textfiles-politics/pythonCode/personTestingOutput/bnlgate.xml

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<p> <ent type='EVENT'>The War and Peace Digest</ent> is a bimonthly international newsletter on issues
of disarmament, government secrecy, media accountability, the nuclear
threat (from both civilian power plants and the military weapons complex),
ecological destruction, and peaceful conflict resolution through the
structures of <ent type='ORG'>the United</ent> Nations. If you would like to be placed on our
mailing list or receive a copy of our new information packet on nuclear
power, contact <ent type='PERSON'>Matthew Freedman</ent> at 32 Union Square East, <ent type='GPE'>New York</ent>, NY
10003-3295 (Tel: 212-777-6626). </p>

<p> Contributions are always welcome. All materials may be reproduced without
permission. </p>

<p> -------------------- </p>

<p> <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> - <ent type='GPE'>IRAQGATE</ent> SCANDAL </p>

<p> The <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> Connection - <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> &amp; <ent type='ORG'>Saddam Inc</ent>.
Key documents - sought by <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> - withheld </p>

<p> With <ent type='PERSON'>George Bush</ent> ready to take <ent type='GPE'>America</ent> into another war with <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent> to
destroy the nuclear, chemical, biological and missiles weapons that <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent>
himself helped <ent type='PERSON'>Saddam Hussein</ent> to build, <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent>men Henry <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent>, the
courageous <ent type='GPE'>Texas</ent> <ent type='NORP'>Democrat</ent> who heads <ent type='ORG'>the House Banking Committee</ent>, continues,
single-handedly, to peel back layer after layer of cover-up to reveal the
monumental proportions of the <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate-<ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> (<ent type='ORG'>Banca Nazionale Del Lavoro</ent>)
scandal that now threatens to bring down the <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> regime. But the most
explosive documents have been withheld. </p>

<p> Over the past several months <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> has shown the <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate-<ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> scandal to be bigger than anyone had imagined. He has uncovered and
reported incontestable evidence that <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> and his associates secretly sold
nuclear, biological, chemical and missile-related weapons materials to
<ent type='PERSON'>Saddam Hussein</ent>; blocked investigations into the use of such materials by
<ent type='PERSON'>Hussein</ent>; suppressed memos warning of the dangers of such sales;
deliberately falsified documents on such sales submitted to <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent> and
interfered illegally to halt investigations into the criminal activities of
the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> bank in secretly diverting <ent type='GPE'>America</ent>n agricultural loans to buy the
weapons for <ent type='PERSON'>Hussein</ent>. </p>

<p> <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>-<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> Branches </p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> has revealed a <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> policy disaster that lead to the first
<ent type='EVENT'>Gulf War</ent> and a blunder that is now costing the <ent type='GPE'>America</ent>ns $2 billion to pay
off the loans <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> guaranteed with U.S. taxpayersU money . <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> repeatedly
ignored warnings that <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent> would default on the loans. Now, certain key
documents - perhaps the most revealing yet - are being withheld from the
<ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> investigation. They are said to be the records of the <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent>
branches of <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> and <ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> (Bank of Credit and Commerce International),
through which, some investigators say , <ent type='PERSON'>George Bush</ent> and <ent type='PERSON'>Saddam Hussein</ent> may
have been involved in a joint, private enterprise to skim oil profits
arising from Reagan-<ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> policies toward <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>. The documents have been
impounded by a <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> court and <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent>man <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> <ent type='ORG'>Banking Committee</ent>
has been denied access. </p>

<p> Bush's <ent type='ORG'>Pennzoil</ent> Profits </p>

<p> Between 1980 and 1990 the <ent type='LOC'>Gulf</ent> region exported a trillion dollars
worth of oil to the West. Hundreds of billions of dollars in kickbacks were
involved. Some of the kickbacks were said to be handled by the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>/<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent>
banks for <ent type='ORG'>Pennzoil</ent>, an oil company founded by <ent type='PERSON'>George Bush</ent> The <ent type='ORG'>Pennzoil</ent>
case was (is?) the target of <ent type='PERSON'>Ross</ent> PerotUs much-denied investigation of the
<ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> family and friends. Investigators believe the <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> bank records
could help explain <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent>Us massive, covert military support for <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent> in the
years between 1981-1990. </p>

<p> The <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> /<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> records could also provide clues to why the
<ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> Administration secretly - and possibly illegally - exempted eleven
members of the <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> cabinet from conflict of interest restrictions in their
handling of the <ent type='LOC'>Gulf</ent> war policy. <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> simply declared that the law
regarding conflict of interest would cease to apply to his advisors on the
<ent type='LOC'>Gulf</ent> war policy. He then ordered that his declaration would be not be made
public. <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent>man <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> is now asking <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> to explain the deal. <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent>
has not responded. </p>

<p> According to some investigators, the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>-<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> bank documents
now impounded by a <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> judge could shed light not only on the
<ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate case, but on other illegal transactions including <ent type='GPE'>Iran</ent>-Contra,
October Surprise and the <ent type='ORG'>Inslaw</ent> case. In all instances monies passed
through the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>/<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> banking network. </p>

<p> <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> is an <ent type='NORP'>Italian</ent> bank now under investigation by <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent> for
fraud in using loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to finance
<ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>Us pre-war military buildup. Over the past thirty years, <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> is
suspected of involvement in a wide range of international criminal
activities. (<ent type='ORG'>French Intelligence</ent> investigators have even linked the bank to
large payments to certain individuals in Europe in late 1963, thought to be
associated with the <ent type='PERSON'>John Kennedy</ent> assassination.) </p>

<p> On December 28th 1990, when <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> sought the records of the
<ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> branch of <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> (Case number 90 C 6863 of the U.S. District Court in
<ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent>: People of the State of Illinois ex re; William C. Harris v. the
Board of Governors of <ent type='ORG'>the Federal Reserve System</ent>), <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> was told by
Federal Judge, <ent type='PERSON'>Brian Duff</ent> that he could not have them. <ent type='PERSON'>Duff</ent>, a friend of
both <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> and Reagan, works closely with <ent type='ORG'>the Federal Reserve Bank</ent>. <ent type='PERSON'>Duff</ent>
impounded the documents and abused <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent>U attorney for Rbehaving like an
800 -pound gorilla.S That is when <ent type='PERSON'>Duff</ent> impounded the records. </p>

<p> Questions abound. Suspicions arise from the fact that among
officials involved in the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> bank is <ent type='PERSON'>Brent Scowcroft</ent>, <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent>Us National
Security advisor who, <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> has now revealed, maintained a million-dollar financial interest in 40 of the biggest U.S. weapons companies that
profited from U.S. policies toward <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>, including <ent type='ORG'>General Electric</ent>,
General Motors, <ent type='ORG'>ITT</ent>, and <ent type='ORG'>Lockheed</ent>. <ent type='PERSON'>Gonzalez</ent> has also revealed that
Assistant Secretary of State <ent type='PERSON'>Laurence Eagleberger</ent> worked closely with <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>
when he and <ent type='PERSON'>Scowcroft</ent> were part of Henry <ent type='PERSON'>Kissinger</ent>Us consulting firm.
<ent type='PERSON'>Kissinger</ent> was a member of the board of <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> and his firm represents <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> in
the <ent type='GPE'>USA</ent>. </p>

<p> <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>, P2 and the <ent type='ORG'>Vatican Bank</ent> </p>

<p> The <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> bank was also used for secret arms trade by the outlawed P2
<ent type='NORP'>Masonic</ent> Lodge of <ent type='GPE'>Rome</ent>, whose Grandmaster, <ent type='PERSON'>Licio Gelli</ent> is thought to have
been the mastermind behind <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>Us illegal, world-wide banking strategies,
until his arrest in 1981, for embezzling $1.5 billion from the Vatican
Bank. The <ent type='ORG'>Vatican Bank</ent> had close ties with <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>. <ent type='PERSON'>Gelli</ent> was recently
sentenced to 18 years in jail for his role in the case. </p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Gelli</ent> was involved with the PopeUs banker and bodyguard, Bishop
<ent type='PERSON'>Marcinkus</ent> (formerly of <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent>) in the <ent type='ORG'>Vatican Bank</ent> embezzlement. When the
<ent type='NORP'>Italian</ent> government issued a warrant for the BishopUs arrest they were
blocked by the Vatican, which claims separate city-state authority. (The
Pope is still closely involved with <ent type='PERSON'>Marcinkus</ent> and the <ent type='ORG'>Vatican Bank</ent> is still
closely associated with <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>.) </p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> and <ent type='PERSON'>Gelli</ent> are friends. <ent type='PERSON'>Gelli</ent> was guest of honor at the 1981
Reagan-<ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> inaugural ball. (N.Y. Times, June 4, 1981, page 7.) <ent type='PERSON'>Kissinger</ent>
also knew <ent type='PERSON'>Gelli</ent>. When <ent type='PERSON'>Gelli</ent> was arrested in March, 1981, <ent type='PERSON'>Kissinger</ent>
immediately sent an agent to <ent type='GPE'>Rome</ent> with $18000 to try to buy some of the
documents in the P2 case to keep them from becoming public ( In These
Times, Sept. 1982). It may be of interest that P2 had a lodge in <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent>. </p>

<p> <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent>, it is now emerging, has been the central point for vast,
international, illegal transactions involving the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> and <ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> banks and
secret deals with <ent type='GPE'>America</ent>n oil companies, military manufacturers, the <ent type='ORG'>CIA</ent>,
and possibly U.S. politicians. (According to a <ent type='GPE'>London</ent> source, unreleased
<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> documents in the possession of <ent type='ORG'>the Bank</ent> of <ent type='GPE'>London</ent> list the names of
at least 105 members of U.S. <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent> - of both <ent type='ORG'>Houses</ent> and both parties -
who have received money through the <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> branch of <ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent>. The U.S.
<ent type='ORG'>Federal Reserve</ent> is said to have a copy of the same secret <ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> list). </p>

<p> The Octopus </p>

<p> Just as the P2 scandal in <ent type='GPE'>Italy</ent> brought down the government and
destroyed hundred of careers in politics, industry and banking, so too the
<ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>/<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent> - Penzzoil case could bring down the <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent> administration and send
dozens of top administration officials to jail. Indeed the P2 and <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> cases
overlap in the October Surprise case, and U.S. investigators would do well
to examine the <ent type='NORP'>Italian</ent> government documents in the P2 case as part of their
inquiry into the October Surprise/<ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>/<ent type='ORG'>BCCI</ent>/Penzzoil/<ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent>/<ent type='PERSON'>Hussein</ent> links. It
is beginning to look as though the late journalist, <ent type='PERSON'>Danny Casselaro</ent> was on
the right track at the time of his highly suspicious RsuicideS last year,
when he was investigating what he called <ent type='ORG'>RThe</ent> OctopusS, a vast,
interlocking, international criminal conspiracy. </p>

<p> Bush's Watergate </p>

<p> <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent> is now calling for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor
to investigate the ballooning <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>-<ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate case. In his insightful and
relentless reporting on the case in The <ent type='GPE'>New York</ent> Times, <ent type='PERSON'>William Safire</ent> says
flatly that <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> will be <ent type='PERSON'>Bush</ent>Us Watergate. Saffire is now investigating the
<ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> link to the case. (Updates on the case now appear regularly on the
recorded telephone hotlines of controversial <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> investigator, Sherman
Scholnick of <ent type='ORG'>the RCommittee</ent> to Clean Up the CourtsS, who has spearheaded
his own investigation. Call: 312 - 731 1100 &amp; 312-731 1505 for five-minute recorded updates.) </p>

<p> When appointed, the Special Prosecutor in the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent>/<ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate case
should have immediate access to all the records, including the crucial
documents now confiscated and impounded by the <ent type='GPE'>Chicago</ent> court. </p>

<p> When the truth of the <ent type='ORG'>BNL</ent> case is finally revealed, the War &amp;
Peace foundation believes we will see the extent to which politics around
the world
have been corrupted by the arms trade. <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate will serve as further
evidence of the need for international monitoring by <ent type='ORG'>the United</ent> Nations of
all weapons traffic as a first, essential step toward complete world
disarmament. </p>

<p> Ironically, as we go to press, joint efforts by both houses of
<ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent> in the wake of the <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>gate revelations to tighten restrictions on
the sale of nuclear weapons-related materials to nations like <ent type='GPE'>Iraq</ent>, <ent type='GPE'>Iran</ent>
and <ent type='GPE'>Syria</ent>, have provoked a threat of veto by <ent type='PERSON'>George Bush</ent>, who argues that
such non-proliferation legislation would mean a loss of business for
<ent type='GPE'>America</ent>n nuclear exporters! </p>

<p> ** End of text from <ent type='ORG'>cdp</ent>:gen.newsletter ** </p>

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