Friday, September 02, 2011
Cablegate search confirms Linda Lingle offered to assist murderous Indonesian military
by Larry Geller
Disappeared News reported at the time of former Governor Linda Lingle’s visit to Indonesia in 2007 that she was promising assistance to the notorious Indonesian military, theTMI, responsible for massacres, torture and countless deaths.
Lingle’s visit and offer of assistance came at a time when Congress was considering restricting military aid to Indonesia.
With the release of more than 251,000 unredacted diplomatic cables yesterday by WikiLeaks, it is possible now to do keyword searches in just seconds. A quick search turned up a detailed report on Lingle’s activities during her visit to Indonesia in 2007.
A US embassy cable from Jakarta dated July 6. 2007 confirms that Lingle made arrangements for Hawaii’s cooperation with the Indonesian military:
The highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the State Partnership Program (SPP) between the Hawaii National Guard and the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), in coordination with the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). Hawaii National Guard Adjutant General Robert Lee, who accompanied the overnor, met separately with TNI officials on modalities for the SPP. AmCham [American Chamber of Commerce] Board members expressed concern over possible new restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia and Governor Lingle said she would lobby Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye to oppose such restrictions.
Lingle specifically offered assistance to the TMI in helicopter maintenance:
She announced that the first event, beginning in July, would entail training on helicopter maintenance in Hawaii.
Contemporary with Lingle’s visit, the Indonesian military was gunning down civilians in East Java. The year before (2006), TMI was responsible for numerous deaths and torture in West Papua, where they were paid protection money by mining interests.
An article that summarizes both the Indonesian atrocities and the TMI’s need for assistance with equipment maintenance is The West's murderous protégé (Morning Star, 6/21/2009).
Of course, the connection is clear: Lingle’s offer of assistance would facilitate additional deaths and human suffering within Indonesia.
There is no indication of whether the Abercrombie administration has carried forward Lingle’s promises of aid to the TMI.
Forget running for Senate, Lingle.Do we have a full account of the damage to Hawaii in Lingles term deals?
: September 2, 2011 at 8:40:00 AM HST A Governor cannot "promise" US military assistance to anybody.
: September 2, 2011 at 11:14:00 PM HST The assistance was promised via the Hawaii National Guard, commanded by the governor. General Lee accompanied her on that trip.
This is incredible. That half-wit was a governor for Godʻs sake, just what did she think she was doing? Did she already have it fixed in her mind she was White House material?
I am behind anonymousʻ post: "Forget running for Senate, Lingle.Do we have a full account of the damage to Hawaii in Lingles term deals?"
As well, I think she could be held personally responsible for some kind of misappropriation of tax dollars.
Next, I have always been very leery of what she was doing in Israel on visits. Never did buy the tree planting bullshit.
Man, these people are full of themselves and are they ever dangerous.
: September 3, 2011 at 7:29:00 AM HST Letʻs not forget that the war against Iraq was initiated by Ariel Sharon for Israel's strategic benefit!
: September 3, 2011 at 9:18:00 AM HST The US ruling class has always relied upon regional client-states to serve their strategic interests. We could skim a world map to remember the names and their fates. Israel is such a client-state.
They are on a leash, but they sometimes struggle against the leash. They are our favored pitbull in the part of the world, but we have tried to maintain other client-states in the region and to keep them from fighting each other.
Saudi Arabia is such a client. Mubarak was our client in Egypt. He is now gone. We have a pretty good relationship with those who control the Egyptian army, but the situation there remains in flux. In comparison, Israel is stable and predictable. On balance, a good ally for the interests of the US elite. So they will consider Israel's strategic interests in conducting US foreign policy.
Was the US's war against Iraq in Israel's strategic interests? That's not clear to me. Frankly, I do not dsee how it was inthe interests of the United States. Let me re-phrase that, I can see how it WAS in the interests of the people around George Bush and Dick Cheney. They knew they would make BILLIONS from the war efforts and expected to make trillions off control of the oil. It might even be argued they did not need to control the oil in order to profit. The instability injected into the world's oil supply caused the value of their existing contracts and reserves to shoot through the ceiling.
And, not insignificantly, I think Bush craved the kind of power which would become available to him and his coterie with the country in a state of war and enhanced paranoia. As an incompetent politician, Bush would have much greater success as a "Commander-in-Chief" than as a civilian President.
But I do not believe the war served the interests of the American people in general OR even of the corporate elite, in general. And I think it has been bad for the long-term interests of the United States and the capitalist world-system.
Did the war serve Israel's interests? A case can be made, but so can a counter-case. But to suggest Israel initiated the war seems to reflect an exaggerated, even paranoid understanding of Israel's power over the US. It was Bush & Cheney who initiated the war, not Sharon.
: September 6, 2011 at 10:59:00 AM HST Kokea, thanks for your detailed comment.
I have been surprised by so much recently, I really don't know how I might tell who was responsible for the war (or for its continuance).
As to Sharon, who knows what he said when he might have whispered into George Bush's ear?
Blaming Linda Lingle for anything is like blaming a young child for spilling her milk. While Lingle can read a prepared statement like nobody's business she is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. She reminds me of Sarah Palin, determined to get somewhere but unable to read a map.
: September 6, 2011 at 11:44:00 PM HST << Home
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