THE RAID: New Fiction from the War On Domestic Terrorism

www.sit-rep.com ^ | February 24, 2002 | Travis McGee

[Travis McGee]

It's hard from the context of this one chapter from my novel to see that this fictional STU team is not reflective of any of today's federal law enforcement agencies, it is an aberration created by the same power hungry psycho who engineered the stadium massacre. He first created the Special Training Unit as a developmental tactics experimental unit within the BATF SRT, then he engineered the false attribution stadium massacre (the problem) to justify putting his STU team into operation on his terms as a preemptive strike force (the cure) due to the requirements of the "unique emergency", which is the apparent outbreak of right wing domestic terrorism. The novel is a warning about what can happen, not a story about what is happening, yet. But with the increasing militarization of our federal law enforcement SWAT teams, it is inevitable that they will increasingly reflect the no-holds-barred outlook their members bring with them from the military specops background they all share. In today's climate of fear where the war against terrorism is worth billions of dollars a year, creating new emergencies to manage may prove to be a vast temptation to the unscrupulous.

[Travis McGee]

Bang!

[MississippiMan]

Travis, I don't have time to read the whole thing right now but thanks for pinging me. Some pretty dang good writing in the first half or so that I read, my friend. Nice, tight, realistic dialog.

MM

[Lurker]

Nice writing.

Let's hope it remains a work of fiction.

L

[Joe Brower]

Ah-hah! So that's what Jeff Head's "STU" comment on that other thread was about. Ya know, I learn something new on this forum every day... !

If you're still looking for a publisher, have you thought about eBooks? A friend of mine lives south of Indianapolis, and there's an up-and-coming electronic publishing firm that's fairly big cheese in that area. If you'd like, I can gather some info on that option for you. Let me know.

[Joe Brower]

Interesting bit about the cellfones being remotely turned on and used as listening devices.

I've noticed that my wife's new cellfone, which we leave constantly on, has a habit of "randomly" lighting up when it's connected to the charger and laying on the kitchen counter unattended. Ya think... ?

[Eagle Eye]

Damn fine job so far.

[AAABEST]

Travis, I'm impressed!

I mean that man, keep me up to date on how things go.

[Southack]

Like Orwell, good fiction can help us avoid potential pitfalls in the future...

[backhoe]

Very good- but I agree with Lurker's #4....

[wardaddy]

I'll be reading it first chance in the morning. Thanks.

[Travis McGee]

Yep, they can do all kinds of tricks with your cell phone, I learned about it in "Killing Pablo" the new book by "Blackhawk Down" author Mark Bowden. Killing Pablo is about the CIA, Delta and the Army's "Intelligence Support Activity" (code named "Centra Spike" in 1993) using all of their electronic tricks to help locate and kill Pablo Escobar in Colombia in 1993. As long as a cell phone has the battery turned on, people with the correct codes "on the other end" can do all sorts of things, such as turn it on without any sign at your end in order to use it as a homing beacon for RDF, for example. Or just leave it as an "open microphone". "Killing Pablo" is a must read: if you use any electronics, they can gitcha.

[Travis McGee]

I meant to write "as long as the cell phone has the battery in it", not "turned on".

To avoid having your cell phone used against you, you need to pull the battery out.

[Travis McGee]

BATF BUMP

[hollywood]

That's why I leave my cell phone next to the TV tuned to Barney. A few verses of "I Love You" should get the MIB puking.

[Have Ruck - Will Travel]

Have been waiting for you to post an excerpt from your novel since I first got wind of it. Excellent work Travis! This will definately be at the top of my buy&read list when it comes out.

Take care,

Ruck

[Jeff Head]

Outstadning writing.

Can't wait to read this particular part in the context of the entire thing.

As I said before, I completely understand and agree with the premise that writing so straight forwardly about such things can help warn and awaken the populace to insure that they never become reality ... while providing a good and exciting story at the same time.

However, I believe that many of the forces/motivations/etc. are already in place and that your story about what "may" happen is probably more grounded in reality than most citizens (including myself) would like to contemplate.

I do believe that "wet" operations of this sort have been conducted and I believe they can find people to conduct them ... look at Lon Houruchi for example. Finding a way to eradicate such operations and keep them from expanding to more wide spread occurrences is the key.

Hopefully, your story, with your credibility and background, will be a part of that combination.

Regards and again ... GREAT writing! Let me know if I can help in any way when it comes time to get it out the door.

[Travis McGee]

I wonder how many of the STU tactics are already being used when I read about illegal weapons being found by the BATF.

[Travis McGee]

Actually, they are probably watching "Kid's PBS" down at BATF HQ, so they will not hear it.

[Joe Brower]

That's why I leave my cell phone next to the TV tuned to Barney. A few verses of "I Love You" should get the MIB puking.

LOL! Now there's an idea. Poor-man's psyops.

In all honesty, if the BATFags have nothing better to do than try and listen in on my family and me during episodes of "SpongeBob SquarePants", they are REALLY fishin'!