The Political Conundrum!

Earlier today I wrote about the Marines who were ordered to get rid of their weapons in order to meet with the SecDef.  I just picked up the following update from telegraph.uk

Major General Mark Gurganus later said he gave the order because Afghan troops attending the talk were unarmed and he wanted the policy to be consistent for all.

A commenter on this blog post earlier today told me the same thing.

Having a General give this order is even worse than a DA Civilian doing it. This General should be relieved immediately. He should also renounce himself being a Marine and be ashamed of himself.

What does this say of him as a leader if he can’t trust his own Marines? What does it say of him as a leader if he doesn’t trust the men he leads? I am disgusted a someone who called themselves a General and a Marine would give such an order.

  Security services in Azerbaijan have arrested 22 people they say were hired by Iran to carry out terrorist attacks against the U.S. and Israeli embassies as well as Western-linked groups and companies. The national security ministry said Wednesday that the 22, all Azerbaijan citizens, had been trained in Iran, its southern neighbor, by Iran’s [...]

This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.

Azerbaijan arrests alleged Iran-hired terrorists

In a sign of the nervousness surrounding Mr. Panetta’s trip, the Marines and other troops who were waiting in a tent for the defense secretary to speak were abruptly asked by their commander to get up, place their weapons — M-16 and M-4 automatic rifles and 9-mm pistols — outside the tent and then return unarmed. The commander, Sgt. Maj. Brandon Hall, told reporters he was acting on orders from superiors.

“All I know is, I was told to get the weapons out,” he said. Asked why, he replied, “Somebody got itchy, that’s all I’ve got to say. Somebody got itchy; we just adjust.”

So I wonder what DA civilian blowhard got the nervous tick and couldn’t trust the same troops who lay their lives on the line every day and have done it on multiple tours. I can maybe understand this for the President, but the SecDef is the boss of this troops. What an utter sign of disrespect for our young men and women.

Shame, Shame, Shame…

 

Read the whole story at www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/world/asia/panetta-visits-afghanistan-following-massacre.html

 

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that AT&T Inc. has become the first private sector company to be certified to DHS-selected standards under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Program. PS-Prep™ is a partnership between DHS and the private sector - enabling private entities to receive emergency preparedness certification.

"Private organizations across the country play a vital role in bolstering our disaster preparedness and response capabilities," said Secretary Napolitano. "I commend AT&T for achieving PS-Prep™ certification, and encourage other private sector partners to work with the PS-Prep™ program to further enhance the readiness and resiliency of our Nation."

AT&T's certification is the first under the PS-Prep™ program, administered by DHS' Federal Emergency Management Agency. The PS-Prep™ program enables private sector organizations to enhance their capabilities for planning, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters and other threats.

The engagement of the private sector in disaster preparedness is a critical component of a secure and resilient Nation under the National Preparedness Goal.

“AT&T has a long-standing commitment to business continuity and disaster preparedness," said John Stankey, Chief Strategy Officer for AT&T. "The strength of our continuity program coupled with our industry-leading Global Network Operations Center helps us and our customers effectively continue operations during and after emergencies."

The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is a PS-Prep™ program Accrediting Body. In that role, ANAB has accredited National Quality Assurance (NQA) USA as a PS-Prep™ Certification Body. NQA USA performed the certification audit of the AT&T Business Continuity Management System and declared the system as PS-Prep certified.

DHS plans to expand the list of early participating entities in the PS-Prep™ program in the coming year.

For more information on PS-Prep™, visit http://www.fema.gov/privatesector/preparedness.

###