Saturday, June 1, 2013

SENSATIONAL SPY CASES , PRESIDENT REAGAN LIES ,KISSINGER GIGGLES !!!-Another extraordinary chapter in the Pete Steedman Chronicles, #10


Hawke gives the okay to kick out a  Russian
 
While  it   had  been  jokingly   written  in   the  Sydney  Bulletin  magazine  that   Pete  Steedman , on being  elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives  in  l983 ,   could  expect    a “complimentary  phone  tap” and  an  autographed   photograph  of  the   Australian  Security  and  Intelligence  Office    chief  Harvey  Barnett   ,   Prime  Minister  Bob  Hawke  had  only  been  in  office  slightly   more than  a   month  when  he   granted   an  urgent  meeting   with    Barnett  who  wanted  to  raise  a  matter  of   national  security.”   Barnett  revealed  that   ASIO  had  bugged   the   Canberra  home  of   the   first   secretary   at  the  Russian  Embassy ,Valeri  Ivanov ,   and   the   night  before    Labor   won   the   election  the   KGB   man   had   entertained    David  Combe ,  former  National Secretary of  the  ALP  and  a   lobbyist  .   During  a long  dinner  that  went on  until  late , during  which there had   been  much drinking,   Combe  had   been  effusive .   [ A  subsequent  account of  the  affair,  which  threatened  the  survival of the Hawke  Government ,  said   Combe   did  not realise that  a  nest of  scorpion(s )–the  telegraphic  address  for  ASIO  was listening  in  , see   Steedman 9  in this  series. ]   Barnett  presented   a   40- page   document   of  the conversation and  expressed  the  belief   that  Combe   was   being   groomed  by  the  Russian .   

The   Hawke  Memoirs , William Heinemann ,Australia, l994,  covered the Combe-Ivanov Affair  in    detail  and   clearly  indicated  that  it  was  felt  the  explosive issue  could see the government  turfed  out  after  one term.   Brief  mention was  made  in  the  book   about  an episode  in which   Combe   introduced  Hawke  to  the  NT Chief  Minister , Paul  Everingham , and  lingering on, to the annoyance  of  the  PM.   Unfortunately,  the  reason for the  meeting was  not   explained  in  the  book,  but  it  probably related  to  the ALP’s  looming  policy  on  uranium  , which  resulted in Everingham “ waging war “ on  the  government.
Combe , a   hefty  fellow,  with  curly hair  and   glasses ,   become interested  in politics   while  attending  Adelaide  University , partly   through  friendship  with  Don  Dunstan , who  became  the  SA  premier .  Combe   moved   to   Canberra  in 1973 and  became  the  youngest  serving  National Secretary of  the party  during the time of  the  Whitlam Government
  After  Labor  lost  the l975  election  Combe  claimed  the    Central  Intelligence  Agency  of   the  US  had  been  involved. Combe   continued  in  the  position  of  National Secretary  until  1981  when he resigned   to  start   the  lobbying  firm, David  Combe  and  Associates.  A   member  of  the  Australia-USSR  Friendship Society  , in  1982  he  and his  wife   visited  the  country as   guests. 

The   Combe-Ivanov  affair  resulted  in  the expulsion of  the  Russian ;  the  ALP   denied  Combe  access   to  ministers  ;   the   Minister  for  State ,  Mick  Young  , a close friend of  Hawke’s ,   resigned his  ministry  for “leaking that  the government was going  to “kick out” a  Russian . It  was  subsequently   revealed   that   Combe's  phone  was  monitored  for  further  contacts  with  Ivanov  or  other  Russians,  as   there  was  the  chance  that   Ivanov  was not  the only  KGB officer in town, and   he   could  hand  over  Combe's  grooming to  a  colleague.
 A  large section of the  ALP  regarded  the  Combe-Ivanoff  imbroglio  as  an ASIO conspiracy  against  the   Australian  ALP Government .   PM  Hawke   was  criticised  by  some  ministers  and others   prominent  in   the  party   for  his  response  to  the  ASIO briefing .   One of  those  who  shared  the  conspiracy  theory   was   Pete  Steedman  , whose  strong  stand  during   his university days   against  Australia’s  involvement in  Vietnam   with  its  associated  conscription  of  youths  on  the  draw of a   marble  forced   to  fight  in the  war  had  made him  an  ASIO  target, the  subject  of  verbal and  physical  attacks   by   proven  ASIO operatives  and  the  recipient of  death  threats .

Commenting  on  the  sensational  Combe–Ivanov  case in  his   regular  column   PETE’S PARLIAMENT in the  Victorian Labor  Star  newspaper ,Steedman  wrote  that  there  was  no  doubt  the   ALP had been “set up ” by  ASIO. It  was  remarkable, he felt, that  the  ALP continually underestimated  the “deviousness “ of  this  demented group of   junior  league James Bonds.” Continuing , he said –

Those of us  who have  had  contact with ASIO agents  over the years  are always repulsed by the  level of intellect   and  the real  anti-Labor  paranoia   and  hatreds  they  espouse. They are usually anti-social  misfits   who use  the  position  of  power  they  hold  to work  out their  personal problems.

Thousands of  pages  of  documents  do not  find their  way  to  newspaper offices   without connivance. People  like  Ian Sinclair (National Party) do not  ask seemingly innocent  questions  without  having  a  well  researched back up  and an ulterior motive. Where did  he  get his  information  from ?  [ Steedman  was  referring to a  National Times   series   which seemed  to  have  been  based  on inside   ASIO  information ;  Steedman  criticised  PM Hawke  for trying to stop   further publication  by  threatening  to  taking  High Court  action  against  journalist  Brian  Toohey .   Sinclair  asked   inspired  parliamentary  questions  which indicated  he  was  well sourced .]

 While all  the  ASIO  revelations  were being used  against us (Hawke Government ) , we should   have  been  taking  the   attack  back  into  the  Liberal  camp.

After all,  the   incidents  reported   all   happened  under  the  Liberal  Government.  Did the Liberals  know  what  was  going  on?  If they  did,  then  they  are  guilty  of  misusing  our internal security forces.  If  they  didn’t,  they  are  incompetent  and  had   lost  control  of our  internal  security.  And  if  they  didn’t,  then  ASIO  was  acting   outside  its charter   and  was seriously  jeopardising  our international   standing.   What  the  hell  are  we  on the  defensive  about?

In  a   short  item, The  Australian said  Steedman had “ gone to bat” for   Combe ,the “hapless lobbyist”, and in doing so  revealed that  he (Combe)  had   been getting  a “ share  of  flak  from ALP colleagues. Steedman , the paper  said ,  had reported  he  and some 30 colleagues had   attended  a dinner with Combe  and as the night drew on some  of the comrades “no doubt through the lateness of the  night,were  becoming  a bit insensitive  to his position” . Senator Nick Bolkus , South Australia , was  reported to  have  said  it  was about  time for  an assessment of   the  role of  ASIO and  the secrecy  that  pervaded  the whole  area  of  its  activities.     

The   Hope  Royal   Commission  ,  regarded  by  some  as  a  kangaroo court, treated  as such by a number of  cartoonists ,  was   set  up  to  inquire   into  Australia’s  security  and  intelligence agencies .  Steedman  said  the  Commission  should   demand  to  see  the secret report of  the  Petrov  Commission of  Inquiry   which involved the defection to Australia of  Vladimir Petrov, Third Secretary at  the Soviet Embassy, Canberra, on  April 3, l954.   Mrs  Petrov  was dragged   to  a  plane  by  KGB   couriers  at   Sydney  Airport  amid   a crowd of  protestors who tried to  prevent her  boarding.  In  Darwin ,  police officer , Sergeant Greg  Ryall , slapped a    beefy forearm across  the  throat  of  one  Russian when  it appeared he was reaching  for a  gun. Mrs  Petrov  sought asylum  and  was  reunited with  her husband.  It  was   claimed  that  the   Petrov   Inquiry  had   been  a  Cold War   conspiracy  against  the  ALP   and  had   helped  Coalition  remain  in  office   for   so  long. 

The   Hope  Inquiry  found  that   Combe had  indeed   been targeted by the Soviets, but there   was  no proof  of  intelligence  breaches, nor  security  threat  to the country.  Commissioner  Hope  also  found  that  Hawke  and  ASIO  had  acted  properly  throughout .

While  ASIO   had a   network  of “spies”, Steedman  also had  an invaluable source  of  intelligence  .  Alerted   to  longstanding    shortcoming s   in  the pay  and  conditions   for  Canberra   staff  employed   as   parliamentary  car  drivers  ,  in  catering     and  security,  he  got  three unions  to  strongly  take  up  their  case . His  prompt  action, typical of  Steedman  on   all  matters ,  impressed  .  “As  a  result , I  had a network of 'observers' who could keep me up to date with all that was happening in the Parliament at all hours ,”  said Steedman  .  Some   fed   him   juicy   bits  about    goings   on  in  the  capital,   dining  room  observations   and   what   they   heard   and  saw   in  cars .  . 

PRESIDENT   REAGAN   PATCHED  THROUGH  TO  STEEDMAN’S  OFFICE   

The   official  opening  by   PM Hawke  of   a   new  electorate  office   for  Steedman at   Mooroolbark  on a hot day   became  an  extraordinary  event   when   US   President  Ronald  Reagan  rang  the office.    Admittedly   the  most  powerful in the world  was not  ringing  to  congratulate   Steedman;  he   wanted  to  give Hawke  the   latest on the  controversial US- led  invasion  of   the   tiny   former Caribbean  British  colony  of  Grenada

 The   claim  was  that   a proposed  extension of  an  airstrip  on  the island   to promote tourism    could  be used  by   Russian-Cuban  forces  to  threaten  the  stability of  Latin  America  and  even   America.   Canada ,  Britain and  the  United  Nations  condemned the  invasion.  It was revealed  that    British  PM ,  Margaret  Thatcher,  sent   President  Reagan  a  telegram strongly opposing  any invasion .  Twenty minutes  later ,  she   rang   Reagan  to  drive  home  her  advice  and  he   responded  by  telling  her  that  no invasion  was  contemplated.   Later ,  he  admitted  that he had “lied“ to the Iron lady  as  the invasion was  already  underway,  but he could not let her know.   Strangely,   Hawke  did  not   mention   the  Grenada  invasion   episode   in his  memoirs.

The   opening   of   Steedman’s   office  was  delayed  while   Hawke   took President  Reagan’s  call  in  a  back room . A newspaper report said  that  for  16 minutes  international  diplomacy  was  carried out  next  to the Honest-To-Goodness  barbecue  chicken shop .   Steedman  stood on a table  and told  the hot and thirsty   crowd of about  400, including  some  with anti uranium mining placards, that  the  PM  was  on  the phone to some old man ,  and would be out  soon  to  mingle  and  bless  them.
There   were   cheers  when   Pete said   there  was  plenty of beer  left to drink.  The PM told the media that it  was quite  clear that the US  had  no aggressive  desire to   go in an impose  a situation on  the  island.  During a speech, Hawke  referred to  Steedman , wearing  a three piece suit without a tie   ,as”  my  sartorially  elegant  friend” . Photographs  were taken  of   Hawke , fully kitted, standing , with  his  arms  on Steedman’s   shoulders, who  was  seated .  Steedman  remarked  that  in  that  position he felt  like  the   ventriloquist’s   doll  , Gerry  Gee,  Australian TV’s  first and foremost  puppet made   popular   by   Ron  Blaskett ,  who  eventually  retired  after  a  “dummy run “ of  76  years.

STEEDMAN  ‘ENTERTAINS” HENRY  KISSINGER  

 
Former  US  Secretary of  State , Henry  Kissinger, visited  parliament  in November  1983  and  after   being warmly welcomed  by  some , including  Opposition Leader Andrew Peacock  , who  beamed  and  slapped him  on the  back , sat   and  watched  proceedings.

A newspaper report   said   some  ALP  members were less  receptive to  his visit because of  the  part  he played  in the  Vietnam War , the conflict having caused  “angst “ within the party,  and left the chamber . (  Kissinger, with  the   US   President ,  Jerry  Ford , of  whom   President   Lyndon  Baines Johnson   had  said  could   not  think  and  fart  at  the same time ,  had  slipped  out  of   Jakarata  a  few days  before  the  invasion  of   East  Timor  in  l975, well  knowing what was about  to  be  unleashed  on  the tiny country seeking  democracy  ,  and  were   disliked  by  many  in  Australia  and elsewhere.    President  Ford   also granted  a  pardon  to  Richard Nixon for  his part in the Watergate scandal .)    

  Not  suited  , his   hairstyle   once  described  as  that of   a  werewolf,  Steedman   rose   and said  it  had  been  reported in  Britain  the  government  had warned  that  protestors  outside a nuclear   missile  base , where  500 women  demonstrated   under the  banner  WOMEN FOR SURVIVAL   ,  could  be  shot .  He  asked   Defence Minister , Gordon   Scholes, if  the  Australian Government  would  contemplate  such  action  against  women  protesting  at  the “American spy base” at  Pine Gap,outside  Alice Springs, where a party of protesters was now heading .   Minister  Scholes  denied  such a place  existed , saying it  was  a  joint   facility  run  under  Australian laws .

The   Sydney  Daily Telegraph  provided  a  colourful  account  of  the  episode. It said Steedman,  dressed  in ” his usual elegance” of  black leather jacket, jeans and high heel boots,  had  caused   Kissinger’s jaw  to  sag .This  peacemonger” and a man with the ear of presidents  and  potentates,  had   also  giggled  gently . Readers  were  told  Kissinger  was  reputed  to  earn  $25,000  an  hour   on speaking engagement, so as  he  had been  in the chamber for  23  minutes it  was  $9568  worth  of  very  valuable  time .  NEXT :   Grand plans  for electorate ,  philosophical  statements ,  controversies  and  the  fateful election .