January 10, 2009
There is no end to barry's machinations. Previously, I said I knew nothing about barry appointee for Director of National Intelligence, Retired Admiral Dennis Blair. I wasn't really looking, but I stumbled across the site: Democracy Now!:
"A daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 750 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the U.S."
There's a transcript of an interview (1-9-09) with ALLAN NAIRN:
"Award-winning journalist who has reported from Indonesia for years. In 1999, he broke the story on Dennis Blair's secret meeting with Indonesian generals to affirm US support for their violent crackdown on East Timorese."
The lead: "Did Obama Aide Admiral Dennis Blair Lie to Congress?"
President-elect Obama is expected to name his intelligence team today: Leon Panetta for the CIA, John Brennan as a key White House adviser, and Admiral Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence. Blair, as Allan Nairn reported on Democracy Now!, was implicated in backing the perpetrators of church massacres in East Timor in 1999. Award-winning investigative reporter Allan Nairn reveals new information that indicates he may have lied to Congress.
I don't presume to know anything about this. I'm not sure I understand anything that is going on, but it gets deeper and deeper the more I look and most of it I don't want to know. The crux is barry picking a man who was allegedly involved in backing massacres in East Timor.
East Timor (mac dictionary): Formerly a Portuguese colony, East Timor declared itself independent in 1975. In 1976 it was invaded by Indonesia, which annexed and claimed it as their 27th state.The region was the scene of bitter fighting and of alleged mass killings by the Indonesian government and military forces. In a UN-supervised referendum in 1999, the people voted for independence from Indonesia. Violence continued, but on May 20, 2002, East Timor achieved international recognition as an independent state.
barry lived in Indonesia from age 6-10 (1967-1971) and he wrote about the situation in Indonesia in his book.
NAIRN: Obama makes several very good observations, and one of them is that he says the fate of Indonesia has been tied to US foreign policy. And it certainly was in 1999 when the militias, organized by the forces of that same General Wiranto, rampaged across occupied East Timor, massacring churches as they went. And what Admiral Blair did in response to this was to meet with Wiranto on April 8th, 1999, not only reassure him, but even offer to get him new IMET military training, which had been cut off by the US Congress. So, Wiranto—so, Admiral Blair was essentially offering to side with General Wiranto, the mass-killing General Wiranto, against the US Congress to try to get the military aid restored for Wiranto and his men.
In the days after that, Wiranto, of course, was very pleased by this meeting, very encouraged. They increased the killing. On April 17th, they rampaged through downtown Dili, the capital of Timor. They took the son of one of the prominent Timorese leaders, Manuelito Carrascalao. They executed him. And the next day, the very next day, Admiral Blair called Wiranto again, reaffirmed his support, offered him still more US aid, and within five days after that, the Catholic Church was reporting that in rural villages in occupied Timor, anywhere from forty-two to a hundred villagers had been executed by militiamen in the days immediately after Blair's call. And after that, it just got worse, including events like the burning of the bishop's house, a massacre at the diocesan office, the church massacre of perhaps 200 people at the church in Suai, the assassination and rapes of clergy. It just went on without end.
Again, I'm just providing info - I don't have the capacity to find out who Allan Nairn is and his deal. His website link is up there if interested and the full transcript of the interview is on Democracy Now! My only question is: with all the folks barry had to choose from he picks Blair, who was involved--however innocuously--with happenings in Indonesia, the only foreign country barry has lived in?
Found a video/audio if the show courtesy of mediagrrl9
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