This is a very interesting article. Here's the first bit:
³On August 22, for LinkTV and Democracy Now! we videotaped
the thousands of Katrina evacuees still held behind a barbed
wire in a trailer park encampment a hundred miles from New
Orleans. It's been a year since the hurricane and 73,000
POW's (Prisoners of W) are still in this aluminum ghetto in
the middle of nowhere. One resident, Pamela Lewis said,
³It is a prison set-up" -- except there are no home
furloughs for these inmates because they no longer have
homes.²
In the days immediately following Katrina I posted this article:
07 Sep 2005 - "I just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp"
http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=555&lists=newslog
Original URL: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread167902/pg1
This article, allegedly by an eyewitness, said that many of the Katrina victims
were being hauled off to detainment centers. I kept waiting for follow-up on
this report, but never saw any. Instead, we got news reports about those
refugees who have been staying in motels, etc. I was beginning to think that
the original article had been some kind of hoax. Now we know, thanks to Palast &
DemocracyNow that thousands have been detained in this way, and that the whole
thing has been kept secret for the past year. (Notice this, those of you who
think conspiracies are impossible, because they 'involve too many people to keep
quiet'.)
The next interesting bit:
³Fatherland Security has informed me that television
producer Matt Pascarella and I have been charged with
unauthorized filming of a "critical national security
structure" in Louisiana.²
Right, Al Qaeda plans to attack Katrina victims, it just couldn't find them! But
then we all know the truth about 'national security', don't we?... 'national
security' refers to things that the government doesn't want US to know about; it
has little to do with 'enemies', who are fully capable of carrying out their own
surveillance.
Why I find this whole development particularly interesting, Palast being charged
by Homeland Security, is that I saw the event previewed recently on the TV show,
"Law & Order"! The episode portrayed a 'liberal journalist', one who was not
'embedded', whose reports from Iraq undermined Washington's propaganda line. As
I watched the episode, I couldn't help but think of people like Palast, and of
Palast in particular, and that was clearly what was intended by the show.
In the episode, the journalist is accused of 'compromising security', because
one of his reports refers indirectly to an upcoming attack, which was allegedly
supposed to be secret. Needless to say, the Law&Order plot reveals the
journalist to be a moral scumbag, who uses 'freedom of expression' as a cynical
excuse to promote his own career.
How many millions watch Law & Order? How many of those will now respond on cue
when they read about this real case involving Palast? How many will start off
with the sub-conscious assumption that Palast is like the guy they saw on TV?
This is a very good example of the Matrix in action.
It reminds me of a similar situation, many years back, during the Reagan regime.
Just prior to the 'unexpected' invasion of Grenada, a film called "Red Dawn" was
released. In this bizarre fantasy, the US is successfully invaded by little
Cuba! Talk about insane paranoia! Nonetheless, it created the impression in lots
of people's minds that "We need to fear even those little Caribbean countries
with dark-skinned people." Very handy for the Grenada invasion, which followed
within weeks (or was it days) of the film's release
rkm
--------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:29:41 -0400
To: "•••@••.•••" <•••@••.•••>
From: Greg Palast <•••@••.•••>
Reply-to: Greg Palast <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Palast Charged with Journalism in the First Degree
Palast Charged with Journalism in the First Degree
September 11, 2006
by Greg Palast
It's true. It's weird. It's nuts. The Department of Homeland Security, after a
five-year hunt for Osama, has finally brought charges against Š Greg Palast. I
kid you not. Send your cakes with files to the Air America wing at Guantanamo.
Though not just yet. Fatherland Security has informed me that television
producer Matt Pascarella and I have been charged with unauthorized filming of a
"critical national security structure" in Louisiana.
On August 22, for LinkTV and Democracy Now! we videotaped the thousands of
Katrina evacuees still held behind a barbed wire in a trailer park encampment a
hundred miles from New Orleans. It's been a year since the hurricane and 73,000
POW's (Prisoners of W) are still in this aluminum ghetto in the middle of
nowhere. One resident, Pamela Lewis said, ³It is a prison set-up" -- except
there are no home furloughs for these inmates because they no longer have homes.
To give a sense of the full flavor and smell of the place, we wanted to show
that this human parking lot, with kids and elderly, is nearly adjacent to the
Exxon Oil refinery, the nation's second largest, a chemical-belching behemoth.
So we filmed it. Without Big Brother's authorization. Uh, oh. Apparently, the
broadcast of these stinking smokestacks tipped off Osama that, if his assassins
pose as poor Black folk, they can get a cramped Airstream right next to a
"critical infrastructure" asset.
So now Matt and I have a "criminal complaint" lodged against us with the feds.
The positive side for me as a journalist is that I get to see our terror-busters
in action. I should note that it took the Maxwell Smarts at Homeland Security a
full two weeks to hunt us down.
Frankly, we were a bit scared that, given the charges, we wouldn't be allowed on
a plane into New York last night. But what scared us more is that we were
allowed on the plane.
Once I was traced, I had a bit of an other-worldly conversation with my would-be
captors. Detective Frank Pananepinto of Homeland Security told us, "This is a
'Critical Infrastructure' Š and they get nervous about unauthorized filming of
their property.
Well, me too, Detective. In fact, I'm very nervous that this potential chemical
blast-site can be mapped in extreme detail at this
<"http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL21hcHMuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS9tYXBzP29pPW1hcCZhbXA7cT00MDQ1K1NjZW5pYytId3krNzA4MDUrRWFzdCwrQmF0b24rUm91Z2UsK0xB&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=rkm@quay>Google
Map location
What also makes me nervous is that the Bush Terror Terriers have kindly
indicated on the Internet that this unprotected critical infrastructure can be
targeted -- I mean located -- at 30º 29' 11" N Latitude and 91º 11' 39" W
Longitude.
After I assured Detective Pananepinto, "I can swear to you that I'm not part of
Al Qaeda," he confirmed that, "Louisiana is still part of the United States,"
subject to the first amendment and he was therefore required to divulge my
accuser.
Not surprisingly, it was Exxon Corporation, one of a handful of companies not in
love with my investigations. [See
"<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9kZXRhaWwuY2ZtP2FydGlkPTI2OQ%3D%3D&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>A
Well-Designed Disaster: the Untold Story of the Exxon Valdez."]
So I rang America's top petroleum pusher-men and asked their media relations
honcho in Houston, Marc Boudreaux, a simple question. "Do you want us to go to
jail or not? Is it Exxon's position that reporters should go to jail?"
Because, all my dumb-ass jokes aside, that is what's at stake. And Exxon knew
we were journalists because we showed our press credential to the Exxon guards
at the refinery entrance.
The Exxon man was coy: "Well, we'll see what we can find outŠ. Obviously it's
important to national security that we have supplies from that refinery in the
event of an emergency."
Really? According to the documents our team uncovered from the offices of
Exxon's lawyer, Mr. James Baker, the oil industry is more than happy to see a
limit on worldwide crude production. Indeed, the current squeeze has jacked the
price of oil from $24 a barrel to $64 and refined products have jumped yet
higher -- resulting in a record-busting profit for Exxon of nearly $1 billion
per week.
So this silly "criminal complaint" has nothing to do with stopping Al Qaeda or
keeping the oil flowing. It has everything to do with obstructing news reports
in a way that no one would have dared attempt before the September 11 attack.
Dectective Pananepinto, in justifying our impending bust, said, "If you
remember, a lot of people were killed on 9/11."
Yes, Detective, I remember that very well: my office was in the World Trade
Center. Lucky for me, I was out of town that day. It was not a lucky day for
3,000 others.
Yes, I remember "a lot" of people were killed. So I have this suggestion,
Detective -- and you can pass it on to Mr. Bush: Go and find the people who
killed them.
It's been five years and the Bush regime has not done that. Instead, the War on
Terror is reduced to taking off our shoes in airports, hoping we can bomb
Muslims into loving America and chasing journalists around the bayou.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah, the Gambino of oil, whose princelings funded the
murderers, gets a free ride in the President's golf cart at the Crawford ranch.
I guess I shouldn't complain. After all, Matt and I look pretty good in orange.
*******
A personal request to readers. Many have written to ask what can be done to
protect Matt and me from becoming unwilling guests of the State.
First, this ain't no foolin' around: Matt and I are facing these nutty charges.
So spread the info. We believe that getting the word out is the best defense.
Second, call Homeland Security and turn us in. They seem to have trouble
finding us. If you get a reward, you may choose to donate it to the
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9wcmVtaXVtcy5odG0%3D&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>Palast
Investigative Fund, a 501(c)(3) educational foundation which supports our work
and pays our legal fees.
Third, ask your local library to order our book,
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9tYWRob3VzZS9pbmRleC5waHAvYWJvdXQv&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>Armed
Madhouse: Who's Afraid of Osama Wolf? Homeland Security now reserves the right
to read over your shoulder at the library; therefore, the more our agents are
forced to read this subversive material, the more likely we can convince them
to come in out of the cold. All kidding aside, we do ask you to request your
library order the book: not everyone can afford to purchase this hardbound
edition.
Our thanks to Amy Goodman at
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL2RlbW9jcmFjeW5vdy5vcmcv&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>Democracy
Now! and the folks at
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL2xpbmt0di5jb20v&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>LinkTV
for broadcasting our report from New Orleans and the Exxon refinery. And to Gil
Noble, host of the ABC Television's Like It Is, our Courage in Journalism award
for broadcasting our report on his network's New York affiliate. Catch Gil on
WABC every Sunday at noon.
In response to a deluge of requests for a copy of the New Orleans documentary,
we are preparing a DVD which you may order at
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9wcmVtaXVtcy5odG0%3D&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>http://www.gregpalast.com/premiums.htm
You may change your email address or unsubscribe from the
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9tYWlsaW5nL21lbWJlci8%3D&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>newsletter
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<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9tYWlsaW5nL21lbWJlci9mb3Jnb3RfcHdkLnBocA%3D%3D&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=MjkyNTk%3D&CampaignID=31&CampaignStatisticsID=23&Demo=0&Email=•••@••.•••>have
one sent to you.)
--
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