If Obama fails to take disciplinary actions against top officials over plane incident may cost him a second term in office
If Obama fails to take disciplinary actions against any and all top administrative officials found to be accountable over the botched terrorist bombing attack against a Northwest Airline may cost him a second term in office.
As I was preparing to write about the attempted terrorist attack by a foreigner carrying a valid U.S. Visa but who was arrested on December 25, 2009 while trying to blow-up a large commercial aircraft carrier in United States soil, I am reading a recently posted (12-31-2009 7:00 am (ET) Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) Internet news report about eight (8) Americans, “including officers of the Central Intelligence Agency, who were killed in a suicide attack on a U.S. compound in Afghanistan, current and former U.S. officials said, in what could be the biggest loss of American intelligence personnel since the war here began.” the WSJ writer reported.
I wanted to write about my opinion which was to be critical or shall we properly state “constructive criticism” of what went wrong with our alleged United States government’s anti-terrorism system in place. As I am fighting two different battles, the first one being the Internal Revenue Service’s “Gestapo-Nazi” tactics of trying to collect alleged back taxes plus automatic enhanced penalties and interest; secondly, fighting all of the “red-tape” and questionable fraud acts being committed by an alleged non-profit 501 ( c ) (3) Arizona private social service organization who is collecting $145.74 of taxpayers’ dollars from an Arizona state government health agency known as AHCCCS who after all are talking care of Mom, who can die at anytime of a terminal cancer.
Despite of going through some very difficult personal problems that we all have experienced at least once, twice or more, especially if you are over 50 years-old, like me. However, this morning I woke up, and went through my coffee brewing and drinking ritual, along with turning my desk personal computer on and check my Email box. I only found one Email copy sent to me by Darlene F. Price, a candidate of a United States Senate seat and former special agent with the Legacy U.S. Customs Service. Darlene is also an author and a personal friend who have shared almost the same frustrations of being known as a federal whistleblower.
Today the Washington Post reported:
“For days, a chorus of GOP leaders has sought to portray Obama as weak on national security because of his administration's response to the incident as well as the intelligence and security failures that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board a Northwest Airlines flight carrying an explosive.”
It is clear that what we are witnessing now are lots of finger pointing, political rhetoric, the Republicans trying to put blame on the Democrats, who are in power both at the White House and the Hill. However, what is clear to me is unfortunately that the almighty superpower United States’ anti-terrorist and national security intelligence and law enforcement agencies failed, once again, to cooperate and share critical and sensitive federal law enforcement information and as a result, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab applied for and obtained a United States Visa and was allowed to go through all security screening body and hand carry luggage up to him obtaining seat.
Darlene wrote an excellent synopsis of what went wrong on December 25, 2009, when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab He was born on December 22, 1986, in Lagos, Nigeria. This young terrorist was a devoted Muslim and a Nigerian citizen. Abdulmutallab was restrained and placed under arrest by a number of his fellow passengers and air flight attendants while he attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear during a December 25, 2009, terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan.
As Americans at home and abroad watch the daily news of the failed attempt to blow-up Northwest Airlines Flight 253, several legal battles are unfolding. For example employees of the U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA), have served subpoenas on bloggers who posted a TSA internal document. The actions being taken by TSA are despite the fact that the mainstream media already reported on December 8, 2009 that TSA employees accidently posted on the Internet what was supposed to be security instructions on how to screen would be aircraft passengers. At the end, it is the average American taxpayer citizen who suffers the consequences. For more information on the TSA’s bully tactics go to:
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/tsa_investigating_how_a_comple.html
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/homeland_security_subpoenas_an.html
U.S. President Barack Obama immediately ordered an investigation into the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s incident and vowed to take swift action and held anyone involved accountable, starting with the heads of all federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies involved. This will be the first ‘test” president Onama will be undergoing in dealing with domestic and international terrorist attacks, just like former U.S. President George W. Bush underwent after September 11, 2001. Like Bush, president Obama was in office during his first term in office with less than one full year. However, we cannot compare the two in terms of terrorism dimensions and human casualties. For one thing, I am thankful of those unknown heroes (air-flight attendants and passengers) of flight 253 who tackle down and struggled with Abdulmutallab after he was officially taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
If president Obama fails to take action against certain top level officials who are deemed involved and responsible for this immense breach of national security, his credibility, reputation and chances of a second term in office would go up in flames. I don’t like to be pessimist or getting involved in political pragmatism which is widely known as the rationale behind reformist politics. A favorite political game which political candidates, play when they are running for a federal state, county or local office.
On December 28, 2009, Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Department of Homeland Security was interviewed by Matt Lauer. The interview was later turned into a news story titled “Clueless Napolitano Now Concedes System 'Failed Miserably” by Mark Finkelstein, see his story at
Lauer before ending his article wrote: “We've got another question: what is Janet Napolitano, head of a department that she now admits "failed miserably," still doing in office?”
I reviewed the interview along with several others. It appears that somewhat the Obama administration is trying to blame the Bush administration for issuing Abdulmutallab’s U.S. Visa in 2008, way before his father went frantically to the U.S. American Embassy and attempted to alert the Obama administration that his son had apparently turned into a terrorist. For information as to where this young terrorist got his U.S. Visa, read an interesting New York Times report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/us/28terror.html?_r=1&fta=y
We will see who gets terminated (fired) from a number of diverse federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Historically, in every current U.S. presidential administration in similar cases, the onus usually is shifted to the lowest graded employee, and/or one who is not part of the “good-old boy network.”
Before I close, I want to bring you an update on the criminal corruption case against retired supervisory criminal investigator Richard Padilla CRAMER who has already pled guilty to one count of “obstruction of justice” which some mainstream media reports reflect that he can be sentenced up to twenty years in federal prison. However, one particular report specifically outlined the plea bargaining between CRAMER’s defense lawyer and federal prosecutors. The approximate sentence time stipulated is for CRAMER to serve up to TWO YEARS of incarceration when he is sentenced on February 18, 2010 by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Huck in Miami, Florida. When Cramer’s predicted sentence is compared to sentences received to non GS-1811 federal law enforcement officers, especially uniformed DHS employees such as those assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol or CBP border inspectors.
Even after CRAMER has pled guilty and he himself admitted in federal court that he was a member of a powerful Mexican drug cartel. Still his former bosses, coworkers are still skeptical or are in denial that CRAMER is guilty.
The Arizona Republic reported:
“"This goes counter to everything I know about Richard," Rene Andreu, a former assistant ICE chief who hired Cramer as a customs investigator in the early 1980s, said weeks before the plea. "If somehow, some way, he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, my paradigm on life itself will be changed."
The Arizona Republic quoted CRAMER’s family member:
“Cramer's family said any plea deal is grossly unfair but is better than spending the rest of your life behind bars for something you didn't do.”
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/12/12/20091212immigagent1212.html
For more information on the CRAMER’s “sweet deal” between federal and defense attorneys:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/12/11/20091211cramer1211.html
If CRAMER, his family or his friends and co-workers believe that he is innocent, this author suggest that CRAMER changes his plea and go forward with a full jury trial and let see what the outcome is. CRAMER crossed the line and he is lucky that he got a great deal. Not too many retired federal law enforcement officials get similar deals.
While this story is not about prison sentences among different federal workforce group, it appears that there is a distinctive big difference of prison sentences given to current, former or retired federal employees who had history of filing complaints of discrimination, reported management or co-workers to internal affairs or Offices of Inspector General, as well as whether the offender is a high ranking management official or simply an average working line employee.
Since my Narco News stories are reviewed by a number of employees working for DHS’ agencies such as the U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s Union officials would probably benefit by reading this story. My objective is to educate the American taxpayer and entire federal workforce of how vulnerable we are to a terrorist attack. I wanted also to demonstrate that despite all of the GAO and Offices of Inspectors General reports, we are still having war turfs among federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
It is not my intention to blame no one at any of our U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. I just look back into the past when I was referred to a vehicle secondary land border port of entry, or my checked-in luggage was manually inspected by TSA employees because my name happened to be Spanish. I remember the comment made by a Legacy U.S. Customs Service’s border inspector as he and his partner searched my private car for drugs…in the late 1980’s when I was working as a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. The inspector said: “I wonder how many tons of marijuana or cocaine we missed while wasting our time with this car.”…comments he made as he looked at the flow of questionable cars that were given the “go head” command by the primary border inspector after he/she cleared them.
Only time will tell if president Obama will make immediate changes and take appropriate swift actions across the board by taking personnel action and any and all responsible for miserably failing to stop this international trained terrorist board Northwest Airline flight 253.
One thing is for certain and whether president Obama is willing to admit it or not, being a minority, a non-White Caucasian, one need to walk “the extra mile” or become a “yes man” if one is Hispanic, Black, Asian, Arab etc., especially in politics and in government public services. I know that president Obama will be rated according to the way he manages and lead our country during his first four years in office. It is going to be up to him to allow corruption and acts of terrorism to happen.
I know and realize that fighting the IRS alone without a tax attorney I am doomed to be a failure. One of the main reason (s) I am predicting failure is because the IRS has a vast and immense number of legal resources and taxpayers’ dollars. I am not well known famous criminal tax attorney Michael Simms of Houston, Texas who took IRS and brought the agency’s down in defeat when he uncovered the largest fraud ever committed by two IRS attorneys. To read more about this story, go to:
http://www.newswithviews.com/Snook/edward5.htm
Response to recent attempted terrorist attack
on Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to the U.S.
by
Darlene F. Price
December 30, 2009
Immediately following the terror attempt aboard the aircraft, Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano announced: "The system worked." The suspect was able to bring explosives on board a flight from Europe to the U.S. and only failed in his "mission" because his bomb didn't explode but "the system worked." Really? This is a clear failure not only of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), but of the entire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of which TSA is a component. These agencies have long been suffering from incompetent management. The promotion systems in these agencies are the "good old boy" crony system. The '"best and the brightest" are rarely promoted into management positions. When better qualified agents/inspectors dare to file any type of legitimate complaint or grievance in an attempt to solve this problem, they are immediately silenced-- usually with a phony investigation by the Internal Affairs Department (IA). The retaliation for anyone in these federal agencies who dare to speak truth to power is swift and painful. I know this firsthand.
Moreover, if an agent/inspector observes any behavior from his/her superiors that would cause a breach in our national security, they risk their careers if they dare to report their managers, even though DHS regulations and some federal laws require them to do so. There are thousands of government Whistleblowers who have repeatedly given spine-shivering testimony about the gaping holes in our national security to both houses of Congress. I have testified before them in Washington myself. The Whistleblowers are neutralized and nothing gets fixed. This happens because there is NO REAL WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES OR THE MILITARY ON THE FRONT LINES OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY!
Two of the best government watchdog organizations on Capitol Hill are The Government Accountability Project (GAP) and The Project on Government Over-site (POGO). Both have been trying for years to get real Whistleblower protection to no avail. Until agencies like DHS and TSA are no longer allowed to investigate themselves and use IA as the "goon squad" on folks who try to file legitimate complaints, we all remain at risk.
I believe these agencies and others do not have the manpower or the assets to really accomplish their missions. We are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on Iraq and Afghanistan trying to fight a tactic: terrorism. You cannot wage a war against a tactic. While we have focused on military plans since 9-11, we are bleeding money away from greater investments in intelligence, improving infrastructure, and law enforcement techniques.
Most of the actual Al Qaeda terrorists who have been caught and brought to justice have been apprehended through the use of interagency intelligence such as Interpol and cooperative law enforcement and not "boots on the ground" military. The regular military (army and marines) were not trained to conduct an intelligence gathering manhunt. They are very good at what they are trained for, but it is not this.
Had our elected officials on Capitol Hill listened to the countless government employee and military whistleblowers over the last 20 years, and had placed into effect even a few of the recommendations from GAP and POGO, maybe 9-11 wouldn't have happened. Hindsight is 20-20, but they're still not listening. Many counterterrorism experts and top military officials agree that we are not making any real progress in our fight against Al Qaeda by escalating the war in Afghanistan.
"Make wars unprofitable and you make them impossible," Franklin D. Roosevelt said. There are a lot of big corporations making tons of money off of these two wars... Not coincidentally, they are also large contributors to the campaigns of our elected officials on Capitol Hill. This places many in government in a terrible bind and it is not unfair to ask if some of our elected officials are voting the interests of the founders of their campaigns in the name of national security. If we don't fix CRONY CAMPAIGN FINANCING, none of the above will ever get fixed. It's time the people take back their government from those who own it now.
The legal bribery of lobbying is the disease. The rest (wars, threats to national security, substandard education, substandard healthcare etc.) are merely symptoms that will never be cured until we turn our legislatures back to a system of governing, and not a system of "quid pro quo".
Darlene F. Price
Veteran and former Special Agent
Author: "BorderGate, the story the government doesn't want you to read"
Candidate for U.S. Senate
www.Darlene4Senate.com
1-888-DAR-2010
References:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126225941186711671.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010643179_airlineprez31.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/30/AR2009123001231.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/30/AR2009123002875.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/30/cheney.obama.war/
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-terror-obama30-2009dec30,0,1663794.story
http://www.ticklethewire.com/2009/12/22/fed-agents-behaving-badly-in-2009/
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