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©1999 - 2012
Edward D. Reuss
All rights reserved. Including the right of reproduction in whole or part in any form

 

NY COP FORUM OCTOBER 1999

QUESTION:

 What is your opinion of the amnesty granted to members of the FALN?


RESPONSES:

"In my opinion, having a personal relationship with two of the officers who were forced to live with the results of the FALN'S mandate, it goes without saying that this amnesty and sentence reduction is nothing short of a criminal act. Anyone who was around in those days knows this group to be nothing short of murderers.  In particular, the NYPD has suffered severely while their convictions and incarcerations were given the advantage of "due process". I have never felt more betrayed as I have by the action of our President.  Politics makes strange bedfellows -true, but we have reached a new low in what is considered the right thing to do."

Vstack3303@aol.com


"My opinion is very simple.  Mr. Clinton is a ____(expletive deleted).  Remember that he is the same guy that admitted to smoking drugs.....so I am not surprised that he wouldn't support anything that is right for this Country. He belongs with Robert Morganthau, the Manhattan DA in NY who threw out all the Criminal Court summonses written to that piece of garbage Sharpton and all his followers for blocking the entrance to the New York City Police Department's Headquarters.  On behalf of all the members of the NYPD, I thank you for your support for everything that is right in this world."

Bcm624@aol.com


"Charles Manson never killed anybody but his henchmen and women did. Using Clinton's logic he should be released also.  Hillary might need his help when she runs for President."

Gld101@webtv.net


"I believe that it was all for political purposes and that makes it all the more despicable. I would say that I'm outraged but with this boob in office, can anything the man does surprise us anymore?"

sgtajc@aol.com


"Clinton will do anything to further his twisted political agenda......therefore, he pardons criminals. Birds of a feather flock together."

Vman1693@aol.com

"All I can say is I am outraged. I hope all the liberals that voted for Clinton are happy now."

Pointman62@aol.com

"We now know that the terrorists have been released and should not be surprised by the despicable actions taken by the Clintons.  Each and every member in law enforcement should remember how we have been abandoned by this Administration and show the appropriate outrage come election time.  There should no longer be any room in government for any Clinton."

Rk2032@aol.com


"It is patently a political ploy to gain favor among the electorate in large population centers, so that the soon to be former First Lady can win the Senate seat in New York.  I was born and raised in the Empire State, and if she get the nod, I'm outta here.....possibly Two Teeth, Arkansas.....after all, if they're here, they can't run anymore Whitewater swindles there."

Geemitch@gateway.net


"The release of the FALN terrorists is a slap in the face to every law enforcement officer who has paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is obvious that the sacrifices we make every day are for naught."

Anonymous



EDITOR'S NOTE:

International and domestic terrorism are the twin threats to the world in this period of history. The actions of a small radical group can terrorize whole populations and effect the lives of millions. Governments of Nation States can be coerced by threats of violence by explosives or the employment of instruments of terror such as chemical, biological, and radiological weapons of mass destruction.  Such power in the hands a small group of dedicated terrorists threatens the political power that rightly is exercised by governments.   The lawful use of force is in the realm of the State.  When individuals choose to exercise that power without the authority of those who grant that power, they are outside the law. The word "outlaw" sounds old-fashioned, but its meaning remains valid.

The newspapers are filled with examples of "outlaws" exercising their own form of justice.   Radical groups with real or imagined grievances choose to force their will upon society. Their weapons of choice are truly fearsome.  That is not an accident.  Their goal is to create fear and terror to obtain their ends.  For some, their behavior is motivated by belief systems that are in conflict with theirs.  The "outlaws" in the international drug trade have attained wealth never dreamed of. They glory in the power that wealth can bring to them.   Their egos are bloated with self-importance. Now, they have the means to overturn governments by assassination and bribery.      Greed and lust for power are not new vices. But the Twentieth Century has been fertile ground for them. 

We also have egotists who hide behind "causes" to justify their search for fame. They thrive on the publicity that the media is so ready to shower on them.  They fancy themselves redeemers and saviors.  They rise out of the great ocean of mediocrity seeking glory for themselves on the stage of life. They offer us nothing but pain and suffering in return. 

On January 24, l975, the lunchtime crowd that was dining in the historical Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan could not have imagined that a group calling itself the Armed Forces of National Liberation, a Puerto Rican terrorist organization, had targeted them for harm.  The tavern had been the scene of General George Washington's farewell to his officers in New York.  The explosion was felt throughout the Wall Street area. The New York Stock Exchange is a short distance up Broad Street and when the bomb went off, the word spread quickly. Reports stated that at least four were killed instantly and at least fifty others wounded. The agony and bloodshed caused by the terrorists is still felt by the survivors of the blast. The FALN claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the actual perpetrators of this cowardly crime were never identified and brought to justice.

On New Year's Eve, December 31, l982, Police Officer Rocco Pascarella was assigned to the Headquarters Security Detail at One Police Plaza.  All hell broke loose that night. An explosion rocked 26 Federal Plaza a short distance from Police Headquarters.   No one was injured in that first explosion. Detectives Richie Pastorella and Tony Senft of the NYPD bomb squad responded to that scene and were beginning to piece together the crime scene when they heard the sound of another explosion at One Police Plaza.  When they hurried over to the second bombing, they found Officer Pascarella was seriously injured by the second explosive device. Officer Pascarella subsequently lost one of his legs as a result of his injuries.

A few minutes later, a third bomb damaged the Federal Courthouse in Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn.  WCBS radio received an anonymous call stating: "This is the FALN. We're responsible for the bombings in New York City tonight. Free Puerto Rico. Free all political prisoners and all prisoners of war."

A short time later, two suspicious boxes were found by police at St.Andrew's Plaza near the federal courthouse in Foley Square.  That is very near One Police Plaza.
An NYPD canine responded and an explosive was confirmed by the dog.  The device consisted of four sticks of dynamite.  Wrapped in newspaper, the sticks were attached to a nine-volt battery and a pocket watch detonator.  All this was stuffed into a fast-food box.  Detectives Pastorella and Senft safeguarded the devices by placing a ballistics blanket over them and ordered the area to be cleared. The device exploded just as the two men were preparing to disarm it.  Despite the heavy protective kevlar bomb suits, the force of the explosion resulted in severe injuries to both officers.  Detective Pastorella lost both eyes, the fingers on his right hand and most of his hearing. Chunks of concrete punctured his body. Detective Senft was blinded and every bone in his face smashed.  His hip was broken, and most his body bruised and torn.  The doctors were able to restore sight to his left eye. The doctors were unable to remove many tiny bits of concrete, wire, and bomb parts from his riddled body.  Both men have endured multiple surgical operations over the years.  It is likely that they will require more such procedures in the future.

Should the members of the FALN have been granted clemency? In this dangerous world that we now live in, this decision may well come back to haunt us.

CaptainReuss@Verizon.net

Copyright © 1999 Edward D Reuss

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