When I began Copcorner.net and started considering the many themes that interest me as an informed American and law enforcement professional, I came to realize that some of the topics would be significant far beyond the local level, a regional level, and even a state and national level. Some topics would have relevance on a worldwide level. That is what I am going to discuss today.
Before I begin, I want to make prefectly clear that what follows is in no way meant to tell you, my respected readers, what to think. It is, however, meant to make you think, period! Why do I make a provicative statement like that, right up front? From what I can deduce from extensive reading on the topic, Americans have become woefully “news-poor”, tragically uninformed and completely dependent on unreliable, manipulating news sources. It seems that both the news creators (so called “reporters” and editors) and the consumers (whether the information is read on the internet or absorbed in quickie sound bytes in electronic media) envelop themselves in a fast moving soup of unconfirmed, often rumoresque culture. What I mean by this is that those who diseminate information labeled “news” often don’t check out even the most basic facts. As a working cop for many years, I have often seen reports in the local newspaper and on television that got basic, pertinent facts flat out wrong about a publicly viewed incident that I helped handle. When you are on scene and you see or hear the story told incorrectly the next day, it makes you shake your head and say “Geeze, they got it wrong again!” My colleagues and I have said that to each other many times.
To illustrate my point I am going to discuss a topic that has been endlessly and incorrectly reported in public media since March, 2003. That, my friends, is how long we, the news consumers, have allowed a myth to be perpetuated and become a cornerstone of mistaken, erroneous thinking and public discourse. I am referring to the (in)famous myth “There is no evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.” Right? Don’t we all hear or read this one everyday, sometimes more than once a day, in both the written and electronic media? In my lifetime, I doubt that there has been a better crafted myth foisted on the news consumer than this one. I want to puke on myself each time that I hear it. Hang on, we’re jumpin’ in!
Remember, I told you I wouldn’t tell you what to think. However, I will expose you to hard core facts that are documented by highly professional international sources who conduct impartial and impeccable interviewing and document analysis. Their job is to get facts right and ascertain if the things we consume as news are information or disinformation. From here on in, your job is simple: Think for yourself!
As many of my informed readers will correctly remember, when the invasion of Iraq began, few people on this earth knew if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or not. This was due to the endless games that the late Iraqi leader, Sadham Hussein, had played with the United Nations inspectors. Remember all of that? We were subjected to a very well orchestrated shell game which failed to produce clear answers to the questions that the world was asking at that time. So everybody played along for a while. Also, remember that after seventeen U.N. resolutions were ignored, and countless deadlines missed, we, along with about forty other nations, enforced a reasonable deadline in order to answer those questions.
What did we know prior to the invasion? Briefly, we knew that Iraqi armed forces had deployed lethal chemical weapons against the armed forces of Iran during an eight year war that was fought from 1980 to 1988. The Iranian military attributed thousands of battlefield casualties at the time to the use of artiliary shells loaded with lethal combinations of chemical agents. Evidence of this usage is well documented and was condemned by the U.N. at the time. Nothing mythological about these facts, right?
Now jump ahead to the end of Desert Storm, which served to repel the invading Iraqi military forces from its dimunitive neighbor, Kuwait. After the complete routing of the Iraqi armed forces by the combined efforts of approximately one hundred and twenty countries, Sadham again used his chemical toys, this time on a domestic enemy, the Kurds. In response to a failed assassination attempt, hundreds of Kurds were killed in northern Iraq by artillary shelling of their villages using chemical warheads. Here, I am referring to Kurdish civilians including women and children. Again, ample repulsive photographic and anecdotal evidence has existed for years to establish this crime against humanity utilizing chemical weapons which ultimately cost Sadham his life under the reinvigorated Iraqi justice system. Ok, so no myth here either, right?
On September 11, 2001, an event occurred which forever changed the way the world viewed terrorism. As part of our national response to that horrific loss of life, both international and U.S. domestic police forces underwent intensive crash courses on “WMD”. Make no mistake, every cop in the U.S. is now familiar with the jargon and how to deal with a potential disastrous WMD event. I’ve had countless hours of this training and for this I am very grateful. Whether on or off duty, I can help make a difference and possibly save lives if I am involved, or at least save myself.
Guess what? In WMD 101, the first hour of training, WMD are defined. Per the professional experts, there are four types (and only four) of WMD. Want to try your hand at the answer? Allow me to be the expert here. The only four types of WMD are Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear. Got that? Read them again if you have to. Just those four. Easy to memorize and carry around with you in your brain every day, right? Everybody know what those four mean? Any questions? Class? I should hope not. If not, refer to your favorite dictionary for the definitions. Again, think for yourself!
The key to remember here is: tiny quantity, mass deaths. With each of the four types described above, only a miniscule quantity is needed to cause the deaths of hundreds or maybe thousands of victims. Innocent victims. You and me. Or others, anywhere else in the world. In a simplistic form, that’s the threat posed by these substances.
The two aforementioned historically documented usages of chemical weapons by Sadham’s military were well known prior to the second invasion. Is anybody dumb enough to dispute these facts? I should think not. Once again, I detect no mythology here.
So, what did ground personnel from various countries’ militarys actually find? Among many documented finds, some of which went unreported by various media (you draw your own conclusions as to why), are the following. On June 23, 2004, U.S. forces seized 1.77 metric tons (yes, just short of two tons!) of enriched uranium, the type used to make the fuel for nuclear bombs, in Mosul, Iraq. This find was actually reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News. At the same find, U.S. Department of Energy experts also removed about 1,000 radioactive materials in powdered form, which could have easily been dispersed through the air using artilery. Did you know about this?
Polish armed forces serving in Iraq developed information that led to the purchase from Iraqis of seventeen chemical equipped warheads which had been buried to avoid detection. Not surprisingly, tests confirmed that these weapons contained cyclosarin, which is sarin bumped up about five times and which would have caused unimaginable widespread death. Also, not surprisingly, this type of warhead was supposed to have been destroyed during the U.N. inspections from 1991-1998. Not only did the Iraqis not comply with international mandates, but the violation went undiscovered by the inspectors. Again, I see no mythology here. Do you?
On August 5th, 2005, U.S. forces discovered the nearest thing to a chemical lab, again in Mosul, which contained 1500 gallons of various chemical agents. While the experts are unsure about the origin of these substances, their existence and readiness for usage, either in a battlefield application or against civilians, is indisputable. Did you see a news report about this? No, I didn’t either. Must have missed it…
While our vacuous talking heads posing as media representatives have continually said “Well, there were no WMDs in Iraq, were there?!”, the compelling evidence is to the contrary. Has any one of them been tipped off that the mass quantities of chemical weapons are indeed indisputably WMDs? Were they asleep during that part of the briefing? Who knows. Or maybe it doesn’t serve their purpose to either “know” this fact or report on it? You decide. Would one of them now, today, on tonight’s newscast, have the moral courage and intestinal fortitude to set this record straight and admit that, while no nuclear WMDs were found, tons of other WMDs were indeed present and ready for use against anybody. I highly doubt it.
As I wrote this, a short scene played in my mind. The network newsperson opens the program saying “Good evening ladies and gentleman. First up tonight is a long overdue correction. It so happens that since March, 2003, those of us in the news business have falsely reported the verified presence of WMDs in Iraq, both before the invasion and after. Tonight, I would like to aknowledge that the stockpiles of chemical weapons found by U.S. troops, as well as the almost two tons of enriched weapons grade uranium also found by them, do indeed constitute the presence of WMDs in that country. While no nuclear WMDs have been discovered, this other lethal material satisfies the test. We hereby issue an apology to the American public, our armed forces and the world. We also hereby stand corrected on what constitutes a weapon of mass destruction.” There, it’s done for them. All they have to do is read it out loud. Will this happen? I’m not holding my breath…
And when you consider what I’ve just written, aren’t you extremely glad that no nuclear WMDs were actually found? Aren’t you glad to have the answer to that question, once and for all? Would you want to see WMD materials, either precursor building blocks or finished deliverable weapons, in the possession and at the disposal of someone like Sadham Hussein and his kind, who had already actually used them? Also, aren’t you again extremely relieved that the tons of chemical agents that military forces did find are now removed from that arena, not available to anyone, for any purpose? Whew, I sure as heck am!!!
At my agency, about a dozen fine law enforcement officers have served tours in Iraq. I personally know several who were involved in the decommissioning of these substances. I want to take this opportunity to personally say a thunderous “thank you” to all who were involved in these very dangerous operations. They know, they saw this stuff. They handled it and removed the threat.
And to you, dear reader, I throw down the following challenge. The very next time you hear someone, whether in a news broadcast or in everyday conversation, willfully perpetuate the myth that I have discussed here, have the same type of personal courage as those military personnel who neutralized the threat, and tell that person “No, you’re mistaken. Large quantities of WMD were found in Iraq”. Blast away that myth for yourself and know that you are a person who stands with the facts.
And fearlessly refer them right here to Copcorner.net.
That’s what I believe. What do you think?
Until next time, all the best. Tim
Have you ever wondered how society actually started? I mean, from the first efforts to organize every human being living at that moment in time? Maybe just a little post-Caveman, or sometime around then?
Now, if you’ve been reading along the past few months, you know all too well that I’m no scholar. In fact, I have a healthy disrespect for most who teach in academia because I believe that too much time spent in the famous “ivory tower” and not enough getting dirt under your fingernails is very dangerous to society. Copcorner.net is not a scholarly pursuit, by any means!
But every once in a while, larger questions enter my brain and start taking up space, demanding thought and perspective. Hence, today’s theme: If you were going to re-build society from the ground up, where would you start? Which functions are most vital? See what you think about a few of these: farmers, bankers, doctors, nurses, teachers, the clergy, scientists, engineers, laborers, entertainers, transporters, philosophers. Maybe politicians (yyyuuuccckkk! put ‘em last!) or media types (I’m makin’ myself sick!). Those last two would never appear on my list!!!
If you’re saying right about now “hey, you missed an obvious one!” , then be proud of yourself and your deductive reasoning. There’s the answer, right in front of us. Yes, the correct answer is POLICE, a securing force, a defensive presence, the most stabilizing element needed in society. This answer will inspire many questions which pertain to both a historical perspective and modern day realities. Let’s pick this apart, shall we?
Why would I say that policing is the first building block of society? Why do I seem so convinced of this? Actually, there are many reasons why I firmly believe this. First, as man evolved out of his early agrarian, hunter-gatherer state, the communities that formed usually did so out of mutual needs. In those early days, the most obvious need was protection, specifically the protection in numbers against other similar groups living nearby. Early alliances were usually formed based on force; who had it (that is the number of fighters under arms), the purpose for which it was used (defensive vs offensive), and cost (allegience vs some form of servitude). Living without some form of alliance with one’s closeby neighbors usually resulted in an inevitable loss of property and sometimes life. You could be kicked off of your own land at any time and lose your means of subsistence, or even your family members. What you had, life and property, was someone else’s for the taking, plain and simple.
The earliest villages were usually surrounded by a defensive apparatus, probably a wall, which had gates or other closures. The medieval castles automatically come to mind. Usually, atop those walls and at those gates, capable men were placed with either the task of crying out a warning or the taking up of crude arms for the purpose of defending the common good. These men made it possible for the community to exist without being constantly wiped out by those possessing superior force. These men made it possible for commerce to be conducted, for people to worship in peace and for families to be formed and carry on life in that community. This could all happen because there was a handful of capable men looking out for the security of everyone. Well, there you have it.
Today, there is another very compelling example of what is needed for a society to survive and take up it’s place in the world community. Of course, I’m referring to Iraq. The survival of Iraq as a soverign nation balances on the performance of it’s police and security forces to maintain order and allow for the opportunity to orgainze and move that society forward. There is no greater challenge that must be met in that country. Spectacular death and destruction of property occur numerous times daily. Similar situations exist in Afghanistan, the Sudan and many other nations. The need to maintain order and reduce the ingrained fear of the citizenry is the number one priority. The citizens must have faith that the government can ensure their safety. After that, commerce, education, transportation, worship and other everyday activities can peacefully take place.
For the final proof, just remove those ancient gate keepers, or take the American troops and Iraqui police and security forces off of the field. What will you have then? The indisputable answer: mass slaughter, genocide, killing and destruction on an incomprehensible scale. Actually, don’t ever try this.
Whether you want to call us gate keepers, sheep dogs, peace officers or whatever, I don’t really care. Here at Copcorner.net they will always be called heroes. And it will never go unnoticed or unknowledged that society begins and ends with us.
As always, I invite your comments.
All the best, Tim