Operation Northwoods and the Project for the New American Century

[I wrote this piece about state sponsored terrorism many years ago. There is nothing new under the sun.]

Tying decades-old terror plan "Operation Northwoods" with PNAC's modern empire-building agenda.

( posted radio show at https://www.indybay.org/news/2006/01/1796153.php )

Today I want to talk about two important documents which you may or may not have heard anything about ... depending on where you get your news from. You probably won't hear about them from Katie Couric, but they might have been mentioned on 60 minutes -- though certainly not together. You see, by themselves, they're bad enough, but when considered together -- well, people might get ideas.

The first document, which was top secret when it was written in the 60's but has since been de-classified, went by the somewhat bland name "Operation Northwoods." In fact, it's a truly scary bit of brainstorming about "how can we get the public to go for an invasion of Cuba?" Here are various quotes from the document, which was first exposed in James Bamford's book "Body of Secrets": "We could blow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba ... casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation." "We could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington. The terror campaign could be pointed at Cuban refugees seeking haven in the United States ... We could sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or simulated). . . . We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding in instances to be widely publicized."

"Exploding a few plastic bombs in carefully chosen spots, the arrest of Cuban agents and the release of prepared documents substantiating Cuban involvement also would be helpful in projecting the idea of an irresponsible government."

This plan had the written approval of the Chairman and every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Apparently however, JFK took exception with it.

The second document comes from the Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, which is a neoconservative think tank based out of Washington D.C. Present and former members include the likes of Jeb Bush, Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz. The document in question is a 90-page report called "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategies, Forces, And Resources For A New Century." Written in the year 2000, it advocates that America capitalize on her military and economic superiority to gain unchallengeable superiority through all means necessary, including military force. It also recommends the forward redeployment of US forces at new strategically placed permanent military bases. Here are some quotes to that effect: "while the unresolved conflict in Iraq provides the immediate justification [for US military presence], the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein" and "Over the long term, Iran may well prove as large a threat to U.S. interests in the Gulf as Iraq has. And even should U.S.-Iranian relations improve, retaining forward-based forces in the region would still be an essential element in U.S. security strategy given the longstanding American interests in the region".

The quote I'm most interested in is on page 51, under Chapter V, entitled "Creating Tomorrow's Dominant Force." "Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor." Keep in mind this was written in September 2000.

For more information on Operation Northwoods and Rebuilding America's Defenses, search the Internet!