Looks like there's a paramilitary turf-war brewing out here in my neighborhood.  Check out the Wind Zero Project:

Heh...slick website - you can't copy/paste text from it.  How charmingly paramil, huh?

Looks like Xe (Blackwater) set up a front web site to try to thwart the competition: Wind Zero Uncovered.

Wind Zero Group, Inc., a privately-owned security services company, wants to build a "training facility" on 963 acres in the Ocotillo-Nomirage area of Imperial County, California.  Wind Zero's proposed facility is nearly identical to what Blackwater USA attempted and ultimately failed to construct in Potrero, CA in early 2008 due to the response of the local community.

Faced with STRONG OPPOSITION to their proposed facility, WIND ZERO IS TRYING TO RE-BRAND THEIR PROJECT by luring people into believing it is NOT really a Blackwater-like training facility, but is going to be a "recreational training resort" replete with a driving track intended to cater primarily to private motorsports and gun enthusiasts.  

THIS IS 100% PURE DECEPTION.  Wind Zero is trying to veil its proposed 400-acre "training facility" (note that Blackwater West's facility was only going to be 350 acres!) behind a 600-acre "motorsport enthusiasts" track.  This is intentional.  This is deliberate.  This is deceptive.  There are video clips located in each section of this website that show this. 

Wind Zero is not really seeking to be a provider of "recreational" anything.  To see for yourself, check out their most recent limited distribution marketing material at this link here:
                                            Wind Zero Flyer (click here)

Wind Zero's massive facility is proposed to be built on archaeologically and ecologically sensitive land with very scarce water resources.

Please visit the other tabs on the upper left for more information regarding Wind Zero and join the campaign to stop this project!  In the coming weeks this site will be updated with information on how to get involved.

I don't really know if this is a Xe front - but look around the web site.  There are no names, not even on the "contact" page.  If it was a community based product, I don't think this would be the case.  But there's an excellent link to a community meeting with the Wind Zero principals.

Xe (Blackwater) abandoned its plans for a 824 acre training facility due to community pressure, and stated it was because the noise all those faux firefights would generate would exceed San Diego County's noise caps.

 

Although I haven't blogged on Honduras for a few days, there have been a lot of new developments - no big headliners, but collectively these minor political earthquakes are adding up. 

Today the Coup Government made public that the US Government has revoked the visas for 19 more people who were involved in the coup d'etat.  This time it is both tourist and diplomatic visas.  Roberto Bain Michelleti, president of the coup government, is at the top of the list.  He was reportedly pissed-off that the letter was addressed to "President of Congress" - his position before the coup.  The remaining 14 members of the Supreme Court also received notice from State.  Also Chief Prosecutor Luis Rubi, Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez, Congresswoman Marcia Villeda and Vice Foreign Minister Martha Alvarado have had their visas revoked.

Several unnamed Honduran business people have also been noticed. 

In Miami today Adolfo Facussé, the head of the National Association of Industries, which has helped to finance the coup, was taken off his flight by ICE agents and is being held in detention awaiting deportation back to Honduras.

Finally, there are 170 more visa cancellations to be announced soon.

The European Union is amping up sanctions against the coup government, and the IMF has (finally) suspended Honduran funds. 

On the ground in Honduras the demonstrations continue daily in various parts of the country, and the movement of boycott the coming elections is intensifying. 

There have been some incidents in Honduras suspected to have been carried out by paramilitary groups, but today there was an attack on Cholusat Sur, Channel 36, the only TV station in Honduras that is anti-coup.  A tear-gas grenade attack on the station's facilities.  They left calling - cards, identifying themselves as Commando Central del Frente Armado Nacional General Alvarez Martinez.  Alvarez Martinez was the founder of the battalion 3-16 death squad of the 80s.  They left literature behind referencing the old cold war rhetoric - defending the world against communism etc.  Some of the employees of the TV stations who were exposed to the gas were seen vomiting after evacuation, and rumors of sarin gas were spoken. 

If anyone wants references to these stories I'll be glad to oblige.  It's late out here in the west, and I just wanted to get this down before I hit the hay.