National Guard State Partnership Program ( part of the Joint Military Contact Team Program) By Jeff Head, March 1997 The National Guard State Partnership Program, which is also referred to as the "Bridge to America," is an agreement that "links U.S. States and countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the Americas through ties between state governors and state national guards with the ministry of defense and soldiers of the partner counrty". The entire program however, is under the administration of the National Guard Bureau's Directorate of Inter- national Affairs. According to the information sheet from the National Guard Bureau, state partnerships are being developed so that, "host militaries learn about the effectiveness of competent force mobilization under civilian control and direct support to civil authority. While the purpose put forth by the Clinton administration is to help train emerging countries in developing democratic military organizations the fact sheet from the National Guard Bureau states that one of the purposes is "to convey and reinforce the concept" that one of the proper roles of the military is to render "military support to civil authorities". Until recently, this has been expressely forbidden in the United States as a result of the Posse Comitatus Act (P.C.A.) of 1878 which forbids the use of the military in enforcing civilian laws. It is however a critical activity of the U.N.'s envisioned World Wide police force, which has been in the planning stages since the Disarmement Agreements and Plans were put into motion by the U.N. (and most notably by our own government) in the 1960's. We see our forces and others being used to this end all around us today. If there were a large popular resistance to say a national ban on firearms, or a second "Waco" activity, could these same forcesbe used against U.S. citizens? ... most certaintly. Training events currently planned include, "multi-national disaster relief,... environmental operations, developing military justice... and civil/military cooperative programs" Many states' Adjutants General have volunteered their states (with near zero media coverage and thus no public consent) to become state partners with members of the former Soviet Union, inviting foreign troops into the their states. Have we forgotten that less than eight years ago, these same troops and their commanders were considered our mortal enemies. Surely, prudence would dictate that this is all occurring too fast. Or is it?, depending on the real goals, perhaps for the planners it is not occuring fast enough. Let us not forget the lesson of the Trojan Horse. Current states involved with the program, and their partner states, include the following: AL-Romania, AZ-Kazakhstan, CA-Ukraine, CO-Slovenia, GA-Georgia Republic, IL-Poland, IN-Slovakia, LA-Uzbekistan, MY-Estonia, MI-Latvia, MN-Croatia, MT-Kyrgyzstan, NV-Turkmenistan, NC-Moldovia, OH-Hungary, PA-Lithuania, SC-Albania, TN-Bulgaria, TX-Czecheslovokia, UT-Belarus, VM-Macedonia,KY-Ecuador, MO-Panama (For a fact sheet, contact Col. James of the National Guard Bureau at 703/ 681-3097, they'll mail or fax). A thought provoking and compelling quote follows: "Americans must decide: Are we going to be governed by Americans or by an international organization? I for one, owe no allegiance to the United Nations nor will I give it any. I obey only the U.S. Constitution. You had better think about this issue, for if the United Nations can violate the sovereignty of Haiti, Iraq and other countries, it can violate ours... The United States may not be the top dog 15 years from now. U.N. Security Council resolutions, backed by, say Chinese soldiers, could be aimed at us." Columnist Charley Reese Orlando Sentinel