Below is an excerpt from a book by Robert Parry;a tireless muckraker of the Reagan/Bush era who was fired as a journalist from Newsweek after ex-president Bush paid a visit to the editor of that weekly: ("Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, The Press & Project Truth" , byRobert Parry, 1999. See www.consortiumnews.com).
pp. 290-92
"..Bush's links to South American underworld figures also extends through Rev. Sun Myung Moon's business political-religious empire. In the 1960's and 70's Moon's Unification Church developed close ties to organized crime figures in Asia and South America. In 1980, Moon's organization collaborated with a right-wing military putsch in Bolivia that turned that country into the region's first narco-state.
Over the next two decades, Moon poured hundreds of millions of dollars into conservative political organizations. Though losing an estimated $100 million a year, moon's 'Washington Times' newspaper became a flagship of conservative movement. Yet, according to Moon's close associates and court records, Moon has financed his operations, in part, with vast sums of cash smuggled into the United States as well as through a suspected money-laundering base in Uruguay. (102)
In recent years, as his religious mission in the United States has shrunk to about 3,000 members, Moon has grown bitterly anti-American. In speeches, he has denounced the United States as 'the kingdom of Satan' or as 'Satan's harvest'. In one speech on Aug 4, 1996, Moon decried American 'individualism' and declared that 'the world will reject Americans who continue to be so foolish. Once you have this great power of love, which is big enough to swallow entire America, there may be some individuals who complain inside your stomach. However they will be digested. (103)
Despite this anti-Americanism, Bush has maintained close ties to Moon and the Washington Times. In 1991, when Wesley Pruden was named the new editor, Bush invited Pruden to a private White House lunch 'just to tell you how valuable the 'Times has become in Washington, where we read it every day". (104)
Once out of office, Bush went to work for Moon as a paid speaker in Asia, the United States and South America. Bush's office has refused to divulge how much Moon's organization paid Bush, but a source close to Moon put the total high as $10 million.
Bush proved especially valuable when Moon launched a newspaper in South America. The theocrat confronted a skeptical reception because of his past support for the region's brutal military dictatorships and evidence Moon associates to the drug trade. On Nov. 22, 1996, Bush came to the rescue. He flew to Buenos Aires and paved the way for Moon with Argentine president Carlos Menem.
Bush also was the keynote speaker at a gala reception for the new newspaper, 'Tiempos del Mundo'. With Moon sitting just a few feet away, Bush lavished praise on the theocrat:
I want to salute Reverend Moon, who is the founder of 'The Washington Times' and also of 'Tiempo del Mundo', Bush declared. Alot of my friends in South America don't know about 'The Washington Times', but it is an independent voice. The editors of 'the Washington Times' tell me that never once has the man with the vision interfered with the running of the paper, a paper that in my view brings sanity to Washington.
Bush's praise thrilled Moon's supporter. 'Once again, heaven turned a disappointment into a victory.' proclaimed the'Unification News', the church's internal newsletter. . But Bush's claim of journalistic independence at 'The Washington Times' was false. Since the paper's inception in 1982, editors and reporters have resigned in protest over editorial interference by Moon's lieutenants. The first editor. James Whelan, resighned in 1984, confessing to 'blood on my hands' for giving Moon legitimacy. Former President Bush, however, seemed to have no such qualms. One source close to the Bush camp said the ex-president saw the value of building an alliance with the powerful Moon organization as an asset for his son's presidential run.
Empoweryour Democrat representative. Send them important info on a topic. They will listen.
Easy way to send your three national representatives e-mail with one letter:
www.congress.org.
Email this topic to a friend
Printer-friendly version of this topic
Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)
