'Helicopter assault' startles East St. Louis

WorldNetDaily ^ | DECEMBER 7, 2001 | Jon Dougherty

[Israel]

Friday, December 7, 2001

'Helicopter assault' startles East St. Louis

Special Forces urban warfare drill unannounced to public

By Jon Dougherty

Residents of East St. Louis, Mo., are upset that federal, state and local officials failed to inform them of an Army Special Forces helicopter assault drill, especially in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

According to a report by St. Louis CBS television affiliate KMOV, the drills last Monday night "caught thousands of residents off guard ? because no one told them it was coming."

The helicopters and associated Special Forces troops aboard them were practicing urban assault drills that were originally scheduled for last week but were held this week because rain forced the Army to cancel the Nov. 28-29 date.

KMOV said the choppers flew in from Fort Campbell, Ky. -- home to the 160th Special Operations Group -- to "simulate quick movements needed to approach an urban war zone."

Nine helicopters were involved in the training. "Scared" locals reportedly saw the aircraft "hovering and darting around homes and buildings."

The station said residents in St. Louis were treated to a similar mock urban "assault" a decade ago in the downtown area.

"It's unclear whether citizens are required to be told the military is operating in their neighborhood, but given recent events, it seems like it is the proper thing to do," said KMOV reporter Donn Johnson, who filed the story.

The East St. Louis "assault" mirrors similar urban training exercises throughout the 1990s reported by WorldNetDaily. In most of those cases, neither military nor civilian authorities provided local residents with advance warning of the drills.

Related stories:

Marines on Main Street

Marines landing -- in North Carolina

Alabama Army maneuvers continue

New 'live-fire' exercise to begin

Army admits live ammo used

Is the Army invading Texas?

Military's new cowboys?

Marines land in Arizona

Domestic rapid deployment forces

War games come to Monterey

More Marine training in U.S. cities

---

Jon E. Dougherty is a staff reporter and columnist for WorldNetDaily, and author of the special report, "Election 2000: How the Military Vote Was Suppressed."

[mdittmar]

I live a few miles from a militay firing range.

They never tell me when they are going to practice,but when I hear the BAWOOMS a warm fuzzy feeling comes over me.

[eastforker]

There is no East St.Louis Mo.It's East St. louis,Illinois And if East St. Louis is anything like it was 30 years ago,it probably needs a military assault.LOL

[LoneGOPinCT]

I'm sure racism was involved here. Don't know how, but I'm sure we'll hear about it in due time.

[Israel]

Related stories:

Marines on Main Street

Marines landing -- in North Carolina

Alabama Army maneuvers continue

New 'live-fire' exercise to begin

Army admits live ammo used

Is the Army invading Texas?

Military's new cowboys?

Marines land in Arizona

Domestic rapid deployment forces

War games come to Monterey

More Marine training in U.S. cities

[DWSUWF]

Given our (nominal) status as an open society, ruled by the consent of the governed, it goes without saying that an exercise or training such as this should be announced, if it is to be conducted in populated areas at all. (which is not a 'given')

Of course, there are those with more authoritarian orientations whose opinion will vary from this.

Given that 'secrecy' cannot possibly be a plausible explanation for an event staged in plain sight in a densely populated area, what is the rationale for not announcing these events?

Are they curious about, and interested in measuring, American civilian responses to such events?

Would they regard it as a 'useful' event if such an exercise triggered an edgy citizen to open fire on them?

They need to announce these exercises, well in advance of conducting them.

And not just to the police, who are THEMSELVES sorely in need of citizen supervision.

[det dweller too]

I'm sure racism was involved here. Don't know how, but I'm sure we'll hear about it in due time.

Black helecopters? {;->

[mdittmar]

POLICE DEATHS RISE IN 2000

December 28, 2000

More than 150 law enforcement officers across the nation were killed in the line of duty during 2000, representing more than a 10 percent rise in police fatalities over the previous year.

There were 151 federal, state and local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during the past year, according to preliminary figures released today by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS). That is 13 percent higher than the 134 officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in 1999.

Of the 151 officers who were killed during the past year, 51 were shot to death; 47 died in automobile accidents; 20 were struck by automobiles while outside of their own vehicles; eight died in motorcycle accidents; seven were killed in aircraft accidents; six succumbed to job-related illnesses; three drowned; three died in falls; two were stabbed; one died in a bicycle accident; one officer was killed in an accident involving a horse; one was beaten to death; and one officer died in a bomb-related incident. Texas was the deadliest state in the nation over the past year for police officers with 15 fatalities; followed by California with 11; and Georgia and Tennessee with 10 each. Six of the officers killed during the past year were women.

"Despite improved equipment and better training, law enforcement remains the deadliest profession in America," declared NLEOMF Chairman Craig W. Floyd. On average, he noted, one police officer is killed somewhere in our country every 57 hours. There are also 62,000 assaults committed against our officers every year, resulting in more than 21,000 injuries. Dating back to the first law enforcement fatality in 1792, more than 15,000 officers have lost their lives in the line of duty.

"The sacrifices made by our police officers, and their families, are too often taken for granted," observed COPS National President Molly Winters. "Not a day goes by that an officer does not risk his or her life for the safety and protection of others."

If they are forgotten, then they have died twice. And if they are forgotten, then they have died in vain.

[verity]

"Of course, there are those with more authoritarian orientations whose opinion will vary from this"

Hey! I represent that remark. ;~)

[SAJ]

This just in:

A tornado struck East St. Louis, Illinois early this morning, cutting a wide swath through the downtown area. City officials estimate approximately $32 million dollars worth of improvements.

[eastforker]

I see,so it hasn't changed.HAHA

[ikanakattara]

You should *see* East St. Louis today. Its population has dropped by about 2/3 over the past 25 years (it's down to about 30,000 people now - mostly single women with kids.) The only thing it has going for it is the MetroLink (light rail) line, and one housing development along the rail line.

Other than that, it looks like Bosnia after the Serbs got through with it, only flatter. It would be a perfect site for an urban warfare drill - or a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie, about 30 years after the apocalypse (you know, where the forest is reclaiming the evacuated city.)

[genefromjersey]

I can just imagine some of the residents : " Hello : Reverend Al Sharpton ? You gotta come out here, man ! Those dudes be profilin' us again !!"

[TADSLOS]

Sounds like the Army PAO boys screwed the pooch on this one. East St Louis is a good replication of most third world cesspools as I recall, and knowing the 160th SOAR, they pulled it off without a hitch. I think most Americans would sh*&t a brick if they knew what was flying over them at night in the dark, but hey, we gotta train.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I'm actually suprised that anyone in East St. Louis was sober or straight enough to notice. The place looks like a war zone so what better place could there be to hold a military drill like this? I get nervous if I have to drive on the highway just going past it.

[eastforker]

Growing up in the mid to late 60's,I would go with my dad to the stockyards in National City.We would travel route 3 right through ESL.It looked bad then as I remember,I am surprised they don't tear down all those crumbling buildings.From looking at it,it must have been a thriving and succesful city at one time,one has to look at it and remind themselves why they need to involve themselves in local politics.

[DWSUWF]

Of course there are some good cops...

Duh...

There are at least some 'good ole boys' in virtually any group of similarly occupied people that you could name, on EITHER side of what we regard as 'the law'.

But cops don't get a pass, as a group, because some of them are good, or because their work has the potential to be difficult or dangerous. If the work is too scary to suit anyone working as a cop, they should quit. In most jurisdictions, most of the time, there’s no shortage of applicants for their position.

It is naïve to fail to recognize that positions of even limited authority, such as that of a 'police officer', have the same unwholesome attraction for the bullies and Barney Fifes of this world that jobs working with children have for pedophiles.

And this reality requires that all police agencies must be carefully monitored, by citizens free of coercion by them, all the time.

To do any less is dangerous, irresponsible and stupid.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

A tornado struck East St. Louis, Illinois early this morning, cutting a wide swath through the downtown area. City officials estimate approximately $32 million dollars worth of improvements.

LOL! Hey, I am going to be flying into St. Louis in a little over a month. The airport there isn't anywhere close to East St. Louis, is it? =:-o

[texasbluebell]

No, don't worry, the St. Louis airport is on the Missouri side of the river, northwest of St. Louis itself.

[Joan_of_Argghh!]

That was probably the safest day in the history of East St. Louis!!!