http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20071004 October 4, 2007 -- State Department official involved in Blackwater scandal also named in AIPAC espionage probe publication date: Oct 4, 2007 Download Print Previous | Next
October 4, 2007 -- State Department official involved in Blackwater scandal also named in AIPAC espionage probe David Satterfield, the Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for Iraq, testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on October 2 regarding the State Department's contracts with Blackwater. Satterfield was also identified by the New York Times as a principal in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) case involving two AIPAC employees who received classified information from convicted former Pentagon intelligence official Larry Franklin. On August 18, 2005, WMR carried the following item: August 18, 2005 -- The New York Times is reporting that the anonymous U.S. government source identified as "USGO-2" in the Franklin/Rosen/ Weismann AIPAC national security indictment is David Satterfield, former US ambassador to Lebanon and now Deputy Chief of Mission in Baghdad under Zalmay Khalilzad. The revelations about Satterfield came after the August 16 arraignment of former AIPAC officials Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman at the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. Franklin was arraigned the same day on additional charges. The indictment states that USGO-2 (Satterfield) discussed classified national security information with Rosen during two meetings, Jan. 18 and Mar. 12, 2002. Two other people identified in the indictment, USGO-1, a senior government official, and DOD-B, a Department of Defense official, remain unidentified. Satterfield defended Blackwater in his testimony. Satterfield testified that State Department policies on private security contractors "only allow for the use of force when absolutely necesssary to address imminent and grave danger against those under their protection, themselves, and others." However, the committee discovered that Blackwater has shot indiscriminately into crowds of people and automobiles when there was no "imminent danger." Satterfield said that State has sent to Iraq a team to investigate diplomatic security practices. It is headed by Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, and includes retired General George Joulwan and retired Ambassadors Stapleton Roy and Eric Boswell. Roy is hardly the type of diplomat who is prepared to investigate human rights violations by a GOP-connected contractor. Roy, a current Vice President for Kissinger Associates, served as U.S. ambassador to China in the immediate years following the Tiananmen Square massacre, and was ambassador to Indonesia during East Timor's bloody fight for independence against Indonesian troops. Boswell is a member of the intelligence community. He was appointed Assistant Deputy Director for Security in the Office of the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Management on Oct. 31, 2005. Joulwan was the US Southern Command chief during George H. W. Bush's Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama. During that invasion, thousands of Panamanians were burned to death in their shanty homes when the military attacked the densely-populated El Chorrillo district of Panama City. Satterfield was joined in his testimony by Richard Griffin, the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security. Griffin's testimony painted a favorable image of State's private security contractors, including those contracted under the Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) contracts. These contracts have been awarded to Blackwater, Dyncorp, and Triple Canopy. Griffin said contracts under WPPS were first awarded in 2000 and have included: Contractor Contract Area of service Dyncorp WPPS-1 Former Yugoslavia Dyncorp WPPS-1 Palestinian Territories Dyncorp WPPS-1 Karzai Protection Operation Afghanistan Dyncorp WPPS-1 US Ambassador Kabul Dyncorp WPPS-1 Afghan Reconstruction Group Dyncorp WPPS-1 Haitian President/ US Embassy Port-au- Prince Blackwater WPPS-1 US Embassy Baghdad Triple Canopy WPPS-1 Regional Embassy Office Basrah Triple Canopy, Blackwater, Dyncorp WPPS II Jerusalem, Kabul, Bosnia, Baghdad, REO Basrah, REO Al Hillah, REO Kirkuk, USAID Erbil Blackwater WPPS II Iraq aviation services The House Committee touched on the GOP political connections of Blackwater and its CEO and Chairman Erik Prince, however, it steered clear of Satterfield's obvious conflicts of interest with top neocon officials and their agents of influence. Related Articles: * October 1, 2007 -- House Committee discovers new details about Blackwater * October 2, 2007 -- Biggest decision for a fired Blackwater employee in Iraq * October 3, 2007 -- Blackwater testimony reveals open and hidden agendas - PART I * October 4, 2007 -- Blackwater Aviation and its X-Wing Star Wars pilots * Sept. 27, 2007 -- Waxman releases report on private security contractors in Iraq * JUNE 13, 2005 --UNFRIENDLY FIRE: HOSTILE INCIDENTS INCREASING BETWEEN US MILITARY AND PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ * October 3, 2007 -- Blackwater testimony reveals open and hidden agendas --- PART II * Sept. 28-30, 2007 -- State Dept. IG Howard Krongard threatened State investigators if they cooperated with Congress Comments liberty antigone (?) wow. great work. Arthur T. Murray (Seattle, WA) Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Susan Modikoane (Houston/TX) Well they had the corruption hearings live on Yahoo until the minister from Iraq started to speak to Congress. Then they immediately pulled the plug. Big surprise. Susan Modikoane (Houston/TX) WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress wants to update a law that has protected Blackwater USA and other private security contractors in Iraq from criminal prosecution, but the White House has expressed doubts. The House was expected to pass legislation on Thursday that would extend the criminal jurisdiction of U.S. courts to any federal contractor working alongside military operations. Senate Democratic leaders planned to follow suit quickly and send the measure to President Bush. The legislation by Rep. David Price, D-N.C., comes amid a string of allegations involving Blackwater employees hired by the State Department to protect diplomatic personnel in Iraq. In one case, a drunk Blackwater employee left a Christmas Eve party in Baghdad and fatally shot the guard of one of Iraq's vice presidents. The contractor was fired, fined and returned home to the United States; no charges have been filed. More recently, Blackwater guards were involved in a Sept. 16 shootout that left 11 Iraqis dead. The FBI is investigating. FIND MORE STORIES IN: Iraq | House | Congress | United States | United States | White House | White | Department of State | Blackwater It is unclear whether charges can be brought against any of the contractors. Federal officials cite murky laws governing the conduct of U.S. personnel abroad not hired directly by the military. The current law, the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, covers personnel supporting the mission of Defense Department operations overseas. Because Blackwater's primary mission is to protect State Department officials, defense lawyers probably would argue that the current law does not apply. At the same time, U.S. contractors are immune from prosecution by Iraqi courts. White House officials say they support increasing accountability of contractors abroad but worry that the House bill is too vague and may go too far. The White House also cited concerns with stretching FBI resources by mandating that the agency conduct investigations overseas. Also, officials said they feared the military could be overtaxed if required to support criminal investigations led by the Justice Department. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Marycatherine Barton (Indianapolis) How bold is Rice's USA State Dept. to include Satterfield, especially in such a prominent, influential manner, when it is so obvious that he has been involved, putting it mildly, and very recently, in espionage. Dirty dogs all. Treasonous guttersnipes. Kevin Knox (West Los Angeles) Is Israel/AIPAC mearly using us or are they being more sinister and are blackmailing us? Anytime I bring this up to a Jewish friend or Jewish reporter they get very emotional and scream "anti-semitism!" It's not anti-semitism but it is anti-elitist Israeli lobbying and propaganda. I'd like to see more sunlight on those behind the scenes questioning all politicians asking them if they're "good friends of Israel?" Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/ Please let us stay on topic and be civil. OM Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cia-drugs/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cia-drugs/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/