The Smoking Gun on Colorado Sheriff Training

Is it or isn’t it?

Editorial Comment by Red Statements Co-Founder Steven H Ahle

Original story on RedStatements

Both Homeland Security and the Colorado State Police have denied the story of distinguished 25 year veteran of the Prowers County Sheriff’s office, Ron Trowbridge.

The Department of Homeland Security denial reads as follows:

“The training referenced in the Undersheriff’s letter was not done in coordination with DHS and no DHS training materials were part of the prepared presentation,” the Homeland Security release read. “DHS provides law enforcement around the country with access to training that focuses on the behaviors and indicators of violent behavior, regardless of the ideology that may motivate it.”

Is that a fact?  In 2009 the DHS released a report to law enforcement agencies with the following two warnings:

(U)LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION NOTICE: This product contains Law Enforcement Sensitive (LES) information. No portion of the LES information

should be released to the media, the general public, or over non-secure Internet servers. Release of this information could adversely affect or jeopardize investigative activities.

(U)Warning: This document is UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (U//FOUO). It contains information that may be exempt from public release under the

Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). It is to be controlled, stored, handled, transmitted, distributed, and disposed of in accordance with DHS policy relating to

FOUO information and is not to be released to the public, the media, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know without prior approval of an authorized

DHS official. State and local homeland security officials may share this document with authorized security personnel without further approval from DHS.

So, if I understand this correctly, this was not meant to be made public.  Now what I want to do is print selected statements by Undersheriff Ron Trowbridge, then follow with sections of this memo.

Trowbridge:

Kluczynski’s assignment with the CSP was an Analyst for the Colorado Information Analysis Center, (CIAC).  CIAC is funded by Homeland Security funds and run by the CSP.  Kluczynski said he gets his information from the Department of Homeland Security.  Kluczynski said he was leaving the CSP at the end of that week (March 29, 2013) to begin his new career with Homeland Security.  I thought he was perfect for the job.

Trowbridge in an interview with the Blaze noted,”“He said he gets his information from Homeland Security — and it was on his PowerPoint,” he continued, noting that it seemed as though the Department of Homeland Security endorsed these ideologies.”

DHS MEMO (unedited)

http://www.wnd.com/images/dhs-rightwing-extremism.pdf

Trowbridge:

Kluczynski started off by saying there are probably some sovereign citizens in this room and gave a generalized list of those groups that have sovereign citizen views.  Among those groups, Kluczynski had listed, were those who believe America was founded on godly principles, Christians who take the Bible literally, and “fundamentalists”.  Kluczynski did not explain what he meant by “fundamentalists” but from the context it was clear he was referring again to those who took the Bible literally or “too seriously.”

DHS memo:

(U//LES) The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific

information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence,

but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about

several emergent issues. The economic downturn and the election of the first

African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and

recruitment.

Footnote from DHS Memo:

*(U) Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and

adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups),

and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or

rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a

single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration

Trowbridge:

“ Kluczynski even later questioned some of the troopers present if they were willing and prepared to confiscate “illegal” weapons if ordered to.”

DHS Memo:

(U) Legislative and Judicial Drivers

(U//FOUO) Many rightwing extremist groups perceive recent gun control legislation as a

threat to their right to bear arms and in response have increased weapons and ammunition

stockpiling, as well as renewed participation in paramilitary training exercises. Such

activity, combined with a heightened level of extremist paranoia, has the potential to

facilitate criminal activity and violence.

— (U//FOUO) During the 1990s, rightwing extremist hostility toward government

was fueled by the implementation of restrictive gun laws—such as the Brady Law

that established a 5-day waiting period prior to purchasing a handgun and the

1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that limited the sale of

various types of assault rifles—and federal law enforcement’s handling of the

confrontations at Waco, Texas and Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

Trowbridge:

“He had a list of groups of people who are likely or who are sovereign citizens. One was Christians and I don’t remember how he worded it, but it was Christians — but when he got to that part he said these are the people who take the Bible literally…these are the people who think that America was founded on Christian principles,” he continued.”

Does that not fit perfectly into what DHS says in their footnote?

Trowbridge: ” Kluczynski explained why he believed these groups were dangerous saying they were angry over the election of a black president.”

DHS Memo:

(U//LES) Rightwing extremists have capitalized on the election of the first

African American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new

members, mobilize existing supporters, and broaden their scope and appeal

through propaganda, but they have not yet turned to attack planning.

Trowbridge:

“When someone in the group suggested the failing economy was probably much more to blame, Kluczynski intimated that those who are not going along with the changes in America will need to be controlled by law enforcement”

DHS Memo:

(U) Exploiting Economic Downturn

(U//FOUO) Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the

economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors,

and home foreclosures. Anti-Semitic extremists attribute these losses to a deliberate

conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish “financial elites.” These “accusatory” tactics

are employed to draw new recruits into rightwing extremist groups and further radicalize

those already subscribing to extremist beliefs. DHS/I&A assesses this trend is likely to

accelerate if the economy is perceived to worsen.

Now, after reading Undersheriff Ron Trowbridge’s letter and the corresponding DHS memo, how could you possibly take their denial seriously?  Especially when we look at other training sessions held around the country.  Let’s begin with training of reserves in Pennsylvania and what their trainer told them about domestic terrorism.

You will notice this list includes Christians, Catholics and Mormons as domestic terror threats.  They also attribute the democratic founded KKK on Christians.  When presented this evidence, the Army claimed they had nothing to do with the preparation of this talk.  Later, it was claimed that this information was pulled from the Southern Poverty Law Center.  The SPLC categorically denied they made any of the materials used in the training or had posted anything similar to this list.  And that their organization has never listed Christians or Christian groups as extremist.  So where did the information come from?  (The DHS memo?)  The information certainly does fit.  And notice it does not include Muslims in the US but does name Americans with “Islamphobia”  Would that include President Barack Obama who has used drones to kill US born Muslim extremists?

I would like to mention one further example of government training which blasts Christians as extremists.  Hold onto your hats folks, this gets a bit spicy.  This is from FEMA training”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPg9MdN9Gio

Could I be mistaken?  Is this all coincidental and not a concerted effort to demonize Christians and paint them as extremists, so that they can dismiss them on abortion, gun control, the economy and just about everything under the sun?  Perhaps.  And maybe OJ really did try to locate the real killers of Ron and Nichole.

And what about the comments made by the Colorado State Police?  They are not only vague, but they don’t seem to coincide.  They say that the information did not come from Homeland Security, but they also say they don’t know where the lesson came from and whether the trainer made it up himself.  This reminds me of a Hillary quote, “”Despite what I view is your rather extraordinary efforts in your testimony both yesterday and today, I think that the reports that you provide to us really require a willing suspension of disbelief.”

Indeed.  We have to believe that the Department of Homeland Security, as part of the Obama administration, pays for this program without demanding oversight on the program or what is taught.  We also have to believe that the Colorado State Police who administers the program, paid no attention to what law enforcement officers were taught.  If that is true, wouldn’t that be considered nonfeasance on their part, regardless of what was being taught?  Or is this part of the DHS memo, that is excepted from the FOIA?  Material not to be shared with the media or private citizens?

To believe Homeland Security and the Colorado State Police, you have to accept the fact than Undersheriff Ron Trowbridge, who is not a political junkie, would be willing to ruin his spotless 25 year record to step forward and make the claims he has, risking ridicule, intimidation, and repudiation, and for what?  Nothing.  He has nothing to gain, but Homeland Security and the Colorado State Police have much to lose.  Now you decide for yourself.