Flashpoints Nov 25 2002: UN's Hood assassinated; EU sues RJR re money laundering

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein: introduction: Israeli soldiers assassinate a UN worker, and harrass others.. why the media attack on the Saudis now?.. E.U. accuses R.J. Reynolds of money laundering
-00:57 Robert Knight and the Knight Report.. Robert: Hans Blix oversees the arrival of 18 weapons inspectors and 20 tons of computers in Baghdad.. Bush says weapons inspections won't matter.. Pentagon's Richard Perle says even a clean bill of health won't protect Iraq from US attack.. South Korean protestors throw gasoline bombs in response to not-guilty verdicts in a US military court, in the murder of two Korean children.. US currency banned in North Korea.. in occupied Palestine, 15 Palestinians wounded and one killed.. scores arrested in Bethlehem, other towns attacked.. in Austria, right wing loses big in election.. Bush signs bill to protect Americans from the Bill of Rights.. Tom Ridge to head Homeland Security..
-06:25 Dennis: the UN says Israel had no reason to kill Hook.. now w Justin Huggler of the London Independent.. Justin: the Israeli army moved into a building in Jenin where they believed a militant was hiding.. near to another building where Iain Hook was working in Jenin to rebuild the over 100 houses leveled by bulldozers in April.. Hook wanted to evacuate his staff, called the Israelis, called the head office of UNRWA in Jerusalem.. without success.. he walked into the open and was shot.. the first reports says he was 'caught in a crossfire'.. now Israel says he was targeted by an Israeli soldier.. the UN denies that militants were firing from Hook's compound, says Israeli claims are 'not credible'.. Dennis: he called the Israelis several times?.. Justin: the compound was clearly marked, everyone knew what was going on there.. the Israelis claim young men were firing out at them, UN firmly denies.. Israel claims that the cell phone Hook was holding looked like a grenade.. the head of UNRWA shot at in Gaza.. Dennis: Allegra Pacheco works with UNRWA.. received an early morning visit last weekend.. Israel took her Palestinian husband away.. Justin: UNRWA has been under attack from pro-Israeli lobby groups.. a lot of criticism in the states.. the UK demanded a full investigation from Israel.. a great deal of anger from the UN.. outrage.. unhappy with the version of events put out by Israel.. the West Bank has become a difficult place in which to work.. an 8 year old boy shot dead (link2) today in Nablus.. a lot of civilians being killed..
-16:42 Dennis: the Israelis assassinated Hook.. and went after several other UN workers last weekend.. Allegra Pacheco taken at gunpoint with her husband.. now w Georgina Reeves (sp?) who was in Allegra's apartment.. Reeves: we went to bed late.. knew another invasion of Bethlehem was in the works.. our apartment building was surrounded.. loudspeakers demanding we all come out or be shot.. I am British citizen.. Allegra is a UN official.. they made her husband strip in front of everyone.. they leaned on Allegra's UN car as a prop.. made us sit outside two hours in the freezing cold.. took the men to the side and started questioning them.. they searched the building.. illegal to search UN residences.. Allegra went in and found her phone was missing.. demanded it back.. a soldier produced it from his pocket.. they took her husband, disregarding everything we were saying to them.. then they drove off with him.. Dennis: trying to say, 'Get out of this country'?.. Reeves: they have no respect for anyone or any regulations.. Dennis: leaning on the UN car like a slap in the face.. Reeves: they said they were looking for a certain person, he wasn't in the building, so they just took a relative.. 50 people held in Bethelem in similar situation.. it is against international law to arrest someone because he is a relative and basically hold him as a hostage.. tanks driving along the main road, every 50 years or so, would stop and fire a tank shell at random.. people are sitting in their homes terrified.. the house next door, and a young man taken out, and the family can not understand why.. everyone is terrified.. Allegra's husband is being held nearby.. Israelis told Allegra he was questioned on Saturday.. she decided to risk her life, drove to the checkpoint.. with her UN jacket and blue helmet.. walked through with her hands in the air.. made it to the prison.. talked to her husband.. he said he has *not* been questioned.. one person will say one thing, another person will say another.. very frightening that anyone can be taken for any reason or no reason.. Israel does not have to provide any evidence.. Israel claims it is a democracy but I don't see anything particularly democratic about this..
-29:45 Dennis: US officials saying that Saudis may be complicit in 9/11.. now w As'ad AbuKhalil, professor of Political Science at CSU Stanislaus and Center for Middle Eastern Studies, CAL Berkeley.. As'ad: the article in Newsweek.. the timing is suspicious.. the administration has known about this check for some time.. the princess wrote a check to two students in San Diego and then it was passed along to someone else.. the US government has not been critical of the royal family.. Bush says US and Saudi have special ties.. As'ad: I cannot see any shared values between the US and SA.. except maybe misogyny, anti-Semitism.. the US doesn't come to this with clean hands.. US operates in the Middle East under the *Karsai rule*.. (explains).. the King of Jordan gets 400 million dollars in US aid.. the Saudis in a bind.. they are upsetting their own people and upsetting the US too.. the King of Jordan engaged in repression.. the Saudi's would like to present their own 'Karsai' to the US.. Dennis: about your latest book, House of Bush, House of Saud.. As'ad: US and SA a harmonious marriage for 16 years.. (explains).. how can the US keep talking about democracy and human rights, when the US supports one of the most repressive regimes in the world?.. Dennis: just heard that missile attacks on two bases in SA, what is happening.. As'ad: rising Anti-American sentiment.. burning of a MacDonald's restaurant and (lists about a dozen more attacks in the region).. why? US support for Israel against the Palestinians, US support for repressive Arab regimes, US war on terrorism
-39:40 music break
-40:10 Dennis: now The Real Deal Column with Catherine Austine Fitts.. Dennis: the European Union (EU) accusing R.J. Reynolds (RJR), tobacco giant, of laundering money for Saddam Hussein, the Russian mafia, Colombian drug lords, others... now on the line w Catherine Austine Fitts, partner at Dillon Reed, former Assistant Secretary at HUD under Reagon.. Fitts: the EU has laid out a 2nd lawsuit.. they alledge two decades of money laundering for terrorists, narcotics trafficers, and other organized crime figures.. outlaws give money to brokers, the brokers give the money to RJR, and RJR ships cigarettes to the outlaws to sell for great profit (laundering the money in the process).. Russian mafia money ties with the Bank of New York.. 1990's money laundering scandal.. reinvested money in New York real estate.. more info: www.scoop.co.nz .. I was a partner at Dillon Reed.. we represented RJR.. a group of bidders leveraged buyout of RJR.. when it was happening.. we were watching bid price go to the stratosphere.. couldn't believe it, something wrong.. I sat down and read this complaint, now I realize what they were paying for.. more than tobacco.. a global money laundering network.. Dennis: the EU suing RJR, what might US officials know about this?.. Fitts: my hypotheis, the US is the global money laundering leader.. 1.5 trillion dollars.. at that size of business, the leading banks and political figures have to be aware.. I think that the suit is just the EU and US bickering over control of global money laundering.. the board of RJR.. people from the fast food restaurant business.. from banks.. EU accusing RJR of laundering money for Saddam Hussein, and terrorists.. like Dick Cheney and Haliburton sales to Iraq.. It wouldn't surprise me.. Dennis: why would a large corporation like RJR, selling legal dope, making huge profits, why would they want to get involved with money laundering?.. Fitts: my guess is.. a significant portion of their profits actually comes from organized crime.. Fitts: Dennis, you are one of the top investigative reporters on the planet, it is a pleasure to be associated with you..
-55:14 Dennis Bernstein: wrapup
-55:49 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart