|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*| ============================================= NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF VIRGINIA PO Box 28263 Richmond VA 23228-0263 703-715-6230 World Wide Web: http://www.LPVA.com ============================================= For immediate release: April 14, 2009 ============================================= For additional information, contact:
LPVA Communications Committee [email protected] Voicemail: 703-715-6230 Website: www.LPVA.com ============================================= VIRGINIA FUSION CENTER: EARLY WARNING OR ELABORATE WASTE? Karen Kwiatkowski, Ph.D LPVA Communications Committee The Virginia Fusion Center, sister to <http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/fusion_map/>39 other state-federal fusion centers across the country, is in the news again. It's not because of the overarching mission of these fusion centers, a product of the 9-11 Commission's recommendation to break down the walls between local, state, and federal law enforcement and disaster response. ... [and] require a much higher level of centralized coordination among federal and state law enforcement and emergency services than had ever been previously contemplated. This is old news. It s not because of last year's Richmond debate over HB1007, which would have violated Virginia s open government regulations in favor of fed-state secrecy, relating to the data gathered and shared by the Virginia Fusion Center. And the Virginia Fusion Center is not in the news for its curious website, including weekly notices of concern to residents or its <http://www.google.com/search?q=seven+signs+of+terrorism>canned brownshirt headliner the <http://www.vsp.state.va.us/FusionCenter/7-Signs.shtm>Seven Signs of Terrorism. No, the VFC is in the news because of its first major report, the <http://www.privacylives.com/raw-story-fusion-center-declares-nations-oldest-universities-possible-terror-threat/2009/04/09/>2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment. It comes on the heels of the problematic <http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin501.htm>and ultimately withdrawn MIAC Strategic Report: The Modern Militia Movement, where third party bumper stickers on your car could indicate a domestic terrorist threat. In the 2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment incidentally NOT linked to the VFC website we find that even though there's really nothing to worry about, Virginians still need to be very afraid and very grateful. While there is no intelligence that indicates terrorists are currently planning attacks in Virginia, the presence of extremists, evidence of trends linked to terrorism, and the abundance of potential targets, suggests that the potential for Virginia to be targeted remains significant. The 215-page report is explains the various international terrorist groups and their background, albeit reprinted from public federal sources. It also discusses the variety of domestic terrorism that may or may not exist in the Commonwealth. For example, Virginia apparently has anarchist groups. An important anarchist group, the Virginia Anarchist Federation website is listed as <http://vaf.wikidot.com/>http://vaf.wikidot.com/. A quick visit to this site informs us that The Virginia Anarchist Federation is currently inactive until further notice. Members are focusing their energy on forming and maintaining local groups at this time. It also posts a group photograph of a 2008 meeting of the federation in Richmond, showing 25 or so smiling, normal looking people. It s a good thing the VFC is on the job, helping keep us all safe from all the anarchists. Virginia may also be threatened by militias, lone wolf extremists, sovereign citizen groups, and interest groups. This would lead one to expect that Virginia is slightly less threatened by militias than by anarchists, but not so fast! We should be worried about the Virginia Citizens Militia, Virginia Freeborn Militia, and Live Free of Northern Virginia. The Fusion Center is particularly concerned with a new group that has posted this alarming website: <http://vamilitia.ning.com/>http://vamilitia.ning.com/ -- Oops, That Page Doesn't Exist. Oops, indeed. What matters is that Virginians get alarmed, and get grateful for the VFC. Lone wolf extremists are also a severe danger to Virginians, earning 39 mentions in the report just one less than anarchists and three more than militias. Unlike groups with defunct web sites, or those that posts full color group photographs, lone wolves are scary to say the least and the hardest to track. Be afraid. That is the message of the VFC. The Libertarian Party of Virginia is afraid not of the VFC, but of unchecked growth of intrusive and expensive government under a thinly veiled cover of public safety. The only thing being kept safe by the Virginia Fusion Center is government jobs, at the expense not only of Commonwealth dollars, but common sense as well. # 30 # 30 # 30 # BIO: Karen Kwiatkowski, Ph.D. is a retired USAF lieutenant colonel, has written on defense issues with a libertarian perspective for MilitaryWeek.com, hosted the call-in radio show American Forum, and blogs occasionally for Huffingtonpost.com and Liberty and Power. See her article archive at http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski-arch.html . |*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*| References: "2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment" http://www.infowars.com/media/vafusioncenterterrorassessment.pdf For additional Information, the below individuals are prepared to answer questions on this issue: Karen Kwiatkowski <[email protected]> Communications Committee, Libertarian Party of Virginia Jeff Bowles <[email protected]> Chairman, Libertarian Party of Virginia (540) 529-9818 or (540) 473-2030 Jim Lark <[email protected]> Vice Chairman, Libertarian Party of Virginia (434) 973-5958 Marc Montoni <[email protected]> Secretary, Libertarian Party of Virginia (804) 288-2766 -- end -- ############################################################# Have an announcement you'd like to post? SCC members & many committee heads are all authorized to post; or you may send your announcements to the List Master: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=announcement>. ################################################## Unsubscribe: Send an email to [email protected] with no subject and "Unsubscribe Announce" as the text. ############################################################# Libertarian Party of Virginia http://www.LPVA.com Phone: 703-715-6230
