Joe Trento discusses our history with Iran-from the Mossadeq Era to the recent twitter campaign, Zbigniew Brzezinski’s foreign policy strategy and objectives in the region, and he talks about Israel, Saudi Arabia’s backing of Pakistan’s pursuit of the nuclear bomb & AQ Khan, the terrible state of US Media, the prospect of ‘real change,’ and more.

Joe Trento has spent more than 40 years as an investigative journalist, working with both print and broadcast outlets and writing extensively. Before joining the National Security News Service in 1991, Trento worked for CNN’s Special Assignment Unit, The Wilmington News Journal, and prominent journalist Jack Anderson. Trento has received numerous reporting awards and is the author of seven books, including America and The Islamic Bomb, Unsafe At Any Altitude, Prelude To Terror, The Secret History of the CIA, Widows, Prescription for Disaster: From the Glory of Apollo to the Betrayal of the Shuttle, and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration*For further reading visit Joe Trento’s site: http://dcbureau.org/

Here is our guest Joe Trento unplugged!

Interview with Joe Trento [ 1:10:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

To Drink or Not to Drink

Once upon a time an evil witch visits a kingdom and poisons the central well with a potion that drives people mad. The next morning all who drink from that well go crazy. The king, however, knew about this in advance, and didn’t drink from the communal well. The next day, those who drank the poisoned water came to the king and accused him of being the crazy one. The king, aware of what had transpired, was faced with a dilemma: drink from the well and lose his sanity like the rest of his subjects, but remain king; or don’t drink, remain sane, but be swept from power by those who would view his very sanity as madness.

Today in our nation those who refrain from drinking from the well poisoned by the establishment witch are categorized, marginalized, and labeled mad, crazy, extremist, conspiracy theorists, and other adjectives along the same line:

Those driven by pure, agenda-free, and nonpartisan civil liberties motives are coined as die-hard unrealistic idealist liberals.

Those in government who dare to come forward, speak up, and tell the truth are labeled as disgruntled whistleblowers.

Those political candidates who choose to run as a ‘people’s candidate,’ not the establishment candidate representing this special interest or that foreign interest’s agenda, are referred to as nutcases, eccentrics, and crazies.

Those groups who fight for accountability and demand justice are dismissed as extremists.

Those activists who dare to ask for ‘real’ investigations in matters such as 9/11 are grouped and stuffed in a bucket as insane conspiracy theorists.

Those real investigative journalists and reporters who have defied the ‘dictation,’ refusing to become stenographers , have found themselves jobless and without paid outlets to publish.
…

Today in our nation, with the help of the mainstream media and the pseudo alternative-media alike, anyone who dares NOT to drink from the well poisoned by the establishment corruption, greed, abuses and lies, tainted foreign policy agenda, and cover-ups, is destined to find himself stuffed into the same bucket of crazies, loonies, the mad and insane.

Do you want me to be a bit more specific? My pleasure.

Since I recently posted excerpts from Representative Ron Paul’s speech titled ‘Is America a Police State?’ let’s start with him. During his Presidential candidacy he was consistently, and falsely, marginalized as Anti-Semite, racist, extremist, radical, and many other pejorative adjectives. Who did that? Not only the mainstream media, but also those pseudo alternatives who happen to be the extension of the same establishment media only with a different front/mask. These adjectives and intentional marginalization were used for other candidates as well. Whether it was Representative Kucinich being depicted as a wacky nutcase chasing UFOs, or others with similar non-establishment platforms.

I can write several volumes on how whistleblowers, especially those threatening ones from the Intelligence, defense, and law enforcement agencies were viciously attacked and falsely depicted by establishment operatives. Whether based on my own personal experience, or my 150+-member whistleblower organization, or the many friends and acquaintances I’ve listened to throughout the last 8 years, I’ve got plenty of examples.

Remember the burial of AIPAC Espionage Case and Trial? The FBI agents pursuing the involved treasonous criminals were painted as Anti-Semite witch-hunters. A very few investigative journalists, such as Stein of CQ, were portrayed as Right Wing Conspirators attempting to go after their darling filthy senior Democrat representatives. Please be my guest and go check the pseudo Israel-serving alternative media front-runners’ sites’ archive.

The recent sound and needed call by the groups who still seek ‘real’ answers via real investigations into the terrorists attack on September 11 is another specific and recent example. I am talking about the gigantic holes in the fable produced by a group of well-poisoners who had spent their entire career-life in the pockets of the conning establishment. I am talking about dozens of FBI, CIA and other relevant agency insiders such as Coleen Rowley who’ve been demanding an independent and real investigation. The mainstream media and their extension in the pseudo online media have made sure that these voices and calls are either buried, or spun as collective conspiracy theorists worthy of only ridicule.

Let me give you another specific example. People have been forwarding to me communications they have received via popular pseudo progressive online outlets who have been trying very hard to depict my recent sworn testimony as ‘mere allegations,’ and simply lies. I know some of these individuals’ past work and relations. For the last 8 years I have ignored them, and I will continue to do so. Some of these phoney cowards who have been posing as ‘alternative’ are fairly well-known in Washington DC circles and intelligence-related gatherings. One ex-state department operative, who is a regular face in DC cocktail circuits for the State Department and relevant think-tank well-poisoners, either intentionally or out of stupid naivety started this propaganda rumor that ‘I got a glimpse of a much bigger sting operation that I don’t understand, thus rightfully I’ve been gagged…’ This is what you get from Mr. Grossman’s personal buddy;-). Another one – who is now a favorite among Israel circle money pockets and who’s been receiving million dollar donations/investment – has recently been promoting me as a ‘crackpot.’ Coming from him, I consider it an honor. Honored to not be a poisoned-well-drinker. They may produce a good work here and there, but these people are by no means ‘non-establishment,’ and whether intentionally or not they try their darnest to get you to drink from the well.
…

Anyway. The reason I am writing this post while busy traveling is this:
I’ve been corresponding with several well-known and very-well-respected investigative journalists who are willing to cover some of these blacked-out stories, cases, and issues; do so as solid investigative work. However, they need to make a living. One way they can do this is to get paid per story/work as contract journalists, and cover exclusive and explosive stories for this site – which will have a new home soon.

Instead of sitting on our bu..s and pulling our hair when it comes to absent journalism in our country today we can go ahead and do something about it. Well, I am in a position where I believe I can do something about it. I can increase the frequency of my exclusive radio interviews to weekly or maybe even more frequently. I can hire several experienced and well-known journalists to cover some of the issues we’ve been discussing. I can do all this only with your support. I don’t want to, I have no desire, no intention, to chase funders and get inside their pockets to do this. Once you do that, you are done; you’ve drunk from the poisoned-well. That’s a fact. Whether those who do it accept it or not, it is what it is. Also, I am not interested in a strategy targeting advertisers for funding. That too defeats the purpose; at least my purpose. So we have only one option left: a site for the people (at least those who don’t want to drink from the well), by the people.

Okay. Now it is your turn. Please let me know if you are ready to support this. Also, let others know and get their take. After my return I will be in a position to decide which way to go, and the major part in this decision will come from you.

Update: Posted at BradBlog

Deposition Transcript & Video http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7374

Update 2: National Whistleblower Center Press Release

http://www.whistleblowers.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=931&Itemid=71

The Video of my sworn deposition in the Krikorian v Schmidt Case was just released by ‘News Democrat.’ Here is the link:

http://newsdemocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=128898&TM=58793.69

Sandalio Gonzalez, Retired Special Agent in Charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), discusses the Kent Memo Scandal, the House of Death cover up, our so-called War on Drugs, US Congress, and more.

For more relevant background read my special post on Sandy Gonzalez here.

In 1978 Sandalio Gonzalez joined the DEA as a Special Agent in the Los Angeles Field Division. In 1983 he was transferred to San Jose, Costa Rica where he served as Assistant Country Attaché. In 1989 he was assigned to the Inspection Division at DEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he served as a Unit Chief in the Office of Security Programs and later as an Inspector in the Office of Professional Responsibility. In 1992 he was promoted as the DEA Advisor to the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Southern Command in Panama where he served until 1994. Mr. Gonzalez returned to Washington as Chief of the Drug Suppression Section in the Office of Cocaine Investigations, and in 1995 took over as Chief of the South America Section in the Office of International Operations, where he was in charge of DEA operations in South America. In January 1998 he reported to the Miami Field Division as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge, and later that year he was promoted to the Senior Executive Service of the United States as Associate Special Agent in Charge. On January 18, 2001, Mr. Gonzalez was reassigned as the Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Field Division, El Paso, Texas.

As a Senior Executive Service management official in the DEA, Mr. Gonzalez reported serious allegations of wrongdoing and cover-ups by federal agents and prosecutors in Miami, Florida and El Paso, Texas. He became the target of an internal investigation and was involuntarily transferred and retaliated against by the Department of Justice and the DEA.

Here is our guest Sandalio Gonzalez unplugged!

Interview with Sandalio Gonzalez [ 1:05:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Daring to Speak the Unspeakable

Recently I came across this amazing speech in the House of Representatives by Congressman Ron Paul titled ‘Is America a Police State?’ I say amazing for several reasons. Obviously the title is a major reason. I wonder why? Also, the mere fact of these words beings delivered on the floor of Congress. Not only that; if you look at the date this speech was delivered, and remember the climate during that time, you’ll appreciate the amount of courage it would take to speak these words in a place where everyone…

Here are a few excerpts:

Terror and fear are used to achieve complacency and obedience, especially when citizens are deluded into believing they are still a free people. The changes, they are assured, will be minimal, short-lived, and necessary, such as those that occur in times of a declared war. Under these conditions, most citizens believe that once the war is won, the restrictions on their liberties will be reversed. For the most part, however, after a declared war is over, the return to normalcy is never complete. In an undeclared war, without a precise enemy and therefore no precise ending, returning to normalcy can prove illusory.
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Most police states, surprisingly, come about through the democratic process with majority support. During a crisis, the rights of individuals and the minority are more easily trampled, which is more likely to condition a nation to become a police state than a military coup. Promised benefits initially seem to exceed the cost in dollars or lost freedom. When people face terrorism or great fear- from whatever source- the tendency to demand economic and physical security over liberty and self-reliance proves irresistible. The masses are easily led to believe that security and liberty are mutually exclusive, and demand for security far exceeds that for liberty.
…
Once it’s discovered that the desire for both economic and physical security that prompted the sacrifice of liberty inevitably led to the loss of prosperity and no real safety, it’s too late. Reversing the trend from authoritarian rule toward a freer society becomes very difficult, takes a long time, and entails much suffering.
…
It may be true that the average American does not feel intimidated by the encroachment of the police state. I’m sure our citizens are more tolerant of what they see as mere nuisances because they have been deluded into believing all this government supervision is necessary and helpful- and besides they are living quite comfortably, material wise. However the reaction will be different once all this new legislation we’re passing comes into full force, and the material comforts that soften our concerns for government regulations are decreased. This attitude then will change dramatically, but the trend toward the authoritarian state will be difficult to reverse.

…Well, at least there is one outspoken representative out there who sees what we see. We don’t have to agree with every other view or stand taken by Representative Paul, but on this particular issue, the rapid erosion of our civil liberties, I don’t see anyone else out there. How do we go about getting more of them?!

Let’s hear your take on this…

Philip Giraldi discusses the Israel Lobby, Larry Franklin, the recent scandal involving Representative Jane Harman, the continuous erosion of our civil liberties, and much more.

Philip Giraldi is a former CIA and DIA counter-terrorism officer, member of the American Conservative Defense Alliance, and contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. He has a regular column, Smoke & Mirrors, on Antiwar.com.

Here is our guest Philip Giraldi unplugged!

Interview with Philip Giraldi [ 59:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download