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I stopped in at the Draeger's Supermarket in Menlo Park this afternoon and there was an armed private security guard stationed outside the store with a bullet proof vest on and a hefty sidearm in his holster. I asked him why he was stationed there and he replied that there has been an increase of people hitting stores up to the new $950 misdemeanor/felony limit. He also told of a large gang that hit a grocery store in Mexico City (story below). He said that the police were outnumbered and stood down. It was a bit of shock seeing an...

During World War II, my father was a U. S. Navy Signalman assigned to an outfit named the Armed Guard, whose purpose was to protect and assist the merchant shipping which was vital to the war effort. The Armed Guard was effective in many cases in protecting merchant ships against the Nazi privateers. If the Somali pirates want a war, here's a way to combat them.

The National Guard's chief said Thursday that some of his troops will work close to the Mexican border and will be armed — with rules of engagement allowing them to fire their weapons. "Any soldier assigned to a mission where he would be placed in harm or danger, where his life would be threatened potentially, will in fact be armed and will have the inherent right of self-protection," Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum said. The rules will be part of a larger memorandum of understanding that will guide the assignment of Guard members to the border. The agreement could be...

<p>May 3, 2003 -- BRUSSELS, Belgium - CNN took some flak from fellow journalists yesterday for having armed security guards protect a correspondent heading into Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit last month.</p> <p>The controversy erupted when CNN International's President Chris Cramer - speaking at the launch of an organization to promote journalists' safety - said the media sometimes needed armed protection.</p>

<p>CNN has taken much abuse of late for its account of its relationship with Iraq, including on these pages. One thing no one questions, however, is the courage of its reporters on the ground in Iraq. Which makes the recent episode involving CNN reporter Brent Sadler worth debating.</p>

CNN came under attack Sunday on two fronts. An admission by CNN's chief news executive that he kept quiet for years about government atrocities in Iraq (news - web sites) -- including those against his own journalists -- raised questions about whether CNN committed an ethical transgression: trading silence for access. And a French media watchdog group says CNN is setting a ''dangerous precedent'' by having a team in Iraq traveling with an armed guard. Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) made the comments after an incident in the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit in which a security guard with CNN's Brent...

CNN has denied that it set a "dangerous precedent" by hiring an armed guard to accompany one of its teams in Iraq, following criticism over an incident in which a CNN convoy returned fire. When reporter Brent Sadler and his crew came under fire from an Iraqi-manned checkpoint as they attempted to leave Tikrit yesterday, their Kurdish bodyguard returned fire with a machine gun. The decision prompted the international press watchdog, Reporters Sans Frontieres, to lambast the news organisation for placing journalists' safety at risk by creating the impression that they carry arms. However, a CNN spokeswoman said that Sadler's...

Two in CNN Crew Hurt in Iraqi Gunfight By DAVID BAUDER .c The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - Gunfire erupted between Iraqi forces and a guard hired to protect a CNN crew, a development that made one media commentator worry about the risks of having journalists protected by armed escorts. Correspondent Brent Sadler was driving through Tikrit, one of the last strongholds of Saddam Hussein loyalists, in a seven-vehicle CNN convoy Sunday when they decided to leave because they could feel ``hostility rising,'' he said. They were fired upon with automatic weapons while just outside of Tikrit, he said....

U.S. Marines Enter Saddam's Hometown By DAVID CRARY .c The Associated Press U.S. Marines entered Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit on Sunday, signaling the imminent fall of the last major bastion of his loyalists. The U.S. commander of the war said six or seven U.S. troops listed as missing have been found alive and in good condition. Gen. Tommy Franks, who announced the recovery of the missing soldiers, also disclosed that U.S. forces have samples of Saddam's DNA, for potential use in the ongoing effort to determine if he is alive or dead. Franks said released information about the missing...

Media watchdog says concerned CNN had armed guard PARIS, April 13 (Reuters) - A media watchdog expressed concern on Sunday that a CNN team reporting from Iraq was travelling with an armed guard, saying it set a "dangerous precedent" that could imperil other journalists. Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) made the comments after an incident in the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit in which a security guard hired by CNN fired his machinegun at a checkpoint when the CNN convoy came under gunfire. "This behaviour creates a dangerous precedent that could imperil all other reporters covering this conflict and others in...