Exclusive! The FBI Deputizes Business-'They have permission to 'shoot to kill' in the event of

[babsbunny]

martial law.'

http://www.progressive.org/mag_rothschild0308

By Matthew Rothschild, February 7, 2008
Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does—and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to “shoot to kill” in the event of martial law.
InfraGard is “a child of the FBI,” says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm.

InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats.

“Then the FBI cloned it,” says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years.

InfraGard itself is still an FBI operation, with FBI agents in each state overseeing the local InfraGard chapters. (There are now eighty-six of them.) The alliance is a nonprofit organization of private sector InfraGard members.

“We are the owners, operators, and experts of our critical infrastructure, from the CEO of a large company in agriculture or high finance to the guy who turns the valve at the water utility,” says Schneck, who by day is the vice president of research integration at Secure Computing.

[kestrel91316]

1. If I join up, where do I go to get my natty brown shirt and black boots??

[Beam Me Up]

2. REC and KICK people!

If things keep going as they are, soon this whole election will SEEM as irrelevant as it already is.

[DeSwiss]

3. Has anybody seen our Congress???

- Do they even give a shit about the Constitution any more???

K&R

[eShirl]

11. my magic eight-ball says, "signs point to no"

[Old_Growth]

22. My Ouija board also went N-O

So fast it burst into flames with screeching sound effects.

[slackmaster]

24. The Constitution empowers Congress to do precisely this kind of thing

From Article I, Section 8:

...To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;...

Congress should indeed be concerned by the Executive Branch usurping more of its power.

[Paladin]

25. So If The Executive Branch Authorizes This.......

...you think it's really, really bad. But if Congress authorizes it, you're locked and loaded, right?

Maybe they'll have really cool uniforms for you to wear. And a special salute. And a blood oath for you to take.....

[slackmaster]

26. No, that's not my thinking at all Paladin and you should know that about me by now

I think the information they're talking about belongs to the people, and it should be disseminated to the people.

The only real problem I see with this is the vetting system - If the information isn't classified, it should be public and readily available to any citizen.

[Paladin]

27. That's A Lot More Reasonable

If I misenterpreted your earlier comments, my apologies.

[slackmaster]

28. I think a lot of people here have been thrown off by the unsubstantiated "shoot to kill" thing

From the cited article:

...One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to “shoot to kill” in the event of martial law....

An anonymous source, neither verifiable nor authoritative. It sounds to me like the quoted individual was talking out his ass. Such statements create fertile ground for spin, and that one sounds just like the kind of thing a Republican or conservative would say just to piss off someone representing a "progressive" interest.

My position is that if you are personally under attack you already have the right to use deadly force to protect yourself. At least we do here in California.

[AnOhioan]

4. Kicked and rec'd to the "greatest" page

[FirstLight]

5. Kick'd & Rec'd

...okay, I have said the words Martial Law more than once today...this scares me becuse it means the the Bush Admin is ahead of all of us in terms of this plan>>>
"...they have permissions to shot to kill in the event of Martial Law..."

we may NOT even HAVE an election in November
the last 2 were stolen, eliminating the next one won't be far off in the even they can create a mass hysteria ...
and gee, what would that take? hmmmmm economic depression? ...another attack?.... nuclear nonsense? the list coulod be wilder than we could even think of...lord knows this admin has had the wingnuts on overtime....

I am glad I live in a rural area... it may be time to plan on a Robin Hood escape into the woods for a while, like, a decade or two! Anyone wanna come and build some treehouses?

yikes:scared:

[kelligesq]

6. Would it be over re-acting to

say the doors are closing to leave this country?

[1620rock]

7. Canada has been quietly tightening up it's immigration policy for American immigrants.

[nashville_brook]

8. this is the third or forth posting on this story that i've seen since last night, and i have to say

it does my heart good to see people concerned about this. k and r!

[Megahurtz]

9. OMG This Can't Be Real.

[eShirl]

12. except that it can

past is prelude

[Orsino]

10. Because, of course, priority one will be protecting corporate assets.

Just don't call it fascism.

[tbyg52]

20. None dare call it fascism

Except here, of course. But it is, exactly.

[Echo In Light]

13. K&R

[MadHound]

14. Just one more step in corporatizing security.

For a long time people thought that the US couldn't become a police state, it's been thought that it is too big, too many people for the government to effectively tighten the screws. But starting about thirty years ago, corporations started taking on the role of big brother, and cooperating with the government. At first it was those innocuous security cameras that appeared at banks and other big money places. Then cameras became ubiquitous parts of the urban landscape, in cafes, coffee shops, convenience stores, to the point where now in most urban areas a person can't walk down the block without being filmed from at least two different angles. And of course, the business community graciously cooperated with law enforcement, providing copies of the film that they've shot.

Then in the eighties we had the explosion of private security forces, and the government's investiture of quasi-legal police powers in these private security forces. No longer was it the guy approaching retirement walking around some building, but rather fit, tough, trained forces that resembled nothing less than SWAT units. Nor were they limited to corporate property, but started patrolling suburbs, doing bodyguard work, even doing security in far away lands.

Then in the ninties, cooperation started going further, as data mining and data sharing became the norm. As the price for storing information went down, more and more information was collected on customers, many times linked up with film and photographs. Even better, the government spent our taxpayer money to get this mined information from corporate American, giving even more incentive for corporate America to collect even more information.

And since 911, this has all kicked into high gear. Programs like Infra Gard and TIPS, new technologies such as sound recordings(yes, you too will be recorded at many places of business, such as your local convenience store) and the new field of biometrics, combined with ever smaller and more ubiquitous cameras, and the loosening of legal restrictions, though really now, did they really need to be loosened? That is, after all, one of the benefits of having corporations spy on Americans, being private entities they can get by with so much more than government entities. But never the less, the rules were indeed loosened, and continue to be(FISA comes up with a vote next week). Corporate security forces now be likened to small armies, many times complete with lethal weapons and extra legal powers. Fourth amendment, corporations don't need to worry about no stinkin' fourth amendment.

Now we wake up to find ourselves surrounded by this public-private partnership(which could be better termed as fascism). It has insinuated itself into the fabric of everyday life. Yet if you scream about this people are either apathetic or suspicious of you. An entire generation has grown up with this corporate police state, and think nothing be being piss tested, filmed, recorded, tracked. In fact people have willing bought some of the instruments of their own tracking, ie cell phones(which are now being used to track individual people where ever they go in many urban areas) Onstar(which has the extra added benefit of listening in on your car bound conversations) and GPS units(remember, if they can tell you where you're going, they already know where you are).

Slowly a small group of people have become aware of this monstrosity, not just what it means to ourselves, but to our country as well. The classic definition of this corporate/government blending is fascism, and it is becoming more apparent everyday that this is where our country is headed. Corporations have gradually taken the reigns of government, abusing power for themselves, and passing rules and regulations to insulate them from we the people. Now we see the spectacle of a president running interference for them, demanding immunity for their past misdeeds, all the while allowing ever more corporate control of the people.

What can be done about this? Well clearing out the corporately controlled government would go a long way to reversing this trend. But the only way we can get an uncompromised government is to take corporate money out of the election picture, and that means publicly funded elections, from dog-catcher to president. Make the vote of the people, rather than the power of the purse, the deciding factor in our elections, and we will restore a large measure of power back to the people. If we don't do this, then we will continue to slide down into the abyss, and pretty soon we will be nothing more than gears in a corporate machine.

[pinniped]

15. Some of those gun-nut dumbasses think the blue helmets (UN) are....

going to roam our streets and take away their guns/rights.

It looks like that won't be the case.

[L. Coyote]

16. InfraGard card ... permission to “shoot to kill” in the event of martial law

Where do I get one of these hunting permits?

[L. Coyote]

17. Join InfraGard GET ALL DHS/FBI Threat Alerts, Advisories & Warnings

Oregon InfraGard Winter Meeting

January 16, 2008

10A-12 Noon (Board of Directors meeting at 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM)
FBI RCFL, 6th Floor, 1201 NE Lloyd St (Entrance is on NE Holladay near corner of NE Holladay & NE 11th)
Portland, Oregon

The quarterly training program will be a presentation by US DHS Seattle Inspector Paul Fields on the recently implemented Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program aka CFATS. This program directly affects many of our members businesses.

Invited to attend for a short briefing at the members 11 AM round table following Inspector Freeman's presentation, are FBI-Portland, Oregon State Police and the Portland Police Bureau.

Recently appointed FBI-Portland Special Agent In Charge David Miller is scheduled to attend.

http://www.infragard.net/membership/index.htm
Join InfraGard

    * No cost to user
    * Networking
    * DHS/FBI Threat Alerts, Advisories & Warnings
    * Training Initatives
    * Valuable contacts and data
    * Discussion groups & listservs
    * Seminars and conferences
    * National partnerships

 
Find a chapter near you http://www.infragard.net/chapters/index.htm

All InfraGard members are associated with a local chapter. There is no 'National' membership. Visit the chapters page to find a chapter near you.
Understand...

InfraGard is an organization dedicated to the protection of the United States and the American people. In order to maintain a level of trust within the membership, all applicants undergo a background check performed by the FBI (for this reason InfraGard membership is currently limited to United States citizens). Applications are then screened according to a defined criteria and then passed to the local chapter for final acceptance (individual chapters may have more strict criteria).

Along with your InfraGard membership comes great responsibility. We value active members who are willing to devote their time, effort and talent to help build this organization and achieve our goals of protecting the American people. You will be a representative of the nation's largest volunteer organization dedicated to critical infrastructure protection.

Finally, before you fill out your application, please read the InfraGard Code of Ethics and browse the other Policies and Procedures. As a member of InfraGard, you will be expected to abide by these guidelines.
The application process

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply at a local chapter meeting. Chapter coordinators, leaders and members can help answer questions about InfraGard membership and the application process.

To make application processing easier, typed applications are required.

To fill out an application:

   1. Open the Membership Application (PDF format ) * Adobe version 5.0 or higher required
   2. Read the application completely before filling it out
   3. Print out your completed application
   4. Sign and date page four (4) of the application
   5. Mail your completed application to a chapter coordinator.
      NOTE: Handwritten applications and PO Boxes will not be accepted.

Once submitted, your application will be processed as quickly as possible. You will be notified of your InfraGard membership status. While your application is being processed, you are encouraged to attend open chapter meetings.
InfraGard Qualified Substitutes for Records Check

The following United States Government-issued Security Clearances are Qualified Substitutes for the records check required for InfraGard Membership:

   1. Confidential
   2. Secret
   3. Top Secret

An InfraGard Applicant/Member may submit evidence of their possession of one of the above clearances to expedite the initial processing and periodic renewal of their InfraGard Membership.

[slackmaster]

21. I think everyone should join - It's not limited to "corporate" America

It's free, and all you have to do to justify your application is claim to be part of an organization related to one of the "Critical Infrastructures":

Agriculture
Banking & Finance (that would apply to me)
Chemical Industry and HAZMAT
Defense
Emergency Services
Energy
Food
Government
Information & Telecom
Law Enforcement
National Monuments & Icons
Postal & Shipping
Public Health
Transportation
Water
Other

They also promise to provide some training.

I don't see a legal problem with this. The federal government has an obligation under the Constitution to train the militia.

[baby_mouse]

18. That is fucking stupid.

I mean REALLY fucking stupid.

[ileus]

19. I want 2 join, I'd like a heads up...I keep my firearms unloaded.

this would give me the time to load up and get ready...LOL

[slackmaster]

23. Since members of the public sector (law enforcement, government, national parks, etc.) are welcome

Why shouldn't business interests be included?

[SalmonChantedEvening]

29. Blackwell has been a Training Tool.

Corporate armies with no accountability.

The prototype is operating at Maximum Profit. On with the production run.

[seafan]

30. The FBI Deputizes Business; may shoot to kill in martial law without prosecution

At what point will The People have had ENOUGH?



Exclusive! The FBI Deputizes Business

By Matthew Rothschild
The Progressive

February 7, 2008

Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does—and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to “shoot to kill” in the event of martial law.
InfraGard is “a child of the FBI,” says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm.

InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats.

“Then the FBI cloned it,” says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years.

.....

FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9, 2005. At that time, the group had less than half as many members as it does today. “To date, there are more than 11,000 members of InfraGard,” he said. “From our perspective that amounts to 11,000 contacts . . . and 11,000 partners in our mission to protect America.” He added a little later, “Those of you in the private sector are the first line of defense.”
He urged InfraGard members to contact the FBI if they “note suspicious activity or an unusual event.” And he said they could sic the FBI on “disgruntled employees who will use knowledge gained on the job against their employers.”
In an interview with InfraGard after the conference, which is featured prominently on the InfraGard members’ website, Mueller says: “It’s a great program.”

The ACLU is not so sanguine.

“There is evidence that InfraGard may be closer to a corporate TIPS program, turning private-sector corporations—some of which may be in a position to observe the activities of millions of individual customers—into surrogate eyes and ears for the FBI,” the ACLU warned in its August 2004 report The Surveillance-Industrial Complex: How the American Government Is Conscripting Businesses and Individuals in the Construction of a Surveillance Society.

InfraGard is not readily accessible to the general public. Its communications with the FBI and Homeland Security are beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information Act under the “trade secrets” exemption, its website says. And any conversation with the public or the media is supposed to be carefully rehearsed.

“The interests of InfraGard must be protected whenever presented to non-InfraGard members,” the website states. “During interviews with members of the press, controlling the image of InfraGard being presented can be difficult. Proper preparation for the interview will minimize the risk of embarrassment. . . . The InfraGard leadership and the local FBI representative should review the submitted questions, agree on the predilection of the answers, and identify the appropriate interviewee. . . . Tailor answers to the expected audience. . . . Questions concerning sensitive information should be avoided.”
One of the advantages of InfraGard, according to its leading members, is that the FBI gives them a heads-up on a secure portal about any threatening information related to infrastructure disruption or terrorism.

The InfraGard website advertises this. In its list of benefits of joining InfraGard, it states: “Gain access to an FBI secure communication network complete with VPN encrypted website, webmail, listservs, message boards, and much more.”
InfraGard members receive “almost daily updates” on threats “emanating from both domestic sources and overseas,” Hershman says.
“We get very easy access to secure information that only goes to InfraGard members,” Schneck says. “People are happy to be in the know.”

But the public won't have that opportunity. What in the sam hill is going on?

On November 1, 2001, the FBI had information about a potential threat to the bridges of California. The alert went out to the InfraGard membership. Enron was notified, and so, too, was Barry Davis, who worked for Morgan Stanley. He notified his brother Gray, the governor of California.
“He said his brother talked to him before the FBI,” recalls Steve Maviglio, who was Davis’s press secretary at the time. “And the governor got a lot of grief for releasing the information. In his defense, he said, ‘I was on the phone with my brother, who is an investment banker. And if he knows, why shouldn’t the public know?’ ”

Maviglio still sounds perturbed about this: “You’d think an elected official would be the first to know, not the last.”

Remember this episode? ENRON was notified before the Governor of California that there was a threat to the state's bridges. Wonder if Davis' inevitable anger over this was another reason he met his demise in office prematurely...

.....

This special status concerns the ACLU.

“The FBI should not be creating a privileged class of Americans who get special treatment,” says Jay Stanley, public education director of the ACLU’s technology and liberty program. “There’s no ‘business class’ in law enforcement. If there’s information the FBI can share with 22,000 corporate bigwigs, why don’t they just share it with the public? That’s who their real ‘special relationship’ is supposed to be with. Secrecy is not a party favor to be given out to friends. . . . This bears a disturbing resemblance to the FBI’s handing out ‘goodies’ to corporations in return for folding them into its domestic surveillance machinery.”

.....

On May 9, 2007, George Bush issued National Security Presidential Directive 51 entitled “National Continuity Policy.” In it, he instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate with “private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to provide for the delivery of essential services during an emergency.”
Asked if the InfraGard National Members Alliance was involved with these plans, Schneck said it was “not directly participating at this point.” Hershman, chairman of the group’s advisory board, however, said that it was.
InfraGard members, sometimes hundreds at a time, have been used in “national emergency preparation drills,” Schneck acknowledges.

.....

One business owner in the United States tells me that InfraGard members are being advised on how to prepare for a martial law situation—and what their role might be. He showed me his InfraGard card, with his name and e-mail address on the front, along with the InfraGard logo and its slogan, “Partnership for Protection.” On the back of the card were the emergency numbers that Schneck mentioned.

This business owner says he attended a small InfraGard meeting where agents of the FBI and Homeland Security discussed in astonishing detail what InfraGard members may be called upon to do.
“The meeting started off innocuously enough, with the speakers talking about corporate espionage,” he says. “From there, it just progressed. All of a sudden we were knee deep in what was expected of us when martial law is declared. We were expected to share all our resources, but in return we’d be given specific benefits.” These included, he says, the ability to travel in restricted areas and to get people out.

But that’s not all.

“Then they said when—not if—martial law is declared, it was our responsibility to protect our portion of the infrastructure, and if we had to use deadly force to protect it, we couldn’t be prosecuted,” he says.
I was able to confirm that the meeting took place where he said it had, and that the FBI and Homeland Security did make presentations there. One InfraGard member who attended that meeting denies that the subject of lethal force came up. But the whistleblower is 100 percent certain of it. “I have nothing to gain by telling you this, and everything to lose,” he adds. “I’m so nervous about this, and I’m not someone who gets nervous.”

.....

“We were assured that if we were forced to kill someone to protect our infrastructure, there would be no repercussions,” the whistleblower says. “It gave me goose bumps. It chilled me to the bone.”

Is there anyone left in positions of power who will choose as their top priority, the education, protection and empowerment of the American people over this monstrous structure of corporate greed and premeditated murderous control over a now furious public?