Jason Douglass, Rob Dew, Jason Bermas
Infowars
September 23, 2009
Editor’s Note: This is a rush report to protect our reporters on the ground. It is an integration of multiple first person accounts from Jason Douglass, Rob Dew and Jason Bermas. Paul Watson, at PrisonPlanet.com, posted a link to DefenseLink stating that more than 2,000 Army, Air Force and National Guard troops were massing at a National Guard refueling station in the suburb of Pittsburgh in preparation for riot control. So we did what any news company would do– we sent our reporters to the base to request to speak to their press spokesperson. The following secret police oppression then occurred. Infowars reporter Jason Douglass gave Alex Jones in Austin, Texas the phone number that the agent called his cell phone from. Alex called the number and discovered that it was the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department in Pennsylvania. A man who would only identify himself as Officer Wateska admitted to Infowars.com that he had posed as an Alamo rental car representative and offered Jason Douglass two free days of rental if he would trade the car in. The Infowars crew would then have been taken into custody by a Joint-Terrorism Task Force. The officer also confirmed that Jason Douglass’ name and Driver’s License information taken from the rental car company computers was being forwarded into the suspected terrorists database, and that it was being investigated as a potential case of terrorist activity. Officer Wateska went on to say that the Army had filed a report with them stating that Infowars crew members had refused to provide information to Army personnel and had “fled the scene”– that is a complete lie.
The reporters from Infowars went to the front gate and requested to speak with the information officer. Minutes later, another soldier arrived and told them that he would get them a media spokesman after they showed their credentials. The Infowars crew showed him the credentials. The officer then laughed at them and said, ‘These are not G20 credentials’ and then wanted to speak to their boss in Austin. Rob Dew then called Alex Jones. For approximately five minutes, Alex then heard everything said over the cell phone as Rob Dew tried in vain to give it to the Army representative. The officer laughed at them and said, ‘You’re free lance media; you might be able to talk to our public relations officer tomorrow if you come back.’ Alex says that he was ’shocked’ by how arrogant and hateful the soldier sounded, and that he was talking aggressively to the reporters. It is clear that the Army is attempting to frame us as they did in Brooksville, Florida in 1999. Mainstream media has reported that the Army surveilled ‘End the Fed’ protests, Ron Paul, Alex Jones and listed them as terrorists. DHS reports that Infowars.com have broken that the military and police have been trained to believe that red-blooded Americans are their main enemy. Reporters politely request that they be able to speak to the Army’s media representative, which is standard operating procedure and they are made the subject of a Homeland Security terror investigation. Alex wants the lying so-called authorities to know that the American people are aware of their criminal activities; the American people are aware of the police provacoteuring violence all across the United States at protest events, and that if they attempt to frame or entrap any of our reporters, they are going to be slapped by civil rights RICO suits that will dwarf the legal actions that stopped their criminal operations in the 1960s and 1970s.
Statement from Alex Jones: This is not some Third World country where you can mow down and enslave a bunch of starving people. The ghost of what this great country once was is rising. I know what you are and what you do– you practice lies, deceit and murder. You love the death you deal out to innocent people. Well know this, your masters inject you with cancer-filled vaccines everyday– all you New World Order servants drink deeper from the feted cup that you pour out on the people. You curse yourself, your family name and everything this great Republic ever stood for. How dare you try to frame good, decent, First Amendment reporters. I pray that God soften your hearts and that you become good, decent people once again, and not a bunch of arrogant control freaks on power trips. I know that you’re just spoiling to bring in full tyranny upon this nation– but the American people are waking up to who and what you are. The majority of your commanders have completely given themselves over to true evil, but I know that Ron Paul received more contributions from the military than any other presidential candidate, and I know the good soldiers are with us, and that they know what’s happening. There is a hostile corporate takeover taking place in the United States. Foreign offshore banks have created tens of trillions of dollars in fiat derivatives and used it to fraudulently buy our country. The FBI, the military and local police may have been brainwashed that those of us who are telling the truth are bad, but nobody’s buying it. A change is coming, but not the one the social engineers had planned on.
Statement from the Reporters: At 8:30PM on the eve of the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, PA, I received a call from a police officer pretending to be from Alamo car rental. During the initial course of the conversation, the supposed Alamo customer service agent tells me that the car I am driving has bad brakes and needs to be serviced.
The "agent" baits me with a promise of several free days on the rental, if I would take the car in and exchange it for another rental. After explaining to the agent that we were stuck in downtown Pittsburgh, in the heart of the G20 control zone, and security has closed the streets to all traffic but pedestrians, I then offered to bring the rental car in once I knew what the schedule was for the road closures.
Once he realized that I wasn’t going to bring the car in and their trap would go unsprung, the tactics immediately changed and he divulged that he wasn’t in fact from Alamo but worked for the military as part of an anti-terrorism task force. I could barely wrap my mind around what was happening, still stuck on the previous cover story.
Officer Wateska, as he later identified himself, then began to explain that the car I had rented was recently seen at a military installation and had failed to provide proper identification when asked. He then insinuated that the occupants of the car had turned around and fled, leaving their identity in question. Having no idea what to say and still reeling from the previous lies, I remained silent for a moment. He further explained that the military feared we may be terrorists and had released my name to the FBI and told me that I would be placed on an FBI watch list. Furthermore, he explained that the car was now flagged, and if spotted, would be pulled over and we would be detained. It was then implied that I was now on a list and that if I didn’t cooperate, he insinuated bad things would come of it. Even though I was being a very good sport about the whole thing, veiled threats were being made and I felt the grasp of our far too empowered military closing its fist.
In the end, the alleged events of 9/11 have given our government carte blanche to do anything they think is necessary. As long as they can make the leap to terrorism– and in their minds everything is potentially terrorism– they can justify almost any action including asking questions. All their actions are justified under the veil of National Security. Each day we slip further and further into the police state.
Below is the first hand account of Rob Dew and Jason Bermas following up on a report that 2,500 troops were stationed right outside Pittsburgh for the G-20:
Rob Dew and I pulled up to the gates of the 171st Airborne Division in Coraopolis, Pa. Rob then asked the armed guard at the gate if he could confirm the report that U.S. troops were going to be deployed in Pittsburgh for the G-20. The guard said he could not comment; Rob then asked if they could speak to a PR spokesperson.
The guard told us to park in the side lot and they would contact someone. Rob and I then pulled to the side of the road as instructed and waited for a military representative who was supposed to answer our questions. Instead when he arrived, he was not satisfied with our credentials. We spoke with him on and off for around 10 minutes and he was still unsatisfied with our credentials even after taking Rob Dew’s press pass, making some calls, and talking with other members of the military. He then told us that he would not answer our questions and if we wanted to return with better credentials the next morning he would answer our questions. He then gave us his contact information and we left.
Upon leaving another car was parked sideways on the other side of the street, waited for us to pass, and then proceeded to follow us for one exit, and then departed. We arrived back at the hotel to meet with Jason Douglass. As we were leaving the hotel room Jason received a call from the unknown number.
L.M. SIXEL
Houston Chronicle
September 21, 2009
Houston Chronicle
September 21, 2009
With some hospitals requiring their workers to have seasonal flu shots and even more considering it, a big question looms: Can employers do that?
Like many cutting-edge — and complicated — workplace trends, the answer isn't a simple yes or no. With so much in life, it all depends on details like whether the shots are job-related and are indeed a business necessity.
“I think they can,” said Andrew Golub, an employment lawyer who represents mostly individuals with Dow Golub Remels & Beverly in Houston, referring to health care providers who are telling their employees to roll up their sleeves.
In Houston, The Methodist Hospital and the Hospital Corporation of America have imposed new mandatory requirements for employee flu shots. However, both allow exemptions for those with medical or religious restrictions.
While both Methodist and HCA said they considered the legal ramifications before rolling out their programs, there's not much in the way of legal guidance for companies hoping to keep the flu at bay.
The only case Golub could find involves a hospital that required its union-represented employees to have flu shots. In that case, the court ruled the injections should be part of the collective bargaining process and that the hospital couldn't just impose them on employees. But that's a union setting, said Golub, which isn't as common in Texas as it is in other parts of the nation.
Health care employers can also argue they have an overriding public health interest — coupled with a legitimate business interest — to require the shots, said Sean M. Becker, an employment lawyer who represents management at Vinson & Elkins. However, he pointed out, hospitals would need to consider exceptions for employees who can't have the shots.
Public policy is already moving in that direction, he said, pointing to a new rule by New York's State Department of Health requiring most health care workers to get flu shots. And California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently issued regulations requiring employers to protect workers from airborne diseases like the flu such as providing respirators and flu shots.
And, Becker noted, the shots don't seem to violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Employers aren't asking for protected medical information or requiring medical tests like a blood draw, he said.
It's a preventive measure, he said. It's not a medical exam.
But to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the answer isn't so definitive. Especially if the employee isn't involved with direct patient contact, said EEOC regional attorney Jim Sacher, who argues it would be harder for an employer to argue it's a matter of public safety for billing clerks to get the shot.
A company would also have to prove that an employee's refusal to wear a mask or take a shot poses a direct threat, he said. It's a high standard, and typically isn't hypothetical but serious, very likely to occur and have serious consequences.
Then there's the question of whether a flu shot is truly voluntary, he said. A company would be hard-pressed to prove it's voluntary if the employee who refuses the shot faces disciplinary action.
But at this point it's hard to say how the agency or judges will view mandatory shots because it's so new, said Sacher, adding that he isn't aware of any complaints to the EEOC.
That brings up another issue: What if employers that aren't in health care — say, a department store chain — decide to require flu shots, figuring that it's cheaper than paying sick employees to stay home?
It's reasonable, said Mary Jean Geroulo, a lawyer who represents hospitals, physicians and other health care providers with Stewart Stimmel in Dallas.
But would it survive a legal challenge?
“I don't know,” said Geroulo, a former hospital administrator. Employers have a right to create policies like dress codes, but they wouldn't have as powerful a justification for mandatory flu shots as a hospital.
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