Department of Agriculture buying unknown amount of submachine guns and high-capacity magazines

Posted on May 16, 2014 (http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/16/department-agriculture-buying-unknown-amount-submachine-guns-high-capacity-magazines/) by RT.com (http://www.dcclothesline.com/author/rt-com/)
http://cdn.rt.com/files/news/26/e0/80/00/rtr2l8iw.si.jpg A man looks at a sub machine gun displayed at the Latin America (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/america/) Aero and Defence trade show (Reuters / Ricardo Moraes)

The United States Department of Agriculture (http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/15/usda-purchase-submachine-guns/) is probably one of the last federal agencies you’d expect to request a substantial amount, if any, of firearms (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/firearms/), but that’s precisely what it did last week.
In a solicitation posted (https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=9fc3a01217d03b0354e1e18b69aa7bad&tab=core&_cview=0) on the government (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/government/)’s Federal Business Opportunities website on May 7, the Agriculture Department requested an unknown number of submachine guns (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/guns/). The department also states it wants to get its hands on weapons with night sights in the front and the rear and magazines with a 30-round capacity.
The solicitation, which also calls for the submachine guns to be lightweight and feature slings, says:
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, located in Washington (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/washington/), DC, pursuant to the authority of FAR Part 13, has a requirement for the commerical [sic] acquisition of submachine guns, .40 Cal. S&W, ambidextrous safety, semi-automatic or 2 shot burts [sic] trigger group, Tritium night sights for front and rear, rails for attachment of flashlight (front under fore grip) and scope (top rear), stock-collapsilbe [sic] or folding, magazine – 30 rd. capacity, sling, light weight, and oversized trigger guard for gloved operation.”
Exactly why the USDA (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/usda/) wants or needs to acquire multiple submachine guns is unclear, as the solicitation does not go into much detail regarding the purpose. RT attempted to reach both of the individuals listed as contacts on the USDA solicitation to learn more about the request, but was unable to immediately obtain a response from either.

The request has captured the attention of many conservative (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/conservative/), pro-gun websites, though, which have raised questions about it.
One possible explanation for the request could be that the weapons would be used by the law enforcement division of the United States (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/united-states/) Forest Service, which falls under the jurisdiction of the USDA. The Forest Service is not listed specifically in the text of the solicitation – again, nothing is mentioned that could be related to the ultimate purpose of the acquisition – causing some to fret over the possibility that the guns would be used elsewhere.
“[The USDA] will no doubt attempt to justify their purchase of military (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/military/) hardware by explaining that they conduct criminal investigations and may need to do armed raids,” wrote Bob Owens at the website Bearing Arms. “This is part of a trend to arm every branch of federal government (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/federal-government/), whether the individual agency has a legitimate need for a paramilitary force or not.”
There has been concern recently over the purchasing decisions of government agencies, particularly the Department for Homeland Security (http://www.dcclothesline.com/2013/03/26/running-the-numbers-on-dhs-ammo-purchases/), which critics have claimed buys excessive amounts of ammunition (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/ammunition/). A report by the Government Accountability Office (http://www.dcclothesline.com/tag/government-accountability-office/) in January, however, dismissed such concern, saying ammunition purchases by DHS have actually gone down since 2009.
Meanwhile, earlier this week a journalist at WND made headlines for suggesting (http://rt.com/usa/158700-state-dept-order-explosives/) the State Department is shopping for large amounts of explosives and detonator devices (http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/13/state-department-stockpiles-massive-quantities-explosives-c4-liquid-explosives-blasting-caps-detonating-cords/). Solicitations for explosives were also posted on the FBO website, but when asked to comment on the requests an agency official laughed off the question, saying “I'm not sure what you're looking for.”
Contributed by RT.com (http://rt.com/usa/159240-department-agriculture-seeks-machine-guns/)

Department of Agriculture buying unknown amount of submachine guns and high-capacity magazines | (http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/16/department-agriculture-buying-unknown-amount-submachine-guns-high-capacity-magazines/)

Which is why the November election may be the last one.

My theory is that a lot of time is spent planning for both foreign terrorism on American soil and American right wing gun rights advocates arming themselves to the teeth, for what, I'm not sure, but mostly defense against too much federal power. So every agency is in on the purchasing, whether they need arms or not.

Just the other day I chanced upon some branch shelling out a few million for a computer firm to create a lot of sockpuppet IDs around Iran and surrounding countries. Our defense budget goes to some very strange things. We are just bringing more of it here.

Plus, I believe that the military has decided that the huge defense items such as planes, carriers, subs, tanks, and so on, have to be replaced to some extent by computers, tactical use of computers, and small weapons.

covert operations, eradication of pests, defence of federal lands, stockpiling, just padding out the budget

they need them for the cattle slaughter .

An interesting theory, I would have thought that this is like the contra affair, covert operations to arm rebels in various places, hidden in unlikely places.

put it all together and what have you got Insurgency somewhere. maybe they are arming villigers in Nigeria to take on Boko Harum

Since almost every other department is doing it as well (I won't be surprised if the Department of Education is doing it as well)... somethng far more sinister is happening.

They have a police force, I have friends who work for it in Atlanta. There are many federal agencies that have their own police. Federal Reserve Bank.

But the Department of agriculture have armed officers who patrol and guard department of agriculture property.

There are many federal agencies that have their own police. Federal Reserve Bank.

But the Department of agriculture have armed officers who patrol and guard department of agriculture property.

And they need .40 caliber machine guns for night watchmen? That's almost as rich as when the ATF wanted a squadron of A-10 ground attack fighters.

Stands to reason if loonies and terrorists can be armed then government guards should be too.

Stands to reason if loonies and terrorists can be armed then government guards should be too.

Maybe we should give them RPG's. Do you really think thats what all this buying of hardware is about?

How about armed loonie terrorists militias?

“You need to die”: Cliven Bundy and violent militias still terrorizing Utah, Nevada - Salon.com (http://www.salon.com/2014/05/14/you_need_to_die_cliven_bundy_and_violent_militias_ still_terrorizing_utah_nevada/)

Anything is possible.

How about armed loonie terrorists militias?

Or these guys?

Obama calls Christians, Veterans, and Anti Abortionists Terrorists - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OW3w3MpBD8)

Edit: But not these:

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/05/15/Grassley-Investigating-Alleged-DHS-Terrorist-Lookout-Record-Deletions

no they need the 40 cal to guard their stockpile

The headline of the video from FOX was misleading, as Obama wan't in it. It was about domestic, extremist groups, not citizens lawfully protesting. We have had more than a few loony lone wolf shooting since.

Blurring the lines between granny on the corner protesting abortions, and real extremists who kill people is a dangerous tactic by Fox. I found it disgusting they made it about conservative values, and not real killers, and criminals.

The headline of the video from FOX was misleading, as Obama wan't in it.

So the Youtube should be titled Obama 'Administration.' Nice nit-pick.


Blurring the lines between granny on the corner protesting abortions, and real extremists who kill people is a dangerous tactic by Fox. I found it disgusting they made it about conservative values, and not real killers, and criminals

The trouble is that that blurring is precisely what the DHS report did.

Napolitano stands by controversial report - Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/16/napolitano-stands-rightwing-extremism/)
(Note the actual report is a PDF attached to the article.)

Classifying the men and women who offer up their lives to serve their country as right wing loony toon domestic terrorists should not make you disgusted. It should make you ashamed. The pity is that shame is so lacking on the Left these days.

They made no such claim, we are talking about a small group of fringe looneys that no way represents the whole group. I always nit pick in favor of accuracy given the right, and FOX's propensity for blaming everything on Obama.

Fox should stick to sports.

How about armed loonie terrorists militias?

“You need to die”: Cliven Bundy and violent militias still terrorizing Utah, Nevada - Salon.com (http://www.salon.com/2014/05/14/you_need_to_die_cliven_bundy_and_violent_militias_ still_terrorizing_utah_nevada/)

Anything is possible.


That story is so one sided and full of such BS Im surprised they could even publish crap like that.

Fox should stick to sports.

Just as Salon should stick to wine-tasting.

At least we agree on Infowars.

At least we agree on Infowars.

??

The only reason that I can think of, as to why the Government is arming itself is because they damn well know "that the road they are forcing us down is wrong".

The only reason that I can think of, as to why the Government is arming itself is because they damn well know "that the road they are forcing us down is wrong".

No it's the culture, they want everyone to be gun totin'

No it's the culture, they want everyone to be gun totin'

Not sure if you are kidding. Yes, they want everyone in the government to be totin but not you and I.

Seems like it Clete but don't listen to the hollering,

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/us/rate-of-gun-ownership-is-down-survey-shows.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Kids and Guns: By The Numbers - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/01/kids-and-guns-by-the-numbers/)

You forget America is many cultures, not just one. Even among the gun toting crowd, most of them are sensible, and not fanatics.

Tal, culture knows nothing about fanaticism, it cannot be measured from within the culture. Does a fundamentalist Muslim consider himself a fanatic? did the Christian inquisitionists consider themselves fanatics?, Did the Nazi consider themselves fanatics? But their actions, when viewed from outside the culture, are considered unacceptable in other societies. The culture of the gun in your society has the same overtones, irrespective of the fact that reasonable people say they would not behave that way in each of the cultures