Propaganda Federal official calls marijuana growers dangerous terrorists

[Bajeda]

Drug czar gives warning

Federal official calls marijuana growers dangerous terrorists


Story Highlights The news: The nation’s drug czar says pot garden growers in the north state are terrorists.
What’s next: Anti-drug agencies plan to continue the blitz on gardens next week.



The nation's top anti-drug official said people need to overcome their "reefer blindness" and see that illicit marijuana gardens are a terrorist threat to the public's health and safety, as well as to the environment.


John P. Walters, President Bush's drug czar, said the people who plant and tend the gardens are terrorists who wouldn't hesitate to help other terrorists get into the country with the aim of causing mass casualties.


Walters made the comments at a Thursday press conference that provided an update on the "Operation Alesia" marijuana-eradication effort.


"Don't buy drugs. They fund violence and terror," he said.


After touring gardens raided this week in Shasta County, Walters said the officers who are destroying the gardens are performing hard, dangerous work in rough terrain. He said growers have been known to have weapons, including assault rifles.


"These people are armed; they're dangerous," he said. He called them "violent criminal terrorists."


Walters, whose official title is director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said too many people write off marijuana as harmless. "We have kind of a reefer blindness,' " he said.


No arrests have been made so far in the four days of raids, the opening leg of what Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko has promised will be at least two straight weeks of daily raids.


He said suspects have been hard to find because their familiarity with their terrain makes it easy for them to flee quickly.


Although crews doing the raids are using Black Hawk and other helicopters to drop in on some of the gardens, Bosenko said they don't want to give the growers any warning of a raid.


"We try to move in under stealth," he said.


As of Thursday morning, Operation Alesia raids had resulted in the yanking of 68,237 young marijuana plants from public lands in Shasta County. Raids already have been conducted in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, as well as on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service north of Lake Shasta and other public land near Manton.


The operation is being led by the sheriff's office and has involved 17 agencies, including the California National Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It's believed to be the largest campaign of its kind in the state, Bosenko said.


The operation is named after the last major battle between the Roman Empire and the Gauls in 52 B.C. That battle was won by the Romans.
With the blitz of marijuana gardens around Shasta County, Bosenko said officials hope to not only get rid of the pot, but also win back the land for the public that owns it.


"These organizations are destroying our lands and wildlife," he said.
Bernie Weingardt, regional forester for the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Region, said the 28,000 acres believed to house illegal marijuana grows on national forest land throughout the state would cost more than $300 million to revive.


"These lands must be cleaned and restored," he said.


His estimate is based on a National Park Service study that found it costs $11,000 per acre to pull the plants, clear irrigation systems, reshape any terracing and replant native vegetation, said Mike Odle, Forest Service spokesman.


While Walters didn't give specific goals for Operation Alesia, he said anti-drug agencies aim to cripple the organized crime groups that he said are behind the marijuana cultivation.


"This business we intend to put into recession, depression and put its leaders into jail," Walters said.

http://www.redding.com/news/2007/jul...gives-warning/


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Ok now this is just some ol' bullshit....

[SpaceCadetGlow]

typical.

[geophagus]

As SWIM recalls the Feds told us that the main goal of all terrorist was to instill fear?

Perhaps these growers/terrrorist are starting to charge rediculously high prices?

They sure know how to strike at SWIM's core fears. Those bastards/terrorist.

Reputation Comments on this post:

I've never heard anything so funny in my life! :)

[Heretic.Ape.]

Really trying to go for the prize in broadening the application of the word "terrorist". Looks like the US will be a fascist state before even my expectation.

[Kodi]

Wow, I just cant fathom how people who support these people consider themselves knowledgeable

[LeGalizeit]

here's the article.

[top]Drug czar gives warning

[top]Federal official calls marijuana growers dangerous terrorists

The nation's top anti-drug official said people need to overcome their "reefer blindness" and see that illicit marijuana gardens are a terrorist threat to the public's health and safety, as well as to the environment.
John P. Walters, President Bush's drug czar, said the people who plant and tend the gardens are terrorists who wouldn't hesitate to help other terrorists get into the country with the aim of causing mass casualties. Walters made the comments at a Thursday press conference that provided an update on the "Operation Alesia" marijuana-eradication effort.
"Don't buy drugs. They fund violence and terror," he said.
After touring gardens raided this week in Shasta County, Walters said the officers who are destroying the gardens are performing hard, dangerous work in rough terrain. He said growers have been known to have weapons, including assault rifles.
"These people are armed; they're dangerous," he said. He called them "violent criminal terrorists."
Walters, whose official title is director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said too many people write off marijuana as harmless. "We have kind of a reefer blindness,' " he said.
No arrests have been made so far in the four days of raids, the opening leg of what Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko has promised will be at least two straight weeks of daily raids.
He said suspects have been hard to find because their familiarity with their terrain makes it easy for them to flee quickly.
Although crews doing the raids are using Black Hawk and other helicopters to drop in on some of the gardens, Bosenko said they don't want to give the growers any warning of a raid.
"We try to move in under stealth," he said.
As of Thursday morning, Operation Alesia raids had resulted in the yanking of 68,237 young marijuana plants from public lands in Shasta County. Raids already have been conducted in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, as well as on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service north of Lake Shasta and other public land near Manton.
The operation is being led by the sheriff's office and has involved 17 agencies, including the California National Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It's believed to be the largest campaign of its kind in the state, Bosenko said.
The operation is named after the last major battle between the Roman Empire and the Gauls in 52 B.C. That battle was won by the Romans.
With the blitz of marijuana gardens around Shasta County, Bosenko said officials hope to not only get rid of the pot, but also win back the land for the public that owns it.
"These organizations are destroying our lands and wildlife," he said.
Bernie Weingardt, regional forester for the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Region, said the 28,000 acres believed to house illegal marijuana grows on national forest land throughout the state would cost more than $300 million to


revive.
"These lands must be cleaned and restored," he said.
His estimate is based on a National Park Service study that found it costs $11,000 per acre to pull the plants, clear irrigation systems, reshape any terracing and replant native vegetation, said Mike Odle, Forest Service spokesman.
While Walters didn't give specific goals for Operation Alesia, he said anti-drug agencies aim to cripple the organized crime groups that he said are behind the marijuana cultivation.
"This business we intend to put into recession, depression and put its leaders into jail," Walters said.
Reporter Dylan Darling can be reached at 225-8266 or at ddarling@redding.com.

[Alfa]

Well, at least they are not as dangerous as drug Czars.

[ninjasword71]

Holy shit, you mean SWISH knows terrorists personaly, dear god.

[fnord]

The nation's top anti-drug official said people need to overcome their "reefer blindness" and see that illicit marijuana gardens are a terrorist threat to the public's health and safety, as well as to the environment.



huh?how can plants be bad for the enviroment? is this in the us or some other place?

[Heretic.Ape.]

He was referring, I believe, to the damaged national parks.

[fnord]

i just dont see it as damageing,what are people doing exactly to our parks?are they striping out a bunch of trees or something?or are they just planting them in already open areas?

[Heretic.Ape.]

He's a drug czar, he'll try to tack any bad sounding alarmist statement he can think of to any sentence with marijuana in it

[Nacumen]

Planting marijuana on public land? Sounds like community-building volunteer work to me but I clearly have a different perspective than this buffoon.


I've always wondered how many of us would tolerate and/or support the government if they didn't spew out sensationalist bullshit like this at every turn.

But alas, it is how it is. I guess it's obvious then that the amount of people who are really agitated by this kind of thing are greatly outnumbered by the sheep that it wins over to its cause.

[rxbandit]

perhaps its dangerous to the enviroment because once the gardens are spotted they burn/pillage and salt the land... or just apply ridiculous amounts of pesticides. Do any growers really own assault rifles? And how is Americas biggest cash crop a terrorist affair. Domestic growers spending their money to stimulate the economy and by things they dont really need... that sounds like the american way to me. As for the 'reefer blindness' it seems this is a common official among law enforcement officers and goverment officials. It seems they are blind to the medicinal value, public endorsement of use and lack of danger.

[fnord]

Reporter Dylan Darling can be reached at 225-8266 or at HINT HINT ==> ddarling@redding.com.

anyone have a area code for this fellow?

[Nagognog2]

A large historic park in Massachusetts was scgeduled to be covered in asphalt and closed to the public after some pot plants were found growing out there. It was the Old Battle Road from 1775 where the Revolutionary War began.

How symbolic.

[The Doors]

Terror this, terrorist that, terrorism there... *yawn*

[Hadean]

Just remember kids, if you don't like someone, call em a terrorist. You don't need any proof or logic whatsoever, it'll still influence the masses like a charm. Got a problem with liberals? Call em terrorists (or terrorist sympathizers)! People growing plants in a private garden? Terrorists! Damned kids on your lawn again? Why, naturally, they're terrorists!

[Each Hit]

i am most terrified of the government. doesn't that make THEM the terrorists??