Spouse of outed CIA officer signs on with Kerry

Washington Times ^ | 2/14/04 | Joseph Curl

[Just mythoughts]

You have some interesting points.

Coulter's writings about McCarthy are like getting a hint of sunlight about those who hated him, a similar passion seen today with these that hate President Bush.

We know their roots are long and deep. The Clinton administration's greatest fans were in the press, and focused far more time on his "private" being kept "private" and their favorite word was compartmentalize.

The Clinton administration spent its time cultivating those deep roots of the leftist ideology. Their sleepers walk, talk and act like normal people, all the while they toil away at dismantling the Consitiution and those three branches of government.

Their co-equals in that 4th branch of government reproduce the pictures and words to give them cover. They are always doing what they accuse others of doing. Leaks, lies, conspiracies, AWOL, deserters, etc... They are so experienced and trained in their profession they can look you straight in the eye and deny.

One falls like the "TORCH" and falls right back in line, out of sight, and unaccountable and continues to work for their fight. There seem to be only one sin that is unacceptable -standing up to them.

They are like grasshoppers eating everything alive leaving nothing in their wake, in their forward march.

Their major focus in the next few months is to destroy President Bush's credibility. I do believe there is nothing they won't attempt, to attain their goal.

The mass middle is who they are after and day after day, night after night, hearing the media whores talk about investigation after investigation helps to chip away at credibility.

Let me know if you find anymore interesting tid bits about the "Wilson's affair".

[swilhelm73]

Well, I've always taken the Saudi situation to be a two way conflict.

On the one hand you have the Islamists. They think the Saudis are not strict enough in their enforcement of Islam and want to use Saudi Arabia's oil wealth to export holy war.

On the other hand are what passes for moderates, led by Bandar. They know they have a good deal, and do not want to have their societal perks and oil based cash flow taken away. Even more importantly they don't want to have to fight the Islamists.

Throughout the 90s, the deal between the two groups was that the Saudis would turn a blind eye to terror recruitment and funding as long as it didn't target Saudis. And before President Bush, the moderates knew that the US would do no more then give them a serious talking to over the terror issue - rather less of a threat then what Osama and Co presented.

Our invasion of Iraq changes things in rather alot of ways though. Most notably, Iraq as a friendly nation greatly weakens the oil weapon the Saudis have over us. Specifically this mean we can be much more demanding in what we want from the Saudis both in terms of anti-terrorism operations and also democratization.

One can already see this some minor, though significant, improvement in both regards already.

So the moderate faction in Saudi tried to use the weapons at their disposal to stop the invasion of Iraq. Their most powerful weapons being their bought and paid for friends in the America state department.

[Fedora]

Your analysis is very insightful as well as poetic--well-written and well-thought-out. I think you describe the situation accurately. On McCarthy, one thing McCarthy's investigation touched on was the interrupted investigation of the "Amerasia" case, which involved Soviet agents who had penetrated the OSS during WWII via the liaison between Russian, British, and US intelligence. The DoJ investigation of "Amerasia" was blocked at the request of Laughlin Currie by Thomas Corcoran, who was also Joseph Kennedy's lawyer. Corcoran's political ally Clark Clifford became JFK's lawyer. John Kerry, whose career has ridden on the coattails of Ted Kennedy, protected Clark Clifford during the BCCI investigation, wherein it emerged that Clifford had helped Jimmy Carter's budget director Bert Lance and a group of Arab investors take over First American Bank. This thread has mentioned that Kerry's political ally Joseph Wilson is linked to a Saudi front group. Those are some scattered tidbits I'd toss out for those interested. To focus that stream of associations into a Freeper research question: is there any systematic pattern of links between the Saudi lobby, the Democratic Party, Kerry's handling of the BCCI investigation, and Wilson's Saudi connection?

[Fedora]

Interesting analysis which gets me thinking about several things. One thing that would be worthwhile would be to identify the origins and development of the Saudi lobby in the State Department and other branches of government--this of course has a long history going back to Jack Philby, which I suspect can be traced forward fairly easily to John Kerry via BCCI. This also gets me thinking about several other things, of which I'll toss out one as a question for you: how do you see the Saudi attempt to acquire nuclear weapons factoring into the scenario you describe?

[Fedora]

I'm looking up some stuff on the Lance-Clifford-BCCI-Kerry thing now. Here's something interesting:

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2004/01/why_wont_sen_ke.html

Don't forget the campaign loan paid by Jackson Stephens Worthen Bank (who arranged the first BCCI penetration through Bert Lance's National Bank of Georgia (which would end up being owned by Ghaith Pharaon, the Saudi moneyman behind Kerry's financial benefactor, David Paul, who in addition had ties to Roger Tamraz, of the first TransCaucusus pipeline (ted Rall, take note)

Also lots of stuff here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1992_rpt/bcci/

[Fedora]

http://www.pharaon.com/sop.html

August 8, 1997

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O P H A R A O N W E B S I T E

WELCOME TO THE Pharaon Website established by friends of the international businessman, Dr. Ghaith Rashad Pharaon, as a channel of communication with his contacts, friends and business associates throughout the world and with those interested in the many projects and operations in which he is personally involved.

A CITIZEN OF Saudi Arabia, Dr. Pharaon has been active in business ventures in many countries - from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. Through this Website, the friends of Dr. Pharaon plan to provide news about these activities, express his views on general international business developments and state his version of those events in which he was involved that are under adjudication in various countries. They may provide information on the hotel business in Argentina, the oil industry in Pakistan, construction in Saudi Arabia or the still continuing legal proceedings growing out of the liquidation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).

IN TURN, THEY LOOK forward to reaction and comment - and perhaps even previously unavailable information on the various events from new sources. He welcomes such response either through this Website or his E-mail address "Webmaster@Pharaon.com" and will seek to respond as appropriate.

THOSE NOT FAMILIAR with Dr. Pharaon's background will find a brief summary of his personal history of great interest and useful as background for the information and communications which will appear on this Website.

BORN IN SAUDI ARABIA in 1940, the son of a Syrian doctor who had become the personal physician and a trusted advisor to the then King Ibn Saud, young Ghaith Pharaon was raised in the customs and culture of the Saudi Arabian royal society of the day. As a young man, he decided to seek a Western education as did a great many of his contemporaries. He turned first to Europe for his secondary education and then to the United States for his college and entered the Colorado School of Mines in 1959 to pursue a petroleum engineering degree. Three years later, he transferred to Stanford University in California, one of America's premier educational institutions, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering.


AFTER STANFORD, DR. PHARAON entered the Harvard Business School in another of America's leading academic centers and emerged in 1965 with the degree of Master in Business Administration (MBA) - a degree and training which became common to a number of other Saudis and Middle Easterners who later rose to prominence in government, business and commerce in the area. Dr. Pharaon (his father's professional title was passed on to him by the Saudis as a matter of courtesy) was one of the leading students in the Harvard Business School Class of 1965 and on October 5, 1990, he was asked to give the Opening Day address at his 25th Anniversary Reunion as one of his Class's most successful graduates.

LIKE HIS CONTEMPORARIES, Dr. Pharaon returned to Saudi Arabia - in his case, to the City of Jeddah - to take part in the development of Saudi Arabia in the oil boom years of the latter sixties and the seventies. His particular focus turned toward the construction programs that marked Saudi Arabia in those years. As his business grew, he became a major supplier of cement and other construction supplies throughout the Middle East. Gradually, he branched into other lines of business. He and his family invested in hotels, oil companies, banking and insurance companies until by the eighties, he was a prominent Middle Eastern businessmen and investor.

AMONG THE VENTURES IN which he invested in that period was the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, then being developed by an almost legendary Pakistani banker, Agha Hasan Abedi. Mr. Abedi is now deceased but in his years as the guiding force behind BCCI, he developed an international banking structure and operation that provided a major challenge to the established Western banking community. BCCI, under the leadership of Abedi who was familiar with the Middle Eastern traditions and ways of doing business based on personal trust and confidence, took advantage of its local connections in countries like Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia to further its activities and hide many aspects of its operations.

EVENTUALLY IN THE EARLY 1990's, BCCI was found guilty of a range of fraudulent practices and was closed down in the many countries in which it operated. It is presently in the process of liquidation. Prominent Middle Eastern businessmen like Dr. Pharaon soon discovered that they had been used to camouflage the bank's irregular practices. The liquidators of BCCI as well as various authorities are trying to use these individuals as scapecoats.

BUT THIS WEBSITE is not a story of BCCI's admittedly improper practices; rather, it is intended to discuss Dr. Pharaon's activities. Insofar as Dr. Pharaon's relations with BCCI are concerned, he has been charged with civil violations in the United States in connection with his relations with BCCI and, under certain circumstances, these violations have been turned into a criminal indictment against him by the United States.

DR. PHARAON HAS STATED both in legal documents filed in court cases and in public, his innocence of any criminal activities. In civil terms, at worst, he has been guilty of technical violations of American banking regulations - probably the most technically detailed in the world - for which relatively minimal civil fines have been levied in the past. It is noteworthy that the U.S. Federal Reserve is seeking a penalty payment of $37,000,000 aginst Dr. Pharaon while the highest penalty ever charged by such regulatory authority in the past has been $600,000. By questionable coincidence, the imposition of this $37 million dollar fine came on the same day as the announcement of the sale for the same amount of an insurance company in Georgia owned by the Pharaon family.

CONTRARY TO THE PORTRAYAL by the liquidators and other regulatory authorities, Dr. Pharaon's banking relationships through the years have involved the largest international banks and financial institutions in the world and his relationship with BCCI was just one of many. At most, he was a passive investor in BCCI, largely attributable to previous banking transactions in other areas and ventures with Mr. Abedi.

HE HAS REFUSED TO accept any offer of a plea bargain which a number of his investment associates have done in order to remove a burden from their shoulders. Characteristically, his response has been that he would not admit to a criminal charge of which he is not guilty if only because he wants to maintain his personal reputation and family honor.

THESE, THEN - DR. PHARAON'S business activities, his international interests, his involvement with the BCCI liquidation and subsequent litigation - will provide the substance of this Website. All that and communication with friends, contacts, associates and interested individuals throughout the world.

WELCOME - and come aboard. Let us hear from you.

[Fedora]

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/Pre_96/February95/76.txt.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/p>

CRM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1995

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice announced today that U.S. District Judge Joyce Hens Green has issued a restraining order in the U.S. District Court in Washington against the assets of Ghaith R. Pharaon, a Saudi Arabian businessman who was previously a shareholder in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) Group. The order restrains assets in the United States and seeks repatriation of assets held in foreign countries up to $102.5 million and in excess of amounts already restrained in an action previously brought by the Federal Reserve Board against Pharaon. Pharaon, who was originally indicted in Washington, D.C. on BCCI-related charges in 1991, currently faces criminal charges brought under a 1993 revised indictment. The revised indictment, in Washington, D.C., charges that Pharaon engaged in a racketeering conspiracy with Agha Hasan Abedi, the founder of BCCI, Swaleh Naqvi, the former president of BCCI, and others. The revised indictment also charges that Pharaon and his conspirators deceived U.S. regulatory authorities and illegally acquired and maintained control and influence over Credit and Commerce American Holdings (bank holding company for the former First American Bank, Washington, D.C.), the National Bank of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, and Independence Bank, Encino, California. The revised indictment also seeks forfeiture of all proceeds of the racketeering activity. Pharaon, who is presently a fugitive, also faces federal criminal charges elsewhere in this country. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta that investigated BCCI's acquisition of the National Bank of Georgia. In addition, Pharaon is charged in Miami, Florida, as a co-conspirator with David Paul, former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Centrust Bank, in allegations relating to securities trading at Centrust. Swaleh Naqvi, a co-conspirator in the Washington, D.C. case, pled guilty to all charges in the revised indictment and, on October 19, 1994, was sentenced to serve approximately 11 years in prison (less prior time served in official detention in Abu Dhabi) and was ordered to pay restitution of over $255 million to the U.S. Treasury. Naqvi is currently a cooperating witness for the federal government. David Paul, a co-conspirator of Pharaon's in the Miami case, was convicted and, in November of 1994, was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $65 million and a fine of $5 million. The Washington, D.C., case is being handled by Gerald M. Stern, Special Counsel for Financial Institution Fraud and Dwight Bostwick, Deputy Special Counsel for Financial Institution Fraud. He received assistance in obtaining the restraining order from Pamela Dempsey, Deputy Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Office; Brandy Gardes, Trial Attorney of the Fraud Section; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and other attorneys within the Asset Forfeiture Office. #### 95-076

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

"We went to war under false pretenses and that is becoming abundantly clear to the American people," he told hundreds of students during a foreign policy forum at the University of Washington. "I don't care who you vote for, but get out there and caucus. Don't leave it to the neoconservatives and evangelical Christians," Mr. Wilson said.

We are at war - a war for the heart and soul of this country.

[Fedora]

http://junkyardblog.transfinitum.net/cgi-bin/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=2064

John Kerry, made a mistake, similar to that of our former president. In the late 60s & 70s, he thought Vietnam would always be regarded as the ‘best & the brightest’ had already decided; not as a poorly thought out, and planned operation, but as a war crime. In Kerry’s case, his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations (led by that segregationist hypocrite Clinton mentor; William Fulbright)when this strategy failed; he sought to reinvent himself as a hard-line prosecutor, but his anti-war and conspiratorialist shone thru (in his subcommittee’s investigations into Central America and International Banking. Ironically, he hired as his Senate campaign treasurer; David Paul; the South Florida end of BCCI’s corporate fronts which was actually run by a Saudi junior functionary; Ghaith Pharaon; the son of King Fahd’s doctor) his hatred of the CIA, flowed into the report’s conclusions; which in turn support a decade’s worth of allegations; recycled by Gary Webb, which crippled the Agency’s already difficult operations against the growing Saudi threats, by the way his other yeaoman work into asian organized crimes (is more than offset the contributions from John Huang Charlie Trie, and other Chinese agents of influence

[Fedora]

http://groups.msn.com/S-F-ValleyForJohnKerryL-A-CA/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=1&ID_Message=24

As Kerry prepared for his reelection campaign in 1990, he found that the tables were sometimes turned -- the senator who loved investigations became the subject of informal inquiry. Reporters queried candidates in the race about drug use, and Kerry was forced to admit that he had smoked marijuana after he returned from Vietnam. "About 20 years ago, I tried marijuana. I didn't like it. I have never used or tried any drug since," Kerry said through a spokesman at the time.

Republicans and the media also raised questions about his dealings with wealthy donors. The most prominent inquiry focused on one of Kerry's major fund-raisers, a savings and loan executive named David Paul, who emerged as a principal figure in the savings and loan scandals of the time and who had ties to BCCI.

Paul's CenTrust Savings Bank of Miami failed in 1990 and cost taxpayers an estimated $2 billion, according to a report prepared by the Republican staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The investigation found that Paul "spent millions of dollars of insured deposits on such lavish personal perquisites as an art collection, the leasing of an airplane frequently used for personal and political purposes, operating expenses of a $7 million yacht owned by another Paul business interest, the purchase of a sailboat, Persian rugs, Baccarat crystal, foreign linens, and other expensive furnishings."

The Republican investigators also found there was "an interlocking relationship" between CenTrust and BCCI in the person of Ghaith R. Pharaon, a Saudi investor in both banks, who paid to fly six French chefs to a lavish 1988 dinner party at Paul's Florida home, attended by Kerry and other legislators. Kerry was among those politicians who flew on Paul's jet, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which Kerry chaired, leased Paul's yacht for fund-raisers.

When their relationship became known, Kerry acknowledged that Paul had asked for special consideration of a banking amendment CenTrust needed. Paul had contacted Kerry and other key lawmakers in 1989, seeking to weaken a portion of the savings and loan bailout bill. Specifically, he wanted to dilute the part of the bill that restricted institutions' use of "good will" assets rather than capital, as reserves against losses.

Kerry wrote Paul a friendly letter, inviting him to Washington "so that we can sit down and perhaps follow up." But, the senator said, he ultimately opposed Paul's request, which failed to win support in Congress.

Blum, the former Kerry aide, says the senator "came to understand he was being compromised." Blum stresses that Kerry in the end "got out of there."

Still, the matter became fodder in the reelection campaign, with Republican hopeful Jim Rappaport asking: "How could John Kerry possibly have appointed David Paul to a senior position in the Democratic Party?" Despite Rappaport's self-financed campaign and the nation's anti-incumbent mood, Kerry's performance during his first Senate term proved sufficiently popular to secure a healthy 57 percent of the state's vote.

[swilhelm73]

The reason for wanting nuclear weapons is obvious - it provides the country with them an awesome deterrent against even the most powerful conventional armies - as in the US.

The Islamists want a nuclear weapon so that they can more easily use Saudi Arabia as a base. The comparitive examples of Iraq and Afghanistan versus Pakistan and North Korea are as obvious to Islamists as they are to us.

I'd say the moderates in Saudi Arabia have little interest in acquiring nuclear weapons - but much interest in using the threat of developing them as a bargaining chip.

With Saudi Arabia's vast wealth, it certainly could develop nuclear weapons relatively quickly. One could expect help from not only the likes of North Korea but quite possible the PRC or even France.

It is possible if a bumbling Democrat comes into office and treats the Saudis with the state departments signature fawning deference that we could see such a program come to fruition, but I rather doubt it at this point as I can't see any Democrat winning the presidency.

Back to the original point though, it is fascinating that there is no interest in possible connections of various American officials, of both parties, to the Saudi government by the Left or the media.

Leftists have spent much of the last two years arguing Saudi Arabia is a greater threat then Iraq, and have shown even less interest in who the Saudis may be bribing then who was on Iraq's payroll.

[swilhelm73]

Well, you have to ask yourself this, how does a man with no background in intelligence but with a vested political axe to grind against the president and a stipend from a foreign government get sent on an important mission to a country where he is well known by the locals without even the knowledge of the CIA's top brass?

Just imagine if we had a press interested in getting to the real bottom of stories and not just reciting the latest DNC talking points?

With as little depth as Novak looked into it the Left was threatening him with treason charges, leading one to wonder how much there really might be here...

[mewzilla]

Did we ever find out who sent Wilson to Niger?

[Fedora]

> Back to the original point though, it is fascinating that there is no interest in possible connections of various American officials, of both parties, to the Saudi government by the Left or the media.

I can think of several possible reasons for that--bribery, blackmail, financial blackmail (i.e., the Saudis have enough influence in our economy that they could cause a lot of chaos in the stock market), diplomatic concerns, protecting a covert operation, strategic deferrment of conflict with the Saudis until after other international problems have been dealt with, combinations of the above, other. . . What's your thoughts on the explanation for that?

> Leftists have spent much of the last two years arguing Saudi Arabia is a greater threat then Iraq, and have shown even less interest in who the Saudis may be bribing then who was on Iraq's payroll.

This raises something I'm curious about: what stake the Saudis had in Iraq's WMD program. During the first Gulf War, the Saudis saw Iraq as a threat and supported the coalition against them. This time around, they seemed--at least publicly--to resist the US campaign against Iraq, until war was inevitable and then they seemed to cave a bit and cooperate with us to the extent of Coalition use of Saudi bases (if I remember right). In between those events, were they temporarily allying with Iraq and piggybacking off of Iraq's WMD program?--that's my guess.

[Fedora]

From another thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1078415/posts

John Loftus has been saying this for weeks. The Saudis promised access to cheap oil for china's growing economy, plus money for the project. China is the root of all evil, stealing US nuclear secrets, providing the bomb for islam and north korea. they are the US #1 enemy in my opinion.

15 posted on 02/14/2004 11:04:24 PM CST by oceanview

[Just mythoughts]

Thus far I have learned little about "Joe Wilson" and his Saudi connection. That may well be what has ticked him off, and sent him into a downward spiral. Maybe that connection was ended and his future ended before it took root.

The leftist squeal the loudest when they themselves get stuck. Note how hillary handled her hubby's exposure, it's a "VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY", she has never been required to retract those words. This is insane, words of a lunatic, yet they still stand today, and the left allows her their leadership of the senate and the treasury of their party. So we are not talking about sane people here.

Jimmy Carter's supposed strength is a "good" Southern Christian. I have read what is required of Christians, and Jimmy Carter is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The Democrat Party of today is likened to a pyramid scheme. Ronald Reagan a former democrat and what he learned through his hollywood days is described in a book called "Reagan's Wars" (author's name escapes me), lays the foundation for what is happening today. Hollywood was the seed bed of the ideology of modern American liberals.

Jesse Jackson's words of "institutional racism" had been strange to me, because they made no sense. Jesse Jackson's party controlled the "institutions" of politics, economy, education and religion since FDR. What I learned since he first started uttering those words, while his party controlled the institutions, they had not been able to turn them upside down. That took a clintons administration to plant a new crop into those institutions.

This new crop have no inhibition about using those institutions for self gain, which is the pyramid scheme. Communism/socialism is by it nature power to a few, displacement of the masses, and destruction to foundations that maintain a constitution rule of law that limits power to a few.

The Saudi government seems to be going through a similar evolution. Wealth and power to a few and a family feud threatens their very existence. What irony it is that President Bush sought early on to begin a path to energy independence, the left through political, educational, and religous institutions would not allow the path to energy independence to go anywhere.

The dirt worshipers, have managed to take control of our energy policy. JFKerry seems to be on that board of directors. They see visions of windmills and solar panels as a method of maintaining our economy. There is nothing wrong with "clean" energy, however that is not what is sought. Dirt worshipers has become the religion of the left, and through their policies enacted in congress and by dirt worshiping judges have caused far worse economic and environmental damage than any policy of the "right".

Back to Mr. Wilson his Saudi connection and the Democrat party's connection. Saudi royalty is a useful tool because of the "power" they have over the economy of this nation. Interesting they decided to give US a hike in the price at the pump these past few days. Nice little dent in a recovering economy, and who stands to gain when dents can be inflicted into a recovering economy?

Liberals are not honest people at their very foundation is deception and they expose what they can do without as a front. Liberals have declared war on President Bush which in effect means this nation. How many in this nation will be seduced by their effort to destroy his credibility is yet to be discovered.

"Joe Wilson" is symbolic of that pyramid scheme. Wilson's problem is he hasn't figured out he is nothing more than a tool and his usefullness will soon end. Wilson is like an addict on what feel likes the greatest high he has ever had. Old Joe is going to wake up one of these days and find himself not needed anymore.

[The Wizard]

politics...it's all politics

[okie01]

"With as little depth as Novak looked into it the Left was threatening him with treason charges, leading one to wonder how much there really might be here... "

Consider how reliant the Dems' campaign hopes are on Wilson. The Niger Yellowcake Affair. The Valerie Plame Affair. For that matter, the entire Iraq Affair...and Bush's credibility.

Without Joseph C. Wilson IV, they have essentially nothing.

And I have mounting suspicions that he is an utter fraud. Or worse.

Bust Wilson...and their bubble bursts. But, you have to ask yourself, "In today's media climate, is Joseph C. Wilson IV bulletproof?"

[Fedora]

Your pyramid analogy is a productive line of thought. Who's at the top of the pyramid in the Democratic Party? Labor unions would have been my first thought, but your focus on the dirt worshippers adds a revealing angle to it. The history of that goes back to FDR's Department of the Interior and Harold Ickes, the archetypal landgrabber, whose namesake descendant is the Clintons' big fundraiser. Ickes' precedent set the stage for the likes of George Soros and the other billionaires funding the econut movement--Ted Turner is one that comes to mind, and there's one other guy whose name I'm trying to member, I believe a Canadian linked to Mikhail Gorbachev's "Green Cross" movement. Hollywood does indeed fuel the ideology underlying this. But where did Hollywood get it from? FDR's VP Henry Wallace had a guru named Nicholas Roerich. Al Gore's environmentalism reflected the influence of New Age gurus like John Alexander. Gotta figure Kennedy and Kerry have some similar "intellectual" guidance.

But back to Wilson and the Saudis. You hit upon a motive that makes sense: in order for the Saudis to keep the US dependent on OPEC, they have to stop the US from developing alternative sources of oil/energy, so it serves Saudi interests (not to mention Russian interests--relevant here is the Russian history of exploiting OPEC against the West and their current attempt to capitalize former Soviet oil reserves--Al Gore's Armand Hammer connection and its links to Clinton's Afghanistan policy=Bin Laden plays into this) to do things such as fund the environmental attack on Alaskan drilling, keep the US from access to Iraq's oil, spike the US economic recovery, and send Mr. Wilson to undermine Bush's policies, including incidentally his policy of taking steps towards an energy self-sufficient US.

All of which sheds some light, but the question remains: *who* sent Mr. Wilson? The NYT has been suggested as a suspect. Can we get more specific about that? For instance, does the NYT have a Saudi/ME affairs correspondent? Is there someone at the NYT who helped break the Wilson story, or has interviewed him since?