FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Two members of the press
claim they were harassed, intimidated, abused and arrested trying to
cover a military training exercise. The Army denies the charges.
Operation Last Dance, which began Feb. 8 and continued through
the weekend, conducted a large mock raid by members of the highly
trained elite Night Stalkers and Delta Force out of Fort Bragg, North
Carolina.
Criticism of the training event has centered around the use of
civilian locations, exposing innocent bystanders to the use of live
ammunition and explosives. The military has also been criticized for
not providing people in the area of the exercises with advance
warning. Many reported being badly frightened by what they thought
was a real battle.
The exercise conducted Thursday night took place on the Army
base, where the past concerns could be put to rest. The Night
Stalkers flew members of the Delta Force to an abandoned hospital on
the base, according to public affairs officer Phil Reidinger.
“There was a group of people, unidentified, who got into possession
of some classified material without a hand receipt,” Reidinger
explained to WorldNetDaily of the scenario for the exercise. “So
they came to get it. That’s what it was (laughing).
“You have to have some kind of scenario. We prepared the building.
We took out all the original windows in the building and put mock
windows up there so they could rappel off the roof and jump into
them like you see in the movies. And we took all the original doors
off and put plywood doors up so they could practice getting through
obstacles.”
Reidinger explained that the entire base was placed on a special
alert status, which was still in effect on Friday after the exercise
was over, but clean up was under way. That status was what got the
reporter and photographer in trouble.
“We’re still under a threat condition alpha, anti-terrorist status
right now, OK? So, since we are under a recognized, authorized
threatcon, then anyone who is taking pictures or doing whatever,
then the MPs have cause to question them. And that was their cause
for doing that,” explained Reidinger.
During the exercise itself, the media were permitted to observe the
event from a designated location controlled by Reidinger, or from
locations outside the base under the control of the local police.
Safety was given as the primary reason for controlling press access.
“For example. These troops were in night vision goggles using night
vision devices both in the aircraft and outside. So we had a no
light policy,” said Reidinger. Unlike previous exercises in Texas
towns, the local residents were given warning of what would
happen.
“We alerted the people in the neighborhoods around the post. We
alerted them that we were going to do the exercise. It was a lawn
chair and picnic basket event for them,” he said.
Reidinger confirmed that the same soldiers who had been conducting
training exercises in at least five different locations around
Corpus Christi were the ones who were involved in the Thursday night
event. He would not confirm that it was part of Operation Last
Dance, but he did not deny it either.
Alex Jones, talk show host from KJFK radio, had gone to the base
with his photographer, Mike Hanson to document what had happened.
Both men said the base was open to the public. No signs were posted
indicating there were any special restrictions, and there were no
security guards posted at the entrance.
Both men said there were many civilians in the area taking pictures
and looking around. They believe they were unfairly singled out, and
treated improperly.
“There’s these muscular guys walking around with short haircuts and
sunglasses, and there’s these guys on the roof who see us. Look
like spooks. They point at us. All of a sudden the MPs come
pulling up. Jump out. Run up,” described Jones.
“They run up and say, ‘National security.’ We set the camera down.
Then they grab the camera. Then they arrest Mike, and put him in the
back of the car,” he told WorldNetDaily.
“This is Fort Sam Houston. The home of Army medicine. This is not a
secure base. It’s wide open. There’s businesses in there and stuff.
It’s a medical area. It’s for retirees. There’s even a museum,” he
added.
“When they came up I turned the camera on them, like we usually do
on these kinds of stories,” described Hanson. “They said, ‘Turn the
camera off. Turn the camera off. This is national security. National
security.’
“If it’s national security, then why don’t they have guards at the
entrances,” asked Hanson.
“He got real mad and reached down and took the camera out of my hand
and started pushing on the eject button. He couldn’t get it. He was
so embarrassed that he couldn’t get it out of the machine that he
just threw the camera down and broke the cordless mike off of the
top.
“Then he said, ‘ Arrest him. Arrest him.’ That corporal, or whoever
he is, threw me on the ground and handcuffed me and started
searching me,” explained Hanson.
Jones claims Reidinger told him that the problems with the MPs
would not have taken place if Reidinger had been there from the
beginning. He did not arrive until about 30 minutes after the
incident began.
Reidinger confirmed what Jones said, but did not confirm the rough
treatment that Jones and Hanson reported. He also denied that either
of the men were placed under arrest. He said they were simply
detained.
“Right now I’m trying to get — Alex is cool — I’m trying to get
Mike to calm down,” explained Reidinger. “You know. Have a beer and
forget about it.
“Mike has a little press card on his belt. So that really
exacerbated the situation because the MPs saw that. And I wasn’t
there,” he admitted.
Both Jones and Hanson claim they were singled out, harassed, and
intimidated because they were members of the press. They say
Reidinger’s comments about the press card confirm that.
Hanson claims his camera was thrown to the ground, breaking his
wireless microphone. He says he was slammed into the ground, and his
face was pushed into the dirt while he was handcuffed. He said he
did nothing to provoke the action.
“They had the camera and the tape. I was not threat to them,”
complained Hanson.
He said he was thrown into the waiting police car and told he was
being arrested and would be taken to jail. He said one of the MPs
tried to coerce him many times.
“He said this about 10 times,” said Hanson. “He kept saying it. He
said, ‘Don’t force me to defend myself, boy.'” Hanson was handcuffed
so tightly the circulation to his hands was shut off, leaving him
with cuts and welts. He was also strapped into the seat of the car,
and the same MP suddenly slammed his fist against his neck,
pressing it to the side and back against the seat.
Hanson wondered how he could force someone to defend himself in such
a condition.
Reidinger would only say that he was not there and did not know what
happened.
Jones claimed that the tape was taken without their permission, and
that Reidinger forced $4 cash into his pocket over his objections as
compensation for the confiscated tape. Hanson said he believes he
was actually kidnapped and abused, not just arrested.
Reidinger claims the men were not arrested, stating instead that
they were detained. He insisted that there was no harsh treatment or
abuse involved.
By Friday afternoon Reidinger said he had reviewed the tape and
would return it to the two men, who would have to travel from Austin
to San Antonio to retrieve it.
“Hopefully I’ll get my $4 back,” Reidinger told WorldNetDaily.
“What’s more against our national security,” questioned a frustrated
Hanson as he discussed the contrast between the encounter he had
with MPs and the civilians endangered by live-fire exercises
during Operation Last Dance.
“These black helicopters are endangering our cities. I was down
there (Kingsville). These people are actually scared. Bombs going
off. Machine guns. Fires. I don’t understand why they think that
we’re criminals, but they can turn around and attack a civilian area
with no warning using live ammunition.
“I don’t understand how they can get away with this,” said Hanson.
David M. Bresnahan, a contributing editor for WorldNetDaily.com, is the author of “Cover Up: The Art and Science of Political Deception,” and offers a monthly newsletter “Talk USA Investigative Reports.”
He may be reached through email and also maintains a website.
Subscribe to feed