Posted on 06/10/2006 11:06:40 AM PDT by ex-Texan
OTTAWA -- Greeted at the airport by limousine drivers holding single-letter "B" signs, global luminaries such as Henry Kissinger, David Rockefeller and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands began arriving in Ottawa Thursday for the annual gathering of the ultra-secretive Bilderberg Group.
Over the next three days, they and other prominent political and business leaders from North America and Europe are expected to discuss issues such as the security threat posed by Iran and the direction of oil markets.
The group's discreet approach was evident as attendees arrived at the Ottawa International Airport.
Outside the airport, a phalanx of limousines queued to ferry guests to the Brookstreet Hotel, where security guards with ear pieces kept watch over the barricaded entrance to the hotel parking lot.
Limos were also dispatched to the nearby Shell Aerocentre to retrieve participants arriving on private aircraft. Some attendees had the single-letter "B" on their luggage tags.
Former U.S. defence policy adviser Richard Perle shot down criticism about the secrecy of the group's meetings.
"It's a private organization," he said. He denied the charge, advanced by Bilderberg critics, that the organization crafts public policy behind closed doors.
"It discusses public policy," he said.
Perle also dismissed suggestions the group's heavy representation from the oil industry gives it influence over global energy prices.
"If it did, I'd be trading on oil futures," he said.
A former assistant secretary of defence to President Ronald Reagan, Perle is still considered an influential adviser in U.S. conservative circles. He advised President George W. Bush and is said to be a close friend of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
In 2003, he publicly chastised the Canadian government for refusing to send troops to Iraq and warned that "lame-duck" Prime Minister Jean Chretien would be embarrassed once weapons of mass destruction were found.
Also seen arriving Thursday were Jorma Ollila, chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, and Egil Myklebust, chairman of Scandinavian Airlines.
According to an unsigned press release, presumably by Bilderberg organizers, attendees will also include New York Governor George Pataki, former Iraqi deputy prime minister Ahmad Chalabi, the heads of Coca-Cola, Credit Suisse, the Royal Bank of Canada, a number of media moguls, and cabinet ministers from Spain and Greece.
The release confirmed this year's meeting will deal with energy issues, Iran, the Middle East, terrorism, immigration, Russia, European-American relations and Asia.
"The meeting is private to encourage frank and open discussion," said the release. "There will be no press conference."
Security was relatively light at the airport, with only a few uniformed police officers on hand.
But at the Brookstreet, the parking lot in front of the hotel was empty and all entrances to the lot barricaded. A tow truck removed vehicles that did not comply.
Security guards were stationed at various points around the hotel perimeter, including the golf course behind the Brookstreet. A number of Ottawa police officers also provided security.
The event drew a number of regular Bilderberg watchers who follow the organization around the world, few more colourful than James P. Tucker Jr., a 71-year-old writer who says he has covered every Bilderberg conference for the last 30 years. He recently published a book called the Bilderberg Diary.
Tucker said he spent several days this week casing out the hotel, plying Brookstreet bartenders for information.
"For years they denied their very existence," Tucker said. "Well, they certainly influence the world."
Daniel Estulin, who flew from Spain to cover this week's conference, is such a regular on the circuit that he is on a first-name basis with Bilderberg security officials.
"Their main objective is creating a world government ruled by an elite group of people whose main objective is to control all the natural resources of the planet," Estulin said.
The Bilderberg Group, named after the Dutch hotel where it held its first meeting in 1954, was conceived as a forum for building transatlantic ties during the Cold War.
Organizers insist the group's clandestine ways media are barred from the event and attendees are sworn to secrecy enable a freer exchange of ideas.
But critics and conspiracy theorists say the group shows a disturbing lack of accountability considering how many powerful people it brings together.
Ottawa Citizen
Sorry. I should have said some of my friends are Libertarians. I actually considered joining the Libertarian Party back before I learned the harsh truth about politics in Oregon. Sadly, the entire state is controlled by reptilian shape shifters.
I figured leaks would be hard to plug here as much as in other organizations. But I worry Jones is a very disreputable source. Didn't he go around claiming Bush Sr. was involved in ritual pedophilia?
"Et tu Brute" was a classic example of conspiracies spoken by Caesar at his assassination. (Wm Shakespeare)
Edwin Walker! What a "special" fellow he was.
Ad hominem as logical fallacy
A (fallacious) ad hominem argument has the basic form:
1. A makes claim X.
2. There is something objectionable about A.
3. Therefore claim X is false.
wikipedia
A fool is a fool is a fool, easily conned no matter what the subject.
If someone believes in UFO's and witchcraft, they probably also have poor judgement when it comes to politics, scams, and interpreting the significance of events that they only have a small bit of information on.
Just a big ego meeting.
The actual report's page one is page 23 of the .pdf file. And the last page is page 53 of the .pdf file.
How to destroy the USA in 30 pages.
Therefore, somebody has to make it happen.
And the biggest favor we can do for the people making this happen is to deny that they exist. Whoever they may be.
""Their main objective is creating a world government ruled by an elite group of people whose main objective is to control all the natural resources of the planet," Estulin said."
We all know now that the most important government resource is its people.
I hope you're not the one responsible for Steve Gutenberg.
I have said it before . . .
Whenever a group with as much money & influence spend this much effort to get together in secret, it is not in our best interest but theirs.
Your funny.
What, no Tourist Guy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.