THE HIGHJACKING OF A NATION - By Sibel Edmonds

[kpete]

November 15, 2006

THE HIGHJACKING OF A NATION
Part 1: The Foreign Agent Factor
By Sibel Edmonds

In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington warned that America must be constantly awake against “theinsidious wiles of foreign influence…since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.”


Today, foreign influence, that most baneful foe of our republican government, has its tentacles entrenched in almost all major decision making and policy producing bodies of the U.S. government machine. It does so not secretly, since its self-serving activities are advocated and legitimized by highly positioned parties that reap the benefits that come in the form of financial gain and positions of power.

.....................

It used to be congressional ‘pork projects’ and ‘corporate influence’ that raised eyebrows now and then; here and there. Gone are those days. Today the unrestricted and uncontrollable money game and influence peddling tricks within the major decision-making and policy producing bodies of the U.S. government have reached new heights; yet, no raised eyebrows are registered. Sadly, today, a new version of ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ would have to be produced as a documentary.



The other day I received a request to sign on to a petition put forth by a group of 9/11 family members urging the congress to reopen the investigations of 9/11 and declassify the infamous 27-pages which deal with foreign governments, U.S. allies, that provided support for those who carried out the attacks on our nation. My heart goes out to them. I do sympathize with them. I am known to take on similar propositions and methods of activism myself. However, looking at the realities, seeing what it takes to get things done in Washington, realizing how this beast works in the Real Sin City, I would encourage them to look at the root cause, rather than the symptoms. There are only two ways I can see that can bring about what they have been fighting for and what the majority of us desire to see in terms of bringing about Truth, Oversight, and Accountability; Justice.



The family members, and their supporters, us, either have to tackle the major cause; the corruption of our government officials via unrestricted and undisciplined ‘revolving doors’ and ‘foreign influence & lobby’ practices, and push for expedient meaningful reforms by the new ambitious congress, and have them prove to us their worth. Or, they may as well give up their long-held integrity, go bid high for one or two former statesmen, hire a few dime a dozen generals, and buy themselves a couple of ex-congressmen turned lobbyists; that will do the job.


more at:
http://www.nswbc.org/Op%20Ed/Op-ed-Part1-Nov15-06.htm

[Donnachaidh]

1. kpete -- link isn't on the page?

pretty please?

[kpete]

2. thanks - fixed

I always appreciate those of you who watch my back!

[bobbolink]

8. You have such a nice back to watch....

Just indulging my silliness today.... :silly:

REally, thank you so much for all your posting of great articles!

I've been thinking a lot about S. Edmonds lately, so this caught my eye right off--I sure hope she gets her say in the upcoming Dem hearings!!

I'm stocked up on earplugs for the coming fireworks... :hi:

[hwmnbn]

3. Sibel Edmonds continues to impress.....

the heck out of me. Given the political climate and her professional surroundings, she demonstrates real courage to take the visible stand she has. I'm so grateful for folks like her.

[elehhhhna]

17. REC THIS THREAD! Sibel has the key to the BFEE's prison cells.

[hwmnbn]

39. That was the first thing I did.......

I just forgot to note it.

[elehhhhna]

40. wasn't yelling at YOU, hwmnbn --

just got a little excited, there.
:yourock:

[NVMojo]

4. an honest class act we need to hear more from! K&R!

[gWbush is Mabus]

5. Can a Democratic congress un-muzzle Sibel????

[lukery]

10. petition

the more people who sign the petition the more likely we'll get hearings

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/LibertyCoalition/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1728&t=Liberty%20Coalition.dwt

[lukery]

6. another great piece

thnx kpete. thnx sibel.

[StateSecrets]

7. Many Thanks

Let's start dealing with causes; not only symptoms.

[seafan]

9. This article by Sibel Edmonds is heavy with facts, and is an absolute MUST READ.

THE HIGHJACKING OF A NATION


Part 1: The Foreign Agent Factor

By Sibel Edmonds
November 15, 2006

snip

Let’s illustrate this with the most important recent case, the catastrophe endured by our people; the September Eleven terrorist attacks. Let’s observe how certain foreign interests, combined with their U.S. agents and benefactors, overrode the interests and security of the entire nation; how thousands of victims and their loved ones were kicked aside to serve the interests of a few; foreign influence and its agents.


Senator (Bob) Graham’s Revelation

It has been established that two of the 9/11 hijackers had a support network in the U.S. that included agents of the Saudi government, and that the Bush administration and the FBI blocked a congressional investigation into that relationship.


In his book, "Intelligence Matters," Senator Bob Graham made clear that some details of that financial support from Saudi Arabia were in the 27 pages of the congressional inquiry's final report that were blocked from release by the administration, despite the pleas of leaders of both parties in the House and Senate intelligence committees.


Here is an excerpt from Senator Graham’s statement from the July 24, 2003 congressional record on the classified 27 pages of the Congressional Joint Inquiry into 9/11: “The most serious omission, in my view, is part 4 of the report, which is entitled Finding, Discussion and Narrative Regarding Certain Sensitive National Security Matters. Those 27 pages have almost been entirely censured ….The declassified version of this finding tells the American people that our investigation developed information suggesting specific sources of foreign support for some of the September 11 hijackers while they were in the United States. In other words, officials of a foreign government are alleged to have aided and abetted the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, which took over 3,000 lives.”


In his book Graham reveals, “Our investigators found a CIA memo dated August 2, 2002, whose author concluded that there is incontrovertible evidence that there is support for these terrorists within the Saudi government. On September 11, America was not attacked by a nation-state, but we had just discovered that the attackers were actively supported by one, and that state was our supposed friend and ally Saudi Arabia.” He then cites another case, “We had discovered an FBI asset who had a close relationship with two of the terrorists; a terrorist support network that went through the Saudi Embassy; and a funding network that went through the Saudi Royal family.”


The most explosive revelation in Graham’s book is the following statement with regard to the administration’s attitude on page 216: “It was as if the President’s loyalty lay more with Saudi Arabia than with America’s safety.” Further, he states that he asked the FBI to undertake a review of the Riggs Bank records on the terrorists’ money trail, to look at other Saudi companies with ties to al-Qaeda, to plan for monitoring suspect Saudi interests in the United States; however, Graham adds: “To my knowledge, none of these investigations have been completed…Nor do we know anything else about what I believe to be a state-sponsored terrorist support network that still exists, largely undamaged, within the United States.”


What Graham is trying to establish in his book and previous public statements in this regard, and doing so under state imposed ‘secrecy and classification’, is that the classification and cover up of those 27 pages is not about protecting ‘U.S. national security, methods of intelligence collection, or ongoing investigations,’ but to protect certain U.S. allies. Meaning, our government put the interests of certain foreign nations and their U.S. beneficiaries far above its own people and their interests. While Saudi Arabia has been specifically pointed to by Graham, other countries involved have yet to be identified.


In covering up Saudi Arabia’s direct role in supporting Al Qaeda, the 9/11 Commission goes even a few steps further than the congress and the Executive Branch. The report claims "there is no convincing evidence that any government financially supported al-Qaeda before 9/11." Their report ignores all the information provided by government officials to Congress, as well as volumes of published reports and investigations by other nations, regarding Muslim and Arab regimes that have supported al Qaeda. It completely disregards the terrorist lists of the Treasury and State Departments, which have catalogued the Saudi government's decades of support for Bin Laden and al-Qaeda.



Why in the world would the United States government go so far to protect Saudi Arabia in the face of what itself declares to be the biggest security threat facing our nation and the world today?

Why is the United States willing to set aside its own security and interests in order to advance the interests of another state?

How can a government that’s been intent upon using the terrorist attacks to carry out many unjustifiable atrocities, prevent bringing to justice those who’ve been established as being directly responsible for it?

More importantly, how is this done in a nation that prides itself as one that operates under governance of the people, by the people, for the people?

How did our government bodies, those involved in drafting and implementing our nation’s policies, evolve into this foreign influence-peddling operation?



In order to answer these questions one must first establish who stands to lose and who stands to gain by protecting Saudi Arabia from being exposed and facing consequences of its involvement in terrorist networks activities. In addition to identifying the nations in question, we must identify the interests as well as the actors; their agents. Let’s look at Saudi Arabia as one of the successful foreign nations that have mastered the art of ‘covering all the bases’ when it comes to buying and peddling influence in Washington DC, and identify its hired ‘agents’ and ‘agents by default.’

Foreign Agents by Default

Although when it comes to our complex diplomatic threading with Saudi Arabia the easiest answer appears to be the ‘oil factor,’ upon further inspection the Saudi’s influence and role extends into other areas, such as the Military Industrial Complex and the too familiar Lobbying Games.

snip

The Carlyle Group, a Washington, DC based private equity firm that employs numerous former high-ranking government officials with ties to both political parties, was the ninth largest Pentagon contractor between 1998 and 2003, an ongoing Center for Public Integrity investigation into Department of Defense contracts found. According to this report, overall, six private investment firms, including Carlyle, received nearly $14 billion in Pentagon deals between 1998 and 2003. Considering the fact that Saudi Arabia is the top buyer of the U.S. weapons industry, Carlyle’s investment and its stake, and of course Jimmy Baker’s far reaching influence within the Pentagon and congress, everything seems to come together and fit perfectly to shield this foreign interest no matter the price to be paid by the American public.

snip

---------------------



Permission granted to use the information freely from this article, as stated on its web site.

Sibel Edmonds is the founder and director of National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC). Ms. Edmonds worked as a language specialist for the FBI. During her work with the bureau, she discovered and reported serious acts of security breaches, cover-ups, and intentional blocking of intelligence that had national security implications. After she reported these acts to FBI management, she was retaliated against by the FBI and ultimately fired in March 2002. Since that time, court proceedings on her case have been blocked by the assertion of “State Secret Privilege”; the Congress of the United States has been gagged and prevented from any discussion of her case through retroactive re-classification by the Department of Justice. Ms. Edmonds is fluent in Turkish, Farsi and Azerbaijani; and has a MA in Public Policy and International Commerce from George Mason University, and a BA in Criminal Justice and Psychology from George Washington University. PEN American Center awarded Ms. Edmonds the 2006 PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award.

[lukery]

12. part 2

i'm looking forward to the second instalment too!

[thingfisher]

30. I sincerely hope

that our Democrats in office are reading Ms Edmonds as well and are taking the steps needed to ungag her so she can tell all that she knows. I just hope the ems have the balls to go after this tooth and nail. Seems there is ample evidence to hang the Bushs.

[lukery]

31. conyers & waxman

are our best chance. let's hope they've been taking notes along the way...

[seemslikeadream]

13. Bank with close ties to Bush administration engulfed in scandal

BANKING

The Bush-Riggs Connection

The decision last week by federal regulators to fine Riggs Bank $25 million for a "willful, systemic" violation of anti-money-laundering laws is raising new questions about whether the Bush administration's ties to powerful moneyed interests is unduly influencing U.S. foreign and national security policy. Riggs Bank is headed by longtime Bush family friend Joe Allbritton, employs President Bush's uncle Jonathan as a top executive, and other executives have been financial donors to the Bush campaign. The bank is at the center of a controversy, according to the Wall Street Journal, for failing to monitor "tens of millions of dollars in cash withdrawals from accounts related to the Saudi Arabian and Equatorial Guinean embassy," including "suspicious incidents involving dozens of sequentially numbered cashier's checks and international drafts written by Saudi officials, including Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan." Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) "said members of the bank's board of directors should be held to account for failing to exercise their watchdog role over Riggs's operations" and said refusal to follow money laundering laws "allows terrorists to funnel their blood money through the system."

CONNECTION – JONATHAN BUSH AND RIGGS: Jonathan Bush, President Bush's uncle, was appointed CEO of Riggs Bank's investment arm in May of 2000, just months after his nephew secured the nomination for the presidency. At the time of the appointment, Jonathan Bush had already become a major financial backer of his nephew, rising to "Bush Pioneer" status by raising more than $100,000 for his nephew in 2000. The move solidified the relationship between Jonathan Bush and Riggs, which was originally initiated in 1997 when, according to American Banker newsletter, Riggs paid Bush $5.5 million for his smaller investment firm. That transaction, according to the NYT, "deepened links to the Bushes." While Riggs denies any connection between Bush and the accounts being investigated in the money laundering probe, Riggs President Timothy Lex told the Washington Times in 1997 that "there's a blurring of distinctions between banks, mutual-fund families, broker dealers and everything else across the board."

CONNECTION - ALLBRITTON-BUSH LINK: Allbritton, who said during the federal probe that he was stepping down from Riggs's board, also was close to the Bush family. As the NYT reported, he (along with Riggs client Saudi Prince Bandar) was a financial backer of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, with National Journal noting he contributed between $100,000 - $250,000 to the project. And there also appears to be a personal bond with the current President Bush: As the 2/15/01 WP noted, "When President Bush climbed out of his limousine on Inauguration Day at the corner of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, he spotted Allbritton, waved and said, 'Hey Joe, how are you doing?'" That might have something to do with the fact that, according to the 11/7/2000 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Allbritton-owned TV station KATV in Little Rock broke 39 years of precedent and publicly endorsed Bush in the 2000 presidential election. The station, which is the biggest in the state, proceeded to air its endorsement 10 times throughout Arkansas, and refused to give equal time to Democrats "who asked for the time to present an alternative to the station's endorsement."

SNIP...

ACTION - HIDING INFORMATION THAT COULD BE DAMAGING TO RIGGS: Newsweek reported that checks to "two Saudi students in the United States who provided assistance to two of the September 11 hijackers" may have come "from an account at Washington's Riggs Bank in the name of Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, the wife of Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan." This, and other details, were reportedly part of the bipartisan House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the Saudi money flow after 9/11. Yet, instead of allowing the committee's final report to be published in full, "Bush administration officials, led by Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller, have adamantly refused to declassify the evidence" surrounding the transactions.

ACTION – RESUMING RELATIONS WITH SORDID RIGGS CLIENT: Riggs's fines were also in relation to its business with Equatorial Guinea – the oil-rich West African country headed by brutal dictator Gen. Teodoro Obiang. As the LA Times notes, though the country's offshore oil fields "generate hundreds of millions of dollars, there are few signs of the petroleum boom" there, and the Guinean ambassador admits "the country's oil funds are held in an account at Riggs Bank" controlled by the dictator. But while the IMF and other international institutions have refused to do business with the regime until it accounts for its country's financial resources, the Bush administration "initiated a political thaw with the Obiang regime" in late 2001, "authorizing the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Equatorial Guinea, which had been closed six years earlier, in large part due to the country's horrific human rights record." The move came even though "there's been little, if any, improvement" on human rights.

CONTINUED (with lots o' links from the above)...

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF...




Bank with close ties to Bush administration engulfed in scandal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=775366

NEW details of Thatcher coup plot: London Evening Standard
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=777970

SEC probes Marathon Oil payments in Equitorial Guinea (and HQ burns down)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=728495

Du Toit admits meeting Thatcher
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=775274

Terrorist Stocks?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=775943

'Petroleum lures dogs of war to Africa'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=775315

BBC News: Thatcher charged
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=775499

Margaret Thatcher's Son Released on Coup Plot Charges (Update2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=775803

Exiled leader in Spain denies any link to coup attempt
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=780228

Scorpions say have more info on Equatorial Guinea coup
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=781763

Financiers conspired to overthrow oil-flush African government
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=771532

Mark Thatcher: The money trail
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=780222

Thatcher case twist as list of alleged coup backers vanishes
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=779708

Thatcher: Spain 'secretly backed coup by sending warships'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=780346

WaPo: Allbritton Loses Riggs Bank (front page, day 3)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=691609

E Guinea 'coup plot' verdict due + update/result
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1023049

I feel like a corpse in a river, says Mark Thatcher as he faces court...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1020857

Thatcher to face coup questions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1018687

Phone links Thatcher to alleged plot

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1008002
There was no coup plot, says Du Toit
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=997545

Thatcher to ask Britain to help halt extradition
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1005084

Thatcher charged over coup plot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1001670

Thatcher to be tried in absentia
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=994305

Britain knew in advance of Equatorial Guinea coup plot: report
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=987556

Tories Demand Answers on 'Coup Plot'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=991361

Mandelson faces questioning over 'link' to coup plot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=975777

Legal Woes Cut Into Bottom Line at Riggs
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=974861

Mugabe flies to Equatorial Guinea (coup plot latest)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=964525

Despots, Deposits & Directors - Riggs Bank
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=924033

SABC asks to broadcast Thatcher court case
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=926588

Spain calls on EU to warn Equatorial Guinea - Riggs Bank
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=916444

Raids 'break up' £20m theft gang
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=906579

Thatcher coup plot: Mandelson, CIA & State Department named
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=900168

Archer 'link to coup plot'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=899574

Britain accused of failing to investigate Africa coup
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=901850

Pentagon link to Guinea coup plot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=867591

[seafan]

20. Great compilation, seemslikeadream. Many thanks.

Just this issue alone is enough to remove these people from office. They are more loyal to their *friends* than they are with the safety and security of America's people.


Keep pushing, everyone. We WILL impeach this ba$tard and his VP too, and expose and banish the BFEE, and for all time.

[elehhhhna]

25. Abbondonza! May I add this fun bit of Riggs Bank Trivia?

Bob Dole had an assistant go to Riggs once a week to pick up $8,000.00 cash. Once a week. $8,000.00 CASH. That's a lot of viagra money.

South China Morning Post
October 1, 2004

A fortnight ago Senator Bob Dole, who was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for president in 1988 and in 1996, found his name on a "suspicious activities report" because of regular withdrawals of US$ 8,000 in cash from his account at a Riggs branch just a block from his office. The senator told reporters he doesn't use a credit card more than four times a year.

While no one suspects any wrongdoing by the 81-year-old, the `scandal-ridden` bank's jittery staff felt compelled to call management's attention to the large cash withdrawals.

There is one prominent Washington name which, so far, has managed not to be tainted by the Riggs scandal.

It so happens that the embattled bank owns a money management firm called J. Bush & Company. The J. Bush in question is CEO Jonathan Bush, a senior executive with the embattled bank, who also happens to be brother of former president George Bush, and uncle of the current president.

[Oilwellian]

14. Pakistan is definitely another country being protected

The Bush crime family is also protecting General Ahmed, retired head of Pakistan's CIA created intelligence apparatus, ISI. With the help of the FBI, India's intelligence proved he wired Atta $100 grand just weeks before 911. Oddly, he was in D.C. on that fateful day, visiting the heads of our Senate Intel Cmte, (Graham was one of them), visiting Colin Powell and other admin officials. Graham must have cringe when he learned of General Ahmed's involvement w/Al Qaeda and it's probably something he's been silenced about. When it was learned that Ahmed wired Atta the money, he was forced to "quietly resign."

To me, this is one of the major smoking guns. Why didn't the Bush crime family insist on General Ahmed's prosecution for aiding and abetting those who attacked us 911?

PS: Love you Sybil...you're a hero.

[lukery]

15. pakistan lobbyists cleaned up

911 commission report
http://wotisitgood4.blogspot.com/2006/03/pakistan-bribery-911-commission.html

i think it was charlie wilson - but i'm not sure

[civildisoBDence]

42. PArdon my French, but HOW THE FUCK can DUHbya (literally) kiss and hold hands

with Saudi leaders when Saudis perpetrated 9/11? The Bushes are in bed with the Saudis.

Meanwhile, the right wing hate machine has manged to demonize FRANCE of all peoples. We wouldn't be a free democratic republic without them, n'est ce pas????

Mon dieu, this administration is fuuuuuuuuuucked up.

Newsprism

[dkofos]

11. I hope we start treating our whistleblowers like the hero's they are

and not like criminals.

I can't wait to hear what she has to say.

[elehhhhna]

16. Ties up carlyle, OBL, etc in a pretty little package, don't it? K&R

[starroute]

18. Joseph Ralston

Sibel's piece mentions Joseph Ralston only in passing, saying "Turkey’s agent list includes generals such as Joseph Ralston and Brent Scowcroft, former statesmen such as William Cohen and Marc Grossman, and of course famous ex-congressmen such as Bob Livingston and Stephen Solarz." But if the question is one of conflict of interest, Ralston has to be Exhibit A.

See, for example http://wotisitgood4.blogspot.com/2006/11/more-ralston-lockheed-martin.html

The short version of what's posted there is that Ralston -- a former DoD employee -- is a Lockheed Martin director, a vice-chairman of the Cohen Group who lobbies DoD on behalf of Lockheed Martin, a member of the advisory board of the American Turkish Council, and was recently appointed by the Bush administration as a special envoy to Turkey to discuss the Kurdish problem.

If Sibel is right that foreign influence "has its tentacles entrenched in almost all major decision making and policy producing bodies of the U.S. government machine," then this one place we can see it happening right before our eyes.

Add in that Robert Gates is also a protege of Brent Scowcroft -- under whom Gates served as a young NSC staffer in the 70's and to whom he was close during the Bush Sr. administration -- and that Scowcroft is the head of the American Turkish Council, and I think that what Sibel is saying is about to get even more relevant than before, if such a thing is possible.

[StateSecrets]

19. ..and you shall

Part 2 will deal with Cohen-Ralston-Grossman & Baker-Kissinger-Scowcroft! Should be out in two weeks.

[lukery]

23. 2 weeks???

that's so unfair!

[StateSecrets]

24. ...better

...late than never Lukery. I guess that way it won't get lost during TGD commotion.

[lukery]

28. phew ;-) n/t

[elehhhhna]

26. Welcome to DU , State Secrets.

I've been following Ms. Edmond's story very closely and can't even describe how thrilling it is that this brave PATRIOT is finally exercising her right to free speech.



edit: look! You have a star. Any DUer who keeps SE on the front page is a friend of mine! Now you can use the search function.

[faithnotgreed]

21. SIBEL always deserves to be on the front page

just like john conyers and select few others

[Jcrowley]

22. bump

"The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology."

Michael Parenti

[elehhhhna]

27. kick for the puzzle-pieces as they fall neatly into place.

[AntiFascist]

29. K&R, the money laundering networks flow directly into Washington n/t

[lukery]

32. and to chicago

Ellsberg: "Sibel says that suitcases of cash have been delivered to the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, at his home, near Chicago, from Turkish sources, knowing that a lot of that is drug money."

http://wotisitgood4.blogspot.com/2006/10/ellsberg-hastert-got-suitcases-of-al.html

[AntiFascist]

34. Yes, and wasn't that story swept under rug swiftly n/t

[lukery]

35. we're still working on it

fingers crossed.

[lukery]

33. kucinich on democracy now today

Kucinich: " But let’s face it, the system is being gamed by people who are in the defense contracting industry who create newer generations of weapons, when we haven’t even seen the utility of the first generation."
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/15/1459243

[donkeyotay]

36. A kick for removing our heads from where ever they're planted

And facing up to some more inconvenient truth. We aren't going to fix the ship of state by re-arranging the deck chairs. We need to make our representative government accountable to the American people again.

[elehhhhna]

37. The Manchurian Party overplayed its hand. If y'all think WE'RE

ticked off, wait til the Reepsheep find out.

This will get very ugly. The sooner, the better.

[mmonk]

38. .

:kick:

[elehhhhna]

41. Kick