Texas orders troops to observe govt. ‘Jade Helm’ military drills

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has called on the State Guard to monitor a US military exercise code-named “Jade Helm 15” as many Americans across Texas and elsewhere in the country have voiced concern and suspicion over the Pentagon’s plans.

The Republican governor signed an executive order on Tuesday to the Texas State Guard that read, "during the training operation, it is important that Texans know their safety, constitutional rights, private property right and civil liberties will not be infringed.”

"I am directing the Texas State Guard to monitor Operation Jade Helm 15,” Abbot also ordered. 

The troops that will be observing the US government’s military drills are part the State Guard, “a militia of volunteer reservists who are meant to serve in times of emergency or catastrophe,” according to Texas laws.

It is one of three branches of the Texas military and takes orders directly from the governor.

A spokesperson from the Texas State Guard said, "We are always ready to answer the call of the Governor, and we are in the initial planning and coordination phase in response to the Governor's directive."

The exercises, which were announced earlier this year, will include hundreds of troops from America’s most elite special forces including those from the Navy SEALs and the Army Green Berets in an area spanning several states.

They will begin in the summer time over a period of 8 weeks starting from July 15 to September 15.

Locals from the states that will host the military maneuvers including Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Utah have voiced opposition to the drills as they might violate the civil rights of millions of people living in those states.

Many even go as far as suspect that the military exercises, one of the biggest to be carried out on US soil in recent history, is a cover for the federal government to prepare for martial law.

Army Special Operation Command spokesman Mark Lastoria, said earlier this week, that the exercises would help trains soldiers in “covert warfare tactics and martial law.”

He also said that the drills are designed to prepare US Special Operations troops to handle foreign threats, hinting at potential terrorist activities inside the US.

In fact, according to official documents, the states of Utah, Texas, and some areas of California have been labeled as “hostile” territory, one of several red –marked areas in a training map drafted by the US Army.

Main Stream media has been accused by local media of keeping mum on the extraordinary military drills.

The Washington Post reported that the term “hostile” has been labeled to some areas in the US for the sake of military exercises.

Earlier this week, Army Special Operation Command spokesman Mark Lastoria, was forced to attend a public hearing in Austin Texas to answer questions the public outcry over his institution’s controversial military exercises.

During the hearing, Lastoria, under immense criticism from citizens, in defense of the drills said, “We understand there’s concern out there on social media; there’s a significant amount of inaccurate information, which I hope I clarified today for a lot of people.”

 “You may have issues with the administration. So be it. But this institution right here has been with you for over 200 years. I’ve worn this uniform across five different administrations for 27 year,” Lastoria said during the fiery hearing that lasted for several hours causing a media buzz across America.

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