[taken from the BBC website, Associate Press Reports
and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer]:
Culture of silence
Fort Bragg - America's largest military base - is surrounded by
gun shops and strip joints, the trappings of a macho military
culture with a heady mix of weapons and women. The details of
some of the murders are gruesome. Master Sergeant William Wright
is alleged to have strangled his wife, Jennifer, then wrapped
her lifeless body in a parachute and buried it in dense woodland
nearby. The North Carolina base is the home and training ground
of the US Army's Special Forces - the men who perform the Pentagon's
dirty work in trouble-spots around the globe. Soldiers here claim
to be the bravest and the best - the first into battle, and often
the last to leave. You can almost taste the testosterone in the
air. Abusive husbands Sergeant First Class Brandon Floyd, a member
of Delta Force - the famed D-Boys - is alleged to have shot his
wife, Andrea, and then turned the gun on himself. But they point
to a larger problem which affects the entire US military - a male-dominated
environment where violence against women has been swept under
the carpet for decades. They talk of military chiefs reluctant
to prosecute cases of domestic abuse because those found guilty
lose their right to carry guns - making them useless as soldiers.
two to five times that of the civilian population, Then there's
Rigoberto Nieves who apparently killed his wife, Theresa, in the
bedroom of their family home, shooting her in the head with a
40 caliber pistol and then committing suicide. It will be years
be fore the nation sees green - the lowest threat level- because
terrorism may be 'a permanent condition' in America, Ridge said.
Washington (AP) - the Army will send a team of
medical experts to Fort Bragg, N.C., next week to study a wide
range of health-related issues that might explain a series of
domestic killings. The Army said in a written statement... focus
mainly on the possibility of a... anti-malaria medication. 'Contrary
to news reports speculations.... anti-malaria prophylaxis/medication...
local medical and unit/installation... (continues with story on
World Health Organization investigation) 'The focus is so geared
towards keeping the soldier happy and not doing anything to disturb
his peace,' she says. U.S. on alert Alert levels
The five levels of terrorism alerts outlined
by the Office of Homeland Security, as well as recommended government
and private sector responses.
Green: Low risk of terrorist attacks. Refine and exercise planned
protective measures. Ensure emergency personnel receive training.
Assess facilities for vulnerabilities and take measures to reduce
them.
Blue: Guarded condition. General risk of terrorist attack. Check
communications with designated emergency response or command locations.
Review and update emergency response procedures. Provide the public
with necessary information.
Yellow: Elevated condition. Significant risk of terrorist attacks.
Increase surveillance of critical locations. Coordinate emergency
plans with nearby jurisdictions. Assess further refinement of
protective measures within the context of the current threat information.
Implement, as appropriate, contingency and emergency response
plans.
Orange: High risk of terrorist attacks. Coordinate necessary security
efforts with armed forces or law enforcement agencies. Take additional
precaution at public events. Prepare to work at an alternative
site or with a dispersed work force. Restrict access to essential
personnel only.
Red: Severe risk of terrorist attacks. Assign emergency response
personnel and preposition specially trained teams. Monitor, redirect
or constrain, transpiration systems. Close public and government
facilities.