FBI agent indicted for false statements and obstruction in Oregon standoff case

[OmCheeto]

4 left.

UPDATE 10 a.m. Thursday: Sean Anderson, one of the last holdouts, said he and the others just want to go home.

[ref]

Yay! Something that all parties can agree upon.

ps. In case anyone wonders why Goonies might be wary of "peaceful" people with guns, see Rajneeshpuram.

It's quite a long story, so if you're not interested in reading it, here's how I remember it:

Guru comes to eastern Oregon preaching love and sex and love and sex and...
Attracts thousands of followers
Semi-automatic weapons start being carried around.
Ma Anand Sheela goes to jail for poisoning indigenous peoples. [ref: 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack]
I'd forgotten about the 1985 Rajneeshee assassination plot.​

hmmmm... I never realized before, that I've been living in the Wild Wild West. Yee Haw!

 

[OmCheeto]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-ff-oregon-refuge-fbi-20160127-story.html

hmmm... Anyone know why Charles Manson is still in prison?
To my knowledge, he never hurt anyone.
hmmmm...

wiki; "Charles Milles Manson (born Charles Milles Maddox, November 12, 1934) is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in the California desert in the late 1960s. Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969. In 1971 he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people: actress Sharon Tate and four other people at Tate's home; and the next day, a married couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca; all carried out by members of the group at his instruction. He was convicted of the murders through the joint-responsibility rule, which makes each member of a conspiracy guilty of crimes committed by fellow conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy's objective. His followers also murdered several other people at other times and locations, and Manson was also convicted for two of these other murders (of Gary Hinman and Donald "Shorty" Shea)."​

Ok then.

 

[nsaspook]

https://radiofreeq.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/militia-radio-frequencies/

Some neat info about the groups communications gear.

 

[OmCheeto]

It would appear that the standoff is [almost] over.

Amanda Peacher ‏@amandapeacher
Roadblock is gone. We're en route to refuge. #oregonstandoff
3:28 PM - 28 Jan 2016​

[Latest word is that there is 1 person remaining.]

[edits]

Everything above is wrong.

Per a 5:30 FBI broadcast: There are still 4 people at the refuge.

 

[nsaspook]

I won't post the link here but the FBI Youtube channel has the complete, unedited video of the Robert "LaVoy" Finicum arrest. The actions leading to his death start at 8:00 in the video.

 

[Astronuc]

Oregon occupiers’ live video stream shows suspense among holdouts
http://news.yahoo.com/oregon-occupiers-live-video-stream-shows-chaos-among-holdouts-184643904.html

Armored vehicles roll into Oregon refuge
http://news.yahoo.com/armored-vehicles-roll-oregon-refuge-231204344.html

Oregon Refuge Holdouts Say They’ll Leave If They Can Walk Free
http://news.yahoo.com/oregon-refuge-holdouts-ll-leave-184717500.html

In a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, federal authorities said the armed group had explosives and night-vision goggles and was prepared to fight.

The charges against Bundy and others say that the refuge's 16 employees have been prevented from reporting to work because of threats of violence.

 

[russ_watters]

Calling for 100,000 unarmed men is a crime?

Calling for a peaceful political demonstration on federal land isn't protected political speech?

To be perfectly honest, what this guy is saying is so vague/disjointed that it is tough for me to tell what he is calling for them to do. But it sounds like he's asking them to join the occupation as human shields between the armed occupiers and the police. Yes, I'd consider that a crime - it's a civilian equivalent of the human shield war crime! In either case, that's not the only thing he says and again, using "we" and being with the armed men makes him a co-conspirator at the very least, whether he carries a gun himself or not.

Also, I'm not sure why you are/we should be focusing on one person in a group of a dozen, in a preliminary complaint. Based on what we know of what has happened, there is surely a lot more coming (as you indicate below) and I'm not especially concerned with exactly who is going to be charged with exactly what at this point. It is too far down in the weeds to matter much to the big picture issues we're discussing. That said, recall that the charge in the complaint is "Conspiracy to Impede Officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats". Summoning 100,000 people to surround the site and physically prevent the BLM employees from getting into their offices certainly fits. It's just that that charge is only the entry point. It's the basic crime of the occupation, for which all of the other crimes they will certainly be charged with branch off from.

I don't get the 24 hour news here, so I only have the information from the affidavit to go on. In it the government makes it clear that in general tone these guys were intending peaceful protest.

Huh? You mean you don't consider the parts where they say they are willing to die to defend their position as threats? How about threatening to burn down the house of the BLM employee? Is that a threat? I think you are ignoring what you are seeing.

My argument is not that they didn't break laws... It's that this could have and should have been handled by one BLM guy writing tickets.

Huh? I'm genuinely confused as to what the point of that would be and how it would work. Could you explain, in nuts-and-bolts detail exactly how that would work and the big picture of what it would accomplish? What tickets, for what crimes is the BLM empowered to write? Are you suggesting a BLM employee - after others were explicitly threatened with violence and harassed - should enter the compound? Should this person be armed? Would you expect this "ticket" to compel the group to cease their illegal occupation? If not, what would be the point of doing it?

BTW, equating someone camping in peaceful protest on BLM land (which I thought was legal, though not in a bird sanctuary) to a home invasion seems like a stretch to me. The Occupy Wall Street crowd managed the same thing in Manhattan without a federal troop rollout.

Huh? Are you saying you are unaware that they are not, in fact, "camping" but are actually living in BLM buildings? And do you not understand the difference between threats and not threats? For the most part (and as a matter of general philosophy), the left wing "occupy" crowd were pacifists, unarmed, and explicitly non-violent...like MLK.

As with mhselp, I'm genuinely confused as to how it could be that you would consider an armed occupation of buildings, accompanied with direct and indirect threats to be equivalent to an explicitly peaceful and unarmed camping on public land.

But for your general point - don't the feds have something better to do? Here's a good op-ed describing the problem inherent with the hands-off approach:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...finicum-our-view-editorials-debates/79479994/
The hands-off approach doesn't end the problem and in fact encourages it to get worse. This very same group was treated to the hands-off approach previously when they threatened violence and the government backed down. No doubt, this helped convince them that they can, in fact, use threats of violence as a political tool. In the USA, in particular, that is a really, really bad message for the government to be sending.

[separate post, sorry for the continuity loss]

I believe the crime they were cited with was conspiracy to impede or injure an officer (18 USC § 372) which requires force, intimidation, or threats. While I'm sure someone said something intimidating given the amount of time and number of people involved, calling for peaceful protests was not the threat...

Then why did you bring it up? Frankly, this strikes me as disingenuous in the extreme that you are focusing on one specific, vague statement (buried most of the way through the document) and apparently utterly ignoring the rest of the criminal complaint. That takes effort! "I'm sure..."? Are you? Rather than complaining about something that may only be barely/vaguely a crime, why don't you look at and consider the things that certainly are?

Everyone commits felonies just by breathing.

Jeff, c'mon. There's no way to respond to that nicely.

 

[Astronuc]

From the Wikipedia article "Bundy and Payne . . . requesting the sheriff's office protect the Hammonds from being taken into custody by federal authorities. Though Ward said he sympathized with the Hammonds' plight, he declined Bundy and Payne's request. Ward then said that he subsequently received death threats by email." In the press conference yesterday, Ward referred to requests (or demands) to which he could not comply. I believe he mentioned threats. Making death threats and carrying weapons in an occupation goes way beyond a 'peaceful protest'. The government also cites 'explosives and night vision goggles', which are unnecessary in a protest.

 

[russ_watters]

Following Astronuc's lead, since it is apparently necessary to put a fine point on this, on page 5 of the complaint:

Citizen was wearing a BLM shirt. Citizen was confronted by two men, one whom she identified as RITZHEIMER. Citizen reported to law enforcement that she heard yelling, and when she turned around, the second individual shouted "you're BLM, you're BLM" at her. That person further stated to Citizen that they know what car she drives and would follow her home. He also stated he was going to burn Citizen's house down...Since the incident, Citizen has observed a similar vehicle outside her residence..

That's a threat of arson and/with bodily harm. Jeff, should we should send that BLM employee to deliver the ticket?

 

[russ_watters]

A note on the improper comparisons to the Occupy Wall Street protests:

Many of the Occupy Wall Street protesters might not realize it, but they got really lucky when they elected to gather at Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan.

Contrary to what most people think, the park isn't a public space; it's actually privately owned by Brookfield Office Properties, which has approximately 18 million square feet in Manhattan, including the World Financial Center. And that's why the group has been able to stay there for 20 days.

Zuccotti Park wasn't the protesters' original destination. The organizers first tweeted plans to gather at Wall Street's iconic Charging Bull Statue and at 1 Chase Plaza. But the New York Police Department got wind of that and barricaded both locations, which are city-owned parks that require protests to have permits.

So Occupy Wall Street ended up at nearby Zuccotti Park, another large, open space that even boasts power outlets for a crowd that's very wired. The group is actually streaming some of the protest on its website.

Ironically, the protesters don't need a city permit to occupy private property.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/06/news/companies/occupy_wall_street_park/

Meanwhile, in Philly:

Protesters with Occupy Philadelphia were working Friday to get permits for a new site after they were rebuffed in their attempt to move from the City Hall plaza where they have been camped since early October.

In the meantime for the second day in a row protesters were arrested, this time at a Center City Bank.

On Friday afternoon, about a dozen Occupy Philadelphia protesters were arrested during a sit-in at a Wells Fargo bank downtown.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Occupy-Philly-Bank-Arrests-134155673.html

So on the basic issue of the idea of the "occupancy", it's pretty obvious that one side is doing it right and the other side is doing it wrong.

Right: Stay outside. Don't interfere with city operations (note: when they did, they were arrested). Work with city officials to obtain permits or protest on private property and work with the owners (not that the owners were thrilled).

Wrong: Occupy buildings, preventing government workers from accessing them. Don't attempt to get permits. Threaten to burn down peoples' houses and then follow them home (while the movement is in support of a convicted arsonist, making the threat credible). Carry guns and threaten to use them to prevent your removal from the area.

Clearly, one group was inherently civil and made a serious attempt to adhere to peaceful protest rules and the other is inherently violent.

 

[Astronuc]

Oregon Public Broadcasting spoke with the holdouts and identified them as Fry, who is from Ohio, husband and wife Sean and Sandy Anderson of Idaho, and Jeff Banta of Nevada. Fry told the station that Sean Anderson faces a federal arrest warrant.

In one of the videos posted Thursday, the speaker — believed to be Fry — said: "We're asking, just drop the charges and we're willing to go. But if they're not willing to do that, we're all just willing to stay here and see what happens."

http://news.yahoo.com/3-more-arrested-bundy-urges-refuge-occupiers-leave-112737207.html

Of those remaining at the refuge:

Fry has a criminal record that includes convictions for drug possession and disorderly conduct. He has also posted videos on YouTube that appear to show him burning papers from a collection agency requesting that he pay overdue court debt.
. . . .
Public records for a Sean Anderson from Riggins show convictions for resisting an officer, drug possession, trespassing and several instances of disorderly conduct. Sandy Anderson does not appear to have a criminal record.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-the-final-holdouts-of-the-oregon-occupation/

 

[Astronuc]

Ransacked Oregon refuge shows disdain toward America’s rangers
http://news.yahoo.com/ransacked-oregon-refuge-shows-disdain-toward-america-rangers-193649213.html

I would expect vandalism to be added to the list of charges.

The recent occupation seems to part of a disturbing trend.

“When the BLM tried to round up Bundy’s cattle for trespassing on federal land, some of Bundy’s crew took up sniper positions and threatened to shoot it out, so the BLM temporarily backed off to avoid bloodshed,” the High Country News wrote in its 2014 report, “Defuse the West.” “Right-wing talk shows instantly jumped to Bundy’s defense, lauding him as a hero fighting federal oppressors.”

But whether the number of assaults are going up or down, the intimidation and threat tactics alleged in the affidavits against the arrested Malheur occupiers fit what appears to be an intensifying pattern.

 

[jim hardy]

it makes one wonder if somebody is stirring the excitable segment.

While i am sympathetic to Hammond's situation , owning land that BLM covets,
Bundy seems a loose cannon . How did he get so far in arrears on his BLM grazing fees ? Hammond was paying his BLM fines...

1. U.S. Code › Title 10 › Subtitle A › Part I › Chapter 15 › § 332

Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion.

A squeaky wheel gets greased
a nail that sticks up gets hammered down
.

If you're going to start a row be darn sure you're in the right .

 

[OmCheeto]

...
While i am sympathetic to Hammond's situation , owning land that BLM covets,

This is something I'll have to research some more.
While on the surface, it looks like the BLM is just being mean, there may be more to the story.
From my recollection of American history, people out east were told to get out there[the west], stake your claim, and the land is yours. See: Land Rush
Now that may have been fine and dandy, back when my grandmother was born, as nobody really knew or cared about whether or not the land they were settling upon was suitable, in the long run, for what they were going to do with it: Ranching, farming, mining, whatever...
Anyways, we now know more than my great-great-grandparents, regarding land stewardship.

Bundy seems a loose cannon . How did he get so far in arrears on his BLM grazing fees ?

Bundys.
The current media Bundys, are the sons of Cliven Bundy.
That story, to me, sounds like a bunch of bullies, were let loose on the range, and nobody gave them the smackdown.
From http://archive.is/nvlzr#selection-183.0-191.48 , it appeared that the Bundy's cattle were simply let loose, and allowed free range, everywhere:

Crop destroyed by Bundy cattle on private land.
Mesquite Heritage Community Garden damaged by trespass cattle.
Mesquite golf course damaged by trespass cattle.
Residents of the communities of Bunkerville and Mesquite have complained about the impact of cattle on city facilities. ​

So it appears that it wasn't just the BLM that was somewhat pissy about cattle running around on public lands. From the above, private, community, and business interests were also affected.

Hammond was paying his BLM fines.
...

Fees. The fines were for damage due to arson.
And at $1.69 per month per head of cattle, I would call that nearly free. When was the last time you ate for a day for $1.69? http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/grazing.html

If you're going to start a row be darn sure you're in the right .

One of my favorite quotes to come out of this, was made by the father of the sheriff, describing his son's philosophy:

“Do the right thing, then suffer the consequences.”
--- Dave Ward, Sheriff

 

[WWGD]

Hammond is known as a cook, in particular, he is known for his Hammond eggs.

 

[jim hardy]

This is something I'll have to research some more.

Good luck finding unbiased reporting.
It may be useful to go to sites on both fringes and check the references they cite
Conservative Treehouse
http://theconservativetreehouse.com...t-hammond-family-story-hidden/comment-page-1/

Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027499317

In electrical maintenance it is difficult to troubleshoot from somebody else's observations - they get colored by the observer's mindset.
One has to do his level best to take their observations sans their interpretations and draw one's own conclusions.
I try to do the same with the evening news. But I'm sort of like Candide , slower than most to figure things out.

old jim

 

[jim hardy]

ps I too thought $1.69 per cow-day a bargain.

 

[OmCheeto]

Good luck finding unbiased reporting.
It may be useful to go to sites on both fringes and check the references they cite
Conservative Treehouse
http://theconservativetreehouse.com...t-hammond-family-story-hidden/comment-page-1/

I actually started researching the claims in the above article. (Or one of it's incarnations)
It was my conclusion that the author was really into creative writing.

From the article; "The request/expectation was that Sheriff Ward would be willing to stop federal agents from arresting “Dwight Lincoln Hammond, Jr., 73, and his son, Steven Dwight Hammond, 46. Unfortunately the exact opposite happened".​

In fact, the Hammonds willingly turned themselves into the authorities.

"The sheriff of this small community has a short, unmistakable message for the militants occupying a complex of federal buildings southeast of town. 'Go home'”.​

Now that was true. But it's also true that the Hammonds told the militants to go home. In fact, nearly everyone in Oregon was telling them to "Go home".

The last thing this article asks is, was the "David Ward" listed as a BLM employee, on page 5 of their very official looking court room document, our sheriff David Ward.

Now I'm not saying such a court room document doesn't exit, but this one looks like it was typed up by theconservativetreehouse.com themselves.

Page 1
Cutting this case down through the muscle to the shank and bone, the prosecution contends the defendants’ who were leasing their neighbors’ property to graze cattle, never had their neighbors’ permission to also burn it.​

Further evidence that the theconservativetreehouse.com courtroomish looking document is a fabrication:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF OREGON
EUGENE DIVISION
Trial Date: June 12, 2012 @ 9:00 AM​

The trial was held in a town called Pendleton, about 240 miles away. [ref]

I researched a couple of other allegations from another of their web pages:

32 out of 53 permits were revoked and many ranchers were forced to leave​

I have yet to see a single incidence of a displaced rancher confirming this story.

Thirty-one ranches on the Silvies plains were flooded. Homes, corrals, barns and graze-land were washed a way and destroyed. ​

Although flooding is not uncommon in Oregon, I could find no evidence of homes or barns being washed away, in the described region.

So, in conclusion, it is my humble opinion, that the Conservative Treehouse, is like wikipedia from hell.

Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027499317

Lots of flotsam and jetsam to wade through.
I liked a couple of posts:

Arananthi (1 post)
11. I started writing this long debunk for LiberalAmerica.org, but it got to be too long and I gave up.
...​

bhikkhu (9,746 posts)
37. A couple of additional things
...​

Both seem to corroborate what I've discovered about the region.

In electrical maintenance it is difficult to troubleshoot from somebody else's observations - they get colored by the observer's mindset.
One has to do his level best to take their observations sans their interpretations and draw one's own conclusions.
I try to do the same with the evening news. But I'm sort of like Candide , slower than most to figure things out.

old jim

I don't know anyone named Candide, so I'll just take your word for it, and just assume that you're about as slow as I am.

ps. It's probably a good thing I didn't read the following until a few days ago, as, well, I might have bought a gun, and gone on a road trip...

The situation escalated. The tires were slashed on Ward’s wife's car. Ward arranged a safe house for her where she still remains. His parents were followed by militants as they left their granddaughter’s Christmas play. The people of Burns, angry at the occupiers, were becoming miffed with Ward’s perceived inaction.

Jim Ward, 78, said his son wanted to find a way to end the conflict without bloodshed, focusing on a mantra he has always preached: “Do the right thing. Then suffer the consequences.”

The sheriff’s mother, Linda Ward, 74, said her son confided in her that he did all he could. It wasn’t enough. [ref]​

Really? I mean, really?

 

[OmCheeto]

So, "This land is whose land"?



"10,228 miles²"
"bigger than 9 states, in this nation"
"there's about 7400-7500 people that live there"

hmmmm...

States and      square     actual       interpolated
Harney County   miles      population   population
                 
Maryland        9,774      6,006,401    7,119
Vermont         9,250        626,042    6,738
New Hampshire   8,968      1,330,608    6,532
Massachusetts   7,840      6,794,422    5,711
New Jersey      7,417      8,958,013    5,402
Hawaii          6,423      1,431,603    4,678
Connecticut     4,845      3,590,886    3,529
Delaware        1,954        945,934    1,423
Rhode Island    1,045      1,056,298      761
                 
Harney County  10,228          7,450    7,450

I suppose, this is one reason it's hard for many people to imagine, what's been going on.

 

[nsaspook]

http://www.opb.org/news/series/burn...locking-lines-of-communication-militants-say/

David Fry, one of the four remaining militants, said the FBI made it so the occupiers can’t make outgoing calls on their cellphones. Fry said he can receive incoming calls, but that the other three in the refuge appear unable to receive calls on their cellphones. The militants also said they’ve lost access to the internet.

 

[p1l0t]

http://www.opb.org/news/series/burn...locking-lines-of-communication-militants-say/

No Internet!? How boring.

 

[Astronuc]

While I am sympathetic to Hammond's situation , owning land that BLM covets,
Bundy seems a loose cannon . How did he get so far in arrears on his BLM grazing fees ? Hammond was paying his BLM fines...

It's not clear to me that the BLM covets the Hammond's land. Their property is adjacent to land managed by BLM, which is apparently down by Steens Mountain.
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/recreation/steens-mtn.php

Nice place to go hiking.

U.S. Code › Title 10 › Subtitle A › Part I › Chapter 15 › § 332

That seems to back to July 29, 1861 in the beginning of the Civil War, which officially began on April 12, 1861 with the bombardment of Fort Sumter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War#Battle_of_Fort_Sumter
From the 37th Congress - http://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=12&page=281 - see Chapter XXV.Meanwhile - Burns, Ore., trying to get back to normal
http://news.yahoo.com/burns-ore-getting-back-normal-183704946.html

In rural Oregon (and bascially other western states)wariness of extremists and government overreach
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Societ...f-extremists-and-federal-government-overreach

Some think grass is grass. In reality, some grass is good, and some grass is not so good. There is certainly a need to manage land appropriately (i.e., good stewardship), and that requires education and knowledge about the land and what is good or not. I think others put in the effort to learn, but others do not.

I certainly agree with statements that the Federal government needs give more heed or consideration to the needs of locals who are directly impacted by federal policy and practice.In the western states, there is a constant battle against invasive plant (and fish) species. One case is cheatgrass. One of the issues:

Forage quality and digestibility also affect cheatgrass use by livestock. The period that
cheatgrass is palatable and nutritious for herbivore consumption is considerably shorter than for most native herbaceous plants (Klemmedson and Smith 1964). Forage quality declines as cheatgrass matures, therefore early spring to early summer grazing provides the greatest nutritional benefits to livestock (Murray and others 1978).

http://www.icbemp.gov/science/pellant.pdf

 

[jim hardy]

it's hard to get backpast the current hype surrounding the controversy now

here's a 1994 newspaper article
i don't know whether "The Oregonian" is impartial

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/1630026/societyadvo00004.pdf

that's from 1994 before the recent hooplah and hyperbole

FWS says they're not trying to acquire Hammond's property per the article (it wasn't behind a paywall last night)

 

[Astronuc]

Oregon standoff leader strikes defiant tone from behind bars
http://news.yahoo.com/hearing-standoff-leader-tries-jail-083640621.html

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The jailed leader of an armed group that took over an Oregon wildlife preserve struck a defiant tone Tuesday while again urging four holdouts to leave, saying local residents should control the federally owned property and U.S. officials do not belong there.

Ammon Bundy said the FBI and Oregon State Police surrounding Malheur National Wildlife Refuge are leading an "armed occupation," words typically reserved for the ranchers and others that launched the standoff on Jan. 2. He said the refuge "belongs to the people," according to a statement read by his attorney.

 

[OmCheeto]

it's hard to get backpast the current hype surrounding the controversy now

here's a 1994 newspaper article
i don't know whether "The Oregonian" is impartial

As the states largest newspaper, I'd call them very impartial.
Now the author of each article, on the other hand...
The author of this 22 year old paper seems fairly even handed.

In 2012, this same author wrote;

"...The men were convicted of arson in the 2001 Hardie-Hammond Fire near Steens Mountain, where BLM leased grazing rights to them. Steven Hammond also was convicted of arson in the 2006 Krumbo Butte Fire on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and Steens Mountain.

They were acquitted and the government dismissed allegations that they conspired and set two other wildfires in 2006. ..." [ref]​

So this will be the 4th(?) time the Hammonds have been charged with something or other, over the last 22 years.

His 1994 article which you posted, lists some interesting characters, and how far they traveled to get involved.
Notice that these 3 are all from out of state:

Charles S. Cushman, property rights & pro-grazing activist, of Battleground WA
Executive director of the National Inholders Assn and Multiple-Use Alliance
distance: 290 miles

Edward L. Presley, professional property rights activist, of Las Vegas NV
Director of the County Alliance to Restore Economy and Environment
distance: 690 miles

Mark Pollot, atty, of Boise ID
Represents the Stewards of the Range Constitutional Law Center in Boise
distance: 190 miles​

Cushman's statement; "If the Hammonds lose, you lose", I think explains why the Hammonds had so much local support.

Another article written about the same time, has a somewhat different tone:

Ranchers arrested at wildlife refuge
Kathie Durbin Oct. 3, 1994

BURNS, Ore. - The arrest of Dwight Hammond, a hot-tempered eastern Oregon cattle rancher, has galvanized a nasty campaign of retribution against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
...
On the day the fence was to be built, the crew and refuge officials arrived to find Hammond had parked his Caterpillar scraper squarely on the boundary line and disabled it, removing the battery and draining fuel lines. When a tow truck arrived to move it, Dwight Hammond showed up, leaped to the controls of the scraper and hit a lever that lowered the bucket, narrowly missing another special agent. Meanwhile, said Kisler, Steve Hammond shouted obscenities at federal officials. Neither Hammond resisted arrest.​

FWS says they're not trying to acquire Hammond's property per the article (it wasn't behind a paywall last night)

I've saved a copy locally, just in case it does.

I looked up the locals named in the article, to see if they had comments about this new situation.
Nothing.

 

[OmCheeto]

Interesting connections

Graphic: The hidden connections of the Sagebrush Insurgency
Where a sprawling network of actors find common cause.
Jonathan Thompson and Brooke Warren Feb. 2, 2016
...
Whereas the Sagebrush Rebellion of old was driven largely by pragmatic, grassroots concerns, today’s version is purely ideological — a nationwide confluence of right-wing and libertarian extremists. Many of them have little interest in grazing allotments, mining laws or the Wilderness Act.
...

That graphic at the bottom may explain why no one can figure this out.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!
---Walter Scott​

 

[Astronuc]

Four holdout occupiers at Oregon wildlife refuge are indicted
http://news.yahoo.com/security-beefed-national-wildlife-refuges-3-states-040241397.html

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The four remaining occupiers at an Oregon wildlife refuge are facing charges, according to court documents released Thursday that say more than a dozen armed activists threatened violence against federal authorities and used social media to urge others to join them.

http://news.yahoo.com/four-protesters-still-occupying-oregon-wildlife-refuge-charged-174110792.html

The three-page indictment says the defendants brandished firearms and refused to leave the refuge, threatening violence against anyone who attempted to remove them. It also says they warned the local sheriff of "extreme civil unrest" if their demands were unmet, among other acts of intimidation.

Bundy claims that the land "Malheur Wildlife Refuge" belongs to the people. Well, it does, and it administered by the Federal government. I could go and visit the refuge anytime during normal hours, and probably arrange to camp overnight. However, I wouldn't want to visit while crazy people with guns occupy the place.

And while Bundy talks about the people owning the land, it's really about putting the land in private hands who then can exclude the public from the land.

 

[nsaspook]

I hope the FBI rescues the 'four idiots' soon so they can join up with friends.
.http://www.mcso.us/PAID/Home/Booking/1362475

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/02/militia_group_backs_down_billb.html

A Facebook post of BJ Soper, a founding member of the Pacific Patriots Network, said the group was going to escort the holdouts from the refuge. But Soper learned that the occupiers said they were resigned to die and that attempts to remove them would be met by force.

Soper said he didn't want to put the volunteers in harm's way.

"This was a call to action not a call to arms," Soper wrote Thursday.
...
One of the billboards reads "Our heroes making Harney County proud" next to a picture of officers in front of the Harney County Sheriff's Office. The other billboard reads "We are Harney County We have our own voice."

 

[Astronuc]

Oregon refuge takeover sheds light on hard times for rural economy
http://www.seattletimes.com/busines...-sheds-light-on-hard-times-for-rural-economy/

It took the seizure of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by anti-government activists to get national media attention to this ailing corner of Oregon. But the economic story of ailing small towns in the Northwest has nothing to do with Ammon Bundy’s ideology.

It shouldn't take a crisis to address economic issues in the nation.

 

[nsaspook]

http://koin.com/2016/02/09/pete-santilli-free-speech-champion-or-loud-mouth/

In his 16-page memorandum calling for Santilli’s release from jail, Coan says Santilli wants to return to doing his Internet radio show from the Cincinnati apartment he shares with Deborah Jordan. Coan says Santilli was an “unconventional news-gatherer” who should be accorded the same First Amendment protections as “an employee of a mainstream television station.”

A federal judge rejected that idea during a Feb. 5 hearing, holding Santilli until his trial after prosecutors showed video clips of Santilli bragging about have a cache of guns and threatening to shoot law enforcement officers if any tried to break into his home.

 

[Astronuc]

One of the occupiers, David Fry, made a cheeky video about 'fortifying' the area. He basically explained their defense strategy, which included surrounding the area with cans and bottles that would make noise if someone steps on them. He claims that he and the others face charges for 'fortifying' the refuge. Of course, in actuality, they seem to dismiss the fact that they are committing illegal acts of trespassing, unauthorized use of federal property, resisting arrest, . . . , each of which is a criminal act.

The occupiers went beyond freedom of speech when they threatened other folks and took up arms against the government. They are entitled to due process and a fair trial; they are not entitled to threaten others or resist arrest.

Meanwhile - http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/02/refuge_occupier_calls_for_feds.html

Apparently -FBI moves in on last four occupiers at Oregon wildlife refuge
http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-moving-last-four-occupiers-oregon-wildlife-refuge-022716643.html

FBI says it has surrounded last occupiers at Oregon refuge
http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-says-surrounded-last-occupiers-oregon-refuge-023131322.html

Fry seems to be becoming increasingly irrational.

 

[nsaspook]

http://www.mcso.us/PAID/Home/Booking/1364036

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/eastern-oregon/cliven-bundy-booked-in-multnomah-county-jail/39806821

 

[OmCheeto]

And, the occupation is over.

 

[nsaspook]

Fry seems to be becoming increasingly irrational.

Sad.

http://www.kptv.com/story/31197774/remaining-refugees-expected-to-surrender-to-fbi

BURNS, OR (KPTV) -

After a 40 day confrontation, a sole remaining protester is all that is left occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns after three others surrendered to the FBI Thursday morning.
...
The lone remaining protester, David Fry, has been stating on a live audio feed that he has declared war on the United States.

 

[nsaspook]

And, the occupation is over.

Finally...
https://www.fbi.gov/portland/press-...piers-at-the-malheur-national-wildlife-refuge
I hate to think of the mess they left behind but I like to think positive, the Bundy gang are behind bars.