FTR#407—“Pecunia Nervus Belli”—Von Clausewitz, Total War and the American
Current Accounts Deficit—(Two 30-minute segments) (Sources are noted in
parentheses.) (Recorded on 4/21/2003.)
Note: FTR#’s 260-316, 317, 324,
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Summary of FTR#407—(Note: The massive volume of “For The Record”
programs about 9/11 and related topics is summarized and analyzed in the
periodically-updated description for FTR#391. It
is recommended that listeners use this description and e-mail it to others.
Also: The “meat” of the book “Martin Bormann: Nazi in Exile” has been digested
into an extended description for FTR#305.
Listeners can now e-mail this quintessentially important book to people around
the world. In addition, the professional history of the late Paul Manning, the
book’s author, is presented in the description “About
Paul Manning.” This enables listeners to acquaint others with Mr.
Manning’s journalistic credentials. Understanding the Bormann organization is
essential to comprehending the concept of “the Underground Reich.”) The title translates: “Money is the sinew of war.” FTR#407 further develops the topic of
the geopolitical and macroeconomic struggle between the dollar and the euro and
relates it to the events of 9/11, the Iraq war and the Asian economies.
Particular emphasis is on the airline travel industry, the aircraft
manufacturing industry, the SARS epidemic and the contest between Boeing and
the European aerospace manufacturer EADS—the manufacturer of the Airbus. EADS
has been pressuring Boeing to price its product in euros, mirroring the contest
between the dollar and the euro evidenced in Iraq’s pricing of its oil in
euros. The 9/11 attacks and SARS have depressed the airline and aircraft
manufacturing businesses: Mr. Emory asks whether both events may be an
outgrowth of the Underground Reich’s application of the concept of total war
developed by Karl Von Clausewitz. Von Clausewitz understood that war is waged
in its totally—against all aspects of the enemy’s society—its economy, its
morale and its social fabric, as well as against the military forces of the
opponent. At the core of the discussion is the concept of both the euro and the
US current accounts deficit as weapons of war which will, in time (if the
situation is not corrected,) destroy the United States as effectively as
terrorists or armies.
Program Highlights Include: the role of
Asian central banks in propping up Bush’s Iraq war by investing in
dollar-denominated issues; the possible effect of SARS on the global economy
and (consequently) the US current accounts deficit; the effect of SARS on the
airlines business; the effect of SARS on the aircraft manufacturing business;
the coincident effects on the dollar and on Asian economies of SARS; the
unsuccessful attempt by veterans of Project Coast (see FTR#’s 317, 324, 386) to transfer their residual BW weapons to the
United States; the role of GOP heavyweight Grover Norquist as the point man for
the Republican tax-cutting plan and as the Islamist point man in the GOP; the
projected effects of Norquist’s tax cuts and the effects of the 9/11 attacks by
his Islamist buddies on the US current accounts deficit; Bush’s use of
counter-terror funding to further his socio-economic and political goals.
1.
Beginning with review of an article that was featured in FTR#405, the program introduces the
economic context in which the events analyzed here must be considered. The
assault against the US by the Underground Reich and its Islamofascist allies
that Mr. Emory believes to be under way is—in its primary manifestation—economic in nature. (For more about the
economic implications of the 9/11 attacks and related events, see—among other
programs—FTR#’s 344-346, 353, 365-67,
372, 385, 401, 405.) It is Mr. Emory’s considered opinion that
the goal of the gambit of the 9/11 attacks is the destruction and/or
subjugation of the United States. In FTR#405, Mr. Emory suggests that the
attack, from a conceptual point of view, could be viewed as a combination of
the German invasion of France in World War II, the battle of Verdun in World
War I, and Operation Bernhard in World War II. (For discussion of the
comparison of the German invasion of France in World War II to 9/11, see FTR#’s 366, 372, 395, 401.) The goal of
the German high command in the battle of Verdun was to attack a position (the
steel-making city of Verdun) that the French would not be willing to lose. In
so doing, the Germans hoped to bleed the French army dry—to inflict so many
casualties that they would have to sue for peace. Operation Bernhard (see RFA#17—available from Spitfire) was a German gambit intended
to destroy the British economy by forging pound notes and destroying the UK’s
ability to finance its war effort. The following article discusses the economic
aspects of the war with Iraq. Asian central banks’ support of the dollar has—to
date—made this an easier enterprise to undertake than it might have been under
different circumstances. This situation might change should the economic
landscape be altered in a significant fashion. Note the US current accounts
deficit. “The
19th century British political economist Walter Bagehot had a pithy
quote from Louis XIV on war finance. The last guinea, said the Sun King, will always
win. In the case of Iraq it will be the last US dollar. And one of the more
remarkable things about the US-led invasion of Iraq is just how easily and
cheaply the venture will be financed. On the face of it, war has rarely been
waged in such inauspicious financial circumstances. At a time of extreme
geopolitical uncertainty the payments balances of the world’s biggest economies
are badly out of kilter. US household savings are seriously depleted and the
deficit on the current account of the American balance of payments is close to
an unprecedented 5 per cent gross domestic product.” (“The Sinews of
War are Asian” by John Plender; Financial
Times; 3/21/2003; p. 17.)
2.
The relatively strong position of the dollar (in turn resulting from
investment in dollar-denominated IOU’s) stems from the relative strength of
Asian economies and their central banks’ investments in the dollar. “The US has, since
the bursting of the stock market bubble, become a relatively unattractive
destination for foreign private capital. Interest rates are low, the dollar is
weak and the US economy will advance this year at less than its underlying
trend growth rate. Yet as private capital has fought increasingly shy of the
world’s largest economy, the central bankers have come to George W. Bush’s
rescue. Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore alone have accumulated
official reserves worth more than $1,100bn, of which the great majority is
invested in dollar-denominated IOU’s such as US Treasuries. For many central
banks these reserves are earning much less in interest than they could earn
back at home.” (Idem.)
3.
If the US should become enmeshed in a costly post-war, or if the Bush
administration’s plans to drastically increase military spending while
dramatically slashing taxes on the wealthy should come to fruition, the effect
on the dollar and the US current accounts deficit could be disastrous and
decisive. Pecunia nervus belli. “This is not, of
course, a philanthropic gesture. For Japan, with a stagnant economy, it is a
matter of resisting an appreciation of the yen that would hit the export
sector. The others maintain a dollar peg, largely for reasons of
competitiveness . . . Yet it remains the case that global finance has been
exceptionally kind to Mr. Bush. And Louis XIV was indeed expressing an age-old
verity. The Tacitus version was pecunia
nervus belli: money is the sinew of war. We should not forget that
unlimited money, however helpful, cannot guarantee the peace.” (Idem.)
4.
Against the background of Bush’s fiscally-insane tax cut proposals, the
US budgetary situation is not to be ignored. The only reason the US got away with the suicidal fiscal policies of
the Reagan and Bush administrations is the fact that the US was able to borrow
against the dollars held as reserve currency. A significantly weakened dollar
and exacerbated current accounts deficit for the US will drastically weaken the
country. Pecunia nervus belli. “The US
government’s finances are set to head sharply into deficit and stay there ‘for
the foreseeable future,’ the White House budget director said yesterday.
Mitchell Daniels, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), said
he expected federal deficits equivalent to 2-3 per cent of gross domestic
product for this fiscal year and next, and could not say when the budget would
return to surplus.” (“US Finances Set to Head ‘Sharply into
Deficit’” by Alan Beattie; Financial
Times; January 16, 2003; p. 2.)
5.
The program reviews Grover Norquist’s role as primary tax-slasher. In
this context, it is important to remember that he is also the point man for the
Islamists in the Republican Party. Note
that these Islamists’ attacks on the United States precipitated the national
security build-up which, when combined with the Bush tax cuts, has led to a
return to record budget deficits. Whether Norquist is fully conscious of the
effects of his actions is not particularly relevant. In FTR#327, the collapse
of the commodities market effected by the Underground Reich is worth noting.
When coupled with the assassination of JFK, it led to a huge profit for the
Underground Reich perpetrators of these events. Tino De Angelis was
(apparently) under mind control and not aware of the implications of his
actions. The same may be true of Norquist. Pecunia nervus belli. “Reaction from advocates and critics was swift and strong.
‘It’s a tax shelter for the wealthy. This is really an attempt to help the
president’s friends,’ said Rep. Robert t. Matsui, D-Sacramento. ‘It’s
unbelievable.’ ‘These are the building blocks of a new tax system,’ said Grover
Norquist, president of the conservative Americans for Tax Reform.” (“Bush Proposes New Tax-Free Savings Plans” by
Peter G. Gosselin; The Los Angeles Times;
2/1/2003; p. A20.)
6.
One should note the reaction of some Islamists to the Iraq war. Some
have called for Muslims to embrace the euro as opposed to the dollar. The issue
of the dollar vs. the euro is at the core of the thesis Mr. Emory has been
developing about the 9/11 attacks and their macroeconomic effect on the US. The
reaction expressed by the Muslim cleric in this article goes to the heart of
the discussion from past broadcasts about the Earth Island and the Underground
Reich’s attempts at gaining political control of that area’s population and
effecting economic advantage as a result. Pecunia
nervus belli. “In this sandswept Nigerian town on the edge of the Sahara
Desert, a Muslim cleric, displaying anger about the U.S. war in Iraq, recently
exhorted his followers to take action to inflict pain on the U.S. namely, ditch
the dollar and embrace the euro. ‘European Countries,’ preached Sheik Ibrahim
Umar Kabo, the head of Nigeria’s Council of Muslim Scholars, ‘have refused to
be fooled by America’ and support the war. ‘We should therefore encourage
transactions with the euro and stop patronizing the American dollar.’ The
sheik’s advice was met with cries of ‘Down with America.’ The enthusiasm
spilled out into the streets with the faithful shouting, ‘Euro yes! Dollar
no!’” (“Some Muslims Advocate Dumping the Dollar for the Euro” by
Robert Block; The Wall Street Journal;
4/15/2003; p. C1.)
7.
An article not included in the original program notes the effect of the
euro on the geopolitics surrounding the Franco/German opposition to the war. “It was the
euro—not the Security Council veto—that enabled France to oppose U.S. policy on
Iraq so boldly. Indeed, the success of the European currency has turned it into
a political anti-missile shield that works, and that has changed the
international balance of power. Absent the euro, it would have been relatively
easy for the U.S. to quietly bring the French back into line. A stealth U.S.
attack on the French franc, and on French financial markets—more likely just
the hint of it—would do the job . . . With the Cold War behind us, the key
question of international politics, as seen by the French political and
administrative elite, is this: Now that there is no military threat to Europe
from the Soviet Union, or anyone else, how to contain the US? In this logic,
the euro must become an alternative, or co-reserve currency alongside the
dollar.” (“Euro Shield” by Stephen S. Cohen; The Wall Street Journal; 4/29/2003; p. A16.)
8.
One of the major points of discussion in this broadcast is SARS. Is it a naturally-occurring disease or is
it the product of biological warfare? If the latter is the case, is it
possible that SARS may be an application of the Von Clausewitz concept of total
war? Much of the program considers the effect of SARS on the airline industry,
the aircraft manufacturing business, and on the strength of the dollar. Pecunia nervus belli. “It has all the
appearance of a perfect storm. A virulent confluence of factors has shaken the
global economy in recent weeks and caused companies to put international
business on hold. The most disruptive have been the flulike severe acute
respiratory syndrome from Asia and the war in Iraq with its associated fear of
terrorism . . . Complicating the possible long-term effects of the war is its
timing: The war is being fought while the
U.S. economy is still struggling. The dollar has fallen by 17 percent against
the euro since early 2002, making imports from countries such as Germany and
France costly for Americans [Italics are Mr. Emory’s.” (“Economic
Tsunami” by David Armstrong; San
Francisco Chronicle; 4/6/2003; p. B1.)
9.
Considering the possible economic impact of the disease, a WHO official
notes the potentially severe implications of SARS. Pecunia nervus belli. “The SARS disease poses one of the most serious global
health threats since Aids because of its infectiousness and potential to spread
through air travel, the World Health Organization warned yesterday. It said
other diseases that have emerged in recent decades, such as Ebola, had higher
fatality rates but tended to be focused on limited geographic areas and were not
as easily passed on. ‘SARS could become the first severe new disease of the 21st
century with global epidemic potential,’ said Dr. David Heymann, executive
director of WHO’s communicable disease programs.” (“SARS Could
Spread Worldwide, Warns WHO” by Joe Leahy; Financial
Times; 4/12/13/2003; p. 1.)
10.
“The disease has
affected hotel and airline bookings across Asia and led economists to revise
down their forecasts for regional growth. Dr. Heymann said global economic
consequences were already estimated at about US$30bn. He said the disease’s
incubation period of up to 10 days meant it could be transported in symptomless
air travelers all over the world.” (Idem.)
11.
Mirroring the fears of the WHO official discussed above, an analyst
with Morgan Stanley fears the economic impact of the disease. Pecunia nervus belli. “With the
Chinese now reluctant to travel—not just overseas but also at home—and with
Asian countries restricting the entry of visitors from affected areas, the SARS
effect could easily escalate. Morgan Stanley has pared its 2003 estimate of
growth in Asia (ex Japan) from 5 per cent to 4.5 per cent. This assumes a 60
per cent fall in tourism over the next three months and then a return to
normal. Unfortunately the SARS effect is concentrated on Asia—the region of the
world that we had counted on to keep the global economy afloat. With this
source of global resilience now being undermined, the global economy has little
left to support it. Had economic growth been more vigorous before the outbreak
of SARS, this probably would not have made such a difference. Sadly, that is
not the case. There is far more to the story of emerging global weakness than a
SARS-related downturn in Asia. War, and the related uncertainties are equally
important factors. But SARS may be the tipping point.” (“Asia
Sneezes and the World Catches a Cold” by Stephen Roach; Financial Times; 4/14/2003; p. 15.)
12.
Economic columnist Paul Krugman also notes the potential impact of SARS
on the global and US economies. Pecunia
nervus belli. “Serious people know that germs pose a far greater threat
to mankind than terrorism, and readers of books like William McNeill’s ‘Plagues
and Peoples’ and Jared Diamond’s ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’ know microbes have
been the downfall of many a civilization. SARS—severe acute respiratory
syndrome, a new virus from Guangdong Province in China—doesn’t look like a
civilization-killer, and probably isn’t nearly as bad as the 1918-19 influenza
virus. But experts fear it may be too late to prevent a global SARS pandemic—that
is, it may be too late to stop the virus from spreading throughout the world.
And the bug is already having major economic consequences; fear of the disease
has paralyzed much business in Hong Kong and has led to a drop in air travel
worldwide.” (“Guns, Germs and Stall?” by Paul Krugman; The New York Times; 4/4/2003; p. A19.)
13.
“Even if SARS
doesn’t become wide-spread here—and that’s not a safe bet—it can do a lot of
damage to our own economy because the world has grown so interdependent.
Consider this: the most likely engine of a vigorous U.S. recovery would be a
renewed surge in technology spending, and Guangdong is now the workshop of the
information technology world, the place where a lot of the equipment that we
would expect businesses to buy if there was an investment boom—for example,
components for wireless computer networks—is assembled. The virus is already
hampering production, not so much because workers have become sick as because
Taiwan-based managers and engineers are afraid to visit their plants. The
result may be to stall an investment recovery before it starts. The war has
monopolized everyone’s attention, including mine. But other things are
happening, and you shouldn’t be shocked if the economic news turns awful.” (Idem.)
14.
In addition to the above lines of analysis, the potential effect of
SARS on the US current accounts deficit is at the core of economist Martin
Wolf’s analysis. Pecunia nervus belli. “The unbalanced
pattern of demand has generated the patently unsustainable current accounts
deficits and surpluses noted by [IMF economist Kenneth] Rogoff. The world
economy cannot build a strong and durable recovery on the profligacy of the
English-speaking countries alone. Sooner
or later such a globally unbalanced recovery will blow up, probably with
currency collapses. [Italics are Mr. Emory’s].” (“A World
Economy Trapped by Complacency and Panic” by Martin Wolf; Financial Times; 4/16/2003; p. 15.)
15.
“The world is
suffused with a mixture of complacency and panic—complacency over the world economy
and panic over security and now a new (and so far minor) disease. The end of
the war is an opportunity to redress the balance. It must be seized.” (Idem.)
16.
In FTR#395, the Underground
Reich’s contribution of software for
the mass production of nuclear weapons was discussed at length. In FTR#406, John Loftus discussed
intelligence information maintaining that Iraq and North Korea had shared
information about nuclear technology. With the international weapons trade
cutting across ideological lines, is it possible that North Korea’s nuclear
capability may have come from the Underground Reich (perhaps via Iraq?) In that
context, consider the possible effect of the North Korean nuclear situation on
the Asian economies. Like SARS, the crisis may have a very disturbing outcome
for the US. One should bear in mind that the Japanese hold roughly 15% of
America’s foreign debt. A dramatic worsening of the situation vis a vis North
Korea could produce a serious downturn in the Japanese stock market and a
resulting liquidity crisis for Japanese banks. Should they sell off American
T-bills, it could collapse the US economy, by generating a rush to dump the
T-bills by other investors. Pecunia
nervus belli. (* Note that this
article was not in the original broadcast.) “A difficult negotiation will be all the more
perilous because, unlike Iraq, North Korea is adjacent to advanced industrial
economies with complex and powerful financial markets. Those economies now
account for most of the world’s output growth. North Korea has taken hostage
the prosperity of the Asia Pacific region. There is less premonitory bluster
and less fervor in Washington, but the North Korea crisis could do far more
damage to the global economy than war in Iraq.” (“A Korean Peace may
Hurt More than an Iraqi War” by John Edwards; Financial Times; 4/23/2003; p. 13.)
17.
“It is true that
the North Korea crisis is unlikely to develop like the conflict over Iraq. The
US will not invade North Korea. North Korea cannot make any claim to regional
leadership. It has no strategic resource such as oil, and it is almost
completely isolated in global politics. And far from wanting to go it alone,
the US is insisting on multilateral rather than bilateral talks. The dispute
will probably be peacefully resolved, but not without alarming brinksmanship.
For the economies of the Asia Pacific region, this is the real problem. Through
the impact of threat and counter-threat on financial markets and capital flows
the region could suffer another economic calamity without a shot being fired.” (Idem.)
18.
The pivotal conflict between the euro and the dollar—a central
behind-the-scenes aspect of the Iraq war—is at the core of the fiscal contest
between Boeing and the EU-manufactured Airbus. (For more about Airbus and its connections
to the CDU funding scandal and Karl-Heinz Schreiber, see FTR#194.) It is important to note that the 9/11 attacks had a huge,
negative impact on the airline industry and (consequently) on Boeing’s aircraft
manufacturing business. Bear in mind the German associates of Mohammed Atta (FTR#’s 404, 405, 406.) Pecunia nervus belli. “The owners of
Airbus, the pan-European aircraft maker, are seeking to persuade their main US
aerospace rival Boeing to adopt the euro as the benchmark currency for the traditionally
dollar-based commercial aircraft market. The call from Philippe Camus, co-chief
executive of the Franco-German European Aeronautic Defense and Space company
(EADS), reflects the cost disadvantage that Airbus currently suffers following
the sustained depreciation of the dollar against the euro. ‘Currencies are a
factor of competition and we want to force Boeing to adopt our currency
structure,’ said Mr. Camus in his first interview since the death earlier this
month of Jean-Luc Lagardere, the EADS co-chairman.” (“Europeans Try to Pull Boeing into Euro” by
Paul Betts and Martin Arnold; Financial
Times; 3/25/2003; p. 20.)
19.
“However, Mr.
Camus’ call also has a symbolic edge, reflecting the recent change in the
balance of power in the civil aircraft market. Airbus—of which EADS owns 80
percent—last year claimed 54 per cent of new orders for large aircraft by units
and dollar value, with Boeing taking the rest. . . .A similar shift in base
currencies was proposed a year and a half ago by some oil producing countries
including Iran, Libya and Russia, which suggested that oil prices should be
expressed in euros. Before the outbreak of war, Iraq was already pricing its
oil in euros. . . .A US oil industry analyst yesterday suggested that there
would only be a case for the euro to become the reference currency for oil if
it unseated the US dollar to become the strongest currency on a lasting basis.” (Idem.)
20.
Again, the pressures of 9/11 have had a serious and negative effect on
Boeing’s fortunes. In some of Mr. Emory’s conversations with Professor Wilhelm
Stauffer in the early 1990’s, Professor Stauffer detailed Lufthansa’s attempts
at gaining control of the airline industry. Subsidized by the German
government, Lufthansa may be in a
position to gain from 9/11 and SARS. Airbus may be in a similar position. There
is substantive information connecting 9/11 with the Underground Reich (FTR#391). Is it possible that SARS may be an application of Von Clausewitz’s
concept of Total War to biological warfare and economics? Pecunia nervus belli. “Boeing faces a
critical choice between spending boldly to develop a new jet and hunkering down
to play defense during the airline industry’s worst downturn ever. Two of the
most powerful members of the company’s 11-person board are said to be raising
cost concerns about the 7E7, as they press Boeing to improve its earnings and
stock price—even if that means sacrificing cutting-edge engineering . . .” (“Boeing,
Losing Ground to Airbus, Faces Key Choice” by J. Lynn Lunsford; The Wall Street Journal; 4/21/2003; p.
A1.)
21.
“ . . . The case
for Boeing hedging its bets has appeal during a historic commercial-aviation
slump. But it implies a willingness to cede market share to the industry’s only
other titan, Europe’s Airbus. And the strategy strongly resembles the one
McDonnell Douglas employed as it sank to also-ran status in the 1990’s.” (Idem.)
22.
As one observes the maneuvering on the international and economic
stages, bear in mind the complex CDU funding scandal that linked the French Elf
oil company with a complex series of transactions involving the Thyssen firm,
Saudi Arabia, the Leuna refinery in East Germany (see FTR#’s 194, 276, 278, 385.) Airbus and the mysterious Karl-Heinz
Schreiber are at the core of this scandal. The German domination of corporate
France is another factor to consider in the context of the maneuvering around
the Iraq war. Pecunia nervus belli. “This could yet
throw light on kickbacks paid by Elf over a deal between Mr. Mitterand and
German ex-chancellor Helmut Kohl to invest in the Leuna refinery in East
Germany—an affair which helped bring Mr. Kohl down.” (“French Trial
Paints a Picture of Graft on a Grandiose Scale” by Robert Graham; Financial Times; 4/22/2003; p. 14.)
23.
Next, the program discusses the impact of SARS on the air travel
business. Will this portend well for Airbus and poorly for Boeing? Pecunia nervus belli. “Two of Asia’s biggest air carriers, Cathay Pacific
Airways and Singapore Airlines, announced deep cutbacks on Friday because
passengers have been scared off by a virulent respiratory disease in the
region. Cathay Pacific said that it would operate 37 percent fewer flights than
it had previously planned. Singapore Airlines said it would cut 19.7 percent of
its flights. Both airlines said their reductions in service would last through
the end of May. The figures include the more modest reductions in service
announced in the past two weeks.” (“Two
Asian Airlines Cut Back Because of SARS Impact” by Keith Bradsher [New York Times]; San Jose Mercury News; 4/12/2003; p. 2C.)
24.
SARS appears to be caused by an entirely new corona virus. Is it
possible that this disease was deliberately produced? Pecunia nervus belli. “ . . . Canadian
researchers said the genome appears to be that of a ‘completely new’
coronavirus unrelated to any known human or animal virus.” (“Team
Decodes SARS Virus” by Donald G. McNeil Jr. [New York Times]; 4/14/2003; p. A3.)
25.
In the context of the advent of SARS, it is interesting (and possibly
significant) that veterans of Project Coast were recently turned down in their
attempts at transferring their inventory to the US. (For more about Project
Coast and its connections to American personnel, see FTR#’s 225, 317, 324, 386.) Could the Project Coast alumni have had
anything to do with SARS? Pecunia nervus
belli. “Daan Goosen’s calling card to the FBI was a
vial of bacteria he had freeze-dried and hidden inside a toothpaste tube for
secret passage to the United States. From among hundreds of flasks in his
Pretoria lab, the South African scientist picked a man-made strain that was
sure to impress: a microbial Frankenstein that fused the genes of a common
intestinal bug with DNA from the pathogen that causes the deadly illness gas
gangrene. ‘This will show the Americans what we are capable of,’ Goosen said at
the time.” (“Vile Vials Live on in South Africa” by Joby Warrick and
John Mintz [Washington Post]; San Francisco Chronicle; 4/20/2003; p.
A16.)
26.
“On May 6, 2002,
Goosen slipped the parcel to a retired CIA officer who couriered the microbes 8,000
miles for a drop-off with the FBI. If U.S. officials liked what they saw,
Goosen said he was prepared to offer much more: an entire collection of
pathogens developed by a secret South African bio-weapons research program
Goosen once headed. Goosen’s extraordinary offer to the FBI, outlined in
obtained documents and interviews with key participants, promised scores of
additional vials containing the bacteria that cause anthrax, plague, salmonella
and botulism, as well as antidotes for many of the diseases. Several strains
had been genetically altered, a technique used by weapons scientists to make
diseases harder to detect and defeat. All were to be delivered to the U.S.
government for safekeeping and to help strengthen U.S. defenses against future
terrorism attacks . . . ” (Idem.)
27.
“ . . .
Participants in the failed deal differ on what happened and why. But they agree
that the bacterial strains remain in private hands in South Africa, where they
have continued to attract attention from individuals interested in acquiring
them . . .” (Idem.)
28.
In describing the efforts at moving the South African BW samples,
Goosen makes reference to Project Coast veterans who had been using the
inventory for private industrial projects. Dr. Larry Ford’s “Inner Confidence”
suppository was one such project. (See FTR#’s
225, 317, 386) “ . . . South African officials claimed to have destroyed
all of Project Coast’s biological materials in 1993. But Goosen says many
scientists kept copies of organisms and documents to continue work on
‘dual-use’ projects with commercial as well as military applications. Goosen’s
vaccine production lab ended up with hundreds of strains, at least half of
which were from Project Coast . . .” (Ibid.; p. A17.)
29.
Note that a German and an apparent Arab were among those who sought
access to Project Coast’s inventory. “ . . . In the past nine months, the scientist has been
offered money by a German treasure-hunter and a man claiming to be an Arab
Sheikh. Goosen says he turned the offers down, but worries about future
bioterrorism. ‘A small container of pathogens could kill a million people,’ he
said.” (Ibid.; p. A17.)
30.
The broadcast concludes with discussion of the disturbing use of
counter-terrorism to provide a disproportionately large amount of funding to the
people of states that voted for George Bush. Mr. Emory notes that the “blue
states” are basically the areas that are destroyed in the Nazi tract Serpent’s Walk. This subject will be
taken up at greater length in FTR#409.
Pecunia nervus belli. “ . . . What Mr.
Chait doesn’t point out is the extent to which already inadequate antiterrorism
spending has been focused on the parts of the country that need it least. I’ve
written before about the myth of the heartland—roughly speaking, the ‘red
states,’ which voted for George W. Bush in the 2000 election, as opposed to the
‘blue states,’ which voted for Al Gore. The nation’s interior is supposedly a
place of rugged individualists, unlike the spongers and whiners along the
coasts. In reality, of course, rural states are heavily subsidized by urban
states. New Jersey pays about $1.50 in federal taxes for every dollar it gets
in return; Montana receives about $1.75 in federal spending for every dollar it
pays in taxes.” (“A Red-Blue Terror Alert” by Paul Krugman; The New York Times; 4/1/2003; p. 1;
accessed at www.nytimes.com
.)
31.
Pecunia nervus belli. “Any sensible program of spending on homeland security
would at least partly redress this balance. The most natural targets for terrorism
lie in or near great metropolitan areas; surely protecting those areas is the
highest priority, right? Apparently not. Even in the first months after Sept.
11, Republican lawmakers made it clear that they would not support any major
effort to rebuild or even secure New York. And now that anti-urban prejudice
has taken statistical form; under the formula the Department of Homeland
Security has adopted for handing out money, it spends 7 times as much
protecting each resident of Wyoming as it does protecting each resident of New
York.” (Ibid.;
pp. 1-2.)