forwarded by Michael Hoover
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 19:57:20 -0600
> >Subject: regular u.s. military used within u.s. borders!
> >
> ________________________________________________
> > A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
> > http://www.ainfos.ca/
> > ________________________________________________
> >-------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Troops sent to Seattle as part of terrorism contingency plan
> >
> >December 2, 1999
> >Web posted at: 7:21 p.m. EST (0021 GMT)
> >
> >SEATTLE (CNN) -- In addition to hundreds of very visible Army National
> >Guard troops called-up because of the civil disturbances in Seattle, more
> >than 160 active duty military personnel, including a small number of
> Special
> >Forces troops, were sent to Seattle by the Defense Department for the
> >meeting of the World Trade Organization.
> >
> >The military mission, according to the
> >Pentagon, is to "provide support" to the FBI,
> >Federal Emergency Management Agency
> >(FEMA), U.S. Secret Service and other
> >government agencies responsible for security
> >there. The military specialists are in place
> >largely to provide expertise and assist in
> >coordinating a federal response in the event of
> >a terrorist attack during such a high-profile
> >event.
> >
> >According to Defense Department documents
> >obtained by CNN, 131 U.S. Army, 27 U.S.
> >Air Force, and eight U.S. Navy personnel
> >were sent to Seattle to perform roles from
> >ordnance disposal to standing by for possible
> >chemical or biological attack by terrorist
> >groups.
> >
> >Four special forces troops from the Joint
> >Special Operations Task Force were deployed
> >to Seattle to be on hand to advise FBI "crisis
> >support" agents in the event of a catastrophic
> >terrorist event involving chemical or biological
> >weapons or hostage taking. Two of the four
> >special operations experts have since left the
> >city, according to an informed Pentagon official
> >who spoke on the condition that he not be
> >named.
> >
> >Fifty-five military Explosive Ordnance Disposal
> >(EOD) teams, along with 25
> >explosive-detecting dogs and their handlers,
> >were sent. The soldiers are "operating in
> >civilian attire -- keeping a low presence," the
> >Defense Department documents say.
> >
> >Troops there are from various military fiefdoms
> >including the U.S. Special Operations
> >Command, the U.S. Forces Command, the
> >U.S. Army Biological-Chemical Command, the
> >U.S. Air Force Security Forces Command and
> >the U.S. Joint Forces Command.
> >
> >Eight divers, making up two Navy dive teams,
> >were sent to provide support to the Secret
> >Service for President Clinton's visit, which
> >ended Thursday. The action is not unusual for
> >presidential security.
> >
> >The Department of Health and Human
> >Services and FEMA have set up a "staging
> >area" for their operations at the U.S. Naval
> >Reserve Center-Lake Union in Seattle. Eight
> >military personnel are assigned to that site. The
> >HHS-FEMA site is pre-positioned to respond
> >to major health catastrophes such as a
> >biological agent attack, according to a
> >well-informed source.
> >
> >The "Domestic Military Support," or "DOMS"
> >as it is known at the Pentagon, is provided
> >through the Office of the Secretary of Defense
> >and the Office of the Chairman of the Joint
> >Chiefs of Staff at the request of other federal
> >agencies.