PIML 96050408 / Forwarded to Patriot Information Mailing List: [Below are two postings from MJN with Mike's comments.] PIML ================================================================== Date: 03 Jun 96 18:09:33 EDT From: Mike Johnson <102052.3716@CompuServe.COM> Subject: MJN:AP on Fed Armor A piece from TIME magazine about the FBI moving armored vehicles up to the Freemen ranch. According to one of the lines in the article, "The black armored cars are the same model that the Air Force uses to escort nuclear weapons between silos in northern Montana." Alright, given that my previous information appears to be wrong and these armored vehicles are in fact carried as part of U.S. military inventory: (1) Who authorized their use in possible violation of the Posse Comitatus law? Have there been any drug related charges against the Freemen? (2) What ordnance are these armored vehicles carrying? I seriously doubt that the Air Force uses *unarmed* armored vehicles as part of their nuclear weapons escort force. Therefore, these vehicles are either likely to be armed, or have suitable hardpoints provided that would make it easy to attach machineguns and other whatnot to them on an as needed basis. Also, again bear in mind that merely running an armored vehicle into a standard wood frame construction building can be exceedingly bad news for the inhabitants therein regardless of what weaponry happens to be attached to the vehicle at the time. (3) Again, we see an instance where any argument that this is not a violation of Posse Comitatus is likely to be as a result of splitting hairs, and not a real limitation on what the Federal government can get away with. - Mike/North Central Florida Regional Militia It is safe to assume that any traffic going to or from this address is being recorded, stored and analyzed somewhere by government employees. Any other assumption is *not* *safe*. ----Forwarded Message(s)---- 03-Jun-96 12:59 EDT Sb: June 2, 1996 Turning Up The Pressure Fm: Charlotte Shore [72113,1673] To: Mike Johnson [102052,3716] Mike, A question: WHO is it that needs rescuing-- ??? Am sending two more shorter AP articles, also-- TTYL, -Char 12:40 PM ET TIME Daily: June 2, 1996 Turning Up The Pressure JORDAN, Montana: As negotiations between the FBI and the anti-government Freemen appear to have hit a brick wall, the FBI has begun moving armored vehicles to the area outside the Freemen compound. TIME's Patrick Dawson reports that at approximately 10 a.m. Sunday a truck hauled three armored cars with FBI lettering from its headquarters in Jordan up a sealed off back road toward the Freemen farm. "The FBI is just getting everything into place," Dawson says. "This is not a big mobilization in process. The FBI wants the Freemen to see that they are tightening up around the compound. This is creeping toward a resolution." The FBI brought the three rescue vehicles and a helicopter to their command center outside on Friday. The black armored cars are the same model that the Air Force uses to escort nuclear warheads between silos in northern Montana. Notes Dawson: "There's talk here that the FBI will just drive them around and see what happens, see if they get shot at, and generally exercise a presence." The FBI says it needs the vehicles in case rescues are needed or the bureau occupies some of the Freemen property, but the machines are also highly-visible bargaining chips for the feds. From Washington, TIME correspondent Elaine Shannon reports that the FBI is implementing a pretty standard crisis-management plan: "You shrink the perimeter and deny them free movement to get their heads into bargaining mode. The Freemen right now have no incentive to bargain, and the FBI has no leverage. Doing this, and cutting off the power, will give them leverage. The resolution will probably be very gradual. The conclusion will be oozing, not striking." Back at the ranch, surveillance planes continue to buzz the compound as the media peer in from their new positions more than two miles from the scene. The FBI evicted news crews from the immediate area earlier this week, citing attempts by a FOX TV crew to interview the Freemen as the reason for the decision. But removing the media also gave agents one more chip. -- Scot Woods Copyright Time Inc. 1996. All Rights Reserved. ================================================================== Date: 03 Jun 96 18:09:57 EDT From: Mike Johnson <102052.3716@CompuServe.COM> Subject: MJN:AP on Fed armor An AP story covering pretty much the same things that TIME did. - Mike/North Central Florida Regional Militia It is safe to assume that any traffic going to or from this address is being recorded, stored and analyzed somewhere by government employees. Any other assumption is *not* *safe*. ----Forwarded Message(s)---- 03-Jun-96 12:59 EDT Sb: Vehicles Moved Nearer Freemen Fm: Charlotte Shore [72113,1673] To: Mike Johnson [102052,3716] AP 2-Jun-1996 15:22 EDT REF5339 Copyright 1996. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. By HAL SPENCER Associated Press Writer JORDAN, Mont. (AP) -- Federal agents moved three armored vehicles closer to the Freemen ranch Sunday, within the FBI's road blocks around the ranch where the anti-government group has been holed up for 70 days. Reporters could get no closer than 2 1/2 miles from the entrance to the foreclosed wheat and cattle ranch, but there were no indications the FBI planned to enter the compound. "We've moved them from one parking place to another," said a government source who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We haven't given up" trying to end the standoff peacefully. The FBI established additional checkpoints Sunday along a rural road between Jordan and the Freemen ranch 30 miles away. According to Tom Stanton, a neighboring rancher, the vehicles are parked at a spot about four miles east of the compound and would have access through a back road to it. The vehicles, which were not visible, were last seen by reporters topping a hill about eight miles from the ranch's back gate, which was as far as reporters could go on that road. At the FBI staging area in Jordan, all appeared relatively calm. A helicopter that arrived on Friday remained there. The FBI has said it wanted the armored vehicles to be available in the event it became necessary to conduct emergency rescues or occupy parts of the ranch. The FBI believes 18 people, three of them children, are inside the ranch. Some of the adults are wanted on criminal charges, including allegations they circulated millions of dollars in bogus checks and threatened the life of a federal judge. ================================================================== * Patriot Information Mailing List * http://constitution.org/piml/piml.htm * A service to help inform those who have an active interest in * returning our federal and state governments to limited, * constitutional government * Send messages for consideration and possible posting to * butterb@sagenet.net (Bill Utterback). * To subscribe or unsubscribe, send message with subject line * "subscribe patriot" or "unsubscribe patriot" * Forwarded messages sent on this mailing list are NOT verified. * See World's Smallest Political Quiz: www.self-gov.org/quiz.html * Libertarian is to LIBERTY as librarian is to library (DePena) * PIML grants permission to copy and repost this message * in its entirety with headers and trailers left intact.