Re: WEB INTELLIGENCE # 2 - jULY 23, 2003 (fwd)

  More far right wingnut junk published by Chossudovsky in Global 
Research. Why, when there is much of value there, like the Samir Amin, for 
example, muddy the waters w/ right-wing crap?
  http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/STE204Ap.html
  Long-time associate of Lyndon LaRouche, neo-fascist, Jeffrey Steinberg.
  Far right kook, Dr. Len Horowitz in , "Global Research, " Chossudovsky's 
magazine http://www.google.com/searchq=Global+Research+Len+Horowitz
   http://www.globalresearch.ca/archives/ARC212.html
  http://globalresearch.ca/articles/TET212A.html (Tetrahedron is Len 
Horowitz.)
and numerous other conspiranoia websites like http://www.centrexnews.com . 
Chossudovsky has published on HAARP, too. How about chemtrails/contrails, 
while he's at it. And SARS.
  Bible Code Discovery Proves Beast Identity and Global Conspiracy
... villains reveals the conspirators in a statistically provable global 
conspiracy ... an
interview or article on this area of Dr. Horowitz´s research, please call 
... http://www.tetrahedron.org/news/beast_identity.html Heh.
  http://globalresearch.ca/articles/KAM307B.html
  John Kaminski. I'm on his list to receive his stuff. On one about three 
weeks ago, I saw two neo-nazis on the cc list. Michael Hoffman II up in 
Idaho near where Aryan Nations was and Michael Collins Piper of The 
American Free Press.
  http://globalresearch.ca/articles/THO307A.html
  Gordon Thomas, prolific conspiracy theory author. Latest in pb. is one 
long, "The Chicoms are gonna take over the world, " rant. "Seeds of Fire."
  http://www.conservativebookservice.com/bookpage.asp?prod_cd=C5969
  http://globalresearch.ca/articles/BOL307A.html
  Christopher Boolyn. Another longtime writer for the neo-fascist American 
Free Press and The Spotlight.
  http://globalresearch.ca/articles/KAM305A.html
  "9-11 Was a Hoax."
  For rebuttal see, http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/conspiracism- 
911.html
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pen-l/apr99/msg02924.html
< < < Date > > > | < < < Thread > > > [PEN-L:7386] Re: ... MICHEL 
CHOSSUDOVSKY
by rc-am
28 May 1999 14:57 UTC

> > RALLY AGAINST THE WAR IN YUGOSLAVIA
PRESENTS MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY<<
below, a post from an anti-war activist.   - Angela
__________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Harald Beyer-Arnesen <haraldba@online.no>
[...]
More recently, an article by Michel Chossudovsky, professor at the 
Department
of Economics at University of Ottawa, "Dismantling Yugoslavia; Colonizing
Bosnia" (Covert Action No. 56. Spring 1996 and
http://www.lbbs.org/yugoslavia.htm)
was forwarded to the Organise list.  It has also been widely distributed
elsewhere on the world-wide-web, along with another article of his from 7
April 1999, "Kosovo 'Freedom Fighters' Financed by Organised Crimes"
(http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/kosovo23.htm).
Whatever other merits the writings of Chossudovsky may have, the remarkable
thing with these articles, though the first mentioned at least is not 
without
insights, is that they are cleansed for any critique of the Milosovic 
regime.
Without going into specifics about the first article of Chossudovsky, which
focuses on the role of IMF in the break-up of Yugoslavia, it paints a very
limited picture. It is hard to see it as mere coincidence that he in this
forwarded article fails to mention the so-called "Milosovic Commission"
report from May 1988, with its advocacy of market-oriented reforms in which
the "world market and world competition represents the strongest generator 
of
economic operation." Or that Milosovic urged Yugoslavs to overcome their
"unfounded, irrational and ... primitive fear of exploitation" by foreign
capital: "Yugoslavia must be a unified economic area where identical
system-related solutions exists and where products and services, money and
capital, people and knowledge move freely".  (Source: Lenard J. Cohen,
"Broken Bonds: Yugoslavia's Disintegration and Balkan Politics in
Transition".)
[...]
What is most amazing however is the sources he uses in the article "Kosovo
'Freedom Fighters' Financed by Organised Crimes". In a critical footnote to
the essay Reflections on NATO and Kosovo" 
(http://www.lbbs.org/shalomnp.htm)
Stephen R. Shalom (who both is strongly opposed to the NATO military
intervention, and against giving support to the UCK/KLA) writes: "4. Some 
on
the left claim that the KLA was already being armed by U.S. and German
intelligence, but the evidence is extremely dubious (apart from the fact 
that
it would make no sense given that Washington denounced the KLA as "without
any question a terrorist group" in February 1998).  For example, Michel
Chossudovsky of the University of Ottawa claims CIA backing for the KLA on
the basis of an unsupported claim by right-wing conspiracy nut John Whitley
(who says that the Bilderbergers planned, financed, and started the Kosovo
war) as quoted by another right-wing source, "Truth in Media," which 
reprints
"for what it's worth" an alleged letter from a KLA soldier claiming that 
the
KLA has been dressing up as Serbs and then ethnically cleansing Albanians.
(See Chossudovsky at http://www.globalpolicy.org; Truth in Media at
http://www.truthinmedia.org/Kosovo/day10up2.html.)
For  a trenchant critique of leftists mucking about with rightwing 
conspiracy
theorists during the Gulf War, see Chip Berlet, Right Woos Left: Populist
Party, LaRouchian, and Other Neo-Fascist  Overtures to Progressives, And 
Why
It Must Be Rejected, Cambridge, MA: Political Research Associates, Oct. 7,
1992."
Michel Chossudovsky ends this article with saying "Western governments 
which
participated in the NATO operation bear a heavy burden of responsibility in
the deaths of civilians, the impoverishment of both the ethnic Albanian and
Serbian populations and the plight of those who were brutally uprooted from
towns and villages in Kosovo as a result of the bombings."  It is hard to
disagree on that. I would even have added that the leaders of the UCK bear
their part of the responsibility for this tradegy; but to not in one word
mention the Milosovic regime in this connection, is just too incredible to 
be
true.  The most amazing thing here however is Chossudovsky sources. The 
point
here is not whether Michel Chossudovsky's claim that UCK already on an 
early
was backed up by the CIA is correct or not. Giving his use of sources, it 
is
tempting to suggest that the truth or not of his claim is also entirely of
secondary importance for him.   Chossudovsky writes: "According to
intelligence analyst John Whitley, covert support to the Kosovo rebel army
was established as a joint endeavour between the CIA and Germany’s Bundes
Nachrichten Dienst (BND) (which previously played a key role in installing 
a
right wing nationalist government under Franjo Tudjman in Croatia).  (9) 
The
task to create and finance the KLA was initially given to Germany: “They 
used
German uniforms, East German weapons and were financed, in part, with drug
money.” (10) According to Whitley, the CIA was, subsequently instrumental 
in
training and equipping the KLA in Albania. (11)"  So who is this
intelligence analyst? It is the same John Whitley who is behind the New 
World
Order Intelligence Update , and passes on such meaningful information as:
"Deverell also quotes an lengthy Internet summary on the Bilderbergers 
posted
by Brian Redman, which included the assertion that 'The role of the
Bilderberg group is a one-world totalitarian, socialist government and
economic system.' Brian is a frequent and highly-respected Internet
contributor." And "It may come as no surprise, therefore, when we state 
that,
through our own sources, the NEW WORLD ORDER INTELLIGENCE UPDATE has 
learned
that Bilderberger-backed President Clinton has promised President Yeltsin
that, after he has won the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, Russian
warships will be given full refuelling and other port privileges at all 
U.S.
Navy bases."  But that is only the beginning to John Whitley wild and
self-contradictory so-called intelligence reports. Apart from the
Bilderbergers plan to break up Canada and integrate it
into United States in 2005, he claims to be in possession of an U.S. State
Department document called  "Freedom from War": On his web page you can 
order
a diversity of cassettes, where among other things the following is 
revealed:
"In this amazing cassette set, the Editor of the NEW WORLD ORDER 
INTELLIGENCE
UPDATE details the carefully-contrived plan to disarm U.S. citizens as part
of aU.N. program of global disarmament. The relevant U.S. Public Law, with
its accompanying State Department "interpretive application" is outlined, 
the
plan to transfer control of the U.S. and other national armed forces
irrevocably to the United Nations is detailed, the agreement that a Russian
will always command the resulting New World Army is proven, and the current
steps being taken to rapidly implement this program are revealed."  In
another cassette we learn.
"... the background, membership, goals and near-future objectives of the
secretive Bilderberg Group; the agenda, attendees and substance of their 
most
recent heavily-guarded, private meeting near Toronto, Canada; and the
worldview of this elite cabal, which includes massive world-wide
de-population and de-industrialization under tightly-controlled coming
federal World Government - the "New World Order" [or "Our Global
Neighbourhood", as it is now being re-named]. " Whitney can also inform us 
of
"the final planned Russian and Chinese imposition of a Marxist New World
Order on America," a conspiracy in which Clinton, Kissinger and the King of
Spain, among others, are supposed to be involved in, if we are to believe
"the intelligence analyst John Whitley".  That a leftist professor of
economics chooses to use the same John Whitley as a source is almost too
much.
Chossudovsky also writes that "German, Turkish and Afghan instructors were
reported to be training the KLA in guerrilla and diversion tactics."  This
may be, but what is his source? An anonymous e-mail to "Truth in Media" 
(TiM)
(if they have not just made it up). Something Chossudovsky conveniently 
fails
to mention.  If we go to his so-called source however, we can read: "Apr. 2 
-
This morning we found an unusual e-mail letter in the TiM's mailbox. It 
came
from someone calling himself a KLA field commander, and was signed only as
"Ibrahim." Since it came from a HOTMAIL.COM e-mail address, there was no 
way
that we could verify the authenticity of the message."  Not much to rely 
on.
The question is do we have any reason to rely on Chossudovsky? This same
source, Truth in Media, which seem to believe that being called
"ultra-nationalist" is a compliment and to support the Serbian Radical 
Party,
also quotes the before mentioned John Whitley as saying: "the Kosovo war 
was
no accident... It was carefully planned and set into motion at the
Bilderbergers' secret meeting near Toronto in late May 1996."
As to UCK's alleged connection to organised crime and drug trafficking. It 
is
quite possible that such a connection exists. I would even find this both
probable and logical, if not on the scale that Chossudovsky implies. Most
likely almost every so-called "national liberation army" have made such
connections to procure arms, whether they define themselves within the left
or the right. But whatever Chossudovsky claims, he can show no sources that
proves this, just a more or less well-founded suspicion of such a 
connection.
However this is, that UCK should have been backed up both by the CIA, the
German Bundes Nachtrichten Dienst, as well as the income from large-scale
drug-dealing, begs the question why they are not better armed.
Chossudovsky on five different places uses Geopolitical Drug Watch as a
source. I have not been able (had time) to trace the documents he refers to
(Geopolitical Drug Watch, no 32, 35, 1994, and  Geopolitical Drug Watch, No
66. No year given.) But  I find the annual report for 1995-96, published in
1997, on the www http://www.ogd.org/rapport/gb/RP00_TABLE.html). I cannot
judge the reliability of the  Geopolitical Drug Watch's report, but  anyway
they write:  "Heroin production, processing and marketing are mainly the
preserve of ethnic Albanians from Macedonia, where they are estimated to
represent about 25% of the population, and those from the Serbian province 
of
Kosovo.  While it cannot be denied that the Albanian population is the most
involved in heroin trafficking – but also the one most affected by heroin
use – it is also true that any drug-related crime is amplified when the
culprit is an Albanian and minimized or even hidden when s/he is a
Macedonian. Albanian clans operate on mafia-like ethics based on the Leko
Dukajdzini, or the clan's Code of Honor.  The drug trade is often 
coordinated
by Albanian political circles in Macedonia and Kosovo which oblige all
Albanian criminal organizations to contribute a share of their profits.  
The
traffickers are also obliged to buy and deliver arms.  The Party for
Democratic Prosperity based in Tetovo, the Kosovo Democratic Union based in
Pristina, and especially armed militant groups like the Kosovo Liberation
Army, thus find a significant and above all steady source of funding. For
example, the Albanians' yearly narco-profits on the Swiss market alone are
estimated to amount to close to US $3 million."
What is suggested above is primarily a kind of "national tax" the drug
dealers have to pay, rather than a direct involvement of the KLA in the
business. This seems to me to be very likely.  I should add though that the
document laid out on the www does not give any sources for this information
/claim.
But again, how come Chossudovsky entirely managed to overlook Geopolitical
Drug Watch claims of the Serbian governments involvement in the drug 
dealing
and organised crime?  They write: "Thus in Serbia the Belgrade secret
services, whose job includes raising a war chest for the Bosnian conflict,
use their own international networks and some Yugoslav firms to channel 
drugs
to the European and Balkan markets and to launder the proceeds. [...] But 
the
bulk of the drug trade is handled by three state organizations: the SID 
(the
foreign ministry information and documentation service); the SDB (the
interior ministry secret police); and the KOS (the defense ministry
counter-espionage service). The traffic, along with currency
counterfeiting, is organized through two prominent figures:  Zeljko
Raznatovic, alias Arkan, and Asanin Darko, a heavy cocaine user who is now 
in
an Athens jail. Both were wanted by Interpol, Arkan for escaping from a
Belgian prison where he was serving a sentence for bank robbery, and Darko
for the Brussels slaying of an Albanian rival, Enver Hajin, formerly an 
agent
for the Albanian communist secret police, the Sigurimi. [...] Paradoxically
enough, Arkan himself is the co-owner, along with Croatian officials, of a
Nicosia-based offshore company. This former hit man for the SIS (Croatian
military counter-espionage) still holds a false passport issued by the 
Zagreb
authorities.  The great Serb "cleanser" owns a pork-butchering company
in Croat-held Slavonia and shuttles in and out of the country with no
problems, maintaining close contact with his former bosses. Part of the 
drug
profits also finds its way into the secret bank accounts of political 
parties
and the state. It is used to buy arms, mainly in Russia, and to finance 
Serb
lobbies in the United States, Britain and Austria. The Belgrade police
protect these highly-placed traffickers, whether they deal in drugs,
cigarettes, alcohol or currencies. Making the best of things, the policemen
take their rake-off. In Belgrade then, as elsewhere, the drugs business and
politics are closely intertwined, so much so that some military officers,
politicians, war profiteers, embargo-busters and businessmen have been 
killed
for trying to break free and cut their links to the Serb secret services.
Miograd Niksic, alias Miska, who bartered heroin for diamonds in Bangkok, 
was
gunned down in Belgrade. The same punishment was meted out to Dragan
Tepcevic, who handled drugs and arms shipments for the Serb Republic of
Bosnia, and to Goran Vukovic, who was murdered in Germany by Ljubo Zemunac, 
a
Yugoslav mafia boss.  These links between politics and drug trafficking are
also in evidence on the other side, among the Albanians in Kosovo. Several 
of
Arkan's "political" victims in the province were in fact rival dealers who
got in the way of his
commercial activities." [...]
"The end of hostilities in Bosnia, the lifting of the embargo against 
Serbia
and the reopening of the Belgrade-Zagreb highway handed fresh opportunities
to this new generation of traffickers. They have the advantage of being
battle-hardened, headed by politicians and backed up by well-run legal
business operations. What is more, they are continuing to collaborate with
each other, even when they belong to enemy camps, as they did throughout 
the
war. In short, they can rely on all the resources normally available to a
state's secret services."   "Independently from these "new networks", the 
now
classical Istanbul-Sofia-Belgrade route in the hands of the
Turkish "babas", has started functioning again. But it appears that this
older route is always shadowed by a new one, which was created during the
three-year embargo and dealt in merchandise as varied as basic goods, oil 
and
heroin. The new route links Bulgaria to Montenegro via Macedonia, the 
Serbian
province of Kosovo, and/or Albania. Both these routes can lead into 
Slovenia
which, with its "lax" drug laws, has become a must for land routes 
targeting
Italy and Austria, as well as a significant consumer market for illicit
drugs. Thus, several TIR trucks were caught transporting hundreds of
kilograms of heroin destined for the Slovenian market at the Gradina border
post between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in 1996.
Seizures by the Bulgarian and Serbian customs services at Gradina totalled
close to 700 kg of heroin in 1996. While large amounts of heroin are seized
by Yugoslav customs on their country's southern border – on average 180 kg 
–,
seizures by them or their foreign counterparts on the northern Yugoslav
border involve smaller amounts – an average of 20 kg – but are more 
numerous.
Therefore, it seems that the New Yugoslavia has become a significant
transhipment point, with traffickers using a strategy of transferring drugs
from TIR trucks to private car or tourist buses. Smaller heroin shipments 
are
distributed among a larger number of vehicles which first have to cross
Slovenia and Hungary before reaching their final destination, the countries
of the Schengen area." (End of quote.)