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Checkbook Imperialism -The Blackwater Fiasco

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
sent by Ed Pearl

TruthDig - Sep 18, 2007
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070918_checkbook_imperialism_the_blackwater_fiasco/

Checkbook Imperialism:  The Blackwater Fiasco

By Robert Scheer

Please, please, I tell myself, leave Orwell out of it.  Find some other,
fresher way to explain why "Operation Iraqi Freedom" is dependent upon
killer mercenaries.  Or why the "democratically elected government" of
"liberated" Iraq does not explicitly have the legal power to expel
Blackwater USA from its land or hold any of the 50,000 private
contractor troops that the U.S. government has brought to Iraq
accountable for their deadly actions.

Were there even the faintest trace of Iraqi independence rising from the
ashes of this failed American imperialist venture, Blackwater would
have to fold its tents and go, if only in the interest of keeping up
appearances. After all, the Iraqi Interior Ministry claimed that the
Blackwater thugs guarding a U.S. State Department convoy through the
streets of Baghdad fired "randomly at citizens" in a crowded square on
Sunday, killing 11 people and wounding 13 others.  So the Iraqi
government has ordered Blackwater to leave the country after what a
government spokesman called a "flagrant assault ... on Iraqi citizens."

But who told those Iraqi officials that they have the power to control
anything regarding the 182,000 privately contracted personnel working
for the U.S. in Iraq?  Don't they know about Order 17, which former
American proconsul Paul Bremer put in place to grant contractors,
including his own Blackwater bodyguards, immunity from Iraqi
prosecution?  Nothing has changed since the supposed transfer of power
from the Coalition Provisional Authority, which Bremer once headed, to
the Iraqi government holed up in the Green Zone and guarded by
Blackwater and other "private" soldiers.

They are "private" in the same fictional sense that our uniformed
military is a "volunteer" force, since both are lured by the dollars
offered by the same paymaster, the U.S. government.  Contractors earn
substantially more, despite $20,000 to $150,000 signing bonuses and an
all-time-high average annual cost of $100,000 per person for the
uniformed military.  All of this was designed by the neocon hawks in
the Pentagon to pursue their dreams of empire while avoiding a
conscripted army, which would have millions howling in the street by
now in protest.

Instead, we have checkbook imperialism.  The U.S. government purchases
whatever army it needs, which has led to the dependence upon private
contract firms like Blackwater USA, with its $300-million-plus contract
to protect U.S. State Department personnel in Iraq.  That is why the
latest Blackwater incident, which Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
branded a "crime," is so difficult to deal with.  Iraqis are clearly
demanding to rid their country of Blackwater and other contractors, and
on Tuesday the Iraqi government said it would be scrutinizing the
status of all private security firms working in the country.

But the White House hopes the outrage will once again blow over. As the
Associated Press reported on Monday: "The U.S. clearly hoped the Iraqis
would be satisfied with an investigation, a finding of responsibility
and compensation to the victim's families-and not insist on expelling a
company that the Americans cannot operate here without." Or, as
Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified to the U.S. Senate last week: "There
is simply no way at all that the State Department Bureau of Diplomatic
Security could ever have enough full-time personnel to staff the
security function in Iraq.  There is no alternative except through
contracts."

Consider the irony of that last statement-that the U.S. experiment in
building democracy in Iraq is dependent upon the same garrisons of
foreign mercenaries that drove the founders of our own country to
launch the American Revolution.  As George Washington warned in his
farewell address, once the American government enters into these
"foreign entanglements," we lose the Republic, because public
accountability is sacrificed to the necessities of war for empire.

Despite the fact that Blackwater USA gets almost all of its revenue
from the U.S. government-much of it in no-bid contracts aided, no
doubt, by the lavish contributions to the Republican Party made by
company founder Erik Prince and his billionaire parents-its operations
remain largely beyond public scrutiny. Blackwater and others in this
international security racket operate as independent states of their
own, subject neither to the rules of Iraq nor the ones that the U.S.
government applies to its own uniformed forces.  "We are not simply a
'private security company,' " Blackwater boasts on its corporate
website. "We are a professional military, law enforcement, security,
peacekeeping, and stability operations firm. ... We have become the
most responsive, cost-effective means of affecting the strategic
balance in support of security and peace, and freedom and democracy
everywhere."

Yeah, so who elected you guys to run the world?
                                 *
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Giuliani-Mukasey Ties Go Back Decades

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
[The New York Times is barely a creditable newspaper any longer and in
terms of New York City/State big money (especially real estate), they've
been in the pocket of the robber barons for years. During Rudy's years
as Mayor, they were as cowed and intimidated as all the rest of the NYC
press, terrified of displeasing a vengeful Guiliani lest they lose all
access, until his bizarre marital antics finally got through the Gardol
sheild. And of course, after 9/11 he was untouchable, acting like as
leader as he really did, while the half-wit Resident was hiding out
trying to figure out what to say to the nation.

Not more can be expected of the New York Times.  As for the Liberal
Pacifica Network... well... -NYTr]

sent by Carol  (activ-l) - Sep 19, 2007

[Questions: Why have news programs on radio stations WBAI & KPFA
in the Pacifica Network been soft-balling the Mukasey nomination
rather than exposing his connections??

If the Washington Post can expose the links, what's wrong with the
NY Times, which for years has had a front row seat from which to track
Giuiani's sordid history? -Carol]


Sent by Robert Lederman, longtime Giuliani-watcher, who comments:

"Mukasey is Giuliani's Gonzales.

Prediction:

Bush is setting Mukasey up as Attorney General on behalf of Giuliani
who Bush will eventually endorse for President. Mukasey is part of the
Giuliani campaign and his son works for Giuliani Partners. Mukasey
actually used to work for Giuliani.

Attorney General Mukasey will use the Justice Dept to insure that
whoever America votes for, Giuliani will be the next President.
It will be a rerun of the 2000 election only much worse. President
Giuliani will remain in office indefinitely, exactly as he tried to do
in 2001 when he attempted to remain as Mayor beyond the two
term limit. America is seeing a slow motion slide into a genuine
dictatorship.

GIULIANI =POLICE STATE"
=======================================================

The Washington Post - Sep 18, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/'
/09/17/AR2007091701892.html

Giuliani-Mukasey Ties Go Back Decades

By Alec MacGillis
Washington Post Staff Writer

In 1985, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York,
Rudolph W. Giuliani, was coming under intense criticism for his
aggressive tactics in prosecuting organized crime, including his use of
mass trials, his habit of holding defendants without bail and his
practice of subpoenaing defense lawyers to testify at their clients'
grand jury hearings, which lawyers argued was a violation of client
confidentiality.

Springing to Giuliani's defense was a former colleague, Michael B.
Mukasey, who argued in a strongly worded opinion piece that Giuliani's
tough tactics were justified to defeat an enemy that, he said, was far
more dangerous and powerful than Giuliani's critics were willing to
acknowledge.

"The Mafia exists. It is not the creation of novelists or journalists.
It has exacted a toll of misery that would shame the Inquisition and a
toll in treasure that would embarrass the Pentagon," Mukasey wrote in a
New York Times op-ed article.

Mukasey's public defense of Giuliani was but one example of the strong
and lasting bond between President Bush's nominee for attorney general
and the man leading in the GOP polls to replace Bush. Mukasey and
Giuliani became friends while working in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's
Office in the early 1970s, becoming part of a close-knit group of
ambitious young lawyers who together tackled police corruption, drug
dealers and political self-dealing.

In his memoir, Giuliani says he bonded with Mukasey over their work
together in building a case against Bertram L. Podell, a three-term
Brooklyn congressman who had been given illegal payments to obtain a
route for an airline. To help Giuliani prepare for the trial in 1974,
Mukasey played Podell in a rehearsal and did such a good job that
Giuliani eviscerated Podell in cross-examination, causing him to drop
his glasses in nervousness one day and decide to plead guilty the next.

When Giuliani was considering a job offer from the New York law firm
where Mukasey was working in 1977, Mukasey anonymously faxed a
prank letter to Giuliani questioning his friend's qualifications for
the job. "Giuliani showed me the letter," former federal judge Harold
Tyler, a mentor to both men, recalled in a 1995 Newsday profile of
Mukasey. "I said, 'Do you think this is a joke?' And Giuliani said,
'Yes, but I'm not sure.' So he called Mukasey and said, 'Damn it, I am
qualified.' And he listed the reasons why. It was only then that
Giuliani realized he should take the offer."

In 1994, Giuliani selected Mukasey, then a federal judge, to preside
over his inauguration as mayor. The ties only strengthened after
Giuliani left City Hall. Mukasey's son, Marc, a former assistant U.S.
attorney himself, works as a partner at Giuliani's consulting firm, and
Giuliani named Mukasey and his son to one of his presidential campaign
advisory committees.

Mukasey and Giuliani "are two people who are extremely close --
extremely, extremely close -- and everybody knows that," said New
York Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Brooklyn Democrat. "This is a
wonderful thing for Rudy Giuliani."
                                 *
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Bank of England's gold not good enough for delivery

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee - Sep 19, 2007

Bank of England's gold not good enough for delivery

September 19, 2007 - 10:30 pm ET

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:

Metal Bulletin's story appended here is strong evidence that Western
central banks are having trouble mobilizing enough real gold with
which to maintain their gold-price suppression scheme. The story's
reference to GATA's being "believed" to have made a
freedom-of-information request in regard to the long-unaudited United
States gold reserves is easily clarified: The request is still being
devised by GATA's consultant, constitutional scholar and lawyer Edwin
Vieira, with the hope of making it un-dodgeable by the Treasury
Department. GATA hopes to submit the request in the next month.

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer 
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.

                              ***

Metal Bulletin (London) - Sep 19, 2007
http://www1.metalbulletin.com

Why Bank of England's Gold Has Lost its Shine

By Carmelle Lawlor

The Bank of England has revealed that it is in talks with the London
Bullion Market Association following concerns over the quality of
its stocks of gold.

The bank keeps around 300 tonnes of the yellow metal on behalf of
the UK Treasury -- before Gordon Brown initiated his controversial
sales programme in 1998 the tally was 700 tonnes -- but it has
emerged that not all of this remaining metal is fit for delivery.

The bank declined to reveal how much of its stock might be affected
but in response to a request filed by Metal Bulletin under the
Freedom of Information Act the bank conceded that there could be a
problem without disclosing specific details.

"The bank is currently engaged in productive discussions with the
LBMA about this matter," Stuart Allen, deputy secretary of the bank,
said in the e-mailed response. "Once that uncertainty has been
resolved (hopefully in the near future) we should be able to brief
you on the outcome."

With gold at 16-month highs above $700 per ounce and concerns that
central banks in Europe -- most recently Spain's -- will trim their
sales, the Bank of England's admission could spur gold higher at a
time of economic uncertainty.

"The implications would be much wider than just the UK," a London
precious metals analyst said. "What would be interesting would be
the implications it would have for other countries that hold much
more."

Under the LMBA's "London good delivery" standards, gold bars that
have been held in storage for many years may no longer conform to
the standards set by the association.

"There is some uncertainty about the status of LGD standards in
respect of certain categories of gold bars that have been held in
deep storage for many years," he wrote

"While it is possible that a number of bars held [on behalf of the
Treasury] might fall into that category, I am sure that you will
appreciate that until discussions with the LBMA about LGD standards
have been concluded, it is not possible for us to provide further
details," Allen said.

The bank would not say what tonnage falls into this category but
did concede it holds gold in a number of different formats.

"I can confirm that gold is mostly held in the form of gold bars,
but there are also some ingots and coins held," Allen said.

"None of the gold held by the bank on behalf of the Exchange
Equalisation Account [the Treasury's gold] has assay certificates,"
he said.

Rumours have long circulated the bank's stocks might not be deliverable
and hence might be worth less than official estimates.

This could be politically embarrassing for Prime Minister Brown,
who already is held in low regard among many in the gold industry.

While chancellor he sold some 400 tonnes of gold at prices less
than half today's rate, potentially costing the Treasury hundreds
of millions of pounds.

Gold held in bar form contains cracks and fissures, suggesting that
it is not pure gold, according to market observers. Some of the
gold stored in coin form contains large amounts of base metals and
would need to be melted down in order to be deliverable, they told
Metal Bulletin.

"I would expect the bars to conform to LBMA standards, but if there
are coins, then that is different. The LBMA doesn't deal with coins,
and coins do contain a certain amount of base metals," said Societe
Generale analyst Stephen Briggs.

When the gold was acquired, current methods of assessing quality
did not exist and the gold would have been judged by weight, observers
said.

"The gold has been acquired over the decades since around 1840.
There weren't the same gold delivery standards in those days as
there are today. If it weighed OK, it was accepted," said one
analyst.

US gold sources said that they had similar doubts about their
country's gold, which they say has not been examined by an external
auditor since the 1950s. The Gold Anti-Trust Committee (GATA) is
believed to have filed its own freedom-of-information request for
more details but has yet to receive a response.

James Turk, a GATA member and founder and director of GoldMoney, a
US internet-based gold investment company, expressed no surprise
that the Bank of England's gold may be of poor quality.

"The gold shipped from the US in the 1960s and 1970s was coin-melt
gold, which is 91 percent pure. (Coins contain base metal to harden
the coin to help prevent wear and tear to the gold.) This gold is
less than the acceptable standard of the London Bullion Market
Association of 99.9 percent pure," Turk said in an e-mailed statement.

Still, analysts argued that though it may seem surprising that the
gold does not conform to today's standards, the problem could be
easily rectified.

"I would guess that it would be only a small proportion that doesn't
conform to LBMA standards, and it would be an issue only if they
needed to sell the gold," GFMS analyst Peter Ryan said. "Some of
this gold was acquired 30 or 40 years ago and standards do vary,
but it is not difficult to fix."

===========================

GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the
United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at
http://www.gata.org/.

GATA is grateful for financial contributions, which are federally
tax-deductible in the United States.

Read more at http://www.gata.org/node/5536
                                 *
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