Thread: Military going on Alert? UNVERIFIED

I live near an Air Force Base and there has been unusual air traffic today. Fully armed fighter jets, an airborne command post, it is very rare for us to have that kind of air traffic here. Is the military on alert for the election, or are they going to do something right after it?

I did a Google search to try to find an answer to your question. Instead of an answer I just have another question. Why the hell did I find this on a South African website when I don't see anything about it in our news?

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/US_E ... 99,00.html


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Pentagon on heightened alert
27/10/2008 09:13 - (SA)

Washington - The Pentagon has been preparing for months for the first wartime change of presidents in 40 years, a period of heightened vulnerability that, if history is a guide, US adversaries will try to exploit.

"We will all be on heightened alert given that historically our enemies have tried to take advantage of that time around an election, either before of after," Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, told AFP.

After the November 4 elections, the baton will be handed to the incoming administration in an awkward transition that typically continues for months after the swearing-in of a new president on January 20.

History overflows with examples of major incidents in the period before and after the elections, as evidenced by a chronology drawn up by the Joint Staff.

Three months after his arrival in the White House, John Kennedy was beset by the Bay of Pigs fiasco, which set in motion a confrontation with Havana that led to the Cuban missile crisis the following year.

The fall of Saigon occurred eight months after Gerald Ford assumed the presidency. Ronald Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt just weeks after he took office.

Only a month after Bill Clinton was sworn in, a bomb struck the World Trade Centre in New York, and eight months into George W Bush's presidency hijacked airliners toppled the twin towers and struck the Pentagon.

Need for detailed preparations

With the United States engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for detailed preparations may be even more critical this time.

"It takes an administration, any administration, a good six months to a year to get their feet on the ground and really be running," Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned earlier this month.

For months, Mullen has had a team of about a dozen people on the Joint Staff actively focused on the issues raised by the transition.

"The idea is to keep the military in a state of heightened awareness as we move through this vulnerable time," said Captain John Kirby, a spokesperson for Mullen.

Their mission: "Make sure the military stays ready for any contingency and to actually prevent, to the degree we can, that kind of a crisis," Kirby said.

Their job also is to "make sure that the chairman is prepared to give his best military advice to the next president on the top security issues on which the administration needs to focus", he said.

Among the hottest issues is a new strategy now being devised for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the changing situation in Iraq, and the impact of the financial crisis on the US defence budget, said a senior military officer, who asked not to be identified.

Braced for the change

Defence Secretary Robert Gates also is intent on making sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.

"He has made it clear that everybody and anybody in this building who can help in that effort must," said Morrell.

The arrival of a new administration will bring an unsettling whirl of nominations to key positions in the Pentagon and elsewhere.

"Gates wants to figure out a way for us to get the incoming team security clearances as quickly as possible to the key members so that they can even begin sitting in on his conversations with the commanders," Morrell said.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon chief has asked his staff to stay on for a few extra months until their successors can be confirmed by Congress.

Gates himself has been coy about whether he might stay on in a new administration, as some have suggested.

The campaign teams of Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain insist they are braced for the change.

"It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy," said Senator Joe Biden, Obama's running mate. "Watch, we're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

Posted this yesterday when W asked for help on this and other stories for the show



Police prepare for unrest
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pol ... 10-21.html

Police prepare for unrest
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 10/21/08 07:58 PM [ET]

Police departments in cities across the country are beefing up their ranks for Election Day, preparing for possible civil unrest and riots after the historic presidential contest.

Public safety officials said in interviews with The Hill that the election, which will end with either the nation’s first black president or its first female vice president, demanded a stronger police presence.

Some worry that if Barack Obama loses and there is suspicion of foul play in the election, violence could ensue in cities with large black populations. Others based the need for enhanced patrols on past riots in urban areas (following professional sports events) and also on Internet rumors.

Democratic strategists and advocates for black voters say they understand officers wanting to keep the peace, but caution that excessive police presence could intimidate voters.

Sen. Obama (Ill.), the Democratic nominee for president, has seen his lead over rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) grow in recent weeks, prompting speculation that there could be a violent backlash if he loses unexpectedly.

Cities that have suffered unrest before, such as Detroit, Chicago, Oakland and Philadelphia, will have extra police deployed.

In Oakland, the police will deploy extra units trained in riot control, as well as extra traffic police, and even put SWAT teams on standby.

“Are we anticipating it will be a riot situation? No. But will we be prepared if it goes awry? Yes,â€

I think alot of this has to do with the election results. Police departments in South Florida have been training for the riots and looting that is expected no matter who wins the election. Departments are also putting more officers on duty tomorrow night. There has been nothing in the media down here about those plans. The Secret Service has already stated that if Obama wins that they will have to increase the number of agents on presidential duty by 10%.

james, I knew about the information you posted, but I didn't know about the Pentagon being on red alert. Also, I don't know why the air force would be needed to control civil unrest.

So, which is it? Are they afraid of the US being attacked because of the changeover, or are they afraid of civil unrest due to election results? My money is on "both".

Originally Posted by Disillusioned

james, I knew about the information you posted, but I didn't know about the Pentagon being on red alert. Also, I don't know why the air force would be needed to control civil unrest.

So, which is it? Are they afraid of the US being attacked because of the changeover, or are they afraid of civil unrest due to election results? My money is on "both".

both with the civil unrest happening tomorrow night and
the attack happening who knows when IF ever

The air force can help by watching what is going on and informing the police or military on what is going on and who is the person causing it, etc. Those planes are also intimidating. Even police helicopters are good for crowd control once the spotlight on them is turned on. Not all police departments he helicopters and the military can help them. I know that both Miami Dade Police and the Broward County Sherrif's Office both are going to have their helicopters and fixed wing planes up but I don't know about the FBI yet.

Class group of people when you know win or lose, they will riot. Very comforting to know this.

Everyone I know that lives near a base has seen "an unusual amount of activity".

OK thanks for confirming my hunch, they are on alert for the election. The Air Force not for riots but in case, oh I don't know, North Korea launches a missile our way, something like that.