June 16 and 17, 2016


News and Views


Mateen and guns


THE DISSENT CHANNEL IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-diplomats-demand-action-on-syria-bashar-assad/

U.S. diplomats to White House: Change policy on Syria
By MARGARET BRENNAN CBS NEWS
June 17, 2016, 12:24 AM

21 PHOTOS -- War in Syria
Play VIDEO
Play Video -- At least 80 killed in ISIS attacks in Syria
Play VIDEO -- ISIS claims deadly attacks on Assad strongholds in Syria


WASHINGTON -- Fifty-one career diplomats from across the State Department have signed an internal cable calling for a new U.S. policy on Syria, including more direct action against Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, CBS News has learned.

The cable itself is classified. It was formally submitted this week to the State Department's Director of Policy Planning and signed by officials who handle several different areas, including human rights and the Middle East.

One of the officials responsible for the cable told CBS News it was written in response to five years of what the signatories consider to be a failed policy. They say Assad has not faced consequences for his actions, including bombing his own people and U.S.-backed rebel groups.

Assad was also faulted in the cable for failing to allow humanitarian shipments of food and medicine to reach areas where Syrians have been starving to death, despite agreements negotiated by the U.S. and Russia.

The authors argued that while a political solution is needed in Syria, it is hard to have diplomatic leverage when there are no costs for abuse. According to the cable, the White House policy has been to ignore Assad while focusing on ISIS -- which the authors say is not a recipe for success. Assad's violence feeds ISIS, endangers U.S. allies, lead to a massive refugee crisis that is destabilizing Europe, and has mixed the threat of terrorism with human rights issue of refugees.

The cable does not make specific policy recommendations such as U.S. airstrikes but comes close, arguing that Assad's artillery and air power must be removed as threats to the U.S.-backed rebels.

The officials who spoke with CBS News said having 51 signatories on a cable unprecedented. By comparison, a dissent cable sent in 1993 objecting to President Bill Clinton's reluctance to stop ethnic cleansing in Bosnia was signed onto by a dozen State Department diplomats.

Many of the signatories of the Syria cable fear that its leak to the press, so soon after submission, will make the White House dismiss the criticism as a political matter and not consider the policy criticisms. According to the authors, it was not meant to air dirty laundry but rather to spark a policy review. All of the signatories are professional, career diplomats and not political appointees.

Multiple sources confirm that the Secretary of State John Kerry himself has privately recommended a more muscular U.S. role in Syria but has had numerous proposals shut down by the White House.

"We are aware of a dissent channel cable written by a group of State Department employees regarding the situation in Syria. We are reviewing the cable now, which came up very recently, and I am not going to comment on the contents," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement Thursday night.

"The Dissent Channel is an existing official vehicle in place to allow State Department employees to convey alternative views and perspectives on policy issues," Kirby said. "This is an important vehicle that the Secretary, as well as the Department institutionally, values and respects that allows Department employees to express policy views candidly and privately to senior leadership."

Kirby said Kerry has been given a brief on the cable. Jon Finer, the Director of Policy Planning to whom the cable was sent, has 30 to 60 days to respond in writing, according to Kirby.



https://ricochet.com/syria-dissent-channel/

Syria and the “Dissent Channel”
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
June 17, 2016


The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are both reporting today that they have obtained or seen a draft copy of a State Department internal memo, signed by more than 50 diplomats, “urging the United States to carry out military strikes against the government of President Bashar al-Assad to stop its persistent violations of a cease-fire in the country’s five-year-old civil war.”

Neither have published the whole memo, which is frustrating: It’s impossible to evaluate an argument you can’t read. But the Times says it calls for “a judicious use of stand-off and air weapons, which would undergird and drive a more focused and hard-nosed U.S.-led diplomatic process.” The memo was apparently filed in the so-called “dissent channel,” established during the Vietnam War so that State Department employees could protest policies made by high-level officials without fear of reprisal.

According to the Times, “While there are no widely recognized names, higher-level State Department officials are known to share their concerns. Mr. Kerry himself has pushed for stronger American action against Syria, in part to force a diplomatic solution on Mr. Assad. The president has resisted such pressure, and has been backed up by his military commanders, who have raised questions about what would happen in the event that Mr. Assad was forced from power — a scenario that the draft memo does not address.”

The memo apparently acknowledged that military action would have risks, although it isn’t clear about exactly what its authors believe those risks to be. The risks, according to the Times, include, “not least,” “further tensions with Russia, which has intervened in the war on Mr. Assad’s behalf and helped negotiate a cease-fire. Those tensions increased on Thursday when, according to a senior Pentagon official, Russia conducted airstrikes in southern Syria against American-backed forces fighting the Islamic State.”

There are, as far as I can see, two massive risks: The first is chaos if Assad is forced from power, which could permit ISIS or other jihadi actors to prevail in the ungoverned spaces. The second is a direct confrontation with Russia. Apparently, the dissenting State Department officials insisted in the memo that they were not “advocating for a slippery slope that ends in a military confrontation with Russia,” but rather “a credible threat of military action to keep Mr. Assad in line.”

I don’t know how representative this memo is of State Department thinking generally, nor do I know how if the Times’ assessment of the views of the military are accurate. But the impression they give is of a sharp disjunct between the military’s assessment and that of State Department rank-and-file, with Obama on the side of the military.

Thoughts?



I hadn’t failed to notice that in Iraq and Afghanistan, when power structures were disrupted in order to get rid of a national leader who is, indeed, a despot; the whole country falls into chaos. The harsh control efforts in such countries are often effective, though immoral, against such lawlessness that we now see in Pakistan and Syria. What I don’t see, though, is why – after crushing the despot – European and American forces do not force, by equally tight control, a constitutional government with civil rights, voting, medical and educational, poverty programs and an effective policing force in every section of the country so that when another al-Qaeda-like group comes in and tries to take over, they will be effectively and promptly squashed (yes, like a bug) and then order and justice can come back again.

In the time of Roman control of half the known world, that was the Roman way; called, no doubt with a wry sense of humor, “pax Romana.” Agitate and misbehave and you will be demolished (pacified). Of course they also accepted as full Roman citizens well behaved people from all of their captive territories, especially if they would fight in the Roman army and without discrimination based on racial, ethnic, religious, LGBT or other personal characteristics. It’s that’s the way I read it. Whether the Romans always were so fair-minded or not, I somehow doubt that.

On religion, though, every group had to kneel down to the Roman Emperor as a god. They could worship their own gods to their hearts content, but Caesar was also a god. It was a time period of many gods, not one, so the Jews and Christians were at odds with everyone else. The Jews and Christians failed to do that one thing, bow down before Caesar, and as a result they were persecuted. The worst thing I see about the Middle Eastern countries today is the sheer hatred that exists there, among almost every group, for SOME other one. The diplomats’ view, above, is the ideal and should be the eventual result, but it is undoubtedly true that if we in the US mess with Russia’s little buddy Assad, we truly may end up in a world war. That’s not good. Therefore, I’m going to say yet again, that if we would give good armaments to the intelligent, decent and thoroughly feisty Kurdish people they would probably be able to fight off most aggressors.

I would like to see us maintain a somewhat hands off position in Syria and Iraq and let Middle Eastern people deal with other Middle Eastern people in their vengeful style. It is a real problem for the aim of tolerance in the area, that their cultures are all older and more tribal (not organized from the top down or very advanced AT THIS TIME), whereas we picked up from the Greek and Roman traditions and followed a secular, hopefully tolerant societal structure and philosophy. That’s an advantage, because it means that we don’t have to fight over beliefs all the time, and can have SOME peace in Europe and America. If the Middle East and Africa do not choose peace, we can let them be isolates while we trade, solve problems etc. and increase our national wealth and justice.

Finally, I would like to say one more thing. It is very difficult for ANY outside force such as ours, to SUCCEED in such a takeover and have it last more than a few years. We are battling in not only Syria, but in Afghanistan, with the same kind of decay, due partly to our pax Romana efforts there, and we are not beloved by those people as a result. In the end I tend to agree with the Obama group that a military takeover doesn’t really usually lead to good things. Trade is good, the Olympics are good, intermarriage across boundary lines is good, but any true pacification has to come from the inner soul of every citizen, and it thrives in situations where the people are not ignorant, superstitious, starving, and aggressive against everybody especially women and unpopular religious groups. In other words, I have almost given up.

As for the Dissent Channel, this is the very first time I’ve heard the term, but it sounds like a very good thing. In a couple of the better companies where I worked down through all these years, there were “suggestion boxes,” and a generally “open office” policy on the part of the supervisory hierarchy. That little bit of respect from bosses is enough to make me work for them with a respect of my own and inner peace. I can deal with having to obey rules, but not if the primary rule is “sit down and shut up!”



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-friends-from-compton-make-good-on-pact-to-succeed/

Best friends from Compton make good on pact to succeed
By CHRIS MARTINEZ CBS NEWS
June 7, 2016, 7:19 PM

Photograph -- martinezcompton-gradssplitframe3957.png, The "Super Six" at graduation. CBS NEWS
Photograph -- martinezcompton-gradssplitframe2569.png, Nancy Rivas, Yenifer Espitia, Daina Espinoza, Kimberly Fernandez, Jannet Gomez, and Elizabeth Perez Gayosso. CBS NEWS
Photograph -- martinezcompton-gradssplitframe1005.png, Nancy Rivas finished first in her class and spoke at graduation. CBS NEWS


COMPTON, Calif. -- They are daughters of immigrant parents.

Most of their parents didn't finish high school, so there was plenty of pride as diplomas were handed out to Nancy Rivas, Yenifer Espitia, Daina Espinoza, Kimberly Fernandez, Jannet Gomez and Elizabeth Perez Gayosso.

It began with a pact made in middle school: for each to succeed, they all had to. It included several AP courses and intensive study sessions.

"Because we are so connected, there's no one like competing against each other. We're all sort of helping each other," Jannet said.

The girls defied the odds, and a harsh reality: their school district ranks among the bottom ten percent in the country. And Compton is among the country's most violent cities.

When they would meet students from other schools, this would be the reaction: "Are you okay in Compton? Like do you hear shootings every time?" Daina said.

"They make you seem like you're inferior to them," Yenifer continued. "I feel like we're able to prove all the stereotypes about us wrong," Nancy said.

Their GPAs range from 4.3 to 4.5.

"If I was to get lower than an A right now, I'd be devastated," Nancy told CBS News.

Counselor Cynthia Washington has a name for the group: "I call them the Super Six. These girls need to be acknowledged," she said

"It's historic for Dominguez, it's historic for Compton. Yeah, you might see that, say, in a more affluent community. But it's a rarity here."

All the girls have now been accepted to top universities, and will leave Compton. But Compton will never leave them.

"I want to come and help my community, counsel juveniles and try to get them an education and make them see that their lives are not over," Nancy said.

On campus, they relished their roles as celebrities.

"You just go around and these kids in class are like, 'Oh, you are part of the Super Six," and we're like, 'Yeah!" Daina said.

"I'm like 'Mom, I'm graduating. I'm number one!" Nancy told us.

They're lifting up not just each other, but also their troubled town.



I just want to say one thing. There is no necessity for kids from poor homes to do as poorly in school as they usually do in our inner cities. I know that too often the parents also are not well educated, but they could still encourage, urge, get help from other children, get them to join a positive group like Girl Scouts or their church’s youth group (MYF in my case), join in school activities, read -- outside of class and voluntarily -- on challenging and interesting material, get a library card and borrow frequently. People should not use the fact the parents can’t buy books to say their kids just have no chance to do better.

We tend to forget that really good students always do WORK at their reading skills, math skills, science and good literature. No matter how bright they are, there is a great deal they have assimilate between Kindergarten and the senior year. After that they will have to know enough words and general knowledge to read with understanding the college level texts that they will encounter, in order to avoid being behind the group yet again.

I congratulate these kids, the “Super Six,” who apparently pursued this goal without much pushing from their parents; and from an early age saw the need to pursue a useful path in a purposeful way. Most kids aren’t future centered or aware of the fact that having no education will cause them to be failures. Being a master at video games isn’t going to get them ahead. If I had kids, I don’t think I would give them any video games, and I would probably specifically block their access to the kind of chat rooms that are so often abusive. Besides being unhelpful about their educational development, they often are positively harmful, violent, and mind-numbing. Let’s face it, “hand eye coordination” is only so useful in life. Allowing our kids to vegetate really isn’t “the American way,” but it is the most commonplace situation, unfortunately. The kids between 12 and 18 years old tend to care much more about hooking up and getting high.

I also want to say that Americans as a group tend to be much too highly competitive, but not supportive even to friends, and we are much too money and class centered. Shamefully, that is often hailed as “more healthy” and a better thing than being introspective and scholarly (“a nerd”). Thank goodness, these young women supported and helped each other instead of always trying to be “top dog.” That movie “Mean Girls” was sickening to me. This story, on the other hand, cheers me tremendously. While I don’t always do it perfectly, I do believe in cooperation.

Also, I care hugely about education, but it won’t happen by magic or in the snap of a finger. Letting their kids run the streets like little animals is just lazy parenting in most cases. Of course there are parents who work outside the home 12 hours a day or more to put food on the table, and simply can’t provide the needed help, and there are some who suffer debilitating mental health issues and drug addition, so it isn’t just a lack of interest in education that causes parents to fail to take an interest in the situation. Maybe if the news outlets, especially on TV, will focus more on setting up a useful structure for kids with HEALTHY companionship and enrolling them in good activities, the downhill trend we’re on can be stopped. Every time I see one of those articles about our miserable performance on education-related testing compared to other nations, in which Americans are not near the top, but near the bottom, I feel ill. Great stuff, Super Six! I hope more kids like you will come along.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-it-was-so-easy-for-the-orlando-killer-omar-mateen-to-get-his-guns/

Why it was so easy for the Orlando killer to get his guns
By DEAN REYNOLDS CBS NEWS
June 15, 2016, 7:31 PM

Play VIDEO -- Gun shop owner who sold weapons to Orlando shooter speaks
Play VIDEO -- How Omar Mateen got off of the FBI's radar
Play VIDEO -- Congressional battle over gun control intensifies


The assault weapon the Orlando killer bought 11 days ago was a Sig Sauer MCX.

After Orlando, do Americans support assault weapons ban?

He bought it and a Glock 17 pistol legally, even though he'd been on and off the FBI watch list for suspected terrorists twice. The last time was in 2014.

What's more -- under current law, had he actually been on the watch list or even the smaller no-fly list at the time of his purchase, no law would have automatically stopped him from making a purchase.

That's because right now the laws bar felons, fugitives, illegal immigrants or juveniles, for example, from buying guns -- but not suspected terrorists.

FBI data show that people who were on the terror watch list last year were involved in background checks 244 times, and in 223 of those cases the firearm purchases went ahead. That's a 91 percent approval rate.

Now in the aftermath of Orlando, both presumptive presidential nominees are talking about toughening the laws.

"If you're too dangerous to get on a plane, you're too dangerous to buy a gun," Hillary Clinton said.

And Donald Trump tweeted that when he next meets with the National Rifle Association, he'll talk about "not allowing people on the terrorist watch list or the no fly list to buy guns."

In Congress, Senator Chris Murphy launched a filibuster to force a vote on gun control legislation.

"I've had enough of the ongoing slaughter of innocents," he said, "and I've had enough of inaction in this body."

House Democrats demand Republicans greenlight gun control vote

Some in Congress worry that law-abiding citizens on the list by mistake would be blocked from buying protection. And yet, of 323 million Americans, there are just 25,000 on the watch list and 6,400 on the no-fly list. So cases of mistaken identity would involve a small portion of the population.

But there is another concern voiced by FBI director James Comey that if a suspected terrorist is blocked from buying a weapon, it might tip him off that the FBI is on his trail.



Here we are with yet another depressing statement: “What's more -- under current law, had he actually been on the watch list or even the smaller no-fly list at the time of his purchase, no law would have automatically stopped him from making a purchase. That's because right now the laws bar felons, fugitives, illegal immigrants or juveniles, for example, from buying guns -- but not suspected terrorists.” (Sigh!) “And Donald Trump tweeted that when he next meets with the National Rifle Association, he'll talk about "not allowing people on the terrorist watch list or the no fly list to buy guns." In Congress, Senator Chris Murphy launched a filibuster to force a vote on gun control legislation. "I've had enough of the ongoing slaughter of innocents," he said, "and I've had enough of inaction in this body." Thank you Sen Murphy, and yes you, Donald Trump. You have just acknowledged that having everybody walking down the street with a gun strapped to their hip, or stuck in the back of their pants, or down in their boot along with their switchblade, is not good. Of course, like a true Republican, you plan to discuss the idea with the NRA first before introducing it as proposed legislation. (Sigh!)



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jo-cox-british-labour-mp-killed-birstall-suspect-tommy-mair-links-us-neo-nazi/

Suspect in U.K. pol's murder linked to U.S. neo-Nazi group?
CBS NEWS
June 17, 2016, 6:33 AM

Photograph -- jocoxgettyimages-540767844.jpg, Flowers surround a picture of Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square, June 16, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. GETTY
Play VIDEO -- British lawmaker assassinated

LONDON -- A member of Britain's opposition Labour Party who had served her West Yorkshire constituency for just one year in Parliament was murdered on a street Thursday, seemingly by a man with links to far-right political groups and a history of mental health problems.

As CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti reports, Member of Parliament Jo Cox devoted her life to public service, and she was killed doing what she loved; helping her community.

A purse and a pair of shoes were all that was left in the middle of the street where Cox was brutally attacked.

Not far from the scene of the grisly murder, and just minutes after, police tackled the suspected gunman -- identified locally as 52-year-old Tommy Mair. They retrieved a gun and a knife.

Witnesses claim Mair rushed Cox shouting "Britain first!" -- the name of a British anti-immigrant right wing political party that describes itself as "a patriotic political party and street defense organization."

Other witnesses said Cox appeared to have become caught in a fight between Mair and another man.

Cox was shot and stabbed as she left a meeting with constituents at a local library.

Her murder comes on the homestretch of a bitter referendum campaign over whether Britain should remain in the European Union. She was a firm supporter of the "Remain" campaign, urging Britons to vote to stay a part of the Union.

Elected to Parliament last year, she was an outspoken advocate for refugees from war-torn Syria.

"These children have been exposed to things no child should ever witness," she once said on the floor of Parliament. "I know I personally would risk life and limb to get my two precious babies out of that hell hole."

About 200 miles away from the scene of the murder, a memorial grew by the River Thames in London, around the houseboat Cox lived in with her husband and two young children.

Cox filled her scant down-time volunteering, including appearances at a recent cancer research fundraiser.

Police are not saying anything about a possible motive, but on Thursday an American non-profit that tracks hate groups reported Mair supported a neo-Nazi organization in the U.S., and purchased a manual on how to make guns and explosives in 1999.

Mair's brother has said he had a history of mental illness.

Cox's husband Brendan believed she was targeted for her politics. "We must all unite," he wrote, "to fight against the hatred that killed her."

Local media reports said Cox had received threatening emails over the last few months and police were considering giving her a security detail when she was killed.

She would have turned 42 next week.

Vigliotti says the killing has a shocked a nation that has some of the strictest gun regulations in the world.

The U.K. banned semi-automatic weapons completely in 1996, after 16 children were gunned down in a school.

To put it into perspective, in Britain there are reported to be around seven firearms per 100 people. In the U.S., the figure is believed to be about 101 firearms per 100 people.



“Not far from the scene of the grisly murder, and just minutes after, police tackled the suspected gunman -- identified locally as 52-year-old Tommy Mair. They retrieved a gun and a knife. Witnesses claim Mair rushed Cox shouting "Britain first!" -- the name of a British anti-immigrant right wing political party that describes itself as "a patriotic political party and street defense organization." …. “Police are not saying anything about a possible motive, but on Thursday an American non-profit that tracks hate groups reported Mair supported a neo-Nazi organization in the U.S., and purchased a manual on how to make guns and explosives in 1999. Mair's brother has said he had a history of mental illness. Cox's husband Brendan believed she was targeted for her politics. "We must all unite," he wrote, "to fight against the hatred that killed her." …. The U.K. banned semi-automatic weapons completely in 1996, after 16 children were gunned down in a school. To put it into perspective, in Britain there are reported to be around seven firearms per 100 people. In the U.S., the figure is believed to be about 101 firearms per 100 people.”


“America First” is exactly what Trump has begun to shout in his more recent campaign rallies. It’s not only the same concept, but the same phraseology as though there is an active International neo-Nazi group, and maybe Trump has picked up their buzzwords. They both are firmly against immigration, at any rate. Interesting that this nut job Mair was not shot by the police, but tackled and brought down manually. That means the UK officer bravely ran the kind of risk of being personally injured that our US police officers won’t do. Every time they kill someone they claim self-defense. The last statement in this article that while in Britain there are about 7 firearms per 100 people, in the US there are 101 (yes) per hundred people. “The U.K. banned semi-automatic weapons completely in 1996, after 16 children were gunned down in a school.”



https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/17/jo-cox-suspect-thomas-mair-bought-gun-manuals-from-us-neo-nazis-group-claims

Nazi regalia discovered at house of Jo Cox killing suspect
Samples of Nazi regalia and far-right literature, including a manual on how to make a homemade pistol, found by police
Jo Cox: ‘The well of hatred killed her,’ Corbyn says – latest updates
Staff reporters
Friday 17 June 2016 11.10 EDT

Photograph -- Thomas Mair was arrested following the killing of Jo Cox. Photograph: SWNS.com
Photograph -- Prime minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn lay flowers at the scene where Jo Cox died. Photograph: Ian Hinchliffe/Rex/Shutterstock
One of the published receipts. Photograph: SPLC


Special police units who searched the house of the man arrested after the killing of MP Jo Cox are believed to have found samples of Nazi regalia and far-right literature.

Thomas Mair was also known to have bought books from a US-based neo-Nazi group, including guides on how to build homemade guns and explosives, according to an anti-hate campaign group in the US. Among them was a manual on how to make a homemade pistol.

Sources say that the suspected killer was lucid when first questioned. A picture is now emerging of a deliberately targeted attack in which Mair lay in wait for the MP as she emerged from her constituency meeting on Thursday. Witnesses have confirmed that he shouted “Britain first” or “Put Britain first” as he attacked Cox, who was 41 and had two children. Britain First is the name of a far-right political party.

The developments came as David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Cox’s her constituency town of Birstall in West Yorkshire. In an emotional tribute, Corbyn said she was killed by a “well of hatred” and announced that parliament would be recalled.

Cameron said it was time for the UK to think about the need to “treasure and value our democracy”.

in the US, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published receipts that appeared to show Mair bought, among other books, a manual on how to make a homemade pistol from the National Alliance.

The receipts, some of which date back to the 1990s, showed Mair spent more than $620 (£436) on literature from the group, which advocates the creation of an all-white homeland and the eradication of Jewish people.

He bought books that instructed readers on the “chemistry of powder and explosives”, “incendiaries”, and a work called Improvised Munitions Handbook. The handbook included detailed instructions on constructing a pipe pistol using parts available in DIY stores.

Receipted items also included Ich Kämpfe, an illustrated handbook issued to members of the Nazi party in 1942.


Heidi Beirich, the leader of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, said the group had obtained transaction records from members of the National Alliance.

The far-right political party Britain First said after the attack on Cox that it was not involved in it and “would never encourage behaviour of this sort”.

There were also reports that Mair was named as a subscriber to SA Patriot, a South African magazine published by White Rhino Club, a pro-apartheid group. The club describes the magazine’s editorial stance as being opposed to “multicultural societies” and “expansionist Islam”.

The National Alliance was founded in 1974 by William Pierce, from an earlier group called the National Youth Alliance, which emerged from the support of the segregationist demagogue, Alabama governor and three-time presidential candidate George Wallace. A book by Pierce, who died in 2002, was an inspiration for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, according to the bomber, Timothy McVeigh.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Alliance_(United_States)

National Alliance (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The National Alliance was a white nationalist, anti-semitic[2][3] and white separatist[4][5] political organization. It was founded by university physics professor William Luther Pierce in 1974, and was based in Hillsboro, West Virginia. The group ceased operations, as a "membership organization," in 2013.[6]

Membership in 2002 was estimated at 2,500 with an annual income of $1 million.[7]

History[edit]

The National Alliance was reorganized from an earlier group called the National Youth Alliance (NYA), which in turn was formed out of the remains of the youth wing of Governor George Wallace's 1968 presidential campaign. The NYA broke into factions as a result of infighting, and William Luther Pierce, a former physics professor and author of the white supremacist novels The Turner Diaries and Hunter, gained control of the largest remnant and relaunched it as the National Alliance in 1974.[8] Following Pierce's death from cancer in 2002, the Alliance's board of directors appointed Erich Gliebe to succeed him as chairman of the organization.[9] A series of power struggles began almost immediately, with high-ranking members either resigning or being fired.

In April 2005, prominent Alliance member Kevin Alfred Strom, then editor of National Vanguard magazine, issued a declaration calling for Gliebe to step down;[10] the Alliance's executive committee and most of its unit coordinators supported the action. Gliebe refused, claiming that the Alliance operated under the "Leadership Principle" and stating that he would not yield to any coup. Strom formed a new group called National Vanguard, which dissolved when Strom was indicted for possession of child pornography and attempted child sexual abuse in January 2007.[11] Strom pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in exchange for the other charges to be dropped. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison in April 2008.[12]

Shortly after the attempted coup by Strom, Gliebe resigned as chairman of the Alliance and briefly appointed Shaun Walker as his successor. However, following Walker's arrest in June 2006, Gliebe again assumed leadership of the organization.[13][14] By that year, paid membership for the Alliance had declined to fewer than 800 and the paid staff was down to only ten people.[15] By 2012, the Alliance reportedly consisted of less an 100 members, with no paid staff other than Gliebe.[16][17] The following year, it was revealed that the Alliance's property in Mill Point, West Virginia had been put up for sale. The end of the National Alliance as a "membership organization" was confirmed by Gliebe in September 2013.[6] In June 2016, it was reported by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that Thomas Mair, suspected of murdering the British Labour Party politician Jo Cox, was connected with the National Alliance.[18]

Business[edit]

Before the death of Pierce, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation called the Alliance the best-financed and best-organized white nationalist organization of its kind in the United States. Membership in 2002 was estimated at 2,500 with an annual income of $1 million.[19]

In the past, the organization ran a white power record label called Resistance Records, and its radio program, American Dissident Voices, was once heard on shortwave, AM and FM stations, and streaming audio on the Internet. At one point in the mid-1990s there were 22 radio stations, AM and FM, which carried the program. The original host was Kevin Alfred Strom, who continued until early 1997 when Pierce took it over full-time. Upon the death of Pierce in July 2002 it again was hosted until April 16, 2005 by Strom. Walker then became the voice for American Dissident Voices until his arrest in June 2006. At that time, Gliebe became the voice of the radio program. Broadcasts continued until 2012, when the frequency became erratic. At some time in 2013, Gliebe ceased broadcasting altogether, but programming was resumed by Kevin Alfred Strom in December of that year.



Guardian -- “Special police units who searched the house of the man arrested after the killing of MP Jo Cox are believed to have found samples of Nazi regalia and far-right literature. …. Sources say that the suspected killer was lucid when first questioned. A picture is now emerging of a deliberately targeted attack in which Mair lay in wait for the MP as she emerged from her constituency meeting on Thursday. …. Receipted items also included Ich Kämpfe, an illustrated handbook issued to members of the Nazi party in 1942. Heidi Beirich, the leader of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, said the group had obtained transaction records from members of the National Alliance. The far-right political party Britain First said after the attack on Cox that it was not involved in it and “would never encourage behaviour of this sort”. There were also reports that Mair was named as a subscriber to SA Patriot, a South African magazine published by White Rhino Club, a pro-apartheid group. The club describes the magazine’s editorial stance as being opposed to “multicultural societies” and “expansionist Islam”. …. The National Alliance was founded in 1974 by William Pierce, from an earlier group called the National Youth Alliance, which emerged from the support of the segregationist demagogue, Alabama governor and three-time presidential candidate George Wallace. A book by Pierce, who died in 2002, was an inspiration for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, according to the bomber, Timothy McVeigh.”


Wikipedia -- National Alliance, “William Luther Pierce, a former physics professor and author of the white supremacist novels The Turner Diaries and Hunter, gained control of the largest remnant and relaunched it as the National Alliance in 1974.[8] Following Pierce's death from cancer in 2002, the Alliance's board of directors appointed Erich Gliebe to succeed him as chairman of the organization.[9] A series of power struggles began almost immediately, with high-ranking members either resigning or being fired. …. Strom formed a new group called National Vanguard, which dissolved when Strom was indicted for possession of child pornography and attempted child sexual abuse in January 2007.[11] Strom pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in exchange for the other charges to be dropped. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison in April 2008.[12] …. Before the death of Pierce, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation called the Alliance the best-financed and best-organized white nationalist organization of its kind in the United States. Membership in 2002 was estimated at 2,500 with an annual income of $1 million.[19]”


One of the earliest things I learned about was WWII and Hitler. It gives me cold chills to see that the same old disease is rising to power with the aim of taking over again. All of this radical “literature” began with George Wallace. In 1995 he apologized for his racist beliefs and diatribes. See this for more: http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-14/racism-redemption-and-forgiveness-george-wallaces-daughter-tries-right-her. I have to remember that, no matter how noisy they are, they don’t have a majority in our country. To see why I fear them, though, see this: http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-rebirth-of-american-nazism/180286/. An Excerpt is below.


Understanding the attraction to the Nazi Party

To understand what may attract Americans to join the ANP, MintPress spoke to Professor David Steele from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Steele, who teaches a class on the history of Nazi Germany, said that some people are attracted to the movement simply to shock others, while others are genuinely enticed by part or all of the movement.

“People who are socially or economically alienated from mainstream society are especially prone to turning towards extremist parties on both ends of the spectrum,” Steele said. “In the case of National Socialism, it tends to appeal to people who are frightened of modern economic, social, or political trends and see the movement as a bulwark against what they see as the decline of traditional society.

“In the case of Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, many people did not have faith in the institutions (and messiness) of democracy or the economic stability of the New Germany and feared modern art and music, capitalism, speakeasies, Communism, and other modern challenges to what they perceived as the traditional order.

“In our contemporary world, the rise of gay rights, civil rights, the increasingly prominent role played by people of color in positions of influence, the evolution of the American family, and other such developments are all perceived as a threat to people who are educationally, socially, or economically on the margins of our society,” Steele said. “As a result, it is comforting to band together, lash out at the frightening modern world, and sharply define ‘us’ against ‘them,’ which brings into the mix the acute racism of National Socialists.

“We saw that in Nazi Germany as they defined Jews and the Roma as the ‘other,’ and we see it in America as they define African-Americans, Hispanics, gays, and others as the ‘other.’ It is for these reasons that National Socialism seems to become more prominent at times of great economic and social change as we are witnessing now.

“In Europe, we are seeing the rise of neo-Nazi parties in response to the influx of foreign peoples made possible by the European Union – people who are perceived as racially or ethnically inferior and who are taking scarce jobs and apartments from the traditional majority population.”

Regardless of whether there is a justified reason for any person to want to join the ANP or NSM, Heidi Budaj, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group’s existence is “wrong on every level.”

“First of all,” Budaj said, “America is based on immigrants. This is a country of immigrants. (Neo-Nazi groups) would like other races to go away….Many of them believe that American citizenship should only be afforded to white people — white people excluding homosexuals non-Christians.”

Budaj also pointed out the dangers in Nazi-like hate speech. “There are actually very few steps between embracing that ideology, acting on that ideology, turning to violence with that ideology… It can actually in the end lead to genocide.”

Influencing politics

In a radio program, Suhayda and two other unnamed members of the ANP said it’s a “common misconception National Socialism is just about aryanism,” before explaining that just like other political parties, the ANP cannot run a government based on a single issue — the party needs to address “all issues a culture or society faces.”

Hoping to slowly implement the ANP platform into the U.S. government and American way of life, Suhayda encouraged ANP members to get involved in politics on a local level, and encouraged members to run for local city council and even positions such as water district commissioner.

“Running for local office is easy,” Suhayda said, explaining that this is because many Americans shy away from hard work. He did, however, encourage members not to disclose they were a member of the ANP during election season.

The goal of obtaining lower level political positions, according to the ANP, is to build a base of supporters, and then run for office on a state and eventually federal level. On its website, the ANP says it has chosen to run for office instead of holding “senseless ‘demonstrations’” because the American public has been influenced by the media and wealthy to believe the group does nothing to benefit Americans.



MATEEN AS A CHILD AND YOUNG MAN, SCHOOL FOR AUTISTIC STUDENTS -- TWO ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-coworker-of-orlando-nightclub-shooter-pulse-omar-mateen-speaks-out/

Former coworker of Orlando shooter on his steroid use, dad issues
CBS NEWS
June 16, 2016, 2:41 PM

Play VIDEO -- Orlando shooter's father talks about son's sexual orientation
Play VIDEO -- Documentary features glimpse of Orlando shooter Omar Mateen
50 PHOTOS -- Mass shooting at Orlando nightclub


ORLANDO -- A former coworker of Orlando shooter Omar Mateen is speaking out following the massacre at Pulse nightclub that left 49 dead, and more than 50 injured.

Margaret Barone was Mateen's supervisor at the GNC in Jensen Beach, Florida, from February 2006 to November 2006.

On Sunday, Mateen carried out the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.

Barone told CBS News investigative producer Laura Strickler that Mateen was a good employee, and had no conflicts with other employees or customers, but she claimed he had started doing steroids.

Barone said that Mateen left the position at GNC to pursue law enforcement jobs. After he left, Barone said, Mateen started taking steroids and "he blew up" and became "huge."

Barone said during the alleged steroid use Mateen's arms went from 20 inches around to 40 inches around. She said he talked about doing steroids and was "doing too much," and continued to come into the store to buy supplements.

Barone told Strickler that another employee, who was also Muslim, went out with Mateen a number of times. The employee told Barone that Mateen drank so much he would often black out. This former employee said that Mateen did not treat girls well, and became "crazy and violent" when he drank.

Mateen ex-wife has accused him of beating her and being mentally ill.

The other employee also allegedly told Barone that he thought Mateen was gay.

Asked about his son's sexual orientation on Tuesday, Seddique Mir Mateen, Omar Mateen's father, said he did not believe his son was gay.

"To me, that is wrong," Seddique Mir Mateen told CBS News correspondent David Begnaud.

The elder Mateen said he learned of the speculation from news reports, but as far as he was concerned, "I didn't see any of it and I don't believe that was the case."

According to Barone, when Mateen worked for her, "He could do nothing right in his father's eyes."

Barone said she talked to his father many times and said his father would complain that Omar didn't have any direction or know what to do in life.

Barone told Strickler that while she allowed Mateen to do his prayers in the back of the store, she said he never said anything about 9/11 or sympathizing with radical Muslims.

The FBI is characterizing the shooting at Pulse as both a terrorist attack and a hate crime, CBS News' Paula Reid reported.

A source familiar with the investigation tells CBS News that Mateen referenced the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in a Facebook message posted moments before the shooting.

"You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state vengeance [sic]," Mateen wrote, according to the source.

"In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic State [ISIS] in the usa," the post said.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/orlando-shooters-omar-mateen-early-school-records-note-he-lacked-remorse/

Orlando shooter's early school records note he "lacked remorse"
By SHANNON LUIBRAND CBS NEWS
June 16, 2016, 5:46 PM

Photograph -- omar3rdgrade.jpg, Omar Mateen pictured in 3rd grade from 1994-1995. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SCHOOLS
Photograph -- mateen.jpg, Omar Mateen's 5th grade school record. CBS NEWS


ORLANDO -- Orlando shooter Omar Mateen's behavioral issues went as far back as elementary school, where his disruptive behavior and "lack of remorse" as a small boy were noted in his school records.

Mateen, 29, went on a rampage at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding more than 50 others, carrying out the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.

Mateen's school records paint a picture of a troublesome, angry and inappropriate young boy, who struggled both academically and behaviorally.


The problems shown in school records continued into high school, where Mateen was suspended from school nearly 50 days. As a young man, coworkers described Mateen as angry and said he "could do nothing right in his father's eyes."

Transcripts indicate Mateen began having difficulty in nearly all academic subjects as early as second grade. His poor grades continued through middle school, but improved slightly in high school.

In 3rd grade at Mariposa Elementary School, a teacher writes that Mateen is verbally abusive, rude, aggressive, and "much talk about violence & sex (obscenities)." The teacher writes that Mateen's hands are all over the place and, "on other children."

A guidance counselor in 4th grade writes that Mateen lacks behavior control, and says he is academically behind "at least two years."

In Mateen's 5th grade school record, a teacher at Mariposa Elementary School writes of Mateen's inability to stay focused, his "lack of remorse," and his opposition.

In a letter to Mateen's father Seddique Mir Mateen in April of 1999, a teacher at Southport Middle School in St. Lucie, Florida, notes Mateen's poor attitude and "inability to show self-control in the classroom." The teacher says Mateen, who was about 13 then, creates distractions, and does little work in class.

"Unfortunately, Omar has great difficulty focusing on his class work since he often seeks attention of his classmates through some sort of noise, disruption or distraction," the teacher writes.

**Other incidents include:

In 3rd grade, a teacher writes that Mateen's parents refuse to sign any consent forms for testing.

In 3rd grade, a teachers says while singing the school song, Mateen replaced the school name "Mariposa" with "marijuana."

In 6th grade, Mateen's report card reflects several failed classes. "Summer school" is stamped onto the report card.

In 7th grade, Mateen was placed in another classroom in order to avoid conflicts with other students.

In 7th grade, math teacher says Mateen is doing poorly academically and has "instances of behavioral problems." The record says science and social studies teachers "confirm similar problems."
His behavioral difficulties in school did not end in his early years.

Middle and high school records suggest that Mateen was suspended from school a total of 48 days. The records do not specify what the suspensions were for, except FIT (fighting with injury) and ORV (other rule violation).

Five of Mateen's suspended days were spent in school, and 43 were spent out of school, according to a hand written note in the record. The suspensions appear to come from three different schools Mateen attended: Martin County High School, Spectrum Alternative High School, and Stuart Middle School.

Records show that he earned his high school diploma from Martin County Community Adult High School.

On October 2, 2006, in a background check by Martin Correction Institution where he briefly worked, a handwritten "letter of explanation" from Mateen described a 2001 altercation when he was 14 years old.

In the handwritten note, Mateen writes that he got in a fight with a fellow student in math class at Martin County High School. After the fight, the school resource officer released him to his parents. Mateen writes that he was not handcuffed, or brought to jail. He says that the charge of battery and the charge of disturbing school function were dropped.

"It has been five years since the fight occurred and I have not gotten into any altercations," he writes.

etter.jpg
Hand written document from Florida Department of Corrections. CBS NEWS

It is believed Mateen left Martin High School after that fight, and began attending Spectrum Junior/Senior Alternative High School.

Mateen's erratic behavior persisted into adulthood.

Documents from the Florida Department of Corrections on Mateen show that he was an employee at Martin Correctional Facility from October 2006 until April 2007. Termination records show that in April 2007, Mateen was fired from an unspecified job for "reasons other than misconduct connected with the work."

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office has previously confirmed that it wanted Mateen transferred out of a Florida courthouse in 2013 after they said he made inflammatory remarks about women and Jews and then praised the Fort Hood shooter.

However, one former coworker at least, did not see Mateen having behavioral issues in the workplace -- although he was still troubled.

Margaret Barone was Mateen's supervisor at the GNC in Jensen Beach, Florida, from February 2006 to November 2006.

She told CBS News investigative producer Laura Strickler that Mateen was a good employee, but claimed he had started using steroids after leaving the job.

Barone said that Mateen left the position at GNC to pursue law enforcement jobs. After he left, Barone said, Mateen started taking steroids and "he blew up" and became "huge."

Barone said during the alleged steroid use Mateen's arms went from 20 inches around to 40 inches around. She said he talked about doing steroids and was "doing too much," and continued to come into the store to buy supplements.

Barone told Strickler that another employee, who was also Muslim, went out with Mateen a number of times. The employee told Barone that Mateen drank so much he would often black out. This former employee said that Mateen did not treat girls well, and became "crazy and violent" when he drank.

Mateen ex-wife has also accused him of beating her and being mentally ill.

The other employee also allegedly told Barone that she thought Mateen was gay.


Play VIDEO
Orlando shooter's father talks about son's sexual orientation

Asked about his son's sexual orientation on Tuesday, Seddique Mir Mateen, Mateen's father, said he did not believe his son was gay.

"To me, that is wrong," Seddique Mir Mateen told CBS News correspondent David Begnaud.

Mateen's father said he learned of the speculation of his son's sexuality from news reports, but as far as he was concerned, "I didn't see any of it and I don't believe that was the case."

According to Barone, when Mateen worked for her, "He could do nothing right in his father's eyes."

Barone said she talked to his father many times and said his father would complain that Omar didn't have any direction or know what to do in life.

Barone told Strickler that while she allowed Mateen to do his prayers in the back of the GNC store, she said he never said anything about 9/11 or sympathizing with radical Muslims.

The FBI is characterizing the mass shooting as both a terrorist attack and a hate crime, CBS News' Paula Reid reported.

A source familiar with the investigation tells CBS News that Mateen referenced the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in a Facebook message posted moments before the shooting.

"You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state vengeance [sic]," Mateen wrote, according to the source.

"In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic State [ISIS] in the usa," the post said.

Laura Strickler and Jennifer Janisch contributed to this report



Mateen may have been autistic. See the following:

http://www.spectrumschools.com/

Welcome to Spectrum Center

A special note from Spectrum Center Schools and Programs: April 2 is World Autism Day and April is National Autism Awareness Month, which present opportunities to share information about autism and issues within the autism community. We invite you to join us as we Light It Up Blue on April 2 and visit our Spectrum Center Facebook Page, where we’ll share photos and information about campus fundraisers and participation in the 2016 Bay Area Walk for Autism Speaks.

Spectrum Center Schools and Programs serve students with a variety of special needs, behavioral challenges and differing abilities. Spectrum programs are designed for students ages five to 22 with a wide array of special needs, including autism, emotional disturbance, physical challenges, behavioral disorders and developmental delays.

Spectrum Center operates state-certified non-public schools as well as several integrated Collaborative Programs on public school campuses that provide special education services to 115 school districts.

Educators

Spectrum Center offers flexibility and customization to meet the diverse needs of students, districts and families. We actively seek and implement best practices to promote optimal outcomes, and we continually adjust our programming as student populations change. Curriculum-based measures (CBM) and evidence-based programming provide the educational support needed to serve students with special needs. Spectrum Center is a member of the California Association of Private Special Education Schools (CAPSES), and individual Spectrum Center locations are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).


http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/spectrum/Welcome%20to%20Spectrum.html

Spectrum Alternative school was established in 1978 and has a tradition of providing an excellent academic program with an emphasis on project work that integrates language, visual, dramatic and cyber arts. Spectrum students develop strengths in time management, personal responsibility and creative collaboration. Spectrum offers a small-school environment with approximately 65 students in grades 7 and 8.

Our highly experienced and dedicated teachers help create an engaging world of learning and artistic inquiry that your child will value for life.

Spectrum students are expected to be self-motivated learners who strive to achieve their personal best.