Mercenary Firm Offers to 'Detain Troublemakers' on Election Day

[marmar]

via AlterNet's PEEK:



Mercenary Firm Offers to 'Detain Troublemakers' on Election Day

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein, Firedoglake at 2:14 PM on November 3, 2008.

This is probably not the best sign for democracy.



A mercenary firm in Oregon offered to provide "security" on election day in case voters "get out of control," Danger Room reports:

CIA-linked private military contractor Evergreen Defense & Security Services offered to post sentries at Oregon election offices on Tuesday, "detaining troublemakers" and making sure voters "do not get out of control."

In an e-mail to local election supervisors, obtained by the McMinnville, Oregon News Register, Evergreen president Tom Wiggins said he "recognized the potential conflict" that could occur on November 4th. "Never has there been a more heated battle in the race for president."

The company, he said, 'proposes to post sentries at each voting center on November 4th to assure that disputes amongst citizens do not get out of control. All guards will be unarmed, but capable of stopping any violence that may occur and detaining troublemakers until law enforcement arrives.'

Note that Oregon votes by mail.

SourceWatch has more on Evergreen's longstanding ties to the CIA.


http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/105995/mercenary_firm_offers_to_%27detain_troublemakers%27_on_election_day/

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Now, define "troublemaker"

Let me guess: anyone who looks like they might vote for Obama, and anyone who looks like they might protest the presence of paramilitary at the polling places.

What do I win?

[marmar]

3. A fabulous vacation in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.....

Including compact accomodations, a lovely black bag for your head and water(boarding)sports.....

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Ah, just like Homer Simpson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aBaX9GPSaQ

[Xipe Totec]

2. Part of McCain's "Freedom, Tolerance, Equality" campaign

[Mme. Defarge]

5. Yes, Evergreen has CIA ties,

but Oregon is the last state in the U.S. that would have trouble on election day. I don't take this seriously.

[busybl]

6. Oregon votes by mail

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. With no guarantee that you will get your ballot, that your ballot will be received, no guarantee...

... that ballots are filled out by legal voters, no guarantee that a ballot has not been filled out in exchange for pay or as guided by coersion, no guarantee that a clerk will decide that your current signature does not match the ten year old signature recorded in a grainy microfiche at the state elections office.

But some people are OK with that. :shrug:

[JHB]

8. Might be nice time for a public official in Oregon to comment...

...that any Evergreen personel who was "posted" within their jurisdiction would be considered "troublemakers" themselves and would be arrested by duly authorized professional law enforcement officers.