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An American Affidavit

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Chapter 3 My Complete 9/11 Timeline by John Heartson




two dozen brothers. He would not elaborate." ('San Antonio Express-News,' 14 September 1998)

October 29, 1998: Oil monopolies redivide region:.. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have become "independent." They all border on different segments of the Caspian Sea. The new governments are not only pro-capitalist but are the virtual playthings of Amoco, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco
and British Petroleum. These governments have provided huge concessions (property rights) to the biggest oil monopolies. In Soviet times this oil would have been used to meet the energy needs of the [Soviet] people. Now as these same oil companies--learn that oil deposits located under the Caspian Sea may amount to as much as 200 billion barrels worth $4 trillion, they are embarking on a new era of dangerous competition and piracy. [Brian Becker, in Workers World, 29 October 1998]

October 30, 1998, the Security Council offered an easing of sanctions if Iraq fulfilled WMD and other outstanding requirements, but Iraq demanded an immediate end to sanctions and it ceased cooperation with UNSCOM (but not the IAEA).
US intelligence learns that al-Qaeda is trying to establish a terrorist cell within the US and are planning to strike a US domestic target. Oct – Nov 1998 [cooperativeresearch.org]

Nov 2, 1998 Chief Counsel to U.S. Senate Majority Leader to Join Akin Gump Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. announced today that C. Stevens Seale, Chief Counsel to the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate Trent Lott, will join the firm effective November 9 as a partner in the public law and policy practice in Washington.

November 14, 1998, with the United States about to launch airstrikes, Iraq pledged cooperation, narrowly averting U.S. air strikes but prompting President Clinton to openly declare a U.S. policy of regime change (in Iraq).

December 1, 1998: A US intelligence assessment: "[bin Laden] is actively planning against US targets... Multiple reports indicate [he] is keenly interested in striking the US on its own soil... al-Qaeda is recruiting operatives for attacks in the US but has not yet identified potential targets." Later in the month, a classified document signed by a senior US official states: "The intelligence community has strong indications that bin Laden intends to conduct or sponsor attacks inside the US" [cooperativeresearch.org]

December 4, 1998: CIA Director Tenet issues a "declaration of war" on al-Qaeda, in a memorandum circulated in the intelligence community. Tenet says, "Each day we all acknowledge that retaliation is inevitable and that its scope may be far larger than we have previously experienced... We are at war... I want no resources or people spared in this effort, either inside CIA or the [larger intelligence] community." Yet it is later found that few FBI agents had ever heard of the declaration. There is no shift in budget priorities, either. For example, the number of CIA personnel assigned to its Counter-Terrorism Center (CTC) stays roughly constant until 9/11. [cooperativereasearch.org]

December 5, 1998: In the wake of the al-Qaeda US embassy attacks, the US gives up on putting a pipeline through Afghanistan. Unocal announces it's withdrawing from the CentGas pipeline consortium, and closing three of its four offices in Central Asia. A concern that Clinton will lose support among women voters for upholding the Taliban also plays a role in the cancellation. [New York Times, 12/5/98] FTW Unocal suspended its pipeline project and pulled all its staff out of Kandahar and Islamabad. The final nail in the coffin came at the end of 1998, when oil prices halved from $25 to $13 a barrel, rendering Unocal’s pipeline project uneconomic, at least in the short term. At the same time, the Clinton administration’s demands for the handover of bin Laden, as well as action on drug control and human rights, became the basis for a series of punitive UN sanctions imposed on the Taliban in 1999 [The Taliban the US and the Resources in Central Asia]

Late 1998 (B): During the investigation of the 1998 embassy bombings, FBI counter-terrorism expert John O'Neill finds a memo by al-Qaeda leader Mohammed Atef on a computer. The memo shows bin Laden's (Al Qaieda) interest and detailed knowledge of US Taliban negotiations over an oil and gas pipeline through Afghanistan. Atef's analysis suggests that the Taliban are not sincere in wanting a pipeline, but are dragging out negotiations to keep Western powers at bay. [Salon, 6/5/02] Al-Qaida monitored U.S. negotiations with Taliban over oil pipeline A 1998 memo written by al-Qaida military chief Mohammed Atef raises new questions about whether failed U.S. efforts to reform Afghanistan's radical regime -- and build the pipeline -- set the stage for Sept. 11. The memo reveals that Osama bin Laden's group had detailed knowledge of negotiations that were taking place between Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, the American government and business leaders over plans for a U.S. oil and gas pipeline across that Central Asian country. The e-mail memo was found in 1998 on a computer seized by the FBI during its investigation into the 1998 African embassy bombings, which were sponsored by al-Qaida.
(Atef's memo was discovered by FBI counter-terrorism expert John O'Neill, who later left the bureau in 2001, complaining that U.S. oil interests were hindering his investigation into al-Qaida. O'Neill, who became security chief at the World Trade Center, died in the Sept. 11 attack. The seven-page memo was signed "Abu Hafs," which is the military name of Atef, who was the military chief of al-Qaida and is believed to have been killed in November 2001 during U.S. operations in Afghanistan. It shows al-Qaida's keen interest in the U.S.-Taliban negotiations and raises new questions as to whether the U.S. military threat to the Taliban in July 2001 could have prompted al-Qaida's Sept. 11 attack. ) (By Jean-Charles Brisard - June 5, 2002)

1998 (date needed) Milt Bearden (ex CIA) writes a book: The Black Tulip: A Novel of War in Afghanistan. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. pp.1-322. An overview of the Soviet-Afghanistan war, from the perspectives of the agents in both the CIA and the KGB. Bearden’s theme is to expose the dark side of being a government spy, showing that everyone is surrounded by inevitable danger. The Soviet Union is depicted as a corrupt state--trying to expand--dominance over the Eastern hemisphere. Bearden empasizing that many of the Russians disagreed with the actions of their government. The Afghans are mentioned, it in a violent or religious context." Milt Bearden. a thirty- year veteran of the CIA, masterminded and ran the CIA’s covert operations in Afghanistan. The novel brings history to life because it is based on actual events. [Kelly Tran] [Milt Bearden lives in Lyme NH recently gave a talk at the CFR and has had interviews mysteriously disappear OFF the web]
December 16-19, 1998 U.S. and British 70-hour bombing campaign (Operation Desert Fox), directed against Iraqi WMD-capable facilities and military and security targets. While the Security Councel by a vote of 11- 0 (Russia, France, China, and Malaysia abstained), providing for the suspension of most sanctions if Iraq "fully cooperates" with a new WMD inspection
body

December 21, 1988: Pan Am 103 bombed over Lockerbie. The fire is being blamed on an entertainment system wiring problem yet the heat was so intense that aluminum was melted. Why has an incendiary device not be considered? Strangely, on board the aircraft was a Saudi prince whose family Osama bin Laden is attempting to overthrow.

As the 1998-99 LOW PETROLEUM PRICE CRISIS demonstrated, both state and federal governements need to act to reduce regulatory costs on domestic production" [ IPAA Americas Oil and Gas Producers – From Cheney Task Force notes]

Oil prices continue to plummet as increased production from Iraq coincides with no growth in Asian oil demand due to the Asian economic crisis and increases in world oil inventories following two unusually warm winters. [Chronology of World Oil Market Events 1970 - 2000.htm] (oil went as low as $9 per barrel)
1999

January 1, 1999 British Petroleum Company and Amoco Corporation complete their $53 billion merger. Chicago-based Amoco is the United States' fifth-largest oil company with roughly 9,300 gasoline stations. London-based British Petroleum, the world's third largest oil company, sells its products through a network of about 17,900 stations. (DJ)
February 4, 1999 Italy's ENI SpA and Russia's RAO Gazprom, the world's largest natural gas producer, agree to build a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey at a cost of nearly $3 billion. Each project partner will hold a 50 percent stake in the project. The proposed pipeline, called the Blue Stream project, is expensive by industry standards partly because it would run at great depth under the waters of the Black Sea. (Asian WSJ)
February 5, 1999: ". The U.S. may be forced to acknowledge mistake on cruise missile attack of factory in Sudan last year. The missile strikes occurred on the day that Monica Lewinsky gave evidence on her affair with President Bill Clinton. Saleh Idris, the factiry owner, asked the US to apologize, to unfreeze his assets and to compensate him for damage to the factory, which he says was a legitimate pharmaceuticals factory. . Mr Idris retained the Washington law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer Feld, the same firm which employs Vernon Jordan, who gave evidence in defence of Mr Clinton in the Senate impeachment trial. A legal case would be almost unprecedented, and could have major implications for Mr Clinton and for US foreign policy...Mr Idris, who is also an adviser to Saudi Arabia's largest bank, has retained Kroll Associates, the world's leading firm of private investigators, to examine the evidence [Andrew Marshall]

February 10, 1999 U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson visits Saudi Arabia to discuss potential U.S. investment in oil and gas. Richardson says Saudis are interested in foreign investment in natural gas sector and in the oil refining and marketing sectors, rather than in the upstream crude oil sector. Richardson's visit comes several months after a September 1998 meeting between several U.S. oil companies, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi, in which Abdullah requested proposals from the companies on the development of Saudi oil reserves. (DJ, WSJ)
February 14, 1999 ".Osama Bin Laden, a suspect in the bombing of two U.S. Embassies in Africa, has "disappeared" from his base in Afghanistan, a Taliban militia spokesman said. Other Afghan sources said he left the country. The Saudi millionaire dropped out of sight two days ago, Mr. Abdul Hai Muttmayan said yesterday.." [AP] [The Hindu]

February 1999: The decision to include the Al Shifa pharmaceutical facility on the target list was a last-minute affair and was based on bad intelligence and science. The intelligence was frightfully bad. US officials said that Al Shifa was part of the Sudanese military-industrial complex. Chemists who examined soil, sludge and debris samples from a Sudanese pharmaceutical plant destroyed in August by U.S. cruise missiles found no traces of chemical weapon compounds.

Feb 1999: William C. Patrick III, a scientist who made germ weapons for the United States and now consults widely on biological defenses, told a group of American military officers in February 1999 that he taught Dugway personnel the previous spring how to turn wet anthrax into powders Mr. Patrick told officers at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, the process was not as refined as the one used in the heyday of the government's germ warfare program, but it worked. "We made about a pound of material in little less than a day," he told the officers. "It's a good product."

Feb 1999: "The one serious drawback companies have faced is getting the supplies to the right market, the energy-hungry Asian Pacific economies. Afghanistan---the only country with little oil---is by far the best route to transport the oil to Asia. Enron, the biggest contributor to the Bush-Cheney campaign of 2000, conducted the feasibility study for a US$2.5 billion trans-Caspian gas pipeline which is being built under a joint venture agreement signed in February 1999 between Turkmenistan, Bechtel and General Electric Capital Services." www.moles.org/ProjectUnderground/drillbits/6_08/1.html

March 16, 1999 According to the U.S. Congressional Record, the "official meeting" to discuss what had already been predetermined regarding the government’s nearly half-billion dollar smallpox, anthrax, and West Nile virus vaccine purchases took place before a joint meeting of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Senate Appropriations Committee, on March 16, 1999. The sole American anthrax vaccine maker is British-owned BioPort Corporation. Dr. Robert C. Myers of BioPort worked with the Battelle Memorial Institute (CIA contractor for project "Clearvision" under which the hyper-concentrated anthrax weapon that was later mailed was initially developed). Dr. Myers testified concerning the urgent need to stockpile both the anthrax and smallpox vaccines. Given the earlier official assessment of smallpox’s less than optimal use as a biological weapon, Myer’s precise words to senators included:

BioPort manufactures the only FDA-licensed anthrax vaccine in the world. We are also making and testing vaccine . . . to protect against five different types of botulism, . . . It is probably next on the threat list behind anthrax and the rapidly emerging threat of smallpox. . . . Because smallpox is highly contagious and probably most of the world is now susceptible, it is a potential biowarfare agent of serious concern. . . . There exist similar challenges to the further development and manufacture of new vaccines for anthrax, smallpox, and, for that matter, any other biodefense vaccine. . . . Suppose we have a smallpox vaccine stockpile and a manufacturing capability. Suppose a terrorist group has smallpox as a weapon. . . . there should be two or more geographically separate manufacturing facilities and two or more facilities for storage of the manufactured vaccine. [Smallpox and Anthrax Frights Planned Years Before 9-11 Government and Drug Industry Collusion Cited.htm]

March 23, 1999 In an effort to raise oil prices, (which fell sharply late 1997 & stayed low until early 1999), OPEC and non-OPEC countries agree to cut oil output by a combined 2.104 million barrels per day, effective April 1, 1999, for one year. OPEC members have pledged to cut 1.716 million barrels per day, while several non-OPEC countries have pledged total reductions of 388,000 barrels per day. During 1998, due mainly to low oil prices, OPEC crude oil export revenues fell 30 percent (to $100 billion) from the previous year. (DJ, NYT)
March 31, 1999 Arco agrees to be acquired by BP Amoco PLC for $26.6 billion in stock. If approved, the merger will create the largest oil producer in the United States and one of the largest energy companies in the world. The deal marks the fourth largest oil company merger since the onset of low oil prices in late 1997. (DJ), (WSJ)
April 5, 1999 Following the arrival in the Netherlands of two Libyan suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan American Flight 103 that killed 270 people, United Nations sanctions against Libya are suspended. The sanctions, imposed on March 31, 1992, initially included a ban on the sale of equipment for refining and transporting oil, but excluded oil production equipment. Sanctions were then expanded on November 11, 1993, to include a freeze on Libya's overseas assets, excluding revenue from oil, natural gas, or agricultural products. (DJ)
April 17, 1999 The oil pipeline that runs from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Suspa, Georgia is officially opened. This is the second pipeline dedicated to exporting Caspian Sea oil, but the first built since the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991. The other Caspian Sea oil pipeline, which runs through the Russian breakaway republic of Chechnya to the Russian port of Novorossisk, is often shut down. The new pipeline to Georgia has a capacity of 100,000 barrels per day. (DJ)
April 30, 1999, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & Turkmenistan reactivated the gas pipeline project excluding (Unocal / CentGas) US interests

April 1999 Ken Lay sends letters to executives asking for contributions to the Bush campaign, including what some call a menacing reference to compensation as highly paid employees. More than 100 other Enron executives, and many spouses, will give "hard money" contributions to Bush, much of it during the campaign's critical early money phase. Some will acknowledge in interviews that they gave solely because they got Lay's pointed letter. The contributions help Lay fulfill his commitment as a Bush "Pioneer," the campaign's term for its top rainmakers. Bush will collect nearly $114,000 in individual and political action committee contributions from Enron in 1999-2000 ("Hard Money, Strong Arms And 'Matrix'", http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51802-2002Feb9.html )

May 4, 1999 - admission last year's missile attack on a factory in Sudan was a mistake, US has cleared the man who owned the plant of any links to terrorism. The US has virtually no evidence to support its claim that the missile attack was a strike against terrorism. Those who investigated the case concluded the US acted on faulty intelligence and key procedures were overriden by officials in the White House. The affair is already the subject of congressional inquiries and may result in the departure of some senior White House officials. (Case handled by Law Firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld which has strong connections to Bush and oil interests)
May 12, 1999 The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) begins construction of a 981-mile pipeline that will carry crude oil from the Caspian Sea to the Russian port of Novorossisk for export to foreign markets. The pipeline's planned capacity is about 1.3 million barrels per day, and the CPC is expecting to load the first tanker in mid-2001. (DJ)
May 25-27, 1999 Conference for biological vaccines at Fort Detrick. Thomas Inglesby (Hopkins Institute) speaks:
"..the DOD involvement in ongoing medical research also is important and instrumental to helping cities prepare for such emergencies... the Fort Detrick institute is the most important component of ongoing research and development of effective defenses and treatment.." Fort Detrick about anthrax: "one of the most treacherous enemies".
(Source: http://www.af.mil/news/Jun1999/n19990602_991091.html )

May 27, 1999 Exxon and Mobil shareholders approve an $81.2 billion merger, in which Exxon will issue 1.32 shares for each share of Mobil's approximately 780.2 million shares outstanding. The merger still must receive regulatory approval from the U.S. government and the European Union. The chairmen of both companies state that they expect regulatory approvals to be obtained by the end of the third quarter of 1999. (DJ)
June 1, 1999 Sudan starts pumping oil through its pipeline linking the Heglig oil field in Western Kordofan province to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The pipeline has a capacity of 250,000 barrels per day, and was financed by a consortium of Chinese, Malaysian, Canadian, and Sudanese firms. (DJ)
June 1999: George W. Bush formally announces his candidacy for president of the United States. [CNN]

June 1999: Enron announces an agreement to build a $140 million power plant in the Gaza Strip. One of the major financers for the project comes from the Saudi Binladin Group, a company owned by Osama's family. This is the second attempted project between these two companies. 90% complete, the construction is halted because of Palestinian - Israeli violence and then Enron's bankruptcy. [Washington Post, 3/2/02]

Jun 1, 1999 Akin Gump Affiliates with Office in Saudi Arabia Major international law firm with more than 850 lawyers in 11 cities, today announced its affiliation with an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, effective June 1, 1999. Akin Gump will be affiliated in Riyadh with the Law Office of Abdulaziz H. Fahad. Lawyers in Akin Gump's London, Brussels, Moscow and U.S. offices experienced in international business transactions will support the affiliate office. Robert S. Strauss, Akin Gump's founding partner, and Vernon E. Jordan Jr., a senior partner in the firm, commented, "Given our firm's focus on globalization and our developing Middle East practice, we determined that our clients' needs would best be served by establishing a presence in the Middle East. The affiliation between Akin Gump and the Law Office of Abdulaziz Fahad will allow us to provide our clients and friends in that region with a complete range of services. A Riyadh office is an important part of our strategic plan as we continue to serve our clients' international needs."

Jun 14, 1999 Akin Gump Represents Dynegy Inc. in $7.5 Billion Merger Houston-based Dynegy Inc., one of the country's leading marketers of energy products and services, and Illinova Corporation, an electric and gas utility company with headquarters in Decatur, Illinois, announced plans for a merger. The merger will create a $7.5 billion full-service energy company, which will be called Dynegy Inc. and will be headquartered at Dynegy's Houston offices. Both Illinova, with strategically positioned generating facilities in the Midwest and a developing national energy services business, and Dynegy, a top natural-gas and electric marketer and supplier, are leading independent power developers and producers. The merger marks the next evolution of utility industry restructurings and convergences between the gas and electric power industries in the United States.

July 14, 1999 A government informant records a conversation between some illegal arms dealers and Pakistani ISI agents held within view of the WTC. An ISI agent points to the WTC and says, "Those towers are coming down." He later makes other references to an attack on the WTC. The informant passes these warnings on to Senator Bob Graham and others, but later claims "The complaints were ordered sanitized by the highest levels of government." Senator Graham admits being "concerned" about this warning before 9/11, but apparently the warning is not passed on. [cooperativeresearch.org]
It is later claimed that the special CIA paramilitary teams start entering Afghanistan in 1997. In 1999, they place listening devices within range of al-Qaeda's tactical radios. CIA Director Tenet states that by 9/11, "a map would show that these collection programs and human networks were in place in such numbers to nearly cover Afghanistan. This array meant that, when the military campaign to topple the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda began [in October 2001], we were able to support it with an enormous body of information and a large stable of assets."

July 4, 1999: With the chances of a pipeline deal with the Taliban looking increasingly unlikely, the US government finally issues an executive order prohibiting commercial transactions with the Taliban. [Executive Order, 7/4/99]

CFR - Council on Foreign Relations: Caspian Sea Library

1999 (Date Needed) Caspian Gas Exports: Stranded Reserves In A Unique Predicament
Turkmenistan-- leader of potential gas exporters from Caspian region--logical-route through Iran to Turkey or through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. Pakistan better--shorter -lower costs through Afghanistan. Obtaining--$1-billion for—project-difficult from commercial sources—Afghanistan-too great a political risk.--World Bank may be interested—project provide steady income for Turkmenistan and Afghanistan--promote international environmental & energy efficiency goals cut coal & oil use in Pakistan and India. Iran has long-term interest in--pipeline. Most parties support route, except US government --trying to keep Iran, isolated from regional energy. US position--weakening, Turkmen gas could arrive in Turkey via Iran by 2002. US options--to stop project: Pressure Russia--open- existing pipelines to third party access. (Russia) Gazprom-more interested in gas sales to Pakistan & India. Turkmenistan remains key player in region. Azerbaijan-center of significant investment by world's largest oil companies, which may monetize gas once oil field developments completed. Azerbaijan's short route to Turkey- via Georgia, Armenia, or Iran- and potential gas important if oil companies prioritize gas development. Caspian gas exporters need concern about time. Window of opportunity to create gas grid not open forever. Mideast gas producers could do at lower prices, higher margins and deeper pockets. Iran and Iraq have considerable gas reserves- could sell to Asian or Europe. Both countries eager to develop gas reserves--revenue less politically sensitive than oil. Iran opening gas fields to foreign investment (with) Pakistan and India as markets. Iran's cooperation with Turkmenistan could (stop) if Iran gets the market and capital on its own-- unlikely at the moment, could change in five years. Iraq-huge gas reserves (120-tcf) & border with Turkey. Plans by Iraqi State Oil and Gas concern, SOMO, to put gas fields out to international tender once US sanctions lifted. Saudi Arabia threat to Caspian exporters. Saudi Arabia shown no desire to export gas under the rule of oil minister Ali Naimi, could change after minister retires or replaced. Saudi Arabia consumes only 4-bcf/d gas despite holding 250-tcf of gas reserves. If Caspian producers do not find a way to cooperate in the near future, potential Mideast partners could quickly become formidable competitors.
Ira B. Joseph James A Baker Institute for Public Policy Paper [CFR - Council on Foreign Relations: Caspian Sea Library]
Meeting was attended by:
Robert Abernethy President, American Standard Development Co.
William Beeman, Assc. Professor Anthropology, Brown University
Daniel Berkove Cambridge Energy Research Associates
Douglas Blum Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Providence College
Mathew Burrows, Visiting Fellow Council on Foreign Relations
Dr. Jennifer Bremer The Kenan Institute
N.J. Butler, Group Policy Advisor BP-Amoco
Cassandra Cavanaugh, Researcher Human Rights Watch
Ariel Cohen, Sr. Analyst Heritage Foundation (and CFR member)
Nomi Colton-Max, Sr. Assoc., Global Oil PIRA Energy Group
Leila Conners Petersen, President Tree Media Group
Bud Coote, Energy Analyst Central Intelligence Agency
David Correll The Kenan Institute
James Dorian International Energy and Resources Economist
Robert Ebel, Dir., Energy and Nat'l Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Scott Edwards, Technology Director Tree Media Group
Harold A. Feiveson, Sr. Research Scientist Princeton University
Rosemarie Forsythe, Vice-President Mobil Corporation
Robert Freedman Baltimore Hebrew University
Graham E. Fuller, Consultant RAND
Leslie Gelb, President Council on Foreign Relations
Edward Glab, Sr. Advisor Exxon Venture (CIS), Inc.
Leigh Gusts,Director of Library & Research Services Council on Foreign Relations
Sheila Heslin Bell Atlantic CFR Term Member)
Maynard Holt,Vice President Goldman Sachs
Amy Myers Jaffe, Energy Analyst James A. Baker Institute, Rice University
Jan Kalicki Counselor to Commerce Dept & Clinton Admin Ombudsman for Energy & Commercial Coop. with New Independent States
David Kellogg,VP Corporate Affairs Council on Foreign Relations
Geoffrey Kemp, Dir., Regl Strategic Programs The Nixon Center
Michael Lelyveld, Chief Correspondent The Journal of Commerce
Ray Leonard, VP, Exploration First International Oil Corporation
Elise Lewis, Dir Membership & Fellowship Affairs Council on Foreign Relations
John Lichtblau, Chairman Petroleum Industry Research Foundation
Pamela K. Low,Regional Liason Officer Chevron Overseas Petroleum Inc
Major Douglas B. McNary Office of the Secretary of Defense
Marie Antoinette Manca, Deputy Director Weissman Center for Int'l Business, Baruch College
Robert A. Manning, Sr. Fellow & Dir., Asia Studies Council on Foreign Relations
Libby May, Project Director Tree Media Group
Rajan Menon, Chair, Dept. Intl Relations, & Adj Prof Lehigh University (Dept. Chair)
Harriman Institute, Columbia University (Adjunct Professor
Edward L. Morse, Publisher and President Energy Intelligence Group
Julia Nanay, Director The Petroleum Finance Company
Natsuko Oka, Visiting Scholar The Harriman Institute, Columbia University
Carter Page, International Affairs Fellow Council on Foreign Relations
Michael Peters, Senior Vice-president Council on Foreign Relations
Giandomenico Picco, Chairman GDP Associates, Inc.
Ahmed Rashid, Correspondent, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia Far Eastern Economic Review
Anthony Richter, Dir. Central Eurasia Project Open Society Institute
Christina Rocca, Legislative Assist., Foreign Policy Senator Sam Brownback
Barnett R. Rubin, Dir., Ctr for Preventive Action Council on Foreign Relations
Laurent Ruseckas, Assoc. Dir., Caspian Research Cambridge Energy Research Associates
Alicia Siebenaler, Prog Assc, Visiting Fellows Council on Foreign Relations
Peter Sinnott, Adj. Assist. Prof. And Caspian Project Coordinator Middle East Institute, Columbia University
S. Rob Sobhani, President Caspian Energy Consulting
Paige Sullivan, Fellow Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Pat Davis Szymczak, President The Oconto Group
Gligor Tashkovich, VP Government Relations, AMBO LLC
Robert Thomson, Program Associate Council on Foreign Relations
Bruce Tickner, Energy Analyst Central Intelligence Agency
Susan Tillou, Asia Studies Council on Foreign Relations
Tassos Vlassopoulos, VP Texaco International Petroleum Co.
Vahan Zanoyan, President and CEO Petroleum Finance Company

July 1999: Thomas Inglesby, Hopkins Institute and top advisior of the Pentagon, writes his first popular scenario: "Anthrax: A Possible Case History" http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol5no4/inglesby.htm

August 9, 1999 The US Dept of Commerce dismisses a petition filed by Save Domestic Oil, Inc. The petition alleged that Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Iraq had sold crude oil to the United States at artificially low prices. (DJ, WP, NYT)
September 3, 1999: The spread of Islamic fundamentalist insurgency north from Afghanistan threatens the rich oil resources of the Caspian Basin, which multinational corporations hope to massively exploit in the 21st century. The key contract was signed between Kazakhstan and Chevron in 1993, granting the company a stake in all oil development there (RFE Newsline, Sept. 3, 1999).

September 14, 1999 French oil companies Total Fina and Elf Aquitaine agree to merge, after a lengthy takeover battle, in a deal which will form the world's fourth largest oil company. The deal will give Elf Aquitaine shareholders 19 shares of Total Fina for every 13 shares of Elf Aquitaine. According to Total Fina's management, the merger will result in annual cost savings for the combined firm of $1.56 billion. (WP, WSJ)
September 2, 1999: Leaders of an Enron subsidiary called Azurix Corp. make Florida Governor Jeb Bush an extraordinary offer: They will help pay Florida's multibillion-dollar share of the restoration effort to replumb and revive the Everglades -- if they can then sell water captured by the project. The water privatization scheme is not implemented. ("How Enron Sought to Tap the Everglades", http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42307-2002Feb7.html )

September 28 Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh announces that the National Iranian Oil Company has discovered a new oilfield, Azadegan, with 26 billion barrels of crude oil in Khuzestan province. The discovery is the largest new find in Iran in the last three decades. Zanganeh expects the field to produce between 300,000 and 400,000 barrels per day of crude oil three to four years after development begins next year. (DJ)
 
October 4, 1999 The United Nations Security Council agrees to raise the monetary ceiling on Iraqi oil sales to $8.3 billion from $5.26 billion, guaranteeing the continuation of Iraqi production until the November 20 end date for the current six month extension of the "oil-for-food" program. The move is a one time adjustment, and does not bind the Security Council to continue a higher ceiling if the program is renewed for another six month term. The increase reflects the difference between previous monetary ceilings and actual Iraqi sales during previous phases of the program. (DJ)
Oct 4, 1999 Akin Gump Assists Clear Channel in $23.5 Billion Merger Clear Channel Communications, Inc. announced its intent to merge with AMFM, Inc. in a deal that valued AMFM at $23.5 billion. The resultant merger will create the world's largest out-of-home media entity. The combined value of Clear Channel and AMFM is approximately $56 billion. After anticipated divestitures required to gain regulatory approval, the combined company will have operations in 32 countries, including approximately 830 radio stations and more than 425,000 outdoor displays as well as 19 television stations and significant equity interests in other leading radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising entities. [Law Firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld]

Oct. 15, 1999 The UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the Taliban (Resolution 1267), demanding that the Taliban "turn over the terrorist Usama Bin Laden without further delay..."

October 1999: The Department of Defense (DOD) reassigned senior command authority over American forces in Central Asia from the Pacific Command to the Central Command. Central Asia had once been viewed as a peripheral concern, a remote edge of the Pacific Command's main areas of responsibility (China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula). But the region, which stretches from the Ural Mountains to China's western border, has now become a major strategic prize, because of the vast reserves of oil and natural gas thought to lie under and around the Caspian Sea. Since the Central Command already controls the U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, its assumption of control over Central Asia means that this area will now receive close attention from the people whose primary task is to protect the flow of oil to the United States and its allies. Michael Klare (Foreign Affairs May/June 2001 ).

October 20, 1999 Ken Alibek is President of Hadron Advanced Biosystems, a subsidiary of Alexandria, Va.-based Hadron, Inc. Hadron describes itself as a company specializing in the development of technical solutions for the intelligence community. As chief scientist at Hadron, Alibek gave extensive testimony to the House Armed Services Committee about biological weapons on Oct. 20, 1999 Hadron did medical biodefense research for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, and the NIH. Hadron said it was working in the field of non-specific immunity.

October 31, 1999 A Boeing 767 plane with 199 passengers aboard disappeared early today on a flight from New York to Egypt...Flight 990 took off from Kennedy at 1:19 a.m. and disappeared from radar at 2 a.m. while flying at 33,000 feet, said Eliot Brenner, chief spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration... The EgyptAir plane was on a route similar to the one taken by Swissair Flight 111, a McDonnell Douglas MD11, which crashed off Nova Scotia on Sept. 2, 1998, killing all 229 people aboard. Planes on that route fly from Kennedy to Nantucket, then turn north to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland before heading east across the Atlantic...
Strangely, the news media was reporting hours after 990's crash that the plane had previously landed at Edwards Air Force Base en route between L.A. and New York. This reportage continued until about 12 noon (EST) on Sunday when the Pentagon and FAA denounced the story and said the plane did not land at Edwards. [The Associated Press]

EgyptAir Flight 990 passengers include 30 Egyptian officers who had received military training in the US. Are there not countries or political forces who might have an interest in preventing their return to Egypt? One thing can be said for certain. Those promoting the theory of pilot suicide and clamoring most insistently for the FBI to take control of the investigation are among the least interested in a thorough and objective examination of the evidence. Reuters reported that Egypt’s Defense Ministry had released a statement that confirmed 33 military officers on board the fatal flight. This was after they had lifted the ban that stooped the Egyptian media from confirming foreign reports that military personnel were on the civilian flight. One security source in Cairo said the group included four Air Force officers, two brigadier-generals, a colonel and a major. There were also at least two Army major-generals, one brigadier, four colonels and two lieutenant-colonels. "Three of the officers went on board the plane without being checked in," one of the aviation sources said, without explaining why. Reuters reported that Bill Clinton said he was not aware of any threats against airlines flying out of the United States. This was after the FBI had also denied knowledge of any threats. Samir Ragab from The Egyptian Gazette said, "The US officials are, in the meantime, eager to pay compensatory sums to victims families and to silence voices of protests, which may approach certain issues that intelligence deems highly-confidential."
Defense Department spokesman Ken Bacon distributed information from the US Embassy in Cairo regarding the activities of the 33 Egyptian military personnel but no names were given. They were divided into the following groups:
Six at Boston: Commercial contractor provided network planning and communications analysis services under private contract.
Seven at Fort Rucker Alabama: Received and tested two H-3 helicopters from a private contractor.
Six at California: Commercial company provided training on high frequency telecommunications equipment.
Three at Florida: Trained on telecommunications equipment under commercial contract.
Six attended a conference on repairs to Chaparral missiles under private contract.
Five that Bacon said they didn’t have a track on. "We believe that they were here on personal business. They had visas not sponsored by the Ministry of Defense", he said.
When Egyptair 990 was destroyed the U.S. government was holding one of bin Laden's associates, a former employee of Egyptair, for trial in Manhattan. When TWA 800 was destroyed it had already sentenced one of bin Laden's associates, Sheik Rahman, and had another associate, Ramsey Yousef, also on trial in Manhattan .....
Within hours of the Egyptair 990 crash, as was the case with TWA 800, the U.S. government was at pains to discourage all discussion about terrorism and to declare that there were no 'credible' warnings about the Egyptair 990 downing. Yet one of the warnings that it dismissed following the downing was one of the warnings that it had acted upon prior to the crash .....

October 31, 1999 A month ago, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert to airline and airport security personnel after agencies received an unconfirmed warning that a bomb would "soon be used'' on a flight departing from Los Angeles or Kennedy airport in New York...in a Sept. 24 "information circular,'' the FAA said several U.S. agencies received a warning by letter in August "that a bomb or explosive device with 'spiral expansion' would soon be used on a flight departing from either Los Angeles airport or New York's JFK airport.''...the informant "identified himself as Luciano Porcari..."an individual with this same name hijacked an Iberian Boeing 727 during a flight from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on March 14, 1977,''...
The circular said he was released on Aug. 12, 1982, and his whereabouts were unknown. In the warning received by letter "to several U.S. government agencies,'' the informant "claimed that between 1975 and 1983 eight of the devices were manufactured, that only three remained and that one was in the U.S. He also said he had warned various U.S. authorities about the device before the July 1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island and the September 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Newfoundland. [The Associated Press]

Much eyewitness evidence indicates that TWA 800's demise came as the result of a missile attack. One should not be surprised therefore to learn that flights out of JFK are frequently diverted by air traffic controllers to avoid "rockets" .....

November 1, 1999 Newsmax.com
EgyptAir's Boeing 767 fell from the sky sometime early Sunday morning - at about 2 a.m. Later Sunday morning, NewsMax.com editor Christopher Ruddy was on United flight #976, which departed JFK at 9:15 a.m. headed for London. At about 10 a.m., Ruddy put on his headset. He clicked through the music channels and tuned in to transmissions between his United plane and air traffic control in the United States. "Air traffic control was advising planes to change their flight paths, giving out new coordinates and altitudes for planes on the flight paths over the Atlantic," Ruddy recalled the conversation he overheard. "At one point, a crew member of one of the planes radioed air traffic control to ask why the change. Air traffic control responded that 'there are rockets being fired in the area.'" "I heard early that morning before boarding my plane that there was a missing EgyptAir plane," Ruddy said. "The conversation I heard on the plane really struck me, as did the controllers' use of the word 'rockets.'"
Air traffic controllers are diverting airplanes out of JFK airport and talking about "rockets" because there have been numerous missile attacks on aircraft departing the New York metropolitan airports. For example on March 17, 1997, subsequent to the TWA 800 downing, a missile was observed by Northwest Airlines 775, US Air 1937, Delta 2517 and Northwest Airlines 361. Northwest Airlines Flight 775 was traveling from Newark to Minneapolis and Flight 361 from Laguardia to Minneapolis. Both flights departed at 6:55 PM and reported the missile about 15 Minutes into their flights. Note the height that the missile reached according to the pilot of NWA 775:
NWA 775: Air Center it looks like we see ah - this is Northwest 775 - on a southerly heading - a missile or something. Do you know anything about that?
Controller: Northwest 775 - you see a what?
NWA 775: It appears to be a missile on the south of our course here - straight south of us - off our left - it's climbing and heading south.
Controller: Due south of your position, heading south?
NWA 775: Yea, and climbing rapidly.
Controller: Going through about what altitude now?
NWA 775: Oh man, it's like over 30,000 and on its way up. It was a rocket or a missile and I don't know - it's out of sight now.
Controller: You think it was a rocket or a missile?
NWA 775: Affirmative. It was extremely bright. Anybody else in the area I'm sure would have seen it.

November 8, 1999 WorldTribune.com
Egypt wants us to pursue link with TWA 800 A confidant of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak angered the American officials with repeated suggestions that the United States was behind the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990, in which 217 people, including the 33 Egyptian military officers, were killed. .... Ragab's said in an editorial in both Al Gomhuriya, and its sister paper the Egyptian Gazette, that Washington was trying to cover up U.S. military responsibility for the deadly accident. "Insinuations of possible cover-up by U.S. authorities, potential intelligence secrets, deliberate delays and obfuscation in the investigation ..... are insulting, " The reason for Mubarak's suspicion of "potential intelligence secrets" may be understood by remembering that in a Manhattan jail cell sits a Special Forces sergeant with a very strange relationship to the U.S. government, to Osama bin Laden, and to those who bombed the World Trade Center...Ali Mohamed The records say he is fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, English and French, and worked for 18 months as a security adviser to Egyptair after leaving the Egyptian army...The Boston Globe reported that Mohamed had been admitted to the United States under a special visa program controlled by the CIA's clandestine service... Hence, when Egyptair 990 was destroyed the U.S. government was holding one of bin Laden's associates, a former employee of Egyptair, for trial in Manhattan. When TWA 800 was destroyed it had already sentenced one of bin Laden's associates, Sheik Rahman, and had another associate, Ramsey Yousef, also on trial in Manhattan .....

Within hours of the Egyptair 990 crash, as was the case with TWA 800, the U.S. government was at pains to discourage all discussion about terrorism and to declare that there were no 'credible' warnings about the Egyptair 990 downing. Yet one of the warnings that it dismissed following the downing was one of the warnings that it had acted upon prior to the crash .....

November 11, 1999 KANSAS CITY -- Missouri Pilots Report Missile Near Their Aircraft NUFORC reports that on November 11, 1999, interesting report from the FAA Kansas City Center of two executive jets in the vicinity of Farmington, MO, that reported an object that "looked like a missile" pass in proximity to their aircraft. The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 AM. (CST). I have no reason to believe it is related to the alleged Bermuda incident, but I mention it because of the apparent similarity between the objects reported in both cases. Peter Davenport, Director NUFORC http://www.UFOcenter.com

November 14, 1999 ABCnews.com
ABCNEWS’ aviation analyst John Nance said that, based on the data known so far, the rapid rate of the plane’s dive raised questions about what might have been going on in the cockpit in the moments before the crash. ..... "The problem now is that when you look at this dive — and as I say, it’s something that no airline pilot, no rational airline pilot, would do voluntarily — something either had to scare these pilots half to death to get them to put that aircraft into that condition, or something else was going on that was not voluntary," he told ABCNEWS’ This Week today. Barry Trotter, a former senior investigator with the NTSB and commercial airline pilot, said that while a pilot might turn off an engine if there was a fire, it would be highly improbable for both engines to be on fire at the same time. "The question is why they initiated the descent from the very beginning," said Trotter. Egyptair 990 would not represent the first time airline pilots have had to "duck" because of high speed objects approaching their aircraft. In August 1997 two Swissair pilots had to "duck" at 23,000 feet over Long Island ......

November 14, 1999 Associated Press
Cockpit voice recordings from EgyptAir Flight 990 show the pilot and co-pilot talking "like pals'' before something goes wrong and both men desperately try to fix a problem that soon caused the plane to crash into the Atlantic, a source close to the investigation said Sunday. "Something happens. Alarms go off. Both work to try to fix it,'' the source said. "There is some kind of problem that they're dealing with. It gets progressively worse. And the tape stops.'' The recorder was found to be in good condition and it provided about 31 1/2 minutes of data. The tape provides no evidence of an intruder in the cockpit or of any fighting among the crew, the source said. It was reviewed by American and Egyptian officials, including representatives from the FBI.

November 15, 1999 CNN
Many people in Cairo believe a conspiracy lies behind the crash of EgyptAir Flight ...." It was broadcast that an American official said the plane was hit by a missile… Speculation focused on a possible suicide by the pilot or co-pilot, on a mad struggle for the controls in the cockpit. The pilot's daughter, Enji Habashi, suspects foul play. "It's something intentional and I think this plane has been sabotaged," The official explanation that the pilot in the Silk Air crash committed suicide also defies logic when one observes that both black boxes failed and the tail of the aircraft involved in this incident (a 10 month old Boeing 737) was damaged. The tail was found miles from the crash site indicating that it had separated from the aircraft early in the crash sequence. The tail section of Egyptair 990 may also have been damaged as evidenced by the behavior of the elevators operating in opposite directions.

November 18, 1999 Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia sign an agreement to build a pipeline for the export of crude oil from the Caspian Basin. The 1,080-mile pipeline will begin at the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, and run through Georgia and Turkey to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The project is expected to cost $2.4 billion, and the government of Turkey has offered guarantees that the cost of the Turkish segment of the pipeline will not exceed $1.4 billion. The signing ceremony took place during a visit to Istanbul by U.S. President Clinton for a summit of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE). (WP, NYT)
November 22, 1999: Beginning in 1998 UNOCAL was chastized, particularly by women's rights groups, for discussions with the Taliban, and headed in retreat as a worldwide effort mounted to come to the defense of the Afghani women. This forced UNOCAL to withdraw from its talks with the Taliban and dissolve its multinational partnership in that region. In 1999 Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections newsletter said: "UNOCAL company officials said late last year (1998) they were abandoning the project because of the need to cut costs in the Caspian region and because of the repeated failure of efforts to resolve the long civil conflict in Afghanistan." [Volume 4, issue #20 - Monday, November 22, 1999]

November 30, 1999 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) grants approval for the proposed merger between oil giants Exxon and Mobil. The $80 billion merger was approved by the FTC after the firms agreed to the largest divestiture of assets ever involved in a merger. The companies will sell over 2,400 retail outlets, mostly in the Northeast, Texas, and California, and a refinery in California. (DJ)
December 6, 1999: Following an internal reorganization at FBI Headquarters, the Attorney General appointed Mr. Watson the Assistant.

December 20, 1999: The BBC explains one reason why the Northern Alliance has been able to hold out for so long in its civil war against the Taliban in Afghanistan: "Iran has stirred up the fighting in order to make sure an international oil pipeline [goes] through its territory and not through Afghanistan." [BBC, 12/20/99]

Milt Bearden on Osama Bin Laden
There are two sides to a cultural clash here in 1999. The United States and to a smaller degree the UK on one side. Fundamentalist Islam on the other side. Both sides are rallied behind the North Star, Osama bin Laden. For the US, he’s public enemy number one. We've got a $5 million reward out for his head, blamed him for every horrible event in our history except the grassy knoll. And now we have, (with I'm not sure what evidence), linked him to all of the terrorist acts of this year ... of this decade, perhaps. That's why I say he is our North Star. On the other side, we have given fundamentalist Islam their North Star, a rallying point. If the enemy of our enemy is our friend, then Osama bin Laden is the North Star to every fundamentalist Muslim who goes to Friday prayers and hears a mullah condemn the United States. So, it seems there's that common bond, the thing that brings us together is the North Star, and we're just viewing it from different perspectives. ...

December 31, 2000 The Panama Canal Zone reverts to Panamanian sovereignty at noon, after nearly a century of American control. More than a half-million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products transit the Canal each day. (DJ)
January 2000: Former President George Bush Sr. meets with the bin Laden family on behalf of the Carlyle Group. He had also met with them in 1998, but it's not known if he met with them after this. Bush denied this meeting took place until a thank you note was found confirming it. [Wall Street Journal, 9/27/01, Guardian, 10/31/01] FTW Former Philippines' 4President Fidel V. Ramos is a senior advisor of the Carlyle Group and the head of Carlyle's Asian advisory board. Its directors include former US president George Herbert Walker Bush, former US secretary of state James Baker, current US secretary of state Colin Powell, former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt, former UK Prime Minister John Major, and former South Korean Prime Minister Park Tae-Joon. Carlyle's client list has included the likes of the bin Laden family and George Soros (a major player involved in the so-called Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s). Saudi prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has been one of Carlyle's major investors. Its chairman is former Reagan administration defense secretary Frank Carlucci. Carlyle has major stakes in Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China, which was recently admitted into the World Trade Organization.

Jan. 22, 2000 The CFR Project held its first big event: a scenario of a global financial meltdown, run as a war-game simulation at its Manhattan headquarters. James Woolsey, ex CIA director, played the role of Secretary of Defense.
http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2000/2729_cfr.html

Feb 2000: Richard Perle has served as a director of Autonomy since February 2000. Autonomy a close-knit and highly experienced management team bringing together extensive expertise covering every facet of information technology and its constituent sectors and markets. Mr Perle served as Resident Fellow of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research since 1987. Mr Perle is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hollinger Digital Inc. and a Director of Morgan Crucible plc, where he serves on the remuneration committee, Hollinger International and AppNet,Inc., where he serves on the audit and remuneration committees. Mr Perle is a member of the International Advisory Board of Hollinger Inc. Mr Perle holds an M.A from Princeton University and an A.B from the University of Southern California.

February 2000, the NSA's computer system crashed, a sign of overload. It was down for four days. http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20021018/4547216s.htm


Feb 2, 2000 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) acts to block the proposed merger between BP Amoco and Atlantic Richfield, saying the merger would unduly restrict competition along the West coast of the United States. (WSJ, WP)

Feb 7, 2000: Three big Texas energy producers, all of which made lavish contributions to George W.Bush's presidential campaign, stand to gain from soaring electricity prices in California. That's one reason the watchdog group Public Citizen says Bush has no interest in promoting price caps, even though such caps are recommended by Republican as well as Democratic governors and members of Congress. ("Bush's Biggest Donors Gain From High Prices in California Crunch", http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0106/ridgeway3.php )

Feb. 20, 2000, Vladimir Pasechnik announced that, along with partner Caisey Harlingten, Pasechnik had formed a company called Regma Biotechnologies Ltd. Regma describes itself as "a new drug company working to provide powerful alternatives to antibiotics." Like three other microbiologists detailed in this article, Pasechnik was heavily involved in DNA sequencing research. During the anthrax panic of this past fall, Pasechnik offered his services to the British government to help in any way possible. Despite Regma having a public relations department that has released many items to the press over the past two years, the company has not announced the death of one of its two founders.

Feb 23. 2000: Enron CFO Andrew Fastow buys a $1.32 million property in River Oaks. New construction comes to $1.53 million. No mortgage is recorded. ("Architects of Enron's rise bred its demise", http://chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0201200329jan20. story?coll=chi%2Dnews%2Dhed )

Mar 7, 2000 Akin Gump Assists Clear Channel in $4.4 Billion Acquisition Clear Channel Communications, Inc. announced its intent to acquire SFX Entertainment, Inc. in a stock merger that valued SFX at $4.4 billion. Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is a global leader in the out-of-home advertising industry with radio and television stations and outdoor displays in 32 countries around the world. Including announced transactions, Clear Channel operates 867 radio and 19 television stations in the United States reaching over 120 million people weekly. SFX is the world's largest diversified promoter, producer and venue operator for live entertainment events. Clear Channel Senior Vice President Kenneth Wyker and Vice President Hamlet Newsom headed a legal team that included Akin Gump corporate partner Stephen C. Mount and associates Wilhelm E. Liebmann, Sharla Kruger and Patrick Hurley (San Antonio); corporate partner John Strickland (Austin); corporate partner Alan Laves and associate Michael Slaney (Dallas); tax partner W. Thomas Weir and real estate associate Andrew Cohen (San Antonio); labor partner Jonathan Sulds (New York); benefits partner Andrew Lee Gaines and associate Bruce E. Simonetti (New York); and antitrust partner Charles Biggio (New York). [Law Firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld]

March 7, 2000 New York Mercantile Exchange front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contract closes at $34.13 per barrel, the highest level in nine years. (WSJ)
March 15, 2000 Phillips Petroleum announces that it has agreed to purchase Atlantic Richfield's assets in Alaska for $6.5 billion. The sale is being made in an effort to secure approval from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the merger of Atlantic Richfield with BP Amoco. Earlier the same day, the FTC announced that it had suspended its antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the merger, citing progress in talks with the companies involved. (DJ, NYT, WSJ)

March 20, 2000 EPA announces Clinton Administration to push for a phase out of (MTBE) as gasoline additive and wants Congress to pass legislation to end the use of MTBE in gasoline sold in some smog-prone urban areas, and instead require nationwide use of ethanol. (DJ) (Remember this when reading about Unocal Patent and Cheney task notes about Unocal Patent)
March 28, 2000 OPEC to increase oil production 1.452 million barrels per day by its members, excluding Iran and Iraq. Iraq, has not been subject to OPEC production agreements while under U.N. Security Council sanctions. Iran, though not formally signing on to the agreement, stated its intention to raise its production in order to avoid loss of its market share. This would represent about a 1.7 million barrel per day increase in OPEC production targets, if Iran was included. Several major non-OPEC producers, including Mexico and Norway, also have indicated an intention to raise production. (DJ)

March 2000 - An FBI agent, reportedly angry over a glitch in Carnivore (snooping system) that has somehow mixed innocent non-targeted emails with those belonging to Al Qaeda, destroys all of the FBI's Denver-based intercepts of bin Laden's colleagues in a terrorist investigation. [Source: The Washington Post, May 29, 2002]

March 2000: Afghanistan Country Report, stating that "drug production in and trafficking from Afghanistan has funded terrorist groups, increased regional heroin addiction in refugee and indigenous populations, undermined rule of law, led to frequent incidents of armed conflict between traffickers and law en-forcement forces in neighbouring countries, destabilizing the entire region." Separately, the INCSR further stated "opium for the Pakistan market enters through Baluchistan and the Northwest Fron-tier Province. Raw opium remains primarily for local consumption in Pakistan and Iran. Trafficking organizations also have strong links to Gulf countries, and Dubai seems to be emerging as an im-portant center for money laundering." [U.S. Department of State, 1999 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, March 2000,]


April 12, 2000 CEOs of major US oil companies meet with senior Saudi Arabian officials to discuss possible investments in natural gas and petrochemical projects. The firms at the meetings include Chevron, Conoco, ExxonMobil, Marathon Oil, Phillips Petroleum, and Texaco. The Saudi government announces a package of legal changes that will make Saudi Arabia more open to foreign investors. Complete foreign ownership will be allowed for some types of projects, and the maximum corporate tax rate for foreign enterprises will be reduced to 15 percent. (WP)

April 14, 2000 BP Amoco receives approval from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its $28 billion takeover of Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARCO). As part of the approval, ARCO has agreed to sell its crude oil production operations in Alaska to Phillips Petroleum in a deal valued at $6.5 billion. (WP, WSJ)

April 27, 2000
"The US Government View of Energy Developments in the Caspian, Central Asia, and Iran"
Center for Strategic and International Studies April 27, 2000
"Proven oil reserves for the entire Caspian Sea region are estimated at 16-32 billion barrels, comparable to those in the
United States (22 billion barrels) and the North Sea (17 billion barrels). Natural gas reserves are even larger, accounting for almost 2/3 of the hydrocarbon reserves (proved plus possible) in the Caspian Sea region…. Getting this oil out of the region to world markets, however, is complicated by several factors, including geography and geopolitics. …. As a result, multiple routes for Caspian oil and gas exports have been proposed….. Afghanistan A MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) has been signed to build a natural gas pipeline stretching from Turkmenistan to Pakistan (and perhaps India) via Afghanistan. In addition, the proposed Central Asia Oil Pipeline would also pass from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan en route to a Pakistani port on the Arabian Sea. However, the ongoing civil war has prevented the projects from going forward. While all of the major Afghan factions have agreed in principle to the construction of the pipelines, the pipelines may not attract the necessary financing without a peace settlement and international recognition of the government in Afghanistan. Although the Taliban control 95% of Afghan territory, only the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia had recognized the Taliban government as of late 1998. Afghan support for Osama bin Laden, and the recent U.S. bombing raids on his suspected strongholds in Afghanistan, also have reduced the likelihood for international financing of the project." (DOE/EIA Reports on the Caspian 5/17/00)

April 2000: Ken Lay is a $250,000 sponsor of the GOP's fundraising gala in Washington. He also helps raise money for a literacy charity headed by Barbara Bush, mother of George W. Bush. (" Enron made a sound investment in Washington", http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20020124/ts_usatoday/3799465&cid=676

May 2000 R. James Woolsey (CIA Director 1993-95) participated in a bioterrorism exercise at Andrews Air Force Basethe Johns In May 2000 the Hopkins Center, in collaboration with the ANSER Institute for Homeland Defense, (CSIS) the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Oklahoma Memorial Institute for the Study of Terrorism held a bioterrorism exercise at Andrews Air Force Base.Former Senator Sam Nunn played the President.David Gergen played the National Security Advisor. Governor Frank Keating played himself, Frank Wisner was Secretary of State, ex-CIA director James Woolsey (ironically) played CIA Director, John White played Defense Secretary, and Dr. Margaret Hamburg was HHS Secretary. The Attorney General was played by George Terwilliger, William Sessions was FBI Director, and Jerome Hauer played FEMA Director. http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/pages/library/fema.html . The Sudanese government collected a "vast intelligence database on Osama bin Laden and more than 200 leading members of his al-Qaeda terrorist network... [The US was] offered thick files, with photographs and detailed biographies of many of his principal cadres, and vital information about al-Qaeda's financial interests in many parts of the globe." In April 1996, the US again rejects Sudan's offer of the files. An American involved in the secret negotiations later says that the offer was blocked by another arm of the federal government: "I've never seen a brick wall like that before. Somebody let this slip up... We could have dismantled his

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