Jeff Koopersmith

Wolfowitz's Future: Egg-Faced
Derivative, Admiral Poindexter? The Department of Defense opens -- and closes -- a "casino" betting on your children's lives
By Jeff Koopersmith

July 30, 2003 (apj.us) -- Early yesterday morning I heard a story on news radio regarding plans by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to open what is nothing more than an Internet gaming casino at which you might place a bet on where are soldiers might be killed next..

DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense. I could hardly believe my ears: DARPA was launching a kind of worldwide terrorism gambling palace where at least one thousand traders could bet on what was going to happen in the volatile Middle East.

Granted, DARPA is charged with hiring some of the most creative American minds to "blue sky" regarding the creation of unheard of technolgies and techniques. Yet this one seemed destined for the record books.

Remember, the DARPA budget request for 2000 was nearly $2 billion.

Paul Wolfowitz, naturally, found himself in the unfortunate position of testifying before a Senate Committee yesterday morning on reconstruction of Iraq. It was not good timing for him as he was raked over the coals by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and others from both sides of the aisle for this lamebrained scheme.

Mr. Wolfowitz at least pretended he knew nothing "much" of the Middle East Roulette scheme, and also claimed he did not know who cooked it up.

However, one senator mentioned the name "Admiral Poindexter" -- and more than one senator called for heads to roll.

Will it be John Poindexter -- already infamous and prosecuted as a felon during the Iran-Contra scandal -- or was someone else truly responsible?

For the record, John Poindextera, then a retired Navy Admiral, lost his job as National Security Adviser under Ronald Reagan and was convicted of conspiracy, lying to Congress, defrauding the government, and destroying evidence in the Iran Contra scandal.

A few idiots at the White House, including Donald Rumsfeld, somehow convinced George W. Bush to recruit Poindexter in a new role -- as head of the "1984"-like "Information Awareness Office" at DARPA. This is the group that convinced the White House and Congress that they should be able to patch into your home PC without a warrant and spy on you and your family -- for reasons of national security, of course.

Poindexter's "vision" includes:

· "Event prediction and capability development model building engines" -- The Casino?

· "Structured argumentation and evidential reasoning" -- The Dealer?

· "Story telling, change detection, and truth maintenance " -- Your Email?

By the way, in case you forgot the details of just how insane Poindexter and his criminal confederate Oliver North are, see this email from 1986 from North to Poindexter, now semi-declassified, to refresh your memory -- and remember this: FOX News has given North his own television show!:

MSG FROM: NSOLN --CPUA TO: NSJMP --CPUA

09/06/86 15:31:36 To: NSJMP --CPUA

*** Reply to note of 09/02/86 16:03

-- SECRET --

NOTE FROM: OLIVER NORTH Subject: Iran

Last night at 2330 our Project Democracy rep. in Costa Rica called to advise that the Arias Govt [One line deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] "was going to hold a press conference today (Saturday) announcing that an illegal support operation for the Contras had been taking place from an airfield in Costa Rica for over a year. The names of two Americans Secord and [Deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] were going to be predominantly mentioned. I called [Deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] to confirm the info and he returned call at 0030 verifying the info. I then had a conference call w/ Tambs, Abrams and Fiers and we agreed on the following sequence: -- North to call Pres. Arias and tell him that if the press conference were held, Arias [One line deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] wd never see a nickel of the $80M that McPhearson had promised him earlier on Friday. --Tambs then called Arias from his leave location in W. Va. and confirmed what I had said and suggested that Arias talk to Elliott for further confirmation. --Arias then got the same word from Elliott. --[One line deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] At 0300 Arias called back to advise that there wd be no press conference and no team of reporters sent to the airfield. As a precaution, the Project a/c were flown to Ilopango last night and no project personnel remain in site at the field other than local guards (8). Fiers advises today that this operation vas timed to coincide w/ the Conference on our $100M and was directed by the Cubans. [Two lines deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] - but that I wd reconsider if things looked better next wk. I recognize that I was well beyond my charter in dealing w/ a head of state this way and in making threats/offers that may be impossible to deliver, but under the circumstances and w/ Elliott's concurrence - it seemed like the only thing we could do. Best of all, it seems to have worked. I believe that it is important that you or Al or both make a trip down there again as soon as the $100M is approved so that someone w/ more horsepower than I can look Arias - [One line deleted, (b)(1)(s) exemption] very aware of our resolve in making this project work. If Al were to go it wd be a good opportunity for him to become familiar w/ some of the faces which will be critical to this effort if it is to succeed. V/R North

What smacks of Poindexter in this Casino deal is the "example", shown here, which would allow people to trade in contracts on whether the Kind of Jordan would be overthrown, and when.

If that didn't get your money flowing -- how about betting on whether the Iraqi regime might persist for more than one month of hostilities?

In short, you'd be betting on the deaths of American boys and girls.

The White House might also focus its wrath on Dr. Anthony J. Tether, Director of DARPA, for merely being asleep at the wheel if Poindexter is not responsible.

Whichever the case, and whoever's head is placed on the chopping block you can rest assured that this program is OVER.

Wolfowitz, uncharcteristically nearly red faced told Senator Boxer that the program would be shut down today.

You can find some detailed examples of that program for your scrap book at http://www.apj.us/20030730Koop2.html.

Watch for Wolfowitz to report back on the persons responsible -- and what it cost you.

Are we really going to tolerate this tomfoolery?

JEFF KOOPERSMITH is a political consultant, opinion research authority, policy analyst, and self-described "renegade lobbyist."