Posted on 01/22/2016 4:04:45 AM PST by Nextrush
BURNS-Ammon Bundy, standing in a biting, freezing wind Thursday at the police blockade to the local airport, borrowed a cellphone from an FBI agent.
On the other end was an FBI negotiator who identified himself to Bundy only as "Chris."
And so opened talks between the leader of the refuge occupation and the federal agency in charge of bringing and end to the armed takeover, now in its third week....
Bundy and Ryan Payne, another takeover organizer, said the FBI reached out by phone and by messenger starting two days ago.
Bundy said he had 14 voice messages Wednesday from the negotiator-the same day that Gov. Kate Brown publicly scolded federal officials for what she said was their slow approach to ending the Harney County standoff.
Bundy showed up unannounced at the Burns Municipal Airport, which is serving as an operations base for the FBI. He said he was there to talk with Chris but was told that the negotiator wasn't there, though they could talk by phone.
Bundy stood on the pavement of the driveway to the airport as he talked, a bodyguard besides him, with two plainclothes FBI agents as well as armed FBI agents in tactical dress standing nearby.
He put the cellphone on speaker, allowing all to listen in on the first known conversation between the federal agents and Bundy since the occupation started Jan. 2....
"We're not going to escalate anything," he said. "You would be the only ones to escalate this."
But Bundy has questions of his own. He asked by what right was the FBI involved in the refuge occupation.
"Are you under the authority of the sheriff?" Bundy asked.
When the negotiator said the sheriff had asked for federal help. Bundy responded, "You do not have the people's authority to be here."......
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
More:
“I’m a face-to-face kind of guy,” Bundy told the negotiator. “You reached out to me ... I’m not sure exactly what you wanted to talk about.”
Statement from FBI
The FBI released this statement Thursday afternoon:
“The FBI recognizes that many in the community have questions about why we are here and our role in helping to end the occupation of the wildlife refuge. We are here to work closely with Sheriff Ward and our local, state and federal partners to protect the safety and welfare of this community. This occupation has caused tremendous disruption and hardship for the people of Harney County, and our response has been deliberate and measured as we seek a peaceful resolution.”
The conversation sounded in some ways like acquaintances catching up, with the FBI negotiator asking about activities out at the refuge. Bundy told him about launching the effort to hand over federal land titles to local people, about cleaning up refuge buildings, about dealing with fire hazards in the refuge compound’s fire house.
Bundy — the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy who defied federal authorities in 2014 in a dispute over grazing on public land — covered concerns about how the U.S. Bureau of Land Management allegedly impedes efforts by local ranchers to help put out range fires. He said ranchers are “afraid of prosecution” if they help now.
Bundy has called for the release of Burns-area ranchers Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son, Steven, sent to prison on arson convictions for burning federal land. They reported back to prison this month to finish five-year prison sentences in the case after serving lighter sentences. Their lawyers are seeking executive clemency for the men.
The negotiator asked why Bundy picked Harney County.
“You’re familiar with the Hammonds,” Bundy said in a sardonic tone. The federal government for years has tried to buy the Hammond ranch to add to the refuge holdings, he claimed.
The negotiator pressed for what Bundy wanted to see done with the refuge. Bundy said it should be turned over to Harney County officials.
He said his group wouldn’t leave until practical steps had been taken to get the refuge out of federal control and ensure the refuge buildings were never again used by the federal government.
How would that get done, the agent asked.
“I don’t know,” Bundy said. “We could put more thought to that.”
Bundy, as he would several times through the conversation, said his group had no intention of resorting to violence to settle the issues.
“We’re not going to escalate anything,” he said. “You would be the only ones to escalate this.”
But Bundy had questions of his own. He asked by what right was the FBI involved in the refuge occupation.
“Are you here under authority of the sheriff?” Bundy asked.
When the negotiator said the sheriff had asked for federal help, Bundy responded, “You do not have the people’s authority to be here.”
In measured tones, the negotiator told him, “The sheriff has asked for our assistance.”
Sheriff Dave Ward has repeatedly told the occupiers to go home and met with Bundy two weeks ago, promising him safe passage out of the county. But the sheriff said Bundy wouldn’t take him up on the offer.
As the negotiator repeatedly cycled back to the issue of how to end the standoff, Bundy was equally insistent that action had to happen – not just talk.
One action was paramount to ending the standoff, he said: “You can bring the Hammonds back home to their families.”
When the negotiator asked if he was referring to a presidential pardon, Bundy had a quick response. “The president didn’t put them” in prison, Bundy said. “You and I both know the president is not going to get them out.”
Instead, he said the federal prosecutors who put the Hammonds in prison “need to work their magic” to free the ranchers.
Bundy brought the conversation to a close, saying he had other meetings and tasks to attend. A group of New Mexico state legislators was expected at the refuge, he said.
The negotiator asked how they could stay in touch, whether he could use a landline at the refuge to reach Bundy. Bundy demurred, saying the occupiers weren’t using refuge phones.
“We want to work together with you,” the negotiator said.
The two agreed to connect again in 24 hours.
With that, the negotiator hung up, Bundy handed the borrowed cellphone to an FBI agent and headed to a pickup truck for the 30-mile drive back to the refuge.
— Les Zaitz
@leszaitz
They talked for an hour:
“...For nearly an hour around noontime, the negotiator listened to Bundy’s well-practiced litany of complaints against the federal government while probing for what it would take to end his occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. ...”
How many Gitmo detainees will Iran get out of the deal?
The FBI would like to burn them all to death like they did to all those children at Waco.
I can empathize with the plight and I wish them well. However, I have no idea why they selected that particular remote park to make their statement or why it has any significance to anyone in the dead of winter. And I am utterly baffled why the govt does not simply ignore them.
What compelling reason does the govt have for engaging them? It’s not as if they are a bunch of Baltimore thugs trashing the place — the protesters will quite likely leave that scene cleaner than it was when they arrived.
If I were king of the world, I’d send an unarmed govt liaison(s) to the nearest town with a decent hotel (with a conference room), and messenger an open invitation to the protesters that they can send their liaison(s) to come “air their grievances”.
If they didn’t show up within a couple of weeks, I’d publicize that I’m pulling the govt liaison(s) due to “lack of interest” on behalf of the protesters and then just ignore them. If the protesters *did* show up, then I’d respectfully entertain whatever conversation they wanted to cover with a serious disposition, make no promises other than to accurately relay their grievances and keep a catered buffet stocked for them while they were there. Ultimately, they would need to agree to attempt to resolve the matter in court (from what I understand) and it does not sound like the court has so far agreed with their point of view. The govt can then say that they will abide by the court and tie the matter up in a legal morass that favors the govt for a long time.
Now don’t get me wrong - I believe the protesters have valid grievances and I truly hope they are resolved to their satisfaction. I’m just opining on one scenario to illustrate how the protesters have little to no *meaningful* leverage with their current strategy and how the govt could easily marginalize them because of it. I think their chances would improve greatly if they waited for the next administration to be seated - hopefully, one that will rein in the BLM (and a bunch of other fed agencies & depts).
You have great faith in politics solving things.
I have watched 40 years of decline with the nation above all moving deeper into debt and none of the leading candidates addressing it.
I suspect they don’t because like Paul Ryan has done in recent years with the Dems, the solution from politicians is higher taxes (openly or in the guise of “reform” like a sales tax) and spending cuts simultaneously.
Getting back to the land issue. Ammon Bundy told the FBI folks that they will ‘escalate’ the situation, not him.
Before the feds took over the land for the refuge, the national forest etc., there was logging and ranching and farming in rural Harney County unfettered by regulations restricting land use.
People had jobs.
I hope the feds wait it out till after the election because any violence would come back on them and there would be political implications.
But with the Oregon governor demanding “action” in a militant tone and the Obama Administration’s attitude I think all bets should be off.
Its winter now and probably best from the FBI perspective to talk until the weather warms up, then escalate.
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