading and math class.”
Her daughter, who suffers a “processing disorder,” was unable to meet the teacher’s demands, and the teacher became frustrated and tried to twist the girl’s fingers into the correct position.
The report said the daughter confirmed the teacher “prays to Allah in Arabic” several times a day and has explained how Islam is superior to other religions.
Another parent, Nita Reddit, told the Blaze the story was confirmed by her son.
The Blaze said the school board met Oct. 8, and the minutes reflect a closed session regarding “personnel.”
Patriot or Traitor: Victims Outraged as Feds Refuse to Call Fort Hood ...
Patriot or Traitor: Victims Outraged as Feds Refuse to Call Fort Hood ...: Friday, 19 Oct 2012 04:50 PM By Todd Beamon Share: ...
Victims Outraged as Feds Refuse to Call Fort Hood Attack Terrorism
Friday, 19 Oct 2012 04:50 PM
About 160 victims and their families released a video on Thursday describing the shooting — in which Army Maj. Nidal Hasan allegedly opened fire on a room full of soldiers — and arguing why it should be classified as a terrorist attack.
Hasan, an American-born Muslim, is accused of killing 12 soldiers and a civilian on Nov. 5, 2009, at the post’s processing center. Soldiers were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq.
The U.S. Department of Defense has ruled the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting a case of workplace violence.
In “The Truth About Fort Hood,” victims express their frustration at the government’s designation, Stars and Stripes reports.
They noted that Hasan consulted by email with top al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki about whether an attack against American soldiers was justified to “protect our brothers,” according to Stars and Stripes.
Awlaki, who was based in Yemen, was considered a top enemy by the US. He was killed in an airstrike last year.
For Hasan, the shooting “was his jihad,” Staff Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford said in the video. He was shot five times in the incident.
Shawn Manning, another victim, said that the soldiers “were killed and wounded by a domestic enemy, someone who was there that day to kill soldiers to prevent them from deploying,” Stars and Stripes reports. “If that’s not an act of war or an act of terrorism, I don’t know what is.”
“We’re working pretty hard for our guys right now to get them the recognition and compensation they deserve,” Kathy Stalnaker said in the video. Her husband, Sgt. Rex Stalnaker, has severe post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident. “We want to keep it in front of the public.”
Classifying the shooting as terrorism will allow the victims to receive combat-related special compensation that provides disability pay for medically retired service members, Stars and Stripes reports. Manning, who was shot six times, was recently denied such benefits.
The victims also would be eligible for Purple Hearts and medals for valor, Stars and Stripes reports.
Meanwhile, a military appeals court judge has ruled that Hasan, who remains hospitalized from gunshot wounds received from two police officers who responded to the shooting, can have his beard forcibly shaved before trial.
The trial has been delayed for months over the issue of Hasan’s facial hair, which he said he grew for religious reasons.
But the judge this week sided with military court rules requiring defendants to appear in court in uniform and clean-shaven.
Attorneys for Hasan, who faces the death penalty, plan to appeal the ruling.
In the November 2009 shooting, dozens of others were wounded, and 12 remain hospitalized, Army Col. John Rossi told KAUT-TV in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Witnesses said that Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar" — Arabic for "Allah is Great" — before he fired.
In addition, President Barack Obama said he had ordered an immediate inventory and review of intelligence related to the shooting and to Hasan, KAUT reports.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: DOWN IN THE WEEDS OBAMA. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN ...
Patriot or Traitor: DOWN IN THE WEEDS OBAMA. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN ...: October 18, 2012 The State Department's decision to hire Blue Mountain Group to guard the ill-fated U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, ...
DOWN IN THE WEEDS OBAMA. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN BENGHAZI LIBYA.
October 18, 2012
The State Department's decision to hire Blue Mountain Group to guard the ill-fated U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, entrusted security tasks to a little-known British company instead of the large firms it usually uses in overseas danger zones.
The contract was largely based on expediency, U.S. officials have said, since no one knew how long the temporary mission would remain in the Libyan city. The cradle of last year's uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, Benghazi has been plagued by rising violence in recent months.
Security practices at the diplomatic compound, where Blue Mountain guards patrolled with flashlights and batons instead of guns, have come under U.S. government scrutiny in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
Federal contract data shows that the Benghazi security contract, worth up to $783,284, was listed as a "miscellaneous" award, not as part of the large master State Department contract that covers protection for overseas embassies.
"Blue Mountain was virtually unknown to the circles that studied private security contractors working for the United States, before the events in Benghazi," said Charles Tiefer, a commissioner at the Commission on Wartime Contracting, which studied U.S. contracting in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Several British government sources said that they were unfamiliar with Blue Mountain, which is based in Wales. They said British authorities used a different contractor for security protection in Libya.
Fred Burton, vice president of intelligence at the Stratfor consulting firm and a former U.S. diplomatic security agent, said he did not know Blue Mountain, but it likely got State Department work because it was already working in Libya.
"They may have been the path of least resistance," he said.
Blue Mountain was able to work in Libya because it forged a business alliance with a local security firm, as required by Libyan regulations.
Eric Nordstrom, former regional security officer for the U.S. Embassy in Libya, testified at a congressional hearing last week that contracting out for security in the eastern Libyan city "was largely based on our concern of how long we would be in Benghazi. We were concerned that if we retained or brought on board full-time employees we would have to then find a position for them if that post ever went away."
In describing the challenges of hiring private security at Benghazi, he added: "It's my understanding that there was a very high turnover with those people."
GUARDS OF BENGHAZI
Blue Mountain hired about 20 Libyan men - including some who say they had minimal training - to screen visitors and help patrol the mission at Benghazi, according to Reuters interviews.
Some of the guards sustained injuries and said they were ill-prepared to protect themselves or others when heavily armed militants last month stormed the rented villa that was serving as the mission.
They also described being hired by Blue Mountain after a casual recruiting and screening process.
State Department security officials had their own concerns about some of the guards at the mission months before the recent attack, according to emails obtained by Reuters this week. One guard who had been recently fired and another on the company's payroll were suspected of throwing a homemade bomb into the U.S. compound in April. They were questioned but not charged.
The State Department has declined to comment on the company other than confirming it was the contractor in Benghazi. Blue Mountain did not respond to numerous emails and phone calls, and a person answering the phone at its office in Carmarthen, Wales, said the company would not discuss the issue.
Previously known as Pilgrim Elite, Blue Mountain says on its website that it offers security services and professional training and has operated in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
The website once listed General Motors as a client, and a GM spokeswoman in Detroit told Reuters that Blue Mountain's work for the company was "on a very limited basis and mostly in the UK."
A Blue Mountain recruiter posted a notice on a security website in 2011 seeking employees with visas to work in Libya.
The State Department contract for "local guard" services in Benghazi took effect in March 2012. Several of Blue Mountain's Libyan employees told Reuters that they had no prior security training or experience.
"I was never a revolutionary or a fighter, I have never picked up a weapon during the war or after it," said Abdelaziz al-Majbiri, 28, who was shot in the legs during the Sept. 11 assault.
The Libyan commander in charge of the local guards at the mission was a former English teacher who said he heard about Blue Mountain from a neighbor. "I don't have a background in security, I've never held a gun in my life," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.
When hired, the commander said he was told "you have great English and get along with everyone and are punctual; we want you to be a guard commander."
The unarmed guards were told to sound the alarm over the radio and then run for cover if there was an attack, a Libyan who acted as a supervisor for the Blue Mountain local guard team at the mission said during an interview with Reuters.
He also displayed a medal embossed with "Department of State" and a horseman carrying Libyan and U.S. flags. "They thanked us for our help and also gave us this medal as an appreciation," he said.
Despite their inexperience, the Blue Mountain guards said they feared the Americans were not concerned enough about security.
"We used to tell the Americans who spoke to us on many occasions that we needed more support in security, because it felt thin on the ground. But they didn't seem to be so worried, and (were) confident that no one will dare to come close to the consulate," one guard said.
'DOWN IN THE WEEDS'
Tiefer, who is also a government contracting law professor at the University of Baltimore, said the Benghazi contract paled in comparison to other State Department security awards.
"This is down in the weeds," he said in a telephone interview.
Most State Department work goes to eight large private security firms with vast experience.
In the late summer of 2011, after Libyan rebels took control of Tripoli, Blue Mountain guards were seen working security at the Corinthia Hotel and its sister Palm City residential compound in the Libyan capital.
A United Press International report indicated that Blue Mountain and its local partner, Eclipse, also were competing for contracts guarding oil fields.
Blue Mountain and Eclipse parted ways in the spring over problems with Tripoli contracts, several sources familiar with the matter said.
The severed relationship may have prevented Blue Mountain from getting additional work in Libya, which required the local affiliation.
On a social network website earlier this year, a Blue Mountain official described the firm as "one of the few companies certified and legally allowed to work in Libya."
Blue Mountain Chief Executive Officer Nigel Thomas, a former British special forces member, did not respond to emails or phone calls.
The State Department's decision to hire Blue Mountain Group to guard the ill-fated U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, entrusted security tasks to a little-known British company instead of the large firms it usually uses in overseas danger zones.
The contract was largely based on expediency, U.S. officials have said, since no one knew how long the temporary mission would remain in the Libyan city. The cradle of last year's uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, Benghazi has been plagued by rising violence in recent months.
Security practices at the diplomatic compound, where Blue Mountain guards patrolled with flashlights and batons instead of guns, have come under U.S. government scrutiny in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
Federal contract data shows that the Benghazi security contract, worth up to $783,284, was listed as a "miscellaneous" award, not as part of the large master State Department contract that covers protection for overseas embassies.
"Blue Mountain was virtually unknown to the circles that studied private security contractors working for the United States, before the events in Benghazi," said Charles Tiefer, a commissioner at the Commission on Wartime Contracting, which studied U.S. contracting in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Several British government sources said that they were unfamiliar with Blue Mountain, which is based in Wales. They said British authorities used a different contractor for security protection in Libya.
Fred Burton, vice president of intelligence at the Stratfor consulting firm and a former U.S. diplomatic security agent, said he did not know Blue Mountain, but it likely got State Department work because it was already working in Libya.
"They may have been the path of least resistance," he said.
Blue Mountain was able to work in Libya because it forged a business alliance with a local security firm, as required by Libyan regulations.
Eric Nordstrom, former regional security officer for the U.S. Embassy in Libya, testified at a congressional hearing last week that contracting out for security in the eastern Libyan city "was largely based on our concern of how long we would be in Benghazi. We were concerned that if we retained or brought on board full-time employees we would have to then find a position for them if that post ever went away."
In describing the challenges of hiring private security at Benghazi, he added: "It's my understanding that there was a very high turnover with those people."
GUARDS OF BENGHAZI
Blue Mountain hired about 20 Libyan men - including some who say they had minimal training - to screen visitors and help patrol the mission at Benghazi, according to Reuters interviews.
Some of the guards sustained injuries and said they were ill-prepared to protect themselves or others when heavily armed militants last month stormed the rented villa that was serving as the mission.
They also described being hired by Blue Mountain after a casual recruiting and screening process.
State Department security officials had their own concerns about some of the guards at the mission months before the recent attack, according to emails obtained by Reuters this week. One guard who had been recently fired and another on the company's payroll were suspected of throwing a homemade bomb into the U.S. compound in April. They were questioned but not charged.
The State Department has declined to comment on the company other than confirming it was the contractor in Benghazi. Blue Mountain did not respond to numerous emails and phone calls, and a person answering the phone at its office in Carmarthen, Wales, said the company would not discuss the issue.
Previously known as Pilgrim Elite, Blue Mountain says on its website that it offers security services and professional training and has operated in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
The website once listed General Motors as a client, and a GM spokeswoman in Detroit told Reuters that Blue Mountain's work for the company was "on a very limited basis and mostly in the UK."
A Blue Mountain recruiter posted a notice on a security website in 2011 seeking employees with visas to work in Libya.
The State Department contract for "local guard" services in Benghazi took effect in March 2012. Several of Blue Mountain's Libyan employees told Reuters that they had no prior security training or experience.
"I was never a revolutionary or a fighter, I have never picked up a weapon during the war or after it," said Abdelaziz al-Majbiri, 28, who was shot in the legs during the Sept. 11 assault.
The Libyan commander in charge of the local guards at the mission was a former English teacher who said he heard about Blue Mountain from a neighbor. "I don't have a background in security, I've never held a gun in my life," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.
When hired, the commander said he was told "you have great English and get along with everyone and are punctual; we want you to be a guard commander."
The unarmed guards were told to sound the alarm over the radio and then run for cover if there was an attack, a Libyan who acted as a supervisor for the Blue Mountain local guard team at the mission said during an interview with Reuters.
He also displayed a medal embossed with "Department of State" and a horseman carrying Libyan and U.S. flags. "They thanked us for our help and also gave us this medal as an appreciation," he said.
Despite their inexperience, the Blue Mountain guards said they feared the Americans were not concerned enough about security.
"We used to tell the Americans who spoke to us on many occasions that we needed more support in security, because it felt thin on the ground. But they didn't seem to be so worried, and (were) confident that no one will dare to come close to the consulate," one guard said.
'DOWN IN THE WEEDS'
Tiefer, who is also a government contracting law professor at the University of Baltimore, said the Benghazi contract paled in comparison to other State Department security awards.
"This is down in the weeds," he said in a telephone interview.
Most State Department work goes to eight large private security firms with vast experience.
In the late summer of 2011, after Libyan rebels took control of Tripoli, Blue Mountain guards were seen working security at the Corinthia Hotel and its sister Palm City residential compound in the Libyan capital.
A United Press International report indicated that Blue Mountain and its local partner, Eclipse, also were competing for contracts guarding oil fields.
Blue Mountain and Eclipse parted ways in the spring over problems with Tripoli contracts, several sources familiar with the matter said.
The severed relationship may have prevented Blue Mountain from getting additional work in Libya, which required the local affiliation.
On a social network website earlier this year, a Blue Mountain official described the firm as "one of the few companies certified and legally allowed to work in Libya."
Blue Mountain Chief Executive Officer Nigel Thomas, a former British special forces member, did not respond to emails or phone calls.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: PUBLIC NOTICE TO TEXAS & SMITH COUNTRY RESIDENTS!
Patriot or Traitor: PUBLIC NOTICE TO TEXAS & SMITH COUNTRY RESIDENTS!: I doubt that all Members of, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Tyler City Council and Smith County Commissioners Court ,ag...
PUBLIC NOTICE TO TEXAS & SMITH COUNTRY RESIDENTS!
I doubt that all
Members of,
Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce
Tyler City
Council
and
Smith
County Commissioners Court,agree
with Mr. Tom Mullin’s, CEO of Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic
Development Council, assessment of TransCanada’s Gulf Coast Project as set forth in his
article in the East Texas Mailbox section of the Tyler Morning Telegraph on
Sunday, October 14, 2012; but, unless they speak up, all of them may be
considered traitors, right along with Tom Mullins, once THAT PROJECT is
completed, connected to Phase 4 of the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline Project at Cushing, Oklahoma and
placed in operation as THAT PROJECT
is designed and
Unconstitutionally Approved by Executive Order without Congressional Authority.
I
know, Tom Mullins said he is confident
that TransCanada requires its staff and contractors to conduct themselves with
integrity and respect at all times; but, that has not been the case so far.
In fact they are not to be trusted when dealing with the news media and private
landowners.
He
starts out by saying he has worked with
TransCanada the last four years to stay informed but what he got was misinformed. It could be that Mr.
Mullins needs a better contact with TransCanada.
Surely, the City and its Supporters do not
want to jeopardize everybody’s liberty
for what could be short term illegal jobs on illegal Right-of-Way agreements
when the Opposition finds an Attorney with the know-how and back-bone to bring
the Owners of TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP (TransCanada Corp,
ConocoPhillips CO and SynCrude Canada, LTD) before a Texas Court having
jurisdiction and ask them to provide that Court with the purpose for It’s
Pipeline Projects and Anticipated Operations of said Pipeline.
If
anyone knows such an Attorney, nearby,
in Texas,
please give him/her my telephone number (903/534-0744) for I do have the facts
and many years of experience in Oil & Gas Exp & Prod.
Granted,
Condemnation Hearings have been had in three Texas Counties that I know of
(Lamar, Wood and Jefferson) in which the
Courts
have ordered writs of possession issued in favor of TransCanada Keystone
Pipeline, LP because the Defendants did not present facts to dispute of the
pipelines Common Carrier status.
ARNOLD J. NASS TYLER,
TEXAS OCTOBER 16, 201
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: BEFORE YOU VOTE YOU MUST WATCH!
Patriot or Traitor: BEFORE YOU VOTE YOU MUST WATCH!: From: A “NON-PARTISAN” VIDEO....... FYI Take a look at the video, below…very distressing. No...
BEFORE YOU VOTE YOU MUST WATCH!
From:
A
“NON-PARTISAN” VIDEO.......
FYI
|
BEFORE YOU VOTE YOU MUST WATCH!
Patriot or Traitor: ATTACK ON LIYBA EMBASSY 'Does Stop' With Obama
Patriot or Traitor: ATTACK ON LIYBA EMBASSY 'Does Stop' With Obama: Tuesday, 16 Oct 2012 07:19 AM By Greg McDonald More ways to share... F 0 in Sha Former Defense Secr...
ATTACK ON LIYBA EMBASSY 'Does Stop' With Obama
Tuesday, 16 Oct 2012 07:19 AM
Read more on Newsmax.com: Rumsfeld: Blame for Benghazi 'Does Stop' with Obama
Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Patriot or Traitor: THESE ARE THE FACTS EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO KNOW !...
Patriot or Traitor: THESE ARE THE FACTS EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO KNOW !...: THESE ARE THE FACTS EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO KNOW !!!!!! VOTE AS THOUGH YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME, BECAUSE IT DOES !!!!! ...
THESE ARE THE FACTS EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO KNOW !!!!!! VOTE AS THOUGH YOUR
FUTURE DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME, BECAUSE IT DOES !!!!!
Subject: DO YOU REMEMBER JANUARY 3, 2007?
Some people have short memories…..DO YOU REMEMBER JANUARY 3, 2007?
I’ve been saying this for years, but this email probably explains it
better and more clearly. This is NOT a political message, but rather
a clarification to remind us all of the correct facts.
Remember that on October 9, 2007, 11 months before our “economic
crisis” occurred (that was actually created), the Dow hit its highest
point ever, closing at 14,164.53 and reaching 14,198.10 intra-day
level 2 days later. Unemployment was steady at 4.7%. But things were
already being put in place to create the havoc
we’ve all been experiencing since then. And it all started, as this email explains,
on January 3, 2007. --LFL
I'm sending this to each of you regardless of your party preferences
because I believe it is something you may not have considered.
This tells the story, why Bush was so “bad” at the end of his term.
Don't just skim over this, it's not very long, read it slowly and let
it sink in. If in doubt, check it out!!!
The day the Democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was
actually January 3rd 2007, which was the day the Democrats took over
the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the
110th Congress.
The Democrat Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the
first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.
For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy
that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this: January 3rd, 2007
was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress.
At the time:
The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77
The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%
The Unemployment rate was 4.6%
George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB GROWTH
Remember the day...
January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House
Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate
Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months
later was in what part of the economy? BANKING AND FINANCIAL
SERVICES!
Unemployment... to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping
5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOES!
Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie - starting in
2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy.
And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie
Mac? OBAMA And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? OBAMA
and the Democrat Congress.
So when someone tries to blame Bush.. REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007....
THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!"
Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and
the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democrat Party.
Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 &
2009 as well as 2010 & 2011.
In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused
them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough
on spending increases.
For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush
entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running
until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a
massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets.
And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that
very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he
signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009.
If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the
last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five
years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After
that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that
includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.
If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a
nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted
for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since
January 20th.There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on! PLEASE DO YOUR PART !!!
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