Guest Post by JulaUSA
As if his selection of the ignorant and incompetent Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008 wasn’t bad enough, there is more…….
This week we have seen John McCain as a key figure in the Senate indefinite detention debate. Turns out, he apparently played a significant role in the false imprisonment under the Patriot Act of a person who was trying to expose the blatant GOP hypocrisy regarding 9/11 warnings and regarding the justification for war in Iraq. Outrageous !
On Thanksgiving Day, I think it was ProChoiceGrandma that said it very well when she made statements to the effect that we should actually thank Granny Grifter for opening our eyes to the control that the corporate media has these days. If they could choose to ignore Palin’s blatantly obvious incompetence, instability and the Babygate hoax -- what else are they covering up? A lot more !
Susan Lindauer is the author of the 2010 book Extreme Prejudice: The Terrifying Story of the Patriot Act and the Cover Ups of 9/11 and Iraq, which I just finished reading. “Extreme prejudice” refers to destroying an intelligence operative or Asset through severe means – killing or incapacitating them or ruining them physically or mentally. This book is an indictment of the Bush Administration immorality, incompetence and misuse of the law. They betrayed the country and engaged in a massive public deception.
Lindauer was a CIA Asset in charge of negotiating with Iraq over sanctions, negotiating with Libya about the Pan Am Lockerbie bombing trial and intelligence gathering about 9/11, the USS Cole bombing, the Oklahoma City bombing and the World Trade Center attack in 1993. She is the second cousin of Andy Card. She was a long time peace activist who really wanted to try to get Iraq out from under sanctions because so many civilians were dying, which is why she agreed to be a “back channel” Asset when approached. She was one of only three U.S. assets covering the Iraqi Embassy at the United Nations before the 2003 war started, which gave her vast primary knowledge of pre-war intelligence. She also predicted the Iraqi quagmire, since as much as they hated Saddam they hated occupation even more and they were already angry about the UN sanctions. They would take their revenge against occupying US troops.
Her basic story is that there were tons of warnings before 9/11 and the Bush administration ignored them. Numerous highly knowledgable foreign intelligence agencies (from Israel, Jordan, Egypt and France) relayed serious warnings in the months before 9/11 about an attack using airplanes. She and her intelligence colleagues were screaming from the rooftops inside the government about an imminent attack and she personally warned every congressional and senate office (every Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Press Secretary and Foreign Policy Assistant). Republican and Democrat. She also personally warned the New York Times, Colin Powell before he did his infamous UN presentation, John Ashcroft’s personal staff, Andy Card and others. She removed any chance of plausible deniability for them. She has particularly harsh words for Powell and says that he should be court martialed. She sent material directly to his home.
Hmmmm. Haven’t you wondered sometimes why the Bushie neocons were always trashing France as a bunch of cowards and starting all that nonsense about “freedom fries” instead of French Fries. They knew France had the goods on them about 9/11, so probably felt the need to try to discredit them as well.
The Bushies allowed 911 to happen, despite the warnings, since the neocons already had plans to invade Iraq and this gave them justification. “They” rigged the WTC buildings with military grade explosives to have a more dramatic effect and justify war. A “mere” plane crash would have limited casualties and they needed something very dramatic to change public opinion. Exactly who “they” represents is left a little unclear, but people with obvious connections to the Bushie neocons and /or Larry Siverstein the WTC owner who had just taken out the big insurance policy on the buildings.
She wouldn’t STFU when the Bushies and GOP operatives went all over TV disingenuously complaining about the “incompetent” intelligence Assets before 9/11. According to Lindauer, the Iraqis were desperate to get rid of the sanctions and that world opinion was shifting to their side. They were actually very cooperative about weapons inspections and the 9/11 investigation, they offered sweetheart deals to the US companies (oil, buying one million US cars every year for 10 years, etc.), offered to help cut off the mostly drug money funding terrorism and they were actually a great source of counter terrorism intelligence. Saddam was secular and hated the jihadis and tracked them like dogs. He got rid of them as soon as he identified them. Peace was breaking out in the Middle East and the US “military-industrial complex”, as Eisenhower so famously put it, couldn’t be letting that happen.
Her willingness to speak the truth about the false claims against Iraq as justification to start a war made the Bushies nervous so they had to shut her up. She also spoke out about large quantities ofdepleted uranium weapons and birth defects in Iraqi children. Occupying US forces would also be exposed to that and the Bushies didn’t want that information public either.
When the 9/11 commission was finally “approved” by the White House, she jumped at the chance to testify and get the truth out. She personally contacted the offices of Trent Lott and John McCain to volunteer to testify and try to head off the war. That’s what ultimately got her arrested and she is convinced that Colin Powell is the one that got the indictment started. She was arrested in March 2004 and indicted as an “unregistered agent” of Iraq – just as the 2004 Presidential campaign was really heating up and the Iraq War was going badly. She was under indictment from 2004 until 2009 (but never granted a trial), was actually imprisoned for about a year and threatened with indefinite detention. She was released from indictment just days before Obama took office when all charges against her were suddenly dropped with the vague explanation that prosecuting her "would no longer be in the interests of justice."
After her arrest, she begged for a trial where she could tell her side of the story and let the American public know what was being covered up. Instead, she was locked up in prison on Carswell Air Force base in Texas so the Bushies could keep lying to the public. She has some particularly scathing things to say about Carswell and the phony psychiatric tricks they use.
Under the Patriot Act, her constitutional rights were stripped and there were “secret charges” and “secret evidence”. Also, evidence that could exonerate her could be deemed “classified” to block her from being able to use it. Also, communications between the prosecution and her defense communications can also be deemed “classified” so her own defense attorney could not tell her what discussions are underway. So her “defense” attorney early on in the case was able to sell her out.
The Justice Department fought her demands for a trial, playing every dirty trick in the book to stop a jury from hearing testimony about 9/11 and Iraq cover-ups. And get this -- the original judge in her case was Michael Mukasey, who would later become Attorney General under Bush -- although she actually had some positive things to say about him.
She had a long paper trail and high profile journalists, professors, high ranking government staff and many others to vouch for her. Both of her CIA “handlers” explained her work as a U.S. intelligence Asset engaged in the legitimate Lockerbie negotiations with Libya and her role spearheading talks to resume Iraqi weapons inspections. Friends and colleagues reached out to the corporate media, delivering independent confirmations about her status as an Asset. But it didn’t matter -- the corporate media turned a blind eye and the government kept her locked up.
They forced her to take psychological tests and even though they showed no problems they were twisted and used against her. They tried to make her take drugs to “cure” her. They said she was unfit to stand trial because of her “delusional” idea that she was an Asset and insisting on her “delusional” plan to interview witnesses which would exonerate her (i.e. launch a defense).
Her first attorney was a public defender who was overwhelmed with his caseload, was too inexperienced to handle this kind of very complex case and sold her out to the government without her knowledge. Only due to the dogged work of her uncle who was a very seasoned lawyer and another lawyer she eventually hired and her own feistiness did she survive.
And get this -- Lindauer’s original federal prosecutor, Edward O’Callaghan, left her case in 2008 right as it was falling apart and worked for McCain/Palin campaign to handle the Troopergate scandal. He also “advised” them about counterterrorism and national security. She was then absolutely convinced that O’Callaghan had been on McCain’s payroll. It was a political hit. Per The Daily Beast:
“A former top Justice Department prosecutor now working for John McCain's presidential campaign has been helping to direct an aggressive legal strategy aimed at shutting down a pre-election ethics investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
The growing role of Edward O'Callaghan, who until six weeks ago served as co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. attorney's office in New York, illustrates just how seriously the McCain campaign is taking the so-called "troopergate" inquiry into Palin's firing last summer of Walt Monegan, Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner.
…. All this may seem far afield from O'Callaghan's recent work, which included among other matters, directing the Justice Department's sprawling investigation into abuses in the United Nations oil for food program for Iraq. But ever since last month, when he landed in Alaska as part of a McCain "rapid response" team dispatched from campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va., O'Callaghan has been helping to direct a hardball legal strategy aimed at thwarting inquiries into the Alaska governor on all fronts.”
She said that as the 2008 election progressed and the polls were tighter in the fall between McCain and Obama (after Granny Grifter joined the GOP ticket), the Justice Department really ramped up efforts to revoke her bail and throw her back in jail to keep her quiet. By this time she was really out on the blogs and alternative radio. She especially credits the blogger Michael Collins. McCain was particularly vulnerable to Lindauer’s truth campaign because he was a key Senate leadership figure for both the 9/11 and Iraq pre-war intelligence investigation. Couldn’t have her telling the truth now could he.
But just think if John McCain and Granny Grifter had gotten elected – Lindauer could likely be back in prison! And also too, another scary part was that if McCain got elected she and her supporters would have immediately started work to get him impeached. Which could have, in theory, left us with Granny Grifter as POTUS -- but Nicole Wallace and Steve Schmidt said they had a plan to sideline her and never have her sworn into office. Which could have, in theory, meant President Pelosi then I guess.
Due to Lindauer’s new highly competent lawyer she finally had a hearing and was released from indictment. After that, she sent out a 117 page document (that became the basis of her book) to Dianne Feinstein (chair) and all the members of the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2009. So Washington knows all about the cover-ups for 9/11 and Iraq.
She had to self publish her book in 2010 since major publishers wouldn’t touch it. Blogs and alternative radio paid attention to her, but not corporate media. They still ignored her. Even the New York Times. Apparently, because of the nature of what she did as an Asset there was no non-disclosure agreement so she is legally free to talk now. If she sued she’d likely have a gag order for 2-3 years, so she is forgoing a suit so she can speak out.
So just one more way John McCain sold out the country for his gain and to cover GOP hypocrisy. And it’s amazing what the corporate media covers up isn’t it?
Honestly, this book reads like a spy thriller, but sadly, it really happened. She is very specific, presents documentation and sources and comes across as very credible.
There are some videos out on Youtube.com where she does presentations about 9/11, Iraq and what happened to her. This one from a few months ago is probably the most thorough, although it is divided up into eight parts (her talk was about two hours long). It is quite informative: Lindauer Video August 2011
I highly recommend her book and encourage PoGates tweeters to spread this far and wide. You can follow her at @SLindauer2011.
This outrageous scandal is just another example of why John McCain should be tried for treason.
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Many thanks to JulaUSA for this guest post.
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