1988

Techno has been invented. Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Derrick May. It originated in Chicago and Detroit. A kind of Motown Mk 2, influenced not by traditional car manufacturing plant, but their modern computerised equivalents.

Early in 1988 Congress decertified Bolivia’s progress with drug control. 1987 – 88 several aid programmes announced.
Bombing incident during Shultz’s visit in August 1988 – narcoterrorists? Ambassador Robert S Gelbard – October 1988. DEA agents – up to what? Contraversy

A cargo plane on its way to Anchorage had a UFO escort for hours, with transcript and air to tower recording available .

US Court of Appeals for DC struck down the Independent Counsel Law as unconstitutional – Jan 22nd.

February 1988
Mayor Ed Koch called Reagan a wimp over the “war on drugs”, on February 29th.

March 1988
Iran Contra - March 16th North, Poindexter, Hakim were indicted on conspiracy to defraud the US and other charges.

March 16th 1988, the Saddam administration’s attack on Halabja; chemical weapons used against Kurds causing more than 5000 to die. The British “foreign office tried to suppress” news of this massacre . David Mellor was in the Foreign Office at the time.
Afterwards arms shipments continued. Rumsfeld the US Defence Secretary collaborated with Saddam Hussein leading up to massacre of Iraqi Kurds and acting as a liaison for US military aid during the war between Iran and Iraq.
“No condemnation from Washington” (Dilip Hiro, “when US turned a blind eye to poison gas” The Observer, September 1st 2002, page 17) “In Sep 1988 the House of Reps voted 388 to 16 in favour of economic sanctions against Iraq, but the WH succeeded in having the Senate water down the proposal. In exchange for Export-Import bank credits, Iraq merely had to promise not to use chemical weapons again, with agricultural credits exempted even from this limited requirement”.
“After Saddam gassed 6,8000 Kurdish Iraqis at Halabja the Pentagon set out to defend Saddam by partially blaming Iran for the atrocity. A newly declassified State Department document proves that the idea was dreamed up by the Pentagon – who had all along backed Saddam – and states that US diplomats received instructions to push the line of Iran’s culpability, but not to discuss details.

Iran Contra McFarlane pleaded guilty to withholding information from congress – March 11th.

April 1988
The first Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan on April 1988 – final evacuation to be early 1989.
Early warning signals in Afghanistan over oppression of women. Even before the first Soviet withdrawals, “shabanamas” or handbills warned of reprisals against women who left their homes. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s followers threw acid at women who dared venture out in trousers or skirts, or short sleeves.
The US  favoured three fundamentalist resistance groups of “freedom fighters” headed by Hekmatyar – the one who encouraged throwing acid at women. Washington wasn’t so keen on the more moderate Mujahideen groups. US and Saudi Arabia armed the fundamentalists giving them the edge over the moderates.  According to Amnesty International this US donated hardware was used to kill unarmed civilians, mostly women and children.
Najibullah (Soviet sponsored) was still in power but under its National Reconciliation Policy – to accommodate the opposition – women’s rights were made the first sacrifice. Ideas put forward to protect women’s rights in Afghanistan were ignored by the west.

May 1988
Extreme corruption in Brazil. The landowners had “bought off the [government’s] Brazilian Forestry Development Institute [IBDF] staff in the Amazon region.” Even though the rubber tappers have lived in these areas for centuries, it is the landowners who call the shots using trespass laws and courts for support and protection.
27th May rubber tappers camped outside IBDF offices in Brazil were shot. The gunmen, though recognised and well known, were not arrested. Police refused to investigate. There was no inquiry. A war being waged by Brazil’s large landowners.
União Democratica Ruralista (UDR) is the landowners’ organisation – they controlled assassination squads. According to Chico Mendes “in Xapuri these squads are led by Darli & Alvarino Alves da Silva” ranch-owners. “They lead a gang of about 30 gunmen”. Hundreds of people murdered every year as they try to defend the forests.
Mendes, himself, was killed just before xmas 1988 – causing world-wide shock and anger. Local police took no action, but international reaction led to arrest by Brazilian authorities of Darli Alves da Salve and one of his sons Darci. Two UDR lawyers defended the accused.
Mendes had been organising protests such as (empates?) non-violent stand-offs with chainsaw gangs sent by the landlords.
He was very effective – defending the livelihoods of rubber tappers, Indians and fisher folk.
The landowners wanted cattle pasture and commercial farms. “Poverty and Planet” Ben Jackson.
new constitution in Brazil  - reduced presidential powers.

June 1988
June 8th Judge Gesell ordered separate trials for North, Poindexter, secord, and Hakim due to problems caused by congressional grants of immunity. Iran Contra
June 20th Fernandez indicted in District of Columbia for conspiracy and false statements to the CIA Inspector General and the Tower Commission. Iran Contra
June 29th Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the independent counsel law. Iran Contra

June – Gorby declared principle of freedom of choice for governments within eastern bloc and renounced the use of force to prop them up. The house of cards started to fall over. From 1988 the USSR cut support to its allies in 3rd world to appease the US. Gorby announced massive Soviet unilateral reduction in ground troops in Europe, which paved way for a total pull out.
East Germany disallowed Soviet magazines and fims – East Germany kept opposition low by dumping the out-spoken into West Germany. Critical mass didn’t reach East Germany until 1989.

July 1988
The Warsaw Pact demanded a 3 step decrease in conventional weapons in Europe, 16th July.
Ronnie went to Moscow to meet Gorby for the 4th time. But little was achieved other than lots of photo opportunities. Reagan’s popularity went up to 70%.
White House document: “our own military forces have demonstrated capabilities to engage in low intensity conflict , and these capabilities have improved substantially over recent years. But the most appropriate application of US military power is usually indirect through security assistance – training, advisory help, logistics support and the supply of essential military support equipment. Recipients of such assistance bear the primary responsibilty for promoting their own security interests with the US aid provided. Our program of assistance to El Salvador illustrates a successful indirect application of US military power.”

August 1988
Iran-Iraq war ended, August 29th 1988, after hundreds of thousands (Grauniad says at least a million) dead and complete devastation. The US had overtly supported Iraq – boosting brutal dictator Saddam Hussein, but covertly supporting Iran despite arms embargo in place. See Iran-Contra episode. Neither side had achieved any significant territorial gain.
Soviet influence?

October 1988

 “the US reaction when Nicaragua was fortuitously devastated by a hurricane in October 1988. Washington could scarcely conceal its glee over the welcome prospects of widespread starvation and vast ecological damage, and naturally refused aid, even to the demolished Atlantic coast area with longstanding links to the US and deep resentment against the Sandinistas; its people too must starve in the ruins of their shacks to satisfy our blood lust.” .

Largest gay rights march in history on October 11th. 500,000 people took part in National March on Washington.

October 19th Judge Robinson dismissed Fernandez case without prejudice…look up. Iran Contra

As slaughter of Guatemala’s indigenous population by the military reached virtual genocide Reagan and his officials lauded the assassins as forward-looking democrats, informed congress that the US would provide arms .

Jane – 1988 – an extra £1bn of public money was made available to the British Government Export Credits Guarantee Department specifically ‘to boost large overseas defense sales’ insures UK exporters against not being paid for weapons sold overseas. Britain concluded huge deals with Jordan and Saudi Arabia for advanced Tornado fighter aircraft. Since 1982 the total volume of major government to government arms transfers has declined, mainly outside of the Middle East. The five leading third world importers in the late 80s were Iraq, Egypt, India, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Civilian plane shot down – Aegis hi-tech radar system cost $500m – designed to track and shoot down up to 200 incoming missiles at once. After seriously flawed tests – Aegis was employed in combat on the USS Vincennes. It successfully shot down an Iranian Airbus with 290 civilians on board. It mistook the 175 feet Airbus for a 62 feet F-14 and miscalculated uts height by 4000 feet, reported that aircraft was descending in attack position when it was climbing.

November 1988
Election
Bush 53.4% 426
Dukakis 45.6% 111

John N Mitchell, former AG and major figure in Watergate died aged 75, November 9th.

December 1988
Lockerbie Air Crash
21st December 1988 a Boeing 747 exploded at 31,000 feet and crashed on Lockerbie in Scotland, killing 270 people”
Flight N739PA, flying from Berlin to New York, crashed over a Lockerbie in Scotland. Much of the plane ended up in the town, destroying homes and killing Lockerbie residents. This horrific story was headlines days before Christmas, December 21st, which added to the horror.
There was an explosion followed by the plane breaking up and crashing. There were no survivors on the plane – 259 were killed. 11 died on the ground.
”Pan Am 103 The Lockerbie Cover Up”, Dr. William Chasey ISBN 0-9640104-1-0
“Cover Up of Convenience” by Ian Ferguson & John Ashton & Lester Coleman.
Article in Independent “25th August 1998: On 19.02,.

Theories of who did it fluctuated. First Iran did it then Syria, then Libya. However witnesses disagree with the official explanation. There were discrepancies reported over the number of bodies, and even claims that there were survivors.
“Mysterious officals were reported on the crash site, tampering with bodies and evidence.”
The immediate suspicion was that Iran did it revenge for the Airbus that US had shot down. When the official investigation led by Scottish detectives and the FBI was completed in 1991, the accused were two small-time Libyans, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi and al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah, said to be agents for Libyan intelligence.
“The Libyans did it to avenge Ronald Reagan’s attack on Tripoli in 1986; the Iranians to avenge the accidental shooting down of one of their airliners by the USS Vincennes in July 1988; Palestinian terrorists did it to eliminate a CIA team preapring to rescue Western hostages in Beirut.” In fact the Americans had pissed off so many countries in the middle east that they could assign credible motives to almost any one of them.

US documantary by Allan Francovich (now dead) called “Maltese Double Cross”.
His theory centres round a Lebanese-born American, Khalid Jafaar, who was on PanAm 103. Part of a drug-producing family from the Bekaa valley, he was ordered by Hizollah to take heroin to the US. But Jabril’s men switched his heroin for the bomb when he stopped in Germany. He claims Jabril was taking advantage of a deal struck by the CIA and the US Drug Enforcement Administration DEA with the Syrian bosses of Lebanese drug-trafficking. In return for helping the Syrians use their influence to free the remaining American hostages, the CIA helped them transport heroin to the US. Jabril used this arrangement to get the bomb on to the aircraft.
Adding fuel to this theory was the presence on PanAM 103 of Major Charles McKee, who, unannounced, was returrning with his CIA team to the US from Beirut. He was part of an operation to free the Lebanese hostages. The sub-plot is that his team were killed to prevent key information getting back to the US. This is the simplified version!”

There were a lot of funny things about this crash. Enough to put it into Conspiracy Corner.
 “It is said VIPs and US diplomats and CIA staff cancelled bookings on Pan Am 103, enabling late bookers such as Flora Swire, to get a seat.”
It took off from Heathrow at 18.25. As it approached the Burnham beacon it took a radar heading of 350 degrees and climbed to 31,000 feet.
“At 19.02 hours and 50 seconds the bomb exploded in the hold. A complete wing structure attached to the centre section of the aircraft crashed on the southern edge of the Scottish town of the Lockerbie. Large portions of the aircraft landed on farmland to the east of the town, and wreckage was scattered over 80 miles.”
“The aircraft section that hit Lockerbie gouged a crater 155 feet wide and 196 feet long, and dempolished  21 buildings in the worst hit area, Sherwood Crescent. The mass of metal and fuel caused an inferno, killing 11 of the town’s residents.

“Within weeks of the 9th anniversary of Lockerbie, Robin Cook, then the Foreign Secretary, told the Lord Advocate, Lord Hardie, that the US-British stance that the two Libyan suspects be surrendered for trial in Scotland was no longer sustainable”.
One of the writers of “Cover Up of Convenience”, Lester Coleman, ended up fleeing the US and asking for political asylum in, the first American ever to do this. He described the harrassment and threats he’d been receiving from the authorities due to allegations he’d made. He fled the US because now he felt that his life was in danger.
A lot of the books describing cover ups were banned in the US. The government changed their claims of who comitted the bombing, suddenly and without any evidence, confusing everyone including relatives of the victims.
The presence of large numbers of American soldiers at the crash site, reporters barred from coming near the site, disappearing evidence, discrepencies over numbers of bodies, rumours that some diplomatic staff received warnings and cancelled their bookings on the flight etc.

On December 18th 1990, Congress hearing in the House of Representatives, looking into Drug Enforcement Administration’s connection to PanAm 103. Government information, justice and agriculture subcommittee, committee on government operations.

“John Wyatt, an explosives expert employed by the UN, gave details of extensive tests he had conducted on a replica of the timer allegedly used to blow up the Pan Am plane. It was a fragment of such a timer that helped to convict Abdul al Megrahi of the bombing. Yet in none of Wyatt’s 20 test explosions did any single identifiable fragment survive. In a lengthy email to President Obama before Christmas 2009, Lockerbie campaigner Dr Jim Swire…had already drawn attention to the suspect evidence about the time given at Merahi’s trial by FBI agent Thomas Thurman.
Dr Swire also referred the President to the fact that one of the key British witnesses for the prosecution, alan Feraday of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, had been discredited in an IRA bombing case and that the Lord Chief Justice decalred his evidence to be “dogmatic in the extreme” and ruled that “he should not be allowed to present himself as an expert in this field.” So who, Dr Swire asks, authorised the employment of Feraday in the Lockerbie case, and why?”

Notes 1988
Sudan
Famine in Sudan. 250,000 died in 1988. Sudan had Islamic government – the northern government versus southern rebels. There’s oil in the south of the country 1993 – Bin Laden trained guerrillas killed 18 Americans . See Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down” for pro US version.

World Bank
By 1988 nearly 1/3 of World Bank loans had strict conditions attached. Conditions that benefitted certain private bankers, mostly yanks.

Brazil
An advert placed in ‘El Mundo’ aboput scorched earth policy in the rainforest, placed by the community leaders from Morazan region where 4,800 acres of pine(?) forests were destroyed by bombing and fires. – is this Brazil?
A saucer crash was reported off the coast of Brazil – Omni Magazine – debris washed ashore went to Cornell University .

Gay Christians
The US Episcopal Diocese of Newark, NJ, became the first church to support relationships between gay and lesbian couples.

North and Poindexter were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the US. But Bush came out of it all squeaky clean, allowing him to win the election.