My Trip to a DHS Fusion Center…and How I Lived to Talk About It PDF | Print | E-mail

Written by Jim Capo

Friday, 10 April 2009 01:55

Fusion Center

A Google Earth view of the North Carolina Fusion Center.

Last week, to further the situation awareness of those in the freedom movement, I followed my own advice and visited my local Department of Homeland Security Fusion Center. This is my uncensored report. It is written in a “how-to” format for activists not willing to concede defeat to central government operatives in the battle for the hearts and minds of the 700,000 state and local law enforcement officers in our country.

Personal Disclosure Statement: Do I think these Fusion Center's unconstitutional? Yes. Do I think this Department of Homeland Security program should be abolished? Yes. Do I think the concept of integrating local law enforcement into a national security apparatus is a grave threat to our freedom? Yes. Do I work to meet with and influence my local Congressman even though I know he rarely votes in defense of my freedom? Yes. Do I meet with and seek good relations with members of the U.S. military even though I do not support my country's imperial wars of aggression around the globe? Yes. Do I think everyone will get the point I am trying to make here? No. But, maybe enough will.

North Carolina's Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAAC) is one of at least 57 sister Fusion Centers to the Missouri Information Awareness Center (MIAC), which recently brought the Fusion Center program of the Department of Homeland Security into the spotlight.

I began my quest for a meeting with my local fusion center with a Google search on the terms, “fusion center North Carolina.” The seventh match returned was a Sept 19th, 2006 press release from the Attorney General of North Carolina announcing the opening of the ISAAC Fusion Center.

The center is located in the Federal Building in downtown Raleigh a few blocks from the state legislature. I obtained my appointment at the ISAAC Center by stopping by the building and stating to the security guards that I wished to set up a meeting with the public liaison officer for ISAAC. After waiting for a few minutes, a young man in business casual street clothes arrived to meet with me on the public side of the security checkpoint. He gave me his name and that of the director for the center, Steele Myers. I made sure to clarify if that was, “Steel like iron fist or steal like theft?” He gave no indication that he recognized my attempt to suggest the irony there as he politely said, “Like the metal with an e at the end.” In exchange for his information, I provided my John Birch Society business card, a copy of the leaked MIAC report, a copy of The New American issue on Ali Mohamed — a real terrorist who has spent time in North Carolina — and a copy of The John Birch Society's DVD mailer EU: Could It Happen Here?

I explained that last summer the JBS DVD mailer on the North American Union (NAU) was sent to state legislators and law enforcement personnel around the country. On the cover of this mailer is our copyrighted rendition of an NAU flag. This is the same NAU flag that appears in the MIAC report telling law enforcement officers that discussion of the NAU is a red flag for a potential terrorist.

I told the fusion center staffer that the purpose of my requested meeting was to make official contact North Carolina's fusion center and discuss The John Birch Society's alarm that a federally funded operation would suggest that the viewpoints and activities of our organization could be considered a terrorist threat. Since the stated purpose of the fusion centers is the sharing of information among all the fusion centers, I emphasized that I wanted to make contact as soon as possible before the MIAC disinformation was spread to law enforcement officers in North Carolina. The staffer jotted down some notes, took all the materials I provided and assured me that they would get back to me promptly.

After letting two business days and a weekend pass without a response, I decided to follow up with a phone call to the number listed in the Attorney General's press release. I could only leave a message at the AG office on a recording machine. Whether it was this message or the work of my first visit, within the day I received a return phone call message and a confirming e-mail message from fusion center's director himself, Steele Myers. I followed up with an e-mail (below) detailing my purpose for seeking a meeting. Mr. Myers then set a date for our meeting a few days out. His official title as stated in his confirming email is, “Assistant Special Agent in Charge, NC ISAAC, State Bureau of Investigation.”

via - My Trip to a DHS Fusion Center…and How I Lived to Talk About It.