We’ve been to Baghdad, Kabul, KL, Manilla, Peshwar, Bogata. Never guessed we would deploy a high threat team in our own city.#furgeson— Asymmetric Solutions (@AsymmetricUSA) August 19, 2014The above is a tweet from Asymmetric Solutions, a PMC that is apparently on the ground in Ferguson.
via SHTF Plan Blog.
Their mission is not clear and no one in any official government capacity is saying anything. But according to a tweet from Asymmetric Solutions on Tuesday, private contractors have been requested in the Feguson/St. Louis area. The company is a division of Applied Defense Technologies, which employs ex-special operations members like Navy Seals, Army Rangers, and Delta Force operatives, often to high-risk theaters of war in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.I've heard of these guys but I got the impression they were mostly trainers. I didn't know they were sending guys out on jobs.
The bigger question is obvious.
When the government wants a heavier hand and if they can spell it out in a contract with the no-disclosure clauses in tact/ironclad (with the additional protections from prosecution) then these types are the ones to send. Additionally we have seen no evidence that the vast Intel network that's been setup has been used in Ferguson.
So what did they get a whiff of that got them spooked?
Private security contractors were used to safeguard homes/property during the Katrina aftermath.
ReplyDeleteit seems they were there for a security detail,
"To clarify we are not protecting state, law enforcement or those exercising their right to assemble. Escort detail augment for individual."
https://twitter.com/AsymmetricUSA/status/502036357997686784
and this was encouraging
"Safe tour - job complete -on direct observation seems media has made protestors out to be more bloodthirsty than they are"
https://twitter.com/AsymmetricUSA/status/502235560225042432
The media is parroting police press releases from the scene going back to Day Zero.
DeleteGoogle "Molotov Ferguson":
You'll find hundreds to thousands of reports detailing the daily claim that Molotov cocktails were flying in Ferguson nightly.
But you can't find so much as one video showing one flying or landing, despite hundreds of professional and thousands of amateur videographers recording every waking moment there.
Must be those new Stealth Molotovs.
To be honest? I don't think any claim made by the media recently is true. (ISIS being the sole exception, and even then...)
DeleteI am getting more pissed at western media as time passes...
Me too man, I can't trust everything related to Ukraine until some of guys here confirm it.
DeleteAesop, they should learn with Sao Paulo's Police. They have a very interesting way to avoid media parroting them (image link below). It is not exactly smart but efficient enough to discourage jornalists to close ranks with police without careful consideration. ;-)
Deletehttp://www.abi.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cinegrafista-atacado-manifesta%C3%A7%C3%B5es-Foto-Rodrigo-Paiva-Estad%C3%A3o.jpg
Emerson Electric is HQ'ed in Ferguson, according to Wiki.
ReplyDeleteDon't overlook the possibility of contractors being hired by someone besides Uncle, because such private entity regards the cops now in Ferguson, any of them, being as big or bigger @$$clowns than the protesters and rioters (based purely on any 20 seconds' observation anytime in the last 12 days), and simply taking prudent Plan B precautions.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes private security contractors are just private security contractors.
But if this develops otherwise, and you get something solid, do tell.
Seriously, with amount of people with camera looking for hot footage right now in Fergusson, some videos of afroementioned Molotovs would arise. I mean, that definitely falls under "hot footage" category.
ReplyDeleteSecurity contractors....well, Sol, you know thoose situations when the government would really love to deploy military, but can't due to US laws prohibiting deployment of military? I guess solution has finally been found, you just deploy "private contractors". This pretty much proves your previous assumption of this thing rolling downhill. Police is clearly not handling it well. If there will be another shooting incident, which, judging from the video with well fed officer, is pretty fucking likely, even snow wont stop the festivities.
If their claims are true that they're just providing escort services, I'll take a guess that the PMCs are there to guard Attorney General Eric Holder. Saw a story yesterday that Obama was sending him in.
ReplyDeleteWhether that can be considered a good thing or not is anyone's guess. Remember Janet Reno and Waco?
I see two possibilities... maybe three.
ReplyDelete1 - They are indeed there on the contract from Gov. State or Central, to provide more... "free" support for possible larger criminals or mob actions.
2 - Again on contract from Gov. State or Central to provide assistance and indeed training expertise to the as we can see rather chaotic and overreacting Police force.
3 - Protection detail, maybe there are in the field on the contract from civilian company, shop chain owners or... KFC, I don't know, just private business. Protecting buildings, infrastructure, shops against looters. Maybe someone don't trust the Police to protect them.