Vance International -- Shrub/CHEENEE's Stormtroopers

[UTUSN]

via Buzzflash.

*******QUOTE*******

http://www.dailykos.com/section/bush_admin

.... Vance International may not be familiar to a lot of people, but they should be, because they are the Pinkertons of our era. Vance was founded and until recently run by Chuck Vance, a former Secret Service agent who at one time was married to Gerald Ford's daughter. Vance used his Secret Service background in security and investigation to specialize in providing security during labor disputes. From the strikes at Pittston Coal, to Caterpillar, to Detroit Newspapers, if there was violence on the picket line of a high-profile strike, it was most likely provoked by the maladjusted ex-soldiers, angry cop wanna-be's, and CIA rejects who wear the jack-boots of Vance's Asset Protection Team:

Asset protection isn't Vance's only business. They provide executive protection, investigate current and prospective employees, and consult on security matters for corporations, governments and wealthy individuals around the world. (They've just opened an office in--you guessed it--Iraq.) But George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their families and top aides already received protection from a pretty good outfit known as the Secret Service.

So, here's the question to the Bush campaign: What possible legitimate use do you have for a firm that specializes in high-tech surveillance, personal investigations, and paramilitary protection? ....

...a security firm, especially one with such an unsavory record for being associated with violence during labor disputes. It's possible there is a very simple and reasonable answer, but it would be nice to see someone ask the question. This time it might happen, in part because some of Vance's most heavy-handed incidents have been against members of the Newspaper Guild, some of whom were among the 61 Detroit newspaper strikers in the mid-1990's who were "attacked or injured by scabs, security guards, or police...The injured include 15 who have been run over by cars and 19 or 20 who were assaulted." Vance was also called in on the Seattle newspaper strike a few years later, by which time the company learned to tighten Vance's leash and the strikers knew about the Vance goons' bite. And it's not just Detroit and Seattle journalists who know about Vance' role on picket lines; in 1997 the Columbia Journalism Review published an analysis of the Detroit strike written by Mike Hoyt, CJR's executive editor, and NPR's Don Gonyea, whose beat included organized labor before he became NPR's White House correspondent. Surely Mr. Gonyea, a good reporter who has seen first-hand the Vance goons in actions on several occasions, might be at least a wee bit curious about this? ....

********UNQUOTE*******

[seventhson]

1. Thanks UTUSN!!! One of the plans of the Bush Fascist World Order

is to privatize all corporate warfare so that it is no longer under the jurisdiction of Congress.

The slugs and worms who occasionally disinform and blackop at this site are paid by these corporate war monsters and if we are not mentally prepared for their corruption we will be more easily victimized.

The new fascist right under the Bushes, Nixon, Rockefeller, Kissinger et al have been in the operational stages of this since their Hitler operation failed to succeed militarily and their operations had to slither into the hole of corporate business as usual.

But the political wing of this fascist power has been steadily developing its power and strength (even under Clinton) to consolidate its power in the porivate hands of the death merchants and mercenaries.

The Intelligence community is fully aware of this but is being cynically manipulated by the Bush Fascist World Order team so that anyone who resists is ousted and put on a death watch.

I would say that the only hope for democracy lies in the courage of the few politicians, journalists and intelligence leaders and operators who are willing to call this fascist spade a fascist spade.

Mussollini said it best: that Fascism is really corporatism.

By privatizing military and political ops globally the BFEE does not need the people of the United States or any other country to get away with mass murder and genocide.

If we do not SEE this as it is occurring how can we ever hope to protect Democracy from them?

[UTUSN]

2. Anybody Protesting in NYC, Pls Take Care n/t

[seventhson]

3. This information deserves our utmost attention

One of the reasons I generally remain anonymous on this site is that I was the victim of threats which came after I did a news report as a journalist on these private armies operating in the third world illegally and without Congressional approval (although paid for with US funds).

Other research i had done on illegal collaboration by the BFEE with terrorists (particularly the Nazis and Saudis) also got me threats.

The threats I took seriously.

The conclusion I reached was that it was these private operators (not official cointelpro type operations) who were doing the threats. People in government WERE involved, but the actual threats were NON governmental off-the-shelf nontraceable operations.

It is not just warfare. It is political psyops and blackops that these guys run for the BFEE and their cronies.

It deserves ourt full attention and is the greatest threat to freedom and democracy on the planet. More dangerous IMHO by a factor of 10 than Al Qaeda: the destruction of our government from within destabilizes the planet and causes mass death and chaos and suffering.

Muslims do not want global conquest. The BFEE does.

[seventhson]

4. Anyone else find this info disturbing or did you know about it already

I am surprised that there is so little comment about this.

[UTUSN]

5. Threadkilling Is My Middle Name, Between the "T" and the "U" n/t

[starroute]

6. Vance is part of a larger organization, Decision Strategies

I just did a little Googling, and found that Vance was acquired a year and a half ago by something called Decision Strategies:

CHARLOTTE, NC – October 15, 2002 – SPX Corporation (NYSE:SPW) today announced that it has acquired Vance International, Inc. of Oakton, Virginia. Vance is a leading provider of executive protection, uniformed security and asset protection services and will become part of the company’s Security & Investigations business.

<snip>

Under the Vance trade name, SPX Security & Investigations will focus on protection services and security consulting, while the Decision Strategies name will continue its industry leading position in corporate investigations, business intelligence and digital security.

http://www.decision-strategies.com/pdf/VANCE.pdf


The Baghdad office is being run by both Vance and SPX:

Oakton, VA (December 4, 2003) - SPX Security and Investigations (S&I), a unit of SPX Corporation, today announced that it has opened an office in Baghdad, Iraq, as "DS Vance Iraq." This enables Decision Strategies (DS) and Vance International, the two premier security and investigative companies that comprise the S&I unit, to provide critical services such as business intelligence, close protection, and security training to companies and individuals doing business in Iraq.

Charles Blackmore, head of UK and European business for the two companies, is leading the team in Iraq. Mr. Blackmore has experience in emerging markets, such as Pakistan, Russia and Southern Africa, and as a counter-terrorism expert for the British Army where he served in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Blackmore has assembled an impressive team in Iraq that includes Simon Stannard, a 15-year veteran of the British Army who also served for 8 years as a Superintendent in the Singapore Police Force, and, more recently, as the regional head for the security services group of a global security firm in Asia. Mr. Stannard is the DS Vance Iraq Country Manager.

http://www.decision-strategies.com/whatsnew_baghdad.htm


Charles Blackmore seemed like a figure of interest, so I looked a little further and found this:

Blackmore brings experience of M & A work at J P Morgan, corporate finance at Robert Fleming, and operational experience at Jardine Fleming in Pakistan. He has expertise in financial markets from Pakistan to Russia and Southern Africa. He has served as a soldier (Royal Green Jackets, Gurkhas) in the Far East, Middle East, Northern Ireland, and became a British Army expert on counter-terrorism in the new world order. And he has crossed some of the most dangerous wildernesses on earth, retracing the steps of Lawrence of Arabia across 800 miles of Jordanian desert. He masterminded the first crossing of the "Desert of Death" the Taklamakan Desert in China (1993-94). He says dryly: "I like a challenge and I travel well." He has written about both journeys (The Worst Desert on Earth, John Murray, 2000)

<snip>

"These unique skills make him ideal for us at Decision Strategies," U.S. CEO Drew McKay said. "Our markets in competitive intelligence, business security, due diligence and financial investigations are changing faster than ever before. We need people like Charles who are adaptable and have the interdisciplinary skills we need to move forward. The old rules no longer apply." Decision Strategies has shaken up its London office with this in mind, and has added new expertise, products and services in competitive intelligence and investigation.


I don't know what to make of all this -- but any press release that manages to include both "the new world order" and " 'The old rules no longer apply.' " makes me as nervous as hell. Who are these guys, anyway?

[seventhson]

7. That is EXACTLY the Weird thing!

Thanks for responding with this.

I am nervous even to go to any of their websites. But such is life now that the gates of hell have been opened.

Fascists have little use for pacifists like me - and I figure they figure that we are pushovers.

Reality is that force and evil have NO power over love and truth.

But still --
I appreciate your digging.

I imagine that there are decent and indecent people in some of these corporations. But when the corporate entity becomes a tool of the corrupt like the BFEE we MUST be cynical, critical and observant.

We must also do our homework.

Thanks

I started another thread on this in GDElection2004, but no one seems too interested it seems.

Is it naivete or fear or burnout?

[starroute]

9. The next question is, "What is SPX Corporation?"

Until a couple of years ago, they seem to have been just a big global technology company -- and for the most part, they still are. But in 2002 they acquired Integrated Security Systems and Vance International, followed in 2003 by IDenticard Systems.

The principal activity of the SPX Corporation, according to the USA Today profile, is "to provide technical products, industrial products and services, flow technology and service solutions. The Group's collection of products include networking and switching products, fire detection and building life-safety products, TV and radio broadcast antennas and towers, life science products, transformers, cooling towers and air filtration products and also provides specialty service tools, diagnostic systems, service equipment and technical information services. These products are used in industries including chemical processing, pharmaceutical, infrastructure and power generation. In 2002, it acquired Integrated Security Solutions, Inc. and Vance International, Inc. and in 2003, IDenticard Systems, Inc. & IDenticam Systems Canada Ltd., Brookstone Telecom and GenMech Aerospace.

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=SPX_Corporation


Charlotte, N.C. (Feb. 10, 2003) PRNewswire-FirstCall-- SPX Corporation (NYSE: SPW) today announced that its Edwards Systems Technology business has acquired IDenticard Systems, Inc. and IDenticam Systems Canada Ltd. Together, IDenticard and IDenticam have annual revenues of approximately $30 million.

Jay Twombly, President of Edwards Systems Technology, said, "We are leveraging our leadership in fire protection systems to provide total building solutions. IDenticard's patented contactless Smart Card and Access Control technologies combined with our Synergy™ Integrated Life Safety System and the access control technology from our recent acquisition of ISS Integrated Security Solutions have provided us with the technology, expertise, and distribution channels for complete access control solutions encompassing enterprise-wide, fully integrated and stand alone applications.


http://www.identicard.com/news/spx.htm


Are they just looking to make money, or does somebody have an agenda?

[starroute]

10. And here's a page listing the services offered by DS Vance Iraq

http://www.iraqitradecenter.com/companies/?inc=comvw&coid=162

2. Security & Crisis Management

We can deploy a variety of specialist teams to serve and protect personnel and assets. Our international specialists and/or local security staff provide the following range of security services:

Executive close protection (CP) and crisis response.

Executive escort – cross border from Jordan or Turkey into and out of Iraq

Convoy protection – specialists for cross border and in-country convoys

<snip>

5. OPERATIONAL STRATEGY

DS Vance Iraq has a strategic local partnership that enables us to provide:

Support and sponsorship from key decision makers connected to and working in the Governing Council of Iraq

Business intelligence - unique local knowledge and connections in Iraq

Security intelligence – direct access to confidential intelligence sources


One more time -- who the hell *are* these guys?

[Karenina]

11. Inquiring minds want to know!

:kick:

[SpiralHawk]

8. "the old rules do not apply"

Indeed, thanks for this valuable reality check UTUSN and 7thSon.

It is a bitter truth to swallow -- but it is staring us in the face.

Yet, this too shall pass. And I expect it to pass sooner than any of the BushCo cronies could ever imagine.

Meegwich, SH