From: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca (Cdn-Firearms Digest) To: cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Subject: Cdn-Firearms Digest V15 #180 Reply-To: cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Sender: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Errors-To: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Precedence: normal Cdn-Firearms Digest Tuesday, July 17 2012 Volume 15 : Number 180 In this issue: regarding: In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Hamilton LOST all but dead, 34 GOP senators oppose Re: Stratfor- re Fast and Furious"- Digest V15 #179 Latest Trawna ''shoot'em up'' "Canadian killed by Russian forces during anti-terrorism...... Re: In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Hamilton TORONTO STAR: 2 killed, 19 hurt in gunfire at block party ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:00:17 -0600 From: "Joe Gingrich" Subject: regarding: In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Hamilton Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 22:56:25 -0600 From: Edward Hudson Subject: In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Hamilton In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Hamilton 13 August 1937 - 08 July 2012 Bob Hamilton of LeRoy, Saskatchewan, now joins Dale Blue, Dave Tomlinson, Al Parsons, and Gordon Hitchens in the great shooting range in the sky where no firearms licence nor gun registration is needed, and no federal firearms officials, police, nor RCMP interfere as they shoot whenever they want. Like Dale, Dave, Al, and Gordon, Bob was part of the 'Old Guard' - sometimes disparagingly referred to as AOB's*. These guys may have sometimes been 'angry' - and justifiably so, because they grew up when Canadians were truly free. As youths they could go into a hardware store, put their hard earned cash on the counter and purchase a firearm and ammo - no questions asked - and go out and shoot gophers on the edge of town. PETA members did not take off their clothes in protest, and the Emergency Response Team did not strip-search them after confiscating their "weapons". Unlike some gun owners today, Bob and these gentlemen understood the true evils of the Liberal's 1995 Bill C-68, the Firearms Act, and the consequent amendments to the Criminal Code. In this fight to preserve our Canadian heritage and culture, Bob stepped forward to be counted and personally supported CUFOA's court challenges to licencing, attending court with us in both Humboldt and Saskatoon. I imagine that Bob, Dale, Dave, Al, and Gordon would be shouting at us to heed John McCrae's admonition to "Take up our quarrel with the foe". Having lived to see Mr. Harper's betrayal of firearms owners with Bill C-19, Bob understood that Mr. Harper and his so-called Conservatives who now endorse licencing are the foe. Let us honour Bob and hold the torch high as we continue the fight to protect our Rights and Freedoms. Sincerely, Edward B. Hudson DVM, MS Secretary *AOB - Angry Old Birds Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association Association canadienne des propriétaires d'armes sans permis 402 Skeena Court Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 4H2 (306) 242-2379 (306) 230-8929 edwardhudson@shaw.ca www.cufoa.ca - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eduardo, I am happy to see this. Bob was an active supporter of Cufoa's activities against Bill C-68, the Harper gun law. Joe Gingrich White Fox ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:25:04 -0600 From: "Joe Gingrich" Subject: LOST all but dead, 34 GOP senators oppose http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/07/16/sea-treaty-all-but-dead-34-gop-senators-oppose/ Sea Treaty all but dead, 34 GOP senators oppose "The development was a blow to the Obama administration." Published July 16, 2012 Associated Press WASHINGTON - A treaty governing the high seas is all but dead in the Senate as two Republican senators announced their opposition Monday, giving conservative foes the necessary votes to scuttle the pact. Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire - both mentioned as possible running mates for likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney - said they had serious concerns about the breadth and ambiguity of the Law of the Sea treaty and would oppose it if called up for a vote. The Constitution requires two-thirds of the Senate - 67 votes - -to ratify a treaty; Portman and Ayotte bring the number of opponents to 34 along with Sens. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. The development was a blow to the Obama administration, military leaders and the business community led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who had argued that the treaty would improve national security and enhance U.S. standing in the world. They had pressed for ratification of the treaty, which was concluded in 1982 and has been in force since 1994. The United States is the only major nation that has refused to sign the pact. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and other conservatives have led the campaign against the treaty, contending that it would undermine U.S. sovereignty. DeMint heralded the latest development on Twitter, saying, "34 Senators now oppose LOST, sinking the misguided treaty." The treaty establishes a system for resolving disputes in international waters and recognizes sovereign rights over a country's continental shelf out to 200 nautical miles and beyond if the country can provide evidence to substantiate its claims. The United States has abided by the rules of the treaty since President Ronald Reagan's administration. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had told Congress in May that the treaty could be a boon to business as U.S. oil and natural gas companies now have the technology to explore the extended continental shelf, which could be more than 1 1/2 times the size of Texas and rich in resources. But Portman and Ayotte were not swayed. "Proponents of the Law of the Sea treaty aspire to admirable goals, including codifying the U.S. Navy's navigational rights and defining American economic interests in valuable offshore resources," the two said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "But the treaty's terms reach well beyond those good intentions. This agreement is striking in both the breadth of activities it regulates and the ambiguity of obligations it creates. " The two also raised concerns about authorization of international and judicial entities. "The United States would be binding itself to yet-unknown requirements and liabilities. That uncertainty alone is reason for caution," Portman and Ayotte wrote. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., has tried to build a case for ratification of the treaty, with a vote planned for the lame-duck session after the November elections. He was steadfast Monday in his commitment to the treaty despite the growing opposition. "Senator Kerry has been here long enough to know that vote counts and letters are just a snapshot of where our politics are in this instant, and it's not news to anyone that right now we're in the middle of a white hot political campaign season where ideology is running in overdrive," said spokeswoman Jodi Seth in a statement. "No letter or whip count changes the fact that rock-ribbed Republican businesses and the military and every living Republican secretary of state say that this needs to happen, and that's why it's a matter of 'when' not 'if' for the Law of the Sea." Kerry had a series of hearings with star witnesses, starting with Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making a rare joint appearance. Four admirals, including the chief of naval operations and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and two generals also urged senators to support the treaty. And last month, business leaders, including the head of the Chamber, testified on behalf of the pact. But the conservative opposition was too formidable. Heritage Action, which lobbied against the treaty, said in a statement from CEO Michael A. Needham: "America had little to gain through accession to the Law of the Sea Treaty - but much to lose. Rather than affirming existing practices, it would have instituted a radically new, international legal regime. The demise of the Law of the Sea Treaty not only represents a victory for American sovereignty, but also the American people." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:55:34 -0600 From: Larry James Fillo Subject: Re: Stratfor- re Fast and Furious"- Digest V15 #179 On 16-Jul-12, at 6:40 AM, Cdn-Firearms Digest wrote: > Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:01:15 -0400 > From: Mark L Horstead > Subject: Stratfor Article 12 July 2012 - The Other Consequences of > Fast and Furious > > http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/other-consequences-fast-and-furious? > utm_sourcereelist- > f&utm_mediummail&utm_campaign120712&utm_termsweekly&utm_contentreadmo > re&elq37070b8fa647bb97a65392b37d18c8 also http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/other-consequences-fast-and-furious for entire article > The Other Consequences of Fast and Furious > > July 12, 2012 | 0900 GMT > > Stratfor > > By Scott Stewart ... These are the key paragraphs. > The premium prices Mexican cartels are paying for guns mean that > even if the U.S.-Mexican border could somehow magically be sealed > tomorrow, arms merchants from elsewhere would be able to fill the void. > Indeed, there are some weapons that the cartels simply cannot buy from > the United States due to a lack of availability. Such weapons include > hand grenades, 40 mm grenades, M60 machine guns, rocket-propelled > grenades and M-72 anti-tank rockets. Instead, the cartels buy such items > from members of the Mexican military, militaries in countries such as > Guatemala and El Salvador, or international arms dealers. The cartels > would go to these same sources to replace the weapons unavailable in the > United States due to increased arms interdiction efforts. I'd argue that is what they do now and the small amount of smuggled arms is there only because it's close and the smuggling networks are so well established. For small amounts they don't care that the cost is higher. That the cartels are able to obtain things like RPGs, hand grenades, M-60 machine guns, 40mm grenades from corrupt officials in the Mexican or Central American militaries, that is the key. Obviously, then they obtain M-16 variants/AK-47 variants and ammo from the same sources, too. After watching youtube videos of cartel gangsters attacking Mexican police stations, where they begin the attack by parking in the middle of the street and tossing hand grenades, I quickly surmised they had ready access to military stores in their own countries. Given these officials are stealing these weapons, the profit margin is high and undoubtedly cheaper than what is purchased legally north of the Rio Grande and smuggled. Also, the volume available would dwarf any smuggling operation, as would volume discounts. Thus even if the interdiction efforts were 100 percent successful, no drug cartel worthy of the name would be prevented from obtaining small arms including "hand grenades, RPGs, and M-72 anti-tank rockets". As long as there are large numbers of corrupt government officials willing to steal from their own governments the cartels have it made. To add additional irony to the mix, part of their arsenal was likely donated via U.S. aid programs to the governments in question for the purpose of fighting the drug cartels. Any honest gov't. analysis would transfer BATF interdiction budgets towards the apprehension of criminals. And so would any honest media analysis, which ironically seem to be more likely found on the net than on the airwaves or store shelves. > South American groups such as the Revolutionary Armed > Forces of Colombia and Peru's Shining Path have demonstrated that > it is not difficult for groups to arm themselves via the black arms > market in the Western Hemisphere. > > Rifles and other weapons are durable goods, and it is not unusual > to find weapons in Mexico that were provided by the United States, the > Soviets or the Cubans to various governments and insurgent groups during > the Cold War. Weapons are also fungible, or easily substituted for each > other. This means that an AK-47 rifle made in the Soviet Union in the > 1950s could be replaced by a variant made in East Germany in the 1970s > or in China or Romania today. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find assault > rifles of various makes and ages in cartel possession. In videos > published by groups such as the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, > gunmen armed with FN-FAL rifles have appeared alongside comrades armed > with various models of AKs, M16s and M4s. A cartel gunman does not care > where his rifle comes from. In recent years, Mexican cartels have begun > to forge close relationships with Chinese organized crime groups that > are helping the cartels obtain precursor chemicals for the manufacture > of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. These Chinese groups also > are reportedly becoming increasingly important components of Mexican > cartel money laundering efforts. Chinese criminal groups have close ties > with the Chinese arms manufacturers, and it is possible that they could > begin sending guns to their Mexican contacts with the other illicit > cargo. That would only happen if it where cheaper, add in transportation across the Pacific and it's going to be difficult to beat the cost of gov't. arms stolen locally. Unless, these too start to receive a government subsidy. > The Mexican cartels have also reportedly become progressively more > involved in the transportation of cocaine to Europe via Africa -- a > continent awash in black market assault rifles and other weapons. Some > of the cocaine trafficked into Europe is handled by Balkan groups with > access to large stockpiles of weapons in Eastern Europe. > > These various connections ensure that the Mexican cartels will > continue to have access to assault rifles and other military ordnance > for the foreseeable future, regardless of how much progress U.S. > authorities make in their efforts to stem the flow of guns to Mexico. So when are we going to see this argument brought up in the MSM? Answer: Only after it is commonly acknowledged on popular websites. The MSM is in trouble financially only because they lag behind the real news. Often they substitute investigative journalism for the press releases of gov't. departments. > Editor's Note: We now offer the daily Mexico Security Monitor, an > additional custom intelligence service geared toward organizations with > operations or interests in the region, designed to provide more detailed > and in-depth coverage of the situation. To learn more about this new > fee-based custom service, visit www.stratfor.com/msm. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 08:08:23 -0700 From: Todd Birch Subject: Latest Trawna ''shoot'em up'' Details on Global were pretty sketchy, but from what was released, looks like it was at a black immigrant community event. Torontonians can expect a retaliatory strike. Any racial aspect will be down played by the media. Not mentioned will be the fact that the guns and shooters were illegal. So much for the effectiveness of gun laws, ammo restrictions, PALs and righteousness indignation. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:47:23 -0600 From: Larry James Fillo Subject: "Canadian killed by Russian forces during anti-terrorism...... http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/16/william-plotnikov/ Canadian killed by Russian forces during anti-terrorism operation: reports Stewart Bell Jul 16, 2012 6:47 PM ET | Last Updated: Jul 16, 2012 8:34 PM ET William Plotnikov was also known as "The Canadian." According to Russian reports, he was killed Friday. TORONTO Canadian officials were looking into reports Monday that a young Ontario boxer had been killed by Russian security forces during an anti-terrorism operation in the restive North Caucasus. William Plotnikov, a 23-year-old also known as The Canadian, was among seven insurgents killed in Dagestan on Friday when they were ambushed by the police and military, Russian media outlets reported. A police officer was also killed in the gun battle near the village of Utamysh, reported The Moscow Times. Dagestan has been the scene of regular insurgent violence between Islamist rebels and Russian security forces. Consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather information regarding reports of a Canadian citizen killed in Russia Mr. Plotnikov, who was carrying a Canadian passport, had boxed for the European Boxing Club in Ontario and became a Canadian citizen in 2008. He later studied at Seneca College in Toronto but returned to Russia in 2010. Consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather information regarding reports of a Canadian citizen killed in Russia, said Claude Rochon, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman. Russia plays up the apparent killing of foreigners in the Caucuses in an attempt to portray its conflict against Islamist insurgents as a fight against international terrorism. In 2004, Russian forces said they had similarly killed a Canadian named Rudwan Khalil in Chechnya. Richard Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, testified to a Senate committee in April that at least 45 Canadians, possibly as many as had traveled abroad to join al-Qaeda affiliates. CSIS declined to say how many of them were dead. While we have indeed identified Canadians who have traveled abroad to join extremist groups and possibly to participate in terrorist activities, I cannot discuss specifics about them, Tahera Mufti, the CSIS spokeswoman, told the National Post last month. These groups Al Shabab and al-Qaeda among them offer young people a misguided sense of purpose and belonging. What I can say is that the phenomenon of young Canadians joining violent organizations overseas is very real. These groups Shabab and al-Qaeda among them offer young people a misguided sense of purpose and belonging, and maybe even an ill-conceived promise of adventure in a foreign land but too often it gets them killed. This is a serious security threat to Canadian interests because those recruits could return to Canada to promote radicalism, share their terrorist training and possibly even carry out acts of violence on Canadian soil. People who participate in these activities abroad are a threat to the interests of Canadians and our allies, and no one should be surprised that it often ends violently for them. Canadians killed in overseas counter-terrorism operations include: Abdul Rahman Jabarah, killed in Saudi Arabia; al-Qaeda figure Ahmed Khadr, killed in Pakistan; and Mohammed Elmi Ibrahim, who left Canada to join the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab in Somalia. National Post ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:11:07 -0700 (PDT) From: enigma1 Subject: Re: In Memoriam: Robert (Bob) Hamilton I have nothing but the highest respect for Dr. Hudson. He and his colleagues have toiled�for our collective benefit, to be sure. He has pressed relentlessly towards lawful firearm ownership sanity. It has been, without doubt, an extremely laborious journey fraught with many disappointments and challenges. We all owe a great deal to Dr. Hudson, et al, for the dedication and sacrifices made. However, It seems somewhat inappropriate for him to pay homage to the passing of a member of the old guard while venting about the apparent betrayal by the Conservatives over their disingenuous 'effort' to reverse the damage done by past Liberal gun policy. Or make mention of the crude and pathetic antics of P.E.T.A We ARE the choir and we need not be preached to. Yes, the fifties and sixties were wonderful eras from what we are told. Freedom was just for the asking and no one cared if you carried your squirrel gun from school. But this is the twenty first century with its own set of values, challenges....and realities. It is, therefore, within the context of these new realities that we must look ahead and move forward in our ongoing struggle for justice. As far as the 'memoriam' dedicated to the the late Robert (Bob) Hamilton is concerned, wouldn't it be nice if we could all learn more about this fine man's life. Where and when he was born, his hobbies, his achievements, his contributions to his community and family. I would bet a handsome sum and win,�that he was more than just firearms. At this sad and delicate time, let us show respectful support for his family by leaving the soap box at home. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, July 17, 2012 7:52 am From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: TORONTO STAR: 2 killed, 19 hurt in gunfire at block party TORONTO STAR - JULY 17, 2012 Scarborough shootings: 2 killed, 19 hurt in gunfire at block party Liam Casey, Jessica McDiarmid, Jennifer Yang and Graham Slaughter, Staff Reporters http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/1227453--scarborough-shootings-2-killed-19-hurt-in-gunfire-at-block-party Phil watched the desperate mother pump her teenaged daughter's chest as blood soaked her shirt. The teen sucked air in bursts, unable to take full breaths. "Keep awake," her sobbing mother said. "Keep awake." Phil looked at his watch, as he waited for help to arrive. Ten minutes passed. Then 20. Then 30. "She was sucking air," said Phil, who did not want to give his last name. "Then she took her last two breaths, real quick, then stopped." She died. So did a man in his early 20s after a Scarborough gun battle at around 10:40 p.m. Monday night that left at least 19 more - including a toddler, who is now in stable condition - wounded. "So far we have been able to confirm that 19 people were transported from this location by ambulance to various hospitals throughout the Toronto region for treatment of gunshot wounds," said Toronto police chief Bill Blair, speaking to reporters a few hours after the shooting on Danzig St., near Morningside Ave. and Lawrence Ave. E. "Tonight's event is unprecedented," said Blair. "The level of violence is something we've never experienced. This is the worst incident of gunfire in memory." The victims range in age from infancy to mid-20s, police said. The block party - or "blocko," as many referred to it - is an annual event organized by the community, according to Donna Almarales, 22. This year, the party featured Caribbean barbecue, jerk chicken, DJs and, according to partygoers, the promise of free Hennessey cognac, which drew people from as far away as London, Ont. Almarales and Jade Hooper, 18, had been at the party for about 20 minutes when they heard the gunshots. "At first we just thought it was nothing, maybe someone was just playing around," Almarales said. "And it turned out to be bloodshed." From there, it became chaos. As panic rippled through the crowd, people sprinted in every direction, many shouting the names of friends or loved ones. "We were just looking for dead bodies," Almarales said. On one side of the road, Almarales spotted a girl lying on the ground. On the other side, there was a young man lying face down. He had blood on his back. "I tried slapping him to tell him to get up," she recalled. "He just didn't move. He didn't move at all." But like several area residents who spoke to the Star, Almarales's shock was overshadowed by the anger she felt about the police response. Many complained that emergency responders were slow to arrive and take control of the chaotic scene. Almarales said that at one point, a man was trying to maneuver his car through the mob of people and transport one of the victims to safety. A police officer stopped him and beckoned him out of the car, she said. "He was grabbing the police officer, (shouting), 'Do something! Do something!'" she said. "And the cop was just going, 'Everybody move, move.' He was just in panic mode. He didn't know what to do." A man named Chris, who declined to give his last name, said paramedics and firefighters quickly jumped on the man, trying to revive him. The man was pronounced dead shortly thereafter and draped with an orange blanket, a lone black Converse sneaker uncovered. Blair insisted to reporters that there was a quick response to the scene with ambulances arriving "within minutes." Police officers also came from across the city, he said. "The response was very rapid and I think was successful in getting the injured to treatment in a very speedy way," he said. Toronto EMS deputy chief Garrie Wright said 16 ambulances and an EMS bus were used to carry the wounded to hospital. About an hour after the shooting, ambulances and police cars were still streaming to the area near Lawrence Ave. E. and Morningside Dr., a mixed neighbourhood of brick high rises, townhouses and single-family homes. Still-panicked people crowded along the police tape that stretched for blocks, watching as paramedics treated the wounded inside the EMS bus. People screamed and sobbed into cellphones, trying to locate friends or family. One woman, who was being comforted by friends and wouldn't give her name, said her 17-year-old niece had been shot in the arm and was being treated on the bus. Area resident Leighton Robinson said his nephew's girlfriend, who is in her early 20s, was also shot in the arm. He was at home watching a movie when he received a stricken phone call from his niece, informing him of the shooting. "Basically, it sickens me," he said of the violence. "It never used to be this way . the new players in the game are playing it wrong." Rumours also began spreading across the neighbourhood, at times igniting emotional outbursts, especially when false information circulated that the toddler wounded by gunfire had died. Early Tuesday morning, Toronto police released a tweet urging people to stick to the facts. "REPORTING THE INFANT HAS NOT DIED!" read the tweet, by @TorontoPolice. "Non-life threatening, stable condition. Please do not report or spread rumours." As police investigators began combing the scene for evidence, some residents were openly hostile and cursed at the officers. At one point, an enraged woman looking for her children berated officers and was handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car. Around 3 a.m., two young men walked through the police line, looking for their friend. Police took them to see the body and when they came back, one said, "That's my boy." They refused to answer further questions. Claudia Wilson, whose 20-year-old daughter was at the party, said when she came out of their nearby home, all she saw was ambulances. "It's really crazy. You just don't know what to think anymore," said Wilson, whose daughter was sobbing nearby. Wilson said her daughter's friend was shot in the arm at the party. "She was dodging bullets over there," said Wilson. "They were all in one place and all of a sudden the shots were fired. No one knows where they came from." Police said the shooting broke out after an altercation, and that more than one person was firing. One handgun was recovered nearby and police have a person of interest who was injured in the gunfire. Police homicide, intelligence and guns and gangs units are investigating, said Blair. Victims were taken to various hospitals, including Scarborough Hospital, St. Michael's Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. There were six shootings in the 43 Division before Monday's gunfire, Blair said. Monday's deaths were the city's 27th and 28th homicides of the year. This is the second time innocent bystanders were wounded in crossfire in recent weeks. On June 2, several bystanders were hit by stray bullets after a gunman opened fire in a crowded food court at Toronto's Eaton Centre. One man was killed in that incident and another died of his injuries days later. On June 18, a 35-year-old man was killed in a targeted shooting in Little Italy. One other man was injured. ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V15 #180 *********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca Moderator's email: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca FAQ list: http://www.canfirearms/Skeeter/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://www.canfirearms.ca CFDigest Archives: http://www.canfirearms.ca/archives To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next four lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".)