Has Operation Fruehmenschen Struck Again?
Has Operation Fruehmenschen Struck Again?“As details concerning possible bribery charges against Democrat Representative William J Jefferson emerge, the reaction from several top Republicans is worth noting:
*Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, said Monday that he had concerns about the constitutionality of the search and was seeking a legal opinion.
*"I think it is really outrageous," said Representative David Dreier, the California Republican who is chairman of the Rules Committee.
*Speaker J. Dennis Hastert issued a statement highly critical of the search.
‘Insofar as I am aware, since the founding of our Republic 219 years ago, the Justice Department has never found it necessary to do what it did Saturday night, crossing this separation of powers line, in order to successfully prosecute corruption by members of Congress,’ Mr. Hastert said, promising to seek a means to restore ‘the delicate balance of power.’ Mind you, these are the same people who would defend to the death the right of the Bush Administration to conduct whatever domestic surveillance, including eavesdropping, the president might deem necessary against ordinary citizens, with or without probable cause. Yet a congressmen caught on video receiving $100,000 in cash, $90,000 of which was later recovered from his home freezer, may be the victim of abuse? Seems to me the powerful 'protesteth too much.'” http://americandaily.com/article/13684
“On January 27, 1988, Mr. Dymally, then chairman of the CBC, testified before Congress about a sworn affidavit given by attorney Hirsch Friedman, who had worked with the FBI in Atlanta. Mr. Friedman alleged that the FBI had an established official policy that initiates investigations of Black officials without probable cause. That policy was called ‘Operation Fruehmenschen’, a German word for ‘early man.’ Mr. Dymally said that while the affidavit offered "irrefutable proof" of government corruption, Congress took no action, which was one of the reasons he left Congress.” http://www.finalcall.com/national/1999/fbi_barry12-7-99.htm
Washington D.C. is abuzz about last weekend’s FBI raid on the D.C. Congressional office of Louisiana Democratic Congressman William J Jefferson. It seems members of both political parties are in a tither about the FBI's raid on an African-American congressman’s office. Our congress critters are upset the Department of Justice invaded the sanctity of their fellow Congressman’s office but not at the Bu$h administration’s illegal surveillance of AmeriKKKan citizens!? For me this issue poses several additional questions: is the very public raid and media centered “investigation” into the affairs of Congressman William J Jefferson part of an old and ongoing program targeting black elected officials by the FBI called Operation Fuehmenschen? Will the Republicans use Jefferson’s woes to fend off Democratic claims they are corrupt by using Jefferson as a poster boy for graft and corruption? Will this very public procedure further erode the public’s confidence in the government? And how will Bu$h's sealing of the seized documents for forty-five days resolve the brouhaha between him and the legislative branch?
Contrary to its’ squeaky clean media image, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has along history of racism, dirty tricks, abuses of rights and “Constitutional protections” especially when it comes to Africans in America. Many of us are familiar with the virulent police state attacks on dissidents during the ‘60's and ‘70's called COINTELPRO, but most don’t know that FBI Director J Edgar Hoover was an unrepentant racist who was instrumental in the government’s plot to frame and bring down Marcus Mosiah Garvey. From then on Hoover made it his business to monitor and actively destabilize the African-American community lest the fascists’ greatest nightmare actualize; a “black messiah” or righteous race first leadership arise to challenge AmeriKKKa’s onerous racial cast system. From this mind set came the FBI’s nefarious and vile Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO). This program used the media to spread lies, besmirch and impugn the characters of black leaders. the FBI used the police and courts to frame and imprison outspoken community leaders and murder those they felt were too militant or posed "a threat” to the status quo. An adjunct to the FBI's more well known war on the black community is its Operation Fruehmenschen, a program that specifically targets African-American elected officials. In an article that exposed an FBI plot to entrap D.C. Mayor Marion Barry the Final Call Newspaper quoted individuals who themselves had been targets of similar skullduggery, “Former FBI agent Dr. Tyrone Powers, a 10-year veteran of the bureau, quit in1994 in part to expose what he characterized as systemic racism within the bureau. Now a full-time professor at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md., and author of the book, Eyes to My Soul: The Rise or Decline of a Black FBI Agent, Dr. Powers suggested that one would be naive to believe FBI denials about Operation Fruehmenschen, the alleged government operation that mirrors Cointelpro. ‘When we conclude that an agency that has no problem burning white children (in Waco) will have no problem targeting Black people, their leaders, and their organizations, we will know that Cointelpro (Fruehmenschen) is alive,’ Dr. Powers said. ‘We keep looking for evidence that the FBI has shown they are experts at hiding. So we continue to be targeted and the FBI maintains their motto of ‘Admit Nothing, Deny Everything, and Use a Pencil.’ ’ This isn’t to suggest that Black officials are incorruptible, those interviewed said. ‘The problem is that when the government throws a fish net (under Fruehmenschen), it gets some very innocent sardines along with the occasional sharks,’ Mr. Dymally said.” Court documents reveal a 1998 FBI plot against Mayor Barry by Rosalind D. Muhammad and Nisa Islam Muhammad http://www.finalcall.com/national/1999/fbi_barry12-7-99.htm
In the article the writers also point out Operation Fruehmenschen was often played out in the media but when the case went to court there was little or no validity to it and if a conviction resulted, many cases were overturned on appeal. “Patterns of harassment of Black officials usually begin with an interplay that takes place between the news media and law enforcement agencies, usually beginning with a rumor started by the FBI or by an ill-founded news report. This usually spirals into a ‘trial by media,’ criminal investigations and sometimes culminates in an indictment. The indictment typically results in acquittal, or in a conviction which is ultimately overturned on appeal. ‘The reality is that both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney work hand and hand,’ Dr. Powers said. ‘If the FBI wants a case prosecuted the U.S. Attorney rubber stamps it.’ Concerning Mayor Barry, Mr. Powers noted the bigger issue is why the FBI was even involved in the 1990 case against Mr. Barry since the offense was a misdemeanor crime.” ibid.
Is the investigation of Congressman Jefferson part of Fruehmenschen? Time will tell. It could be, given all the media attention it has garnered. The corporate media is having a field day with this. Keep in mind, the FBI didn’t raid the D.C. offices of disgraced former Republican majority leader Tom Delay nor the California Republican congressman who just went to jail, Randy Cunningham, both prominent white guys; so why the high media profile raid on Jefferson’s office who is black? Why has this raid brought both parties together in a rare (except went they are shafting the AmeriKKKan people) bipartisan show of solidarity? Why did Bu$h elect to seal the contents of the raid for fort-five days after Congress complained so bitterly about the unprecedented raid on the office of one of their colleagues? What game is Bu$h playing? Is this scenario like the anthrax scare immediately following 9-11 (when the white House staff members were given the antidote to that particular strain a month before ), a warning to Congress not to derail Bu$h’s fascist agenda? One thing is for sure, Jefferson’s woes are a major respite and distraction for the Republicans who have ben taking a pounding in the ethics and scandal departments lately; especially with the ongoing Plame probes, the recent CIA Hookergate scandal, the Enron convictions and the Bu$h administration’s close ties to Ken Lay. Now with the 2006 mid term elections looming, Democrats cannot contend corruption is solely a characteristic of Republicans.
What’s ironic to me is that none of the congress critters’ leadership has shown anywhere near the concern or outrage about the NSA, FBI or military warrantless spying on ordinary AmeriKKKans as they have about the raid on Jefferson’s office. What’s up with that?!!! Obviously the leadership of neither house cares about the invasions of our privacy, evading the Constitutional protections and rights they are sworn to defend against all enemies foreign and domestic!!! Not that black elected officials can’t be corrupted, use extremely poor judgement or sell out their personal honor and integrity or betray their constituents; the Jefferson scenario just seems like more of the same ol’ FBI Operation Fruehmenschen.
-30-
posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 1:22 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home