Saturday, August 27, 2011

Prepare - FBI Profiling Survivalists (http://teotwawki.ws/) [redux]

FBI Profiling Survivalists
Posted by Prepper on 14Aug11 at: http://teotwawki.ws/
FBI 'survivalist' profiling memo surfaces at Puyallup gun show
Author: Dave Workman, Seattle Gun Rights Examiner, 08/14/2011 at:
     A controversial FBI memo that appears to profile potential terrorists as people purchasing survivalist-type products, plus high-capacity magazines and bipods for rifles surfaced Saturday at the Washington Arms Collectors' monthly gun show at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.
     The memo is now being discussed on numerous gun rights blogs and forums, and was apparently revealed just days ago by a group called the Oath Keepers.  The fellow handing it out at Puyallup was a stranger to this column.  This column discovered that the memo apparently has been circulated also by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
     Reportedly distributed recently to surplus store operators in Colorado by the FBI's office in Denver, the handout asks surplus retailers to watch for people buying the following:
  •      Make bulk purchase of items to include:

  •      Weatherproofed ammunition or match containers

  •      Meals Ready to Eat

  •      Night Vision Devices; night flashlights; gas masks

  •      High capacity magazines

  •      Bi-pods or tri-pods for rifles

     One can find most if not all the items on the "watch list" for sale at the WAC gun show.  This column purchased three plastic weatherproof ammunition boxes Saturday.  There were tables stacked with large ("normal") capacity magazines for rifles and pistols.  People were peddling MRE's by the case.  One could find quality bipods from Harris and other manufacturers, because they are popular items with varmint and predator hunters, and long-range big game hunters.
     If one reads the very fine print at the bottom of the handout, it appears this thing has been around since 2007.  At least, that's the year during which the Bureau of Justice Assistance appears to have provided grant funding to pay for it.
     My colleague, David Codrea, wrote the FBI handout, entitled Communities Against Terrorism: Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities Related to Military Surplus Stores here.  The memo is also raising eyebrows here and here.  What gun rights activists and others find objectionable are instructions to store owners:
  •      Require valid ID from all new customers.

  •      Keep records of purchases.

  •      Talk to customers, ask questions, and listen to and observe their responses.

  •      Watch for people and actions that are out of place.

  •      Make note of suspicious statements, people, and /or vehicles.

  •      If something seems wrong, notify law enforcement authorities.

     So, why is it surfacing now?  Why was it ever produced in the first place?
     Why should retailers ever require valid identification from new customers who want to stock up on MREs, cartridge magazines, shooting accessories, or something called "night flashlights?"  (Who uses a flashlight during the daytime?  Flashlights are designed for night use, in case the FBI hadn't noticed.  Some outfits produce flashlights that emit either green or red lights, or have lens covers that do this, so hunters can make their way to and from tree stands or hunting spots without alerting game.  This column owns three such flashlights.)
     Why should retailers keep records of such purchases?
     Is the FBI profiling terrorists, or is it profiling gun owners, and particularly hunters (many of whom dine on MRE's in camp because they're easier to prepare than other types of meals, and one does the dishes by throwing the container in the camp fire.)
     People who typically attend the WAC gun show in Puyallup would argue that it's none of the government's business if they stock up on pre-fab meals or shooting accessories, especially right before the hunting season, just as it is none of the government's business how many guns they own, what kind and where they are stored.
     Let's turn this around: Would the FBI please disclose the extent of its involvement in Operation Fast and Furious?  Questions are now being raised about that, and this column wrote about potential problems more than a month ago.