Ex-US Admin Beers: "They're making us less secure, not more secure"

posted by ewing2001 on Sunday June 15, @08:14PM

Former Aide Takes Aim at War on Terror

By Laura Blumenfeld -Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, June 16, 2003; Page A01

Five days before the war began in Iraq, as President Bush prepared to raise the terrorism threat level to orange, a top White House counterterrorism adviser unlocked the steel door to his office, an intelligence vault secured by an electronic keypad, a combination lock and an alarm. He sat down and turned to his inbox.

Advertisement

"Things were dicey," said Rand Beers, recalling the stack of classified reports about plots to shoot, bomb, burn and poison Americans. He stared at the color-coded threats for five minutes. Then he called his wife: I'm quitting.

Beers's resignation surprised Washington, but what he did next was even more astounding. Eight weeks after leaving the Bush White House, he volunteered as national security adviser for Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), a Democratic candidate for president, in a campaign to oust his former boss. All of which points to a question: What does this intelligence insider know?

"The administration wasn't matching its deeds to its words in the war on terrorism. They're making us less secure, not more secure," said Beers, who until now has remained largely silent about leaving his National Security Council job as special assistant to the president for combating terrorism. "As an insider, I saw the things that weren't being done. And the longer I sat and watched, the more concerned I became, until I got up and walked out."

Beers confirmation about his former lies

Narconews

"...Under oath and "the penalties and pains of perjury" last November, Assistant Secretary of State Rand Beers lied when he said, "It is believed that FARC terrorists have received training at Al Qaida terrorist camps in Afghanistan" thus toying with the emotions of American citizens after the 911 attacks in order to justify, of all things, aerial herbicide attacks on Ecuadoran peasant farmers near the Colombia border. Now Beers swears under oath that his outrageous and shocking statement was false.

Thus, a high official of the U.S. government had to admit in court that he had committed perjury; lied under oath to the same court. Narco News has obtained a copy of the State Department fixer's "correction" filed in the court case by Ecuadoran farmers against Dyncorp, the company contracted to attack them. Here, we publish it, as we did Beers' deposition, in full.

...6. In paragraph 43, I made the following statement: "It is believed that FARC terrorists have received training at Al Qaida terrorist camps in Afghanistan." I wish to strike this sentence. At the time of my declaration, based on information available to me, I believed this statement to be true and correct. Based upon information made available to me subsequent to the filing of the declaration, I no longer believe this statement to be true and correct. Based on information and belief, the paragraph as revised is true and correct...

Executed this 8th day of August 2002 at Washington, District of Columbia.

RAND BEERS

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE

FOR THE BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL

NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS

Narco News published the full text of the February 27, 2002 depostion by Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics & Law Enforcement Affairs Rand Beers in the federal lawsuit by Ecuador's Farmers vs. DynCorp

<  US accused of stirring up student protests in Iran | Pentagon Spokeswoman Victoria Clarke steps down  >