Houstonians pour money and hearts into Bush-Clinton fund (Barbara Bush calls Toon her "Son")

WHERE SOME OF THE MONEY'S GOING • $5 million: Will be used to provide scholarships for as many as 75 students to attend Texas A&M University or the University of Arkansas for study in subjects that will aid ongoing reconstruction — engineering, city planning and agriculture. • $1 million: Will be used to build playgrounds in Sri Lanka. • $500,000: Will be spent in Lampuuk, Sumatra, Clinton said, to rebuild a school, a health clinic, a women's center and a small market, and to rebuild the village's water system.

From schoolchildren to corporate giants, churches to sports franchises, Houstonians have contributed $10 million to a fund set up by former Presidents Bush and Clinton to help victims of December's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami.

Bush and Clinton, who were asked by President George W. Bush to lead a national fund-raising campaign in January, announced the local total at a ceremony Thursday at Westside Tennis Club. Among others, the event was attended by hundreds of schoolchildren who contributed.

"I want to thank all the people of Houston who generously donated to this fund," Clinton said. "I don't think any city in America can match the contributions that Houston has made to tsunami relief."

The Bush-Clinton Houston Tsunami Fund was an offshoot of the national campaign and was chaired by Houston businessman Jim McIngvale and his wife, Linda. Donations were received from more than 14,000 contributors and averaged $714.

Nationally, Bush said Americans have contributed more than $1 billion to tsunami relief and redevelopment efforts. The contributions to the Bush-Clinton fund do not include millions of dollars donated by Houstonians and others through other avenues.

The local fund's $10 million will be targeted at specific redevelopment projects in four countries — Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives — that were particularly hard hit by the tsunami, and which were visited by the two former presidents on a tour of the region in February.

The tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Dec. 26, left at least 275,000 people dead or missing in at least 12 countries from Asia to East Africa. More than a million people were displaced by the giant waves, which in many places wiped out entire towns and villages.

The two former presidents visited one such village, Lampuuk, on the west coast of Sumatra, during their February trip. Before the waves, Lampuuk was home to about 6,500 people; only 700 survived. The only building left standing was the local mosque, though it suffered heavy damage.

The devastation in Lampuuk clearly moved both Clinton and Bush, who pledged to help the village recover.

In Thailand, Bush and Clinton visited Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village that was virtually wiped out. Their fund will be used to buy or build nearly 200 fishing boats.

In the Maldives, a damaged island will be "adopted" with the help of Bush-Clinton funds and its water and sanitation systems will be repaired, as will its harbor and government offices.

Bush and Clinton, in part because they have worked so closely on fund-raising efforts, have forged a close friendship in recent months, prompting some humor from former first lady Barbara Bush when she introduced the former presidents.

"It's my great honor to introduce America's favorite new couple," she said. "Everyone is talking about the 'odd couple,' George and Bill — or, as I now call him, Son."

In January, as the scale of the disaster began to sink in, McIngvale said the American people began responding in an unprecedented way.

"Soon the prayers of the American people were met with action," he said. "The reason you were invited to be here tonight is that you were part of more than 14,000 people who responded."

Bush added: "I want to thank each and every donor who opened their hearts to this unimaginable suffering. This has been one of the most rewarding efforts I have been a part of."

from amazon.com
Terry Kent Reed joined the Air Force while in college. He soon learned that "the government and the military had to deceive the American public to accomplish its national security objectives" (p.18)! The CIA relied extensively upon Air America to conduct their unstated objectives (p.20). What happened to our MIAs? POW camps were bombed by the Air Force (p.22)! The newspapers and government lied about Southeast Asia (p.23). After leaving the Air Force TKR got a commercial pilot's license and worked as a salesman in the machine industry. TKR became an asset for the FBI, then the CIA, on international sales. In 1983 he began to work for the CIA. "Insurance losses" would be used to raise untraceable funds (p.43). What happened to those old traditional values (p.14)?

A NJ arms company was bought and shipped to Arkansas to build receiver housings that converted a civilian AR-15 to a military M-16, and had no tractable serial number. The Rose Law Firm's specialty was brokering deals (p.55). Governor Bill Clinton was disliked because of his attempts to attract out-of-state businesses, and for trying to improve the state educational system (p.56). Page 86 explains how stolen aircraft are laundered if you have Government connections. Mena airport specialized in illegal modifications to aircraft. Barry Seal was used by the Reagan Administration, then thrown away (pp.97-98). Payoffs were made to Arkansas state officials (p.125). The CIA is above the law (p.133). Pages 212-4 tell how the Arkansas governor's friends and relatives were dirtied-up. Does the CIA decide who will become President (pp.231-6)? The BCCI and First American Bank were used by Arkansas banking (p.245). When dirty money is deposited in the Netherlands Antilles, it can be laundered and taxes avoided (p.249). Things went well for TKR until a C-123 was shot down (pp.289-90).

The Mexican Enterprise began Phase 2. The elite of Mexico, like in Arkansas, opposed any change unless they personally benefited. They suppressed any attempt to empower a middle class(p.330). Then TKR discovered his business was being used to ship pure cocaine to the States; the US Govt. was the biggest cocaine smuggler (p.343)! What powerful men owed their fortune to CIA drug traffic (p.346)? Was the crew on that downed C-123 killed before the crash (p.356)? Page 390 tells how a false crime can be created to destroy the credibility of a witness. The Reeds went underground with hidden identities, and traveled the country.

After the case went to trial, the judge declared Terry Reed not guilty due to a lack of evidence (p.459). This kept the story of drug trafficking hidden from the public. The Reeds tried to sue for their false prosecution, but no lawyer would take their case after the judgment against the Christic Institute (p.470). A famous legal expert took their case on contingency. Page 502 tells of the smear story created by 'TIME' magazine. Iran-Contra was not an issue in the 1992 election because both Bush and Clinton were involved! Terry Reed discovered the CIA counsel was now Attorney-General!

The Epilogue claims the Dept of Justice perverted itself under Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. I think Bush picked Clinton as an opponent because Clinton would not prosecute Bush for drug trafficking; then Bush Jr to continue the cover-up. Congress failed to expose Iran-Contra (p.545) because of a pay-off. (Like the Senate failure to impeach Clinton?) The book ends by asking why Barry Seal was bumped off. Did he threaten very powerful people with exposure? Page 240 tells how dirty drug money ended up in Attorney-General Meese's personal bank account. Do these 'Black Operation' flights still continue?

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