Wolf amongst the lambs.
by profrv@(nospam)fuckmicrosoft.com
Subject: Wolfowitz arms pump.
Mr Wolfowitz's career blossomed during the Reagan administration.
He became Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
in 1983.
11th July 2001Ms Bev Forbes Secretary Joint Standing Committee on Electoral
Matters Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Ms Forbes Submission to the
Electoral Funding and Disclosure Inquiry I refer to your advertisement
inviting submissions to the Inquiry into the Electoral Funding of Political
Parties, with a closing date of 3rd August 2001.This submission outlines
information relating to allegations of major impropriety involving
electoral funding and disclosure. The key allegation is that in 1987 a US$6
million donation was made to the Labor Party by a company controlled by the
CIA.The donation allegedly was in return for the use of Australian soil to
illegally transfer arms from the US to Iran as part of what became known as
the `Iran-Contra Affair'.I believe that there is adequate evidence to
warrant close scrutiny of whether this donation was made and what the
circumstances surrounding it were. If such a large foreign donation can be
made for allegedly corrupt purposes and remain undisclosed and undetected,
then this exposes a major defect in Australia's political donations
disclosure laws and their enforcement.In short, the Australian Government
at that time is alleged to have assisted the US Government in actions that
were found to be illegal in the USA, and a payoff for that assistance
allegedly went to the political party that then formed government. If the
donation was an inducement or a reward for the Government's complicity in
illegal arms trading, then serious questions arise as to the adequacy of
the auditing regime governing political donations.Ari Ben-Menashe These
allegations originated from claims made by Ari Ben-Menashe. Ben-Menashe is
a former Israeli military intelligence officer. I have flown to Canada to
interview Mr Ben-Menashe on behalf of my newspaper and have several tapes
recording his allegations. He remains available to discuss his experiences.
In his book Profits of War (see Appendices), he claims:
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"In February 1987 a "contribution" was made to the West Australian Labor
Party by our US counterparts in the CIA. In gratitude for the use of
Australian soil for the transfer of arms to Iran, Richard Babayan, a
contract operative for the CIA, received a cheque for $6 million US from
Earl Brian, who was acting on behalf of Hadron1, a CIA "cut-out". Babayan
travelled to Perth and stayed at the home of Yosef Goldberg,an Australian
businessman of Israeli origin who was well connected to Israeli
intelligence and to the local Labor Party headed by Brian Burke, then
premier of Western Australia. Babayan handed the cheque to Goldberg, who in
turn gave it to Alan Bond in his role as the guardian of the John Curtin
Foundation funds. This money was passed on by one of Robert Maxwell's
companies in Australia to be held by the Pergamon Press Trust Fund in
Moscow. Babayan later corroborated the details of this operation in a sworn
affidavit."The publishers of Ben-Menashe's book have confirmed that they
hold an affidavit from Babyan supporting Ben-Menashe's account of his role
in the making of the donation.In my taped interview with Ben-Menashe he
elaborates on the detail of these events.He is adamant that senior members
of the ALP at that time knew about this payment.He claims that Prime
Minister Hawke was aware of it, but was at pains to say that Treasurer
Keating did not. No mention was made about whether or not the Minister for
Defence, Mr Beazley, knew of the payment.Ben-Menashe also suggests that a
bribe was involved.It is a fact that arms were transferred through
concealed routes from the USA to Iran.As a close ally of the USA, it is
quite plausible that Australia was part of one of those routes. Ben-Menashe
claims that payoffs and bribes were a routine part of these illegal arms
deals throughout the world, and in that respect there was nothing unique
about the payment to the Labor Party.US$ 6 million from the CIA to the
ALP*Hadron Inc is a US company with ties to the CIA.*Hadron Inc's Earl
Brian gives $6 million cheque to Richard Babayan, acontract operative for
the CIA.*Babayan gives cheque to Yosef Goldberg, an Australian businessman
of Israeli origin well connected to Israeli intelligence and the
ALP.*Goldberg gives cheque to Alan Bond in his capacity as guardian of the
ALP's John Curtin Foundation fund-raising entity.1 Hadron Inc. is a US company
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The Credibility of Ari Ben-Menashe Given the seriousness of Ben-Menashe's
allegations, it would be in the interests of those affected to attack his
credibility. Many claim that he was simply a low-level translator.Attached
to this submission are four letters of reference regarding Ben-Menashe from
officials in the Israel Defence Forces, including Colonel Arieh Shur, then
Chief of External Relations. These letters confirm that Ben-Menashe
occupied `key positions'in the Israel Defence Forces External Relations
Department.When Ben-Menashe applied for asylum in Australia, the Department
of Immigration,Local Government and Ethnic Affairs ("DILGEA") was provided
with an affidavit,sworn before a US attorney on May 24 1991, which detailed
his intelligence record.Ben-Menashe was subpoenaed by the US Congress to
give evidence against CIA Director Bush and President Reagan over the Iran
Contra affair. I have spoken to the Special Prosecutor who took
Ben-Menashe's claims very seriously. More recently Ben-Menashe has given
evidence to the United Kingdom Parliament.I spent some time with
Ben-Menashe and taped several interviews with him. He has detailed
knowledge regarding the illegal shipment of arms to Iran. In many cases I
have independently obtained information that is consistent with information
he has provided. It leads me to the conclusion he is both truthful and
credible.Further Lines of Inquiry As a starting point, there are several
people from whom the Committee may wish to seek further information.Ari Ben
Menashe is still available and willing to talk to an inquiry.Andrew Palmer
and Chris Rowe, lawyers in Perth, were investigators for the WA Royal
Commission into the Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matter
sand may be able to offer some assistance. They interviewed Ben-Menashe and
undertook some preliminary investigations but were later instructed that
the matter was not within their terms of reference and were ordered to
discontinue the line of inquiry. Documents obtained under FOI show that
DILGEA was aware of Ben-Menashe's desire to appear before the Royal
Commission. He was forced to leave the country before he was able to do so.
I would be happy to elaborate on the questionable circumstances surrounding
his removal if the Committee so desires.The investigators prepared a report
for the WA Department of Public Prosecutions, in which Ben-Menashe was
mentioned. It is suggested that the Committee request the West Australian
Director of Public Prosecutions to provide this document (or elevant
extracts) to the Committee.
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The Committee may also seek further information from those allegedly
involved in the making of the donation:Richard Babayan, the CIA operative
(now living in Paris), has already sworn an affidavit supporting
Ben-Menashe's account and confirming his own role in making the
donation.Yosef Goldberg (believed to be in Sydney), Earl Brian (in jail for
fraud) and Alan Bond (now in London)were also alleged to be involved in the
transaction.Ben-Menashe also claims that Bob Hawke knew of the
donation.Darryn Jenkins was at the time the Collector of Customs for WA.He
was interviewed as part of the attached Sydney Morning Herald article and
conceded it would be possible for arms to be brought into Western Australia
under a false description. I have located Mr Jenkins in Zambia, but he is
reluctant to discuss anything to do with alleged arms shipments through
Western Australia.Finally, I have considerable information relating to this
affair and would be happy to assist the Committee in any way possible.The
allegations outlined in this submission are of the most serious nature. It
is alleged that a major political party accepted a very considerable sum of
money either in return for or in appreciation of the participation by the
Australian Government in illegal arms trading.If true these allegations
demonstrate the need to ensure that an effective accountability regime is
in place regarding political donations, particularly those from foreign
shores. The Parliament must ensure that no organisation or foreign
government can influence our government's policies by corrupting our
political parties.Yours sincerely Marshall Wilson.
Mr Wolfowitz's career blossomed during the Reagan administration. Mr
Wolfowitz spent two years in charge of the State Department's policy
planning staff beginning in 1981.
(Prior to that, from 1977 to 1980, he was deputy assistant secretary of
defence for regional programs, where he helped set up what would later
became the US military central command. )
He became Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
in 1983.
Three years later he was appointed US ambassador to Indonesia - the fourth
largest country in the world and the largest Muslim country.
From 1989 to 1993, during the administration of George W Bush's father, he
served as under secretary for defence policy under the then defence
secretary, Dick Cheney.
Wolfowitz knew what was going on and is guilty of illegal arms
running,bribery,etc OR he did not know and is guilty of criminal
incompetence and negligence that disqualify him from office.Any office.
Which one is it Paul?
