More on the Fort Jackson Story
[Guest post by DRJ]
Erick Stakelbeck has more on the Fort Jackson story Patterico introduced earlier today:
“According to [Army CID spokesman Christopher] Gray, the Army is investigating allegations that a group of soldiers from the 09 Lima program (more on that later in this post) at Fort Jackson–which is based in South Carolina–had talked about poisoning food in the base’s mess hall. The men were questioned about two months ago, around Christmas. Gray said that to protect the integrity of the investigation, he could not comment further. He stressed that the investigation is “open and continuing.”
CBN News also spoke to a Department of Homeland Security official with knowledge of the investigation who wished to remain anonymous. The official confirmed that the investigation was ongoing and said that someone in the Lima 09 program overheard five Muslim colleagues talking about poisoning food at the base. The person then reported the men, who were brought in for questioning.”
At the link, Stakelbeck has some background on the 09 Lima program and wonders if the 5 men are U.S. citizens. He also quotes an anti-terrorism consultant who believes Congress should be asking why this story is only becoming public now.
H/T red.
— DRJ
More on the 09 Lima program from an internal link in the article.
the author of that must be ok: he too was an 11 Bravo…… %-)
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 2/19/2010 @ 5:59 pmIt makes the whole don’t ask don’t tell conundrum what is so puzzling to our Hot Air friends look a little silly.
happyfeet (713679) — 2/19/2010 @ 6:22 pmAlso did you know that there aren’t any hummingbirds native to Asia?
True fact.
happyfeet (713679) — 2/19/2010 @ 6:53 pmHummingbirds were unique to the western hemisphere as Columbus men thought they were large bees.
The early reports I saw said they were in an ESL program and spoke Arabic.
Mike K (2cf494) — 2/19/2010 @ 6:58 pmIt took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that it wasn’t the hummingbirds or Columbus’ men what were in an ESL program.
happyfeet (713679) — 2/19/2010 @ 7:02 pmso it must be you….. once you master it, you can teach Smiley, imdw…… %-)
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 2/19/2010 @ 8:48 pmJ.C. Penney doesn’t sell bowties in their stores anymore, either.
nk (db4a41) — 2/20/2010 @ 4:48 amThat’s an old story, recruting immigrants. We paid $50.00 per man, and passage, to Irishmen to fight in the Civil War.
nk (db4a41) — 2/20/2010 @ 7:39 am*to come over* and fight in the Civil War
nk (db4a41) — 2/20/2010 @ 7:40 amWe paid $50.00 per man, and passage, to Irishmen to fight in the Civil War.
What has been lost over time was that the recruiters billed the war as the Second Whiskey Rebellion in a cynical strategy to sign up even more of the mercenarily inclined.
political agnostic (5a04fe) — 2/20/2010 @ 11:17 amFood service at Fort Jackson is provided by a civilian contract firm: the contract firm employees are not permitted to speak to basic trainees except for the necessary conversations concerning what the soldiers want for food. When my older daughter was in BCT, one of the DFAC workers was in trouble because a trainee engaged her in more extended conversation when he was trying to get cigarettes; the trainee himself was restarted. SPC Pico said that she had heard that the DFAC employee kept her job.
At any rate, it would be pretty difficult for an 09 Lima to actually be able to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson. When I think back on some of the weird conversations I had back in college, heck, I could have been a terrorist or a conspirator, too! (One conversation concerned whether it was possible to trigger a tsunami that could wipe out San Diego by triggering a hydrogen bomb underwater.)
By the way, the food at Jackson is really pretty good. And our younger daughter leaves for Fort Jackson on June 22nd.
The Army daddy Dana (474dfc) — 2/20/2010 @ 2:40 pm