“We just cut the head of the snake off. They will be in disarray for quite a while. We should just go ahead and go in and get the rest of the traitors, including that cantankerous old Texas Ranger,” answered Tibbs. “We still have Capt. Abner on the line from the Truman. I suggest we adjourn so I can brief the president. The Joint Chiefs here can instruct the captain’s next steps. And I want those remains brought to D.C. Is that understood?” declared Tibbs loudly.
It was not lost on Gen. Herrera that he had just conducted the first military action against an American state since Lincoln ordered troops to march on the South in 1860. He knew all too well that resulted in the bloodiest conflict in American history. He also believed the administration was underestimating the resolve Texans would have when they knew their governor had died at the hands of federal agents on Texas soil.
The partisan political divisions that had stymied Congress and created deep-rooted resentment of Americans against Americans on a regional, political and racial basis was very real and growing, especially since the Sally assassination attempt.
America, already as divided as it had been since the Civil War, was boiling below the surface. Any significant event could be the crack that could precipitate another bloody civil calamity.
Chapter 20
“Decency, security, and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen…. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.”
~ Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis (1856-1941)
First Jewish Supreme Court Judge
Chuck Dixon’s phone rang at 6:17 a.m. the morning of the raid. He had just gotten out of the shower and his phone was lying next to the sink where he started to shave. He answered.
“Chuck, this is Mitch. Something has happened in San Antonio!”
“What are you hearing?” asked Chuck, putting down the razor.
“The San Antonio airport and Lackland have been bombed!”
“Holy crap! What the heck is going on?”
“I’ve been flipping channels trying to find out more but news is all over the place. There’s news of downed aircraft and now I just heard Corpus Christi and Brownsville airports were also attacked!” said Mitch.
“They had to be coming after the governor. What did they hit?” asked Chuck.
“Apparently, the air traffic control towers and radar facilities. They even hit Lackland and took out some Air Wing fighters. I’m getting some firsthand reports from some Tea Party folks in north San Antonio.”
“Sounds like they are trying to take out radar facilities for a raid or an attack of some kind. Did they hit Austin?” Chuck said.
“No, apparently Austin wasn’t touched.”
“Time to go nocturnal,” suggested Chuck.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
Nocturnal was the code word that various Tea Party and militia patriot groups throughout Texas had adopted when imminent danger from the feds was identified. The security leaks from the NSA had exposed the fact that the NSA, along with numerous other agencies such as the FBI, ATF and CIA had complete access to American citizens’ emails, text messages and phone calls. The ability to communicate without the potential of government eavesdropping was now nearly impossible. To make matters worse, if a citizen or group was classified in any way as an enemy of the administration, the feds used the NDAA and the Patriot Act to violate Americans’ constitutionally protected right to privacy and undue searches and seizures.
Chuck and millions of others had always wondered how Congress and the rest of American citizens could be so blasé about allowing such a blatant transgression of constitutional privacy rights. The government’s argument that this level of intrusion into citizens’ privacy was necessary for security and protection from terrorists was now either the majority opinion of most Americans at worst, or was simply representative of total apathy. Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers would surely be rolling over in their graves, he thought.
Going nocturnal for these groups was a strategy for making it more difficult for the government to track communications. Part of this strategy was for individuals to open a new email account for each message they wanted to send, then creating a draft message and leaving it in the draft box. The recipient, who would know the new email login information, would log in and read the draft message, then delete it. The message never got sent.
Although the CIA and other agencies knew of this tactic, it was much harder to track without actually penetrating users’ computers. Simple netbook computers were commonly used and only turned on long enough to log in and draft the message. When not in use, the computers were turned off. Government forensic tactics could recover strokes, but they had to have the computer to recreate the key strokes. By the time the feds could acquire a Tea Party computer, the message would be outdated.
Users were encouraged to “jump computers,” meaning to use different public computer sources to go nocturnal in case someone suspected their personal computer, laptop or smart phone were being closely monitored.
Chuck got in his truck and drove to a nearby Internet cafe, opened a new Yahoo account and typed this draft message:
“Nocturnal in effect! Feds move on Texas. Airports in Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Brownsville attacked. Report to your local militia leaders. Do NOT use normal mode of communications. Status of Gov. Cooper unknown. Level 4 (out of 5) Warning. Orders to follow. Stay alert.”
In the previous meeting with Sheriffs Alvarez, Reeves and Preston weeks before, Chuck and Mitch had set up a simplified communications system wherein various county leaders would get a coded number via text or by phone call. This coded message would determine what new email account, login and password to use. They had a pre-determined list of one hundred email platforms to access. Once the draft messages were opened, the recipient would set up a completely new email account and replicate the message in draft form only and leave it until the next person came and erased it, passing it along in an entirely different email account.
All the county leaders had purchased prepaid cell phones in fictitious names. Chuck broadcast a coded text message to his more than two hundred county leaders with the code “57349.” Facebook and Twitter were also used to communicate simple coded messages. Those recipients would then know there was an important message coming to them from militia leadership. The various organizations in Texas statewide had done three dry runs with this communication technique and, by the third try, the message had gotten through to all two hundred fifty-four county coordinators within three hours by using this simple methodology.
Knowing the feds could essentially shut down the Internet and disable cell towers, the groups set up a combination of other communication techniques including ham radio, low-frequency radio transmissions and messengers whose job was to carry messages to the next county by whatever means necessary—by car, boat, train, foot or even horseback. Along with this communications network, there were a set of coded pre-determined messages and orders. For instance, message code 97A45T was an order to disable certain communications towers in a particular county, while message code 74D73U was an order to disable a particular bridge over the Brazos River in Washington County by any means available.
Chuck left the Internet café and headed to a pre-determined meeting spot in a rice field thirty-eight miles southwest of Houston. Within fifteen minutes, six other vehicles parked near Chuck’s pick-up truck at a huge field with one entry, surrounded by levees on three sides.
“Pay attention, folks, I suspect things will be heating up very quickly. The word I’m getting is that they may have gotten the governor. We need to be ready to mobilize in an instant. I trust everyone has prepared. We don’t know what the feds’ next steps might be, but we all know we and our families are targets,” said Chuck grimly.
“What I can’t figure out is how Mexico comes into play i
n this,” said Mitch.
“We have all kinds of communications coming in from the hill country and south Texas. There seems to be some confusion in Austin, as my contacts in the governor’s office aren’t replying to me right now,” said Chuck.
“I pray what has happened this morning isn’t what we think it is. If the feds were stupid enough to take this kind of action inside Texas, all holy hell is going to break out,” said one of men as he looked down at the ground, kicking some dirt around with his Tony Lama cowboy boots.
“Get back to your families and stay tuned. This could get ugly in a hurry,” said Chuck forcefully.
As the small group split up and got back in their vehicles, none of them had a clue that the governor of Texas and his wife had been shot and killed by the federal government just a few hours earlier.
Chapter 21
“These things I believe: That government should butt out. That freedom is our most precious commodity and if we are not eternally vigilant, government will take it all away. That individual freedom demands individual responsibility. That government is not a necessary good but an unavoidable evil. That the executive branch has grown too strong, the judicial branch too arrogant and the legislative branch too stupid. That political parties have become close to meaningless. That government should work to insure the rights of the individual, not plot to take them away. That government should provide for the national defense and work to insure domestic tranquility. That foreign trade should be fair rather than free. That America should be wary of foreign entanglements. That the tree of liberty needs to be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. That guns do more than protect us from criminals; more importantly, they protect us from the ongoing threat of government. That states are the bulwark of our freedom. That states should have the right to secede from the Union. That once a year we should hang someone in government as an example to his fellows.”
~ Lyn Nofziger (1924-2006)
Political Consultant & Author
Press Secretary for Governor Reagan
White House Advisor to Richard Nixon
The situation room in the west wing of the White House was abuzz with anticipation and the stress was palpable. President Johnson’s most trusted advisors were gathered for a briefing on the operation that had created a media firestorm worldwide for the last several hours.
Secy. Bartlett had been summoned to Washington immediately, but none of the State Department staff had been able to reach her since her first-hand visit to the devastation at the Swingin’ T.
It was now noon on the day of the raid and speculation on the whereabouts of the Texas governor was feeding wild speculation. Congressional leaders now demanded that the president brief them on what exactly happened in Texas earlier that morning. While everyone waited for President Johnson, they anxiously watched the big screen monitors on the walls of the situation room, which were tuned to a hastily called press conference being held in Austin.
The television satellite trucks and news vans again filled the streets in the blocks surrounding the Texas capitol, awaiting a major news conference that had been called by freshman Sen. Roberto Perez and Texas Speaker of the House Alvin “Smitty” Brahman.
Pops Younger was also expected to attend the news conference but was late arriving because he had traveled earlier by private plane from Texarkana to Llano to survey the situation on the ground at the Swingin’ T. The news conference had been delayed as everyone awaited his arrival and his debriefing to numerous state officials in Austin.
As news cameras panned the sprawling grounds of the Texas capitol, people streamed in from every gate to find out what had happened that morning. For many Texans, a Sunday morning was time for church, and many came straight from church, dressed in their Sunday best. Television reporters had just interviewed a local Methodist preacher who adjourned his church service early, said a prayer for Texas, and then encouraged his entire congregation to walk the few blocks to the capitol grounds in downtown Austin to support the governor.
Sen. Perez stepped to the podium on the south steps of the capitol entrance. The crowd of reporters shouted questions at him. It took several minutes for the crowd to settle down long enough for the senator to speak.
“At approximately three a.m. this morning, the United States federal government, on orders from President Johnson and Atty. Gen. Jamail Tibbs, launched an unprecedented raid into a sovereign state to kidnap various Texas state officials, including Gov. Brent Cooper. United States military aircraft bombed civilian airports in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and the Naval Air Station in Beeville were also hit in a Pearl Harbor-style, unannounced attack. We have numerous casualties at each airport; three deaths of civilian airport staff have been reported in San Antonio.”
The large crowd seemed dazed by what they just heard but remained silent as they waited for more.
“This operation involved DHS and various other federal agencies, according to eyewitness reports. These assault-style troops used stealth Blackhawk military choppers to raid a private ranch near Llano, Texas where Texas officials were meeting over several days. These reckless and unconstitutional actions resulted in the deaths of four Texas Rangers and two Texas state troopers. Also killed was Maj. Gen. Rex Conroy of the Texas Guard. Our prayers go out to the families of those who were needlessly killed in this raid.”
Perez paused and looked out at the crowd for what seemed like a long time, but it was probably only a few seconds. “These federal agents were essentially assault troops that came onto the ranch firing weapons first. There was no effort made to announce themselves before engaging the Texas Rangers and state troopers. Any attempt by this administration to say anything different is a flat-out lie. At this time, we do not know the fate of several Texas officials, including Texas Gov. Brent Cooper and his wife Lyndsey, Lt. Gov. Gene Foster and his wife, and Texas Atty. Gen. Jeff Weaver. These officials were taken against their wills by DHS. The state of Texas and Texans worldwide demand an answer from this administration on the whereabouts of our state officials and to allow access to them, wherever they are being held.”
Suddenly, angry obscenities began coming from the audience on the capitol lawn toward the president and the feds. Texans in the crowd looked angry as they shouted and waved fists. The senator had to raise his hands to quiet the crowd.
“Many of you saw the president of Mexico this morning announce that Texas Air Wing fighters had violated Mexican airspace. What he failed to mention is that there are at least two Mexican air force fighter jets still smoldering on the ground in south Texas, shot down by the Texas Air National Guard. We do know the Mexicans were involved in or assisted in this raid, but to what extent is unclear at this time. If the Mexican government was involved in this unjustified and illegal act, they should expect consequences from Texas.”
Reporters began yelling questions again, and the uproar of the assembled crowd that had grown to almost one thousand was getting angrier by the minute.
Flanked by Speaker Brahman, Pops Younger and many state legislators and various staff members of the missing state officials, the senator was getting somewhat nervous about the tenor of the crowd and subconsciously decided to cut his remarks short.
“This administration has declared war on the state of Texas, and we expect Congress to convene and act immediately. We call on the immediate assembly of Congress to address this unprovoked and illegal armed action against fellow citizens. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Texans and fellow Americans—we have a full-blown constitutional crisis on our hands. If congressional leaders and America do not rein in this administration, this dangerous crisis will continue to escalate.”
The crowd was almost uncontrollable. The anger on the faces of the common folks coming across television sets all over the world was readily evident. Sen. Perez stepped aside as Speaker Brahman stepped to the podium. What the Speaker did not realize, absent the governor and lieutenant governor
, was that the Texas Constitution called for him to be the next in line in the event they were unable to perform their duties for any reason.
“This president, this attorney general and the entire administration is a collection of lawless misfits that have now endangered our constitutional republic,” said Speaker Brahman. “This administration launched air strikes on commercial civilian airports in three Texas cities.
“As the Speaker of the House in the Texas Legislature and on behalf of all Texans, we demand access to the governor and lieutenant governor, their wives and Texas Atty. Gen. Jeff Weaver immediately!”
The crowd was becoming more agitated by the minute. State troopers and Austin police stood by, hesitant to engage the crowd for fear it might instigate a full-blown riot.
Back in the White House situation room, President Johnson had still not arrived, nor had Tibbs. Most in the room watching the broadcast had a certain uneasiness. Some thought the administration might have underestimated the effect the raid would have.
“Killing civilians? That’s going to rock some poll numbers,” said Tibbs’ chief of staff, shaking his head.
“Maybe in Texas, but poll numbers in California, New York and Illinois will go up,” laughed a senior staff member with DHS.
A large section of the crowd on the Texas capitol lawn began moving south through the streets of downtown Austin, led by a few who seemed to be organizing the march.
The cameras moved to the J.J. Pickle Federal Building just a few blocks from the capitol building. Suddenly, the crowd turned more angry, throwing anything they could find—rocks, bottles, dirt, sticks—at anything they viewed as a symbol of the federal government. As the crowd grew larger, the level of violence ramped up; now windows were being shattered as some of those objects slammed into them.
Another reporter for a local news station broke in and reported the same type of scene at the large Internal Revenue Service Processing Center south of downtown. At the site itself, live video showed a small but vocal and angry crowd in front of the building. There were no picket signs or posters. It was fairly clear to anyone that the crowd was reacting spontaneously. There were likely few in the demonstration that went to bed the night before thinking they would be picketing the IRS offices by noon the next day.
A State of Treason Page 17