Joseph Russoniello

by **heyjt** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:29 pm

Very interesting... As I wrote sometime in the past I met Joseph Russoniello in the early '90s in the Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon. He was heavier, with glasses and balding slightly greyer hair than in the picture. The case was a federal whistleblower, Gary Eitel had revealed a conspiracy to transfer C-130 aircraft from Forest Service fire-fighting (airtanker) duty to private contractors. It appeared some of the aircraft were then used on CIA missions. Eventually, two individuals, Fred Fuchs (a government official) and Roy Reagan (contractor/airplane broker) did some jail time. Russoniello was the attorney for the CIA contractors. I was writing for an alternative paper, the Portland Free Press at the time. After I linked Russoniello to the contractors and "The frogman/Contra-cocaine story", Russoniello recused himself from the case. They had a team of powerful lawyers, and they were scary. The head guy was Stuart Gerson, who wanted to know who I was. Gerson was the Attorney General in transition before Janet Reno. He was also the one that sent the military tanks into the Davidian complex at Waco. He refused to answer any of my questions. Boy do I wish I had Google back then...

by **StarmanSkye** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:57 pm

Heyjt; I recall the incident of diversion-sale of Forest Service C-130 tankers to CIA covert-ops and smuggling -- As I recall, one or more aircraft were 'lost' or sold as salvage/parts -- definitely some organized corruption and fraud there. I'm surprised anyone actually served time for this 'creative' appropriation of Public Assets for what no-doubt was rationalized as National Security interests, with various free-enterprise 'fees' appropriated as per SOP. Likely, my google search follow-up led to some of your Portland Free Press articles. I imagine arousing the attention of these goons like Gerson would be a *bit* nerve-racking. What a bloody attitude -- that they take offense at and resent someone who reports the truth about their betraying their public trust -- They feel themselves beyond personal accountability, like they're immune from laws. Anyway, Hats-Off for your duty to Truth. Starman

by **heyjt** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:07 pm

You are correct in all your comments. What a fascinating experiance over the period of several years. It involved CIA contract airline Evergreen Aviation, a CIA bag-man that defrauded scores of business' in Oregon (who I recieved a veiled death threat from), a CIA bank (Congress Financial), and developed further into a joint MI-5/CIA operation to build Terex rocket launcher trucks for Iraq. That one involved Dr. Richard Fuisz, another CIA whistleblower. All-in-all, Quite an education for a young guy.

by sw » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:29 pm

by **StarmanSkye** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:02 am

Heyjt; I was intrigued by your reference to Terex --apparently a British company, I didn't know that -- as well as a recent (?) new-owner of the Tatra truck company (Russian?) -- supplying rocket-launcher trucks to Iraq during the US's covert provisioning/licensing and granting of billions of dollars of Dept. of Ag. credits, much of it used for weapons, manufacturing equipment, computers, and various nuclear/biological/chemical weapons materials and war-making equipment. My tentative google search didn't find much information on this aspect, but I DID find a Terex Corp. senior VP official denial of the charge in a March, 2003 Sunday Herald Letter to the Editor: <a href="http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_200303/ai_n12581142">www.findarticles.com/p/ar..._n12581142</a> "Ian R Mitchell Glasgow: Up in arms. I am the senior vice-president, company secretary and general counsel for Terex Corporation (collectively "Terex"). It has come to Terex's attention that in an article headlined "Revealed: 17 British firms armed Saddam with his weapons", published in the Sunday Herald on February 23, 2003, you inaccurately included the name of Terex as being a supplier to Iraq with rockets arms parts. Terex is a manufacturer of equipment used for construction, mining, road-building and quarrying applications. Terex does not now, and has never in the past, manufactured or sold rockets arms parts or missile launchers. Investigations of similar allegations have been carried out by the United States Department of Justice, the United Nations Special Commission (Unscom) and others, which resulted in the issuance of a number of reports concluding that there was substantial evidence that Terex did not supply rockets or missile launchers to Iraq and that the allegations were unwarranted. The reports further concluded that the missile launchers used by Iraq consisted of three types - one type of launcher that was Soviet made and two types of converted trailer trucks, neither of which were manufactured by Terex. Terex's reputation and good name is very important and valuable to it. We are asking that this letter be published to immediately correct the false and inaccurate accusations against Terex." **** Do you have any additional reflections/info on this covert CIA et al. scheme to help arm Iraq? Might another contractor have based a rocket-launcher for Iraq on modified Terex trucks, which is where this claim might have came from? Or perhaps Terex Corp. was a convenient cover-fiction for the weapons-system supplier? This whole chapter of US arming and bankrolling Iraq during the Bush I regime needs to be brought into the public eye, as a measure of Republicrat and Defense Industry schemes to defraud the public and fuel the war machine, as part of their Perpetual War racket. It's appalling and outrageous that the public essentially gave Bush/Cheney/Rumsfield and Congress et al. a Free Pass to ignore past US policies that helped create the so-called Security Issue which led to the disasterous present War on Terror in Iraq. Some of the world's biggest, baddest 'bad guys' have been CIA/State Dept. clients and proxy puppet-leaders and US policy pawns -- I'm all for a sweeping War Crimes tribunal to hold these legions of US politicians, policymakers and bureaucrats accountable for their lies and frauds and misfeasance. Unfortunately, I think most members of Congress and the Justice Dept. are either being effectively blackmailed, bribed, intimidated or threatened, kept from acting to uphold the law and to protect the Public's interest. A lot of people who SHOULD know better probably think there's nothing wrong with misinforming the public and manipulating American public opinion, or with mounting coups and propping-up brutal autocrats and arming allies even IF they are potential enemies, because it's good for business and is necessary to keep the world's nations offbalance and America strong and prosperous. That is some mighty twisted thinking that resists clear-thinking logical analysis, since its so end-justifies-means biased, AND entirely subjective. Starman (Sorry to take this thread offtrack).

by sw » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:11 am

<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\">

by **heyjt** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:02 am

Let me say first: Please excuse me SW, I am not trying to hijack this thread. It really was about Joseph Russoniello, a CIA attorney. With that said, I will provide the requested information: I googled the story and found a blog that summerized it pretty well. I haven't yet dug out my original story, but here's from the blog: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 RICHARD FUISZ UnderNews has a couple of interesting items about a Dr. Richard Fuisz, apparently a man (and spook) who knows too much. First, a story from the Sunday Herald of Scotland from May 28, 2000: A former CIA agent who claims Libya is not responsible for the Lockerbie bombing is being gagged by the US government under state secrecy laws and faces 10 years in prison if he reveals any information about the terrorist attack. United Nations diplomats are outraged that the US government is apparently suppressing a potential key trial witness. Diplomats are now demanding that the CIA agent, Dr Richard Fuisz, be released from the gagging order. Fuisz, a multi-millionaire businessman and pharmaceutical researcher, was, according to US intelligence sources, the CIA's key operative in the Syrian capital Damascus during the 1980s where he also had business interests. One month before a court order was served on him by the US government gagging him from speaking on the grounds of national security, he spoke to US congressional aide Susan Lindauer, telling her he knew the identities of the Lockerbie bombers and claiming they were not Libyan. Lindauer, shocked by Fuisz's claims, immediately compiled notes on the meeting which formed the basis of a later sworn affidavit detailing Fuisz's claims. One month after their conversation, in October 1994, a court in Washington DC issued an order barring him from revealing any information on the grounds of "military and state secrets privilege". When contacted by the Sunday Herald last night, Fuisz said when asked if he was a CIA agent in Syria in the 1980s: "That is not an issue I can confirm or deny. I am not allowed to speak about these issues. In fact, I can't even explain to you why I can't speak about these issues." Fuisz did, however, say that he would not take any action against a newspaper which named him as a CIA agent. Congressional aide Lindauer, who was involved in early negotiations over the Lockerbie trial, claims Fuisz made "unequivocal statements to me that he has first-hand knowledge about the Lockerbie case". In her affidavit, she goes on: "Dr Fuisz has told me that he can identify who orchestrated and executed the bombing. Dr Fuisz has said that he can confirm absolutely that no Libyan national was involved in planning or executing the bombing of Pan Am 103, either in any technical or advisory capacity whatsoever." Fuisz's statements to Lindauer support the claims of the two Libyan accused who are to incriminate a number of terrorist organizations, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, which had strong links to Syria and Iran. Lindauer said Fuisz told her he could provide information on Middle Eastern terrorists, and referred to Lockerbie as an "example of an unsolved bombing case that he said he has the immediate capability to resolve". Lindauer says Fuisz told her CIA staff had destroyed reports he sent them on Lockerbie. Lindauer also refers in her affidavit to speculation that the USA shifted any connection to Lockerbie away from Syria to Libya in return for its support during the Gulf war. She added that Fuisz told her: "If the [US] government would let me, I could identify the men behind this attack today. I could do the right thing I could go into any crowded restaurant and pick out these men I can tell you their home addresses You wont find [them] anywhere in Libya. You will only find [them] in Damascus. I was investigating on the ground and I know." The 1994 gagging order was issued following disclosures by Fuisz during other legal proceedings about alleged illegal exports of military equipment to Iraq. The order claims that the information held by Fuisz is vital to the "nations security or diplomatic relations" and can not be revealed "no matter how compelling the need for, and relevance of, the information". The submission also makes clear that the government is empowered to "protect its interests in this case in the future", thereby gagging Fuisz permanently. Details of Fuiszs gagging have been passed to the United Nations, including UN secretary general Kofi Annan, Russias UN ambassador Sergey Lavrov and the Libyan UN ambassador, as well as representatives of France and China. The report on the Fuisz gagging, containing Lindauers affidavit, refers to "the history of US interference [and] sabotage by the United States". After seeing this, a reader named John Titus writes to UnderNews with a bit more about Fuisz. About Dr. Richard Fuisz: I was surprised to see this name from my past. I know and spoke with Dr. Fuisz repeatedly in the fall of 1994 while I was writing for the Portland Free Press. In a previous issue I wrote that a secretive bank called "Congress Financial" was used as a financial cut-out by the CIA. I received a unsolicited phone call from Dr. Fuisz's secretary who asked me to please call him, which I did. Fuisz is a wealthy entrepreneur that does business all over the world. He told me that my source on Congress Financial was correct, and very few insiders were aware of the CIA connection. I still have no idea how Fuisz got a copy of my article, but it says something that the CIA was reading my stuff. He went on to describe how he personally saw huge Terex trucks that were painted in desert camouflage and being sold to Iraq to be used for missile launchers. This was done as a joint CIA-British Intelligence operation before the first Gulf War. The assembly plant was in Motherwell, Scotland. Shortly before the war, US intelligence met with Fuisz to see if he knew of anything that may be in Iraq's arsenal that they should be aware of. Fuisz had obviously traveled there. He said of course, the Terex missile launchers. The CIA shut him down and made life very hard on him. I had no idea at the time that Fuisz himself had been an agent. Fuisz even tried to take his story to 60 Minutes. He personally told me that the news show had an "in house" CIA overseer who shut the story down. He had been hounded and tailed by investigators from private security firms after he tried to reveal the story. I went ahead and wrote about the affair in the Portland Free Press. Dr. Fuisz also spoke with our editor, Ace Hayes. It's also interesting that Susan Lindauer, currently being investigated for allegedly being a spy for Iraqi intelligence, was also in Oregon and in contact with Fuisz. Susan Lindauer, the supposed Iraqi spy, gave an interesting deposition about this matter in 1998. posted by Steven Baum 3/16/2004 11:41:02 AM | link "Undernews" is part of Sam Smith's "Progressive review"

Joseph Russoniello

Joseph Russoniello

Russoniello

Russoniello

Starman Skye

why the catholics?

Terex Rocket-Launcher trucks

there is no off track in my eyes!

Terex/Fuisz

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