Poindexter Bails Out of Pentagon Amid Controversy

[BadGimp]

Poindexter Bails Out of Pentagon Amid Controversy

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - John Poindexter, the Iran-Contra scandal figure who headed two criticized Pentagon (news - web sites) projects, including one that would have enabled investors to profit by predicting terrorist attacks, will quit his post within weeks, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday.

Poindexter, a retired U.S. Navy (news - web sites) admiral, "expects to, within a few weeks, offer his resignation," a senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

Disclosure of his planned departure from the Defense Department came just two days after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld terminated a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, project supervised by Poindexter for a potential futures trading market in predictions of assassinations, terrorism and other events in the Middle East.

The program was derided by Democrats and Republicans in Congress, some of whom called it "bizarre," "unbelievably stupid" and "offensive." Rumsfeld himself said he canceled the program "an hour after I read about it."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030731/ts_nm/security_poindexter_dc_1
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woo hooo

[Richardo]

1. Hasta la vista, you criminal ghoul bastard...

Don't forget to leave at night so the sunlight doesn't destroy you...

[tom_paine]

2. The scary part of this

He now gets to work with Charles Kane and the rest of the Nazi Freaks stuffing ballots, playing with voting systems, and perhaps liasing with Colombians to "pass on a little information" regarding Senator Wellstone's itinerary and security arrangements.

Now Poindexter, a known Bushevik Capo, will be where he is most dangerous...ut of site and with the Bushevik Private ex-Spook Army (or whatever the hell they call themselves).

On the other hand, it is nice to see him go...

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. The rock is a gem.

Loved your cartoon.

[Dover]

4. Better get out before someone decides to investigate the connection

between this futures trading scam and trades that occurred just prior to 9/11 (the winnings still unclaimed, apparently). That would link the whole administration to 9/11 and prior knowledge. Better jump ship Poindexter before someone gets curious....

[Heddi]

5. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=45120&mesg_id=45120

[Twillig]

6. Senators Wyden and Dorgan statement

http://wyden.senate.gov/media/speeches/2003/07312003_tia_statement.html


“As Congress contemplates the future of the Terrorism Information Awareness Program after the resignation of Dr. Poindexter, we want to make one point clear: even with today’s announcement, the proposed TIA program would still be the biggest spying and surveillance overreach in America’s history, and it should be shut down. Congress will have the opportunity to do just that in the conference for the defense appropriations bill in the fall and we hope to see this program de-funded once and for all. We have always believed that it is possible to fight terrorism vigorously without gutting civil liberties. The TIA program skews that balance and needs to go.”

YAY Sen. Wyden, way to squeeze em' you get the Vinny Jones award!:

[umcwb]

7. Locking - Dupe

Please continue here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=45120&mesg_id=45120


Thanks,
UMCWB
DU LBN Moderator