These sources collectively detail a vast and interconnected network of individuals, organizations, and illicit activities spanning several decades and continents. The text explores the origins and expansion of organized crime networks, including their ties to intelligence agencies and prominent figures in politics and finance. It highlights instances of propaganda campaigns, money laundering operations through banks like BCCI and others, and the use of sexual blackmail as a tool for control and influence, particularly mentioning figures like J. Edgar Hoover and Roy Cohn. The sources also examine specific events and operations, such as the Iran-Contra affair and the development and use of the PROMIS software, illustrating how these illicit activities intersected with legitimate spheres of power. Finally, the narrative extends to the connections of figures like Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within these long-standing networks.

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Briefing Document: One Nation Under Blackmail (Vols 1 & 2)

This document provides a review of the main themes and most important ideas and facts presented in the provided excerpts from "One Nation Under Blackmail--Vol 1&2" by Whitney Alyse Webb. The excerpts highlight a complex web of interconnectedness between seemingly legitimate businesses, criminal enterprises, intelligence agencies, and political figures, suggesting a pervasive system of "blackmail" and illicit activity underlying national and international affairs.

Core Themes:

* The Intertwining of Legitimate Business and Organized Crime: The excerpts repeatedly demonstrate how businesses, from liquor empires and hotel chains to banks and shipping companies, have been historically and demonstrably linked to organized crime, often facilitating illegal activities like bootlegging, prostitution, and financial crimes. The Bronfman family's Prohibition-era success, allegedly built on ties to the Hudson's Bay Company and rumored to involve brothels disguised as hotels, is a prime example. Similarly, the involvement of figures like Meyer Lansky and Moe Dalitz in seemingly legitimate ventures underscores this theme.

* The Role of Banks and Financial Institutions in Facilitating Illicit Money Flows: A significant theme is the use of banks and financial institutions, particularly offshore entities, to handle and conceal "hot money" from criminal activities, tax evasion, and illicit arms dealing. Intra Bank in Beirut, with its ties to arms traffickers and wealthy Arabs seeking to hide wealth, and Atlas Bank (later Atlas Trust), linked to Intra Bank and Middle Eastern hot money, are explicitly cited. The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) emerges as a central player, described as a "powerful and deeply corrupt institution" involved in various illicit financial flows, including financing commodity imports linked to arms transfers.

* The Deep State and Intelligence Agency Involvement in Covert Operations and Illicit Activities: The text strongly suggests the involvement of intelligence agencies, such as the CIA and potentially others, in covert operations that overlap with criminal networks. The creation of Task Force 157 (TF-157) with its front companies and international communication system is presented as an example of intelligence infrastructure that could be used for clandestine purposes. The alleged ties of powerful lobbyist Irving Davidson, whose clients included the CIA and the state of Israel, to offshore entities handling "hot money" from organized crime further highlights this intersection.

* Political Corruption and Influence Peddling: The excerpts reveal instances of alleged political corruption and the use of influence to facilitate illicit activities. The ability of Raymond, uncle of Bill Clinton, to secure a draft deferral for Clinton through his political connections exemplifies this. The lobbying efforts of Joseph Giroir, head of the Rose Law Firm, for changes in Arkansas banking laws to benefit the Stephens and Riady banking empire also fall under this theme.

* Offshore Jurisdictions as Havens for Secrecy and Illicit Finance: The importance of offshore jurisdictions like the Bahamas and Liberia is repeatedly emphasized as locations offering low taxes, lax regulation, bank secrecy, and mechanisms like "flags of convenience" that facilitate opaque and potentially illegal activities. The use of Liberia by Bruce Rappaport for his shipping interests and its unique registry system managed in Washington DC is noted.

* The Historical Context of Organized Crime and its Evolution: The text traces the historical roots of some of these connections, referencing Prohibition-era bootlegging (Bronfmans) and the involvement of figures like Meyer Lansky from earlier periods. It also highlights the evolution of these networks into more sophisticated financial and international operations involving offshore banking and global trade.

* The Use of Front Companies and Shell Entities: A recurring mechanism enabling the concealment of illicit activities is the widespread use of front companies, shell entities, and complex corporate structures registered in remote locations. This is explicitly mentioned in relation to Bruce Rappaport's empire and Robert Vesco's takeover of IOS.

* Personal Connections and Networks as Facilitators: The importance of personal relationships and networks in enabling these intertwined operations is evident throughout the text. The ties forged by Sam Bronfman, the friendships and associations of figures like Roy Cohn, and the partnerships between individuals like Jackson Stephens and Mochtar Riady underscore how personal connections facilitate these complex dealings.

Most Important Ideas and Facts:

* The Bronfman Family's Origins and Accusations: The assertion that the Bronfman family's Prohibition-era success was significantly aided by ties to the Hudson's Bay Company and that their early hotel business was accused of being brothels are significant claims. The quote attributed to Sam Bronfman, "If they were [brothels], they were the best in the West!", is presented as a tacit confirmation of these accusations.

* Intra Bank and its Ties to Arms Trafficking and Hot Money: The description of Intra Bank as a "prime depository for many of the world’s leading arms traffickers" and a "haven for cash for anybody with a balance to hide" is a crucial fact highlighting the role of certain banks in global illicit activities.

* Bruce Rappaport's Global Empire and Offshore Presence: The detailing of Rappaport's extensive network across banking, shipping, and oil, his use of multiple passports and hundreds of companies registered in remote places like Liberia and Panama, illustrates the scale of some of these intertwined operations. The quote stating he was "involved in hundreds of companies, registered in remote places like Liberia and Panama, to run his banking, shipping and oil empire" is key.

* BCCI's Role as a Corrupt Global Financial Institution: BCCI is presented as a central hub for illicit finance, with connections to various entities, including alleged ties to First International Bancshares (linked to George H.W. Bush). Its involvement in financing Jamaican commodity imports from the US under the US Commodity Credit Corporation, allegedly connected to arms transfers to Iraq, is a particularly important claim.

* The Bank of the United States Scandal: The narrative surrounding the Bank of the United States, its catering to the Jewish immigrant community, its rapid growth under Bernard K. Marcus, and its eventual collapse due to "fraud and corruption" is a significant historical example of financial malfeasance.

* Roy Cohn's Upbringing and Alleged Sociopathic Tendencies: While seemingly a personal detail, the description of Roy Cohn's relationship with his mother and the claims of his cousins regarding her influence on his "neurotic and sociopathic tendencies" are presented as foundational to his later actions and connections, suggesting a psychological dimension to the themes explored.

* The Thursday Club and Elite Sex Parties: The mention of the "Thursday Club," attended by British elite including Prince Philip and Lord Mountbatten, and the claim that many attendees were involved in "sex parties" featuring "girls dressed only in Masonic aprons" is a sensational detail that suggests a pattern of illicit behavior among powerful individuals.

* Robert Vesco's Takeover of IOS: The description of Vesco's "masterpiece of unarmed robbery" in taking control of IOS, a large offshore financial institution, using the company's own funds highlights the audacious nature of some of these financial manipulations.

* Armand Hammer's Occidental Petroleum and BCCI Ties: The account of Hammer's use of a multimillion-dollar bribe to secure oil concessions in Libya and his subsequent ties to BCCI through Ghaith Pharaon are significant examples of the intersection of corporate interests, political maneuvering, and potentially illicit finance.

* The Stephens and Riady Arkansas Banking Empire: The narrative of Jackson Stephens and Mochtar Riady building a banking empire in Arkansas, lobbying for changes in state laws, and their eventual connection to Harken Energy (linked to George W. Bush and BCCI insiders) demonstrates the localized and interconnected nature of these financial networks.

* Southern Air Transport's Connections: The history of Southern Air Transport (SAT), its alleged ties to US intelligence, and its later bankruptcies and controversies, including a plane found with a dead body and large sums of cash, underscores the persistent shadows surrounding certain aviation companies.

In conclusion, the provided excerpts from "One Nation Under Blackmail" paint a picture of a world where the lines between legitimate power structures, criminal organizations, and covert operations are blurred. They highlight a historical and ongoing system where financial institutions facilitate illicit money, political connections are leveraged for personal gain, and offshore jurisdictions provide havens for secrecy. The numerous individuals and entities mentioned, along with specific instances of alleged corruption and illicit activity, contribute to the overall argument that a hidden system of "blackmail" and intertwined power structures operates beneath the surface of public life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Bronfman family build their liquor empire during Prohibition?

* The Bronfman family, led by Sam Bronfman, achieved significant success during the Prohibition era through a combination of factors. They established ties with the Hudson's Bay Company, a powerful force in the Canadian economy with connections to the British elite, which provided them with a trusted supply of whisky. They also strategically named their distillery "Distillers Corporation Limited," the same name as a prestigious Scottish company, leading to a joint venture that secured them exclusive import rights to top brands from Europe. Additionally, accusations suggest their early hotel businesses in Canada, preceding their liquor empire, may have operated as brothels, providing an alternative source of income and potentially illicit connections during this period.

What role did offshore banks like Intra Bank and Atlas Bank play in illicit financial flows?

* Intra Bank and Atlas Bank (later Atlas Trust) were significant in facilitating the movement of "hot money" from various illicit activities. Intra Bank, founded in Beirut, served as a prime depository for arms traffickers involved in illegal weapons sales across several regions. It also attracted wealth from oil-rich Arabs seeking discreet banking services. Atlas Bank was mysteriously linked to Intra Bank through an offshore entity in the Bahamas, and sat at the intersection of money flows to Geneva and from the Middle East. These banks provided havens for individuals and groups looking to hide wealth derived from activities like tax evasion, racketeering, smuggling, and potentially the arms trade.

What was the significance of Bruce Rappaport's network in global finance and shipping?

* Bruce Rappaport built a vast empire that interlocked with shipping and financial interests worldwide. Starting with support from entities like the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) and Swiss-Israel Trade Bank, his ventures expanded through companies like International Maritime Services and International Maritime Supplies Company Limited. These companies linked him to major maritime firms in various countries, giving him a global shipping clientele. Rappaport's empire was characterized by its use of hundreds of companies registered in offshore locations like Liberia and Panama, facilitating secrecy and operating his banking, shipping, and oil interests. His presence in Liberia, in particular, highlights the use of flags of convenience and the involvement of offshore banking in his operations.

How did the Bank of the United States become entangled in fraud and corruption?

* The Bank of the United States, initially founded to cater to the Jewish immigrant community in New York, grew rapidly under the leadership of Bernard K. Marcus. However, this growth was reportedly fueled by fraud and corruption involving the Marcus family and Saul Singer. Despite assurances of financial stability after the 1929 stock market crash, the bank's aggressive expansion through mergers concealed underlying issues. Investigations were initially dismissed, but it was later revealed that Bernard Marcus's perceived financial expertise was a result of illicit practices, ultimately leading to the bank's downfall. The bank's connections to influential figures like the Warburg brothers at the Federal Reserve also highlight the potential for conflicts of interest and influence within the financial system.

What were the alleged activities of the "Thursday Club" and its attendees?

* The "Thursday Club," reportedly founded by photographer Sterling Henry Nahum, was a gathering attended by members of the British elite, including the Churchills, Lord Louis Mountbatten, and Prince Philip, as well as figures like the Kray twins and Stephen Ward. Many attendees were allegedly involved in sex parties, some with unusual themes such as girls dressed in Masonic aprons, hosted by individuals like Ward and Nahum. These gatherings highlight a hidden, potentially scandalous aspect of the social lives of powerful individuals within British society.

How was the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) involved in illicit activities and connected to prominent figures?

* BCCI was a deeply corrupt financial institution involved in various illicit activities, including serving as an intermediary between states and the global financial system for questionable transactions. It handled foreign current accounts for the Jamaican government and was implicated in financing commodity imports from the US that were later linked to the transfer of arms and munitions to Iraq. BCCI had close ties to prominent individuals and groups, such as the Gulf Group in global shipping, whose maritime interests were fueled by escalating loans from BCCI. Figures like Ghaith Pharaon and Kamal Adham, the former Saudi intelligence chief, were connected to BCCI and its related ventures. The bank's widespread corruption and entanglement with powerful figures earned it the moniker "the Bank of the CIA" according to some sources.

What connections existed between powerful US political figures, business interests, and potentially illicit financial networks?

* The sources detail connections between US political figures, business interests, and potentially illicit financial networks. Figures like George H.W. Bush were involved with businesses like Zapata Petroleum, which split into Zapata Offshore and Pennzoil, the latter connected to the Liedtke brothers who were Bush's business partners. Bush also became a director of First International Bancshares, a Texas bank holding company linked to Saudi interests and reportedly BCCI. Similarly, Bill Clinton's political career was aided by individuals like Raymond Clinton, who used political connections to secure a draft deferral for him. Clinton and his associates, including Jackson Stephens and Mochtar Riady of the Lippo Group, built an Arkansas banking empire, with Stephens Inc. facilitating deals for companies like Harken Energy, which had ties to BCCI insiders. These examples illustrate how political influence and business ventures could intersect with shadowy financial networks.

What examples are given of the use of seemingly legitimate companies and industries for illicit purposes?

* The sources provide several examples of seemingly legitimate companies and industries being used for illicit purposes. The Bronfman family's early hotel business is alleged to have functioned as brothels. Bruce Rappaport's extensive network of shipping and financial companies registered in offshore locations provided secrecy for his operations. The Bank of the United States' rapid growth was facilitated by fraudulent practices. BCCI utilized entities like the Gulf Group's shipping lines and was involved in financing arms transfers under the guise of commodity imports. More contemporary examples include the use of companies like Southern Air Transport, which despite claimed separation from US intelligence, continued to be involved in government contracts and later faced controversies related to its cargo. The sale of Loral's defense division to Lockheed Martin, facilitated by their close relationship, and the subsequent creation of the CIA's In-Q-tel by Lockheed's CEO, illustrate the blurring lines between defense contractors and intelligence agencies. Furthermore, Jeffrey Epstein's alleged use of Victoria's Secret's reputation to gain access to women highlights the exploitation of legitimate industries for illicit activities.

Glossary of Key Terms

* Atlas Bank/Atlas Trust: A mysterious financial institution operating at the intersection of money flows, tied to both Geneva and hot money from the Middle East, and linked to Intra Bank.

* Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI): A powerful and deeply corrupt international bank involved in various illicit activities, including handling "hot money," financing arms deals, and intertwining with government agencies.

* Bank of the United States: A bank founded in New York City that initially catered to the Jewish immigrant community. Under Bernard K. Marcus, it experienced rapid growth through mergers but was later revealed to be involved in fraud and corruption.

* Bon Ami company: A manufacturing company that became entangled in alleged looting and diversion of assets by individuals like David Guterma and Virgil Dardi.

* Bronfman family: A prominent family that rose to wealth and influence, particularly in the liquor industry during the Prohibition era, through ties to established companies and potentially illicit activities like bootlegging and operating brothels.

* Distillers Corporation Limited: A name shared by a Scottish company and a Bronfman family venture. Their subsequent joint venture significantly boosted the Bronfmans' position in the liquor market.

* Flags of convenience: A system allowing ship owners to register their vessels in a country other than their place of origin, often used for reasons like lower taxes, lax regulation, or secrecy.

* Hudson's Bay Company: A long-dominant force in Canada's economy with historical ties to the political and economic elite of England. It had a business relationship with Sam Bronfman during the Prohibition era.

* Inter Maritime Bank (IMB): A bank linked to Bruce Rappaport's expanding empire, involved in shipping and financial interests globally.

* Investors Overseas Services (IOS): A large offshore financial institution that faced a liquidity crisis and was controversially taken over by Robert Vesco through questionable financial maneuvers.

* Intra Bank: A bank formed in Beirut, Lebanon, associated with facilitating various illicit activities, including arms trafficking and serving as a depository for wealthy Arabs and "racketeers."

* "Hot money": Funds derived from illegal or questionable activities, often moved across borders and through secretive financial channels to avoid detection and regulation.

* Kefauver Committee: A U.S. Senate committee known for investigating organized crime and interstate gambling in the early 1950s.

* Mainland Savings: A savings and loan institution involved in questionable real estate transactions, notably purchasing a property from Khashoggi for an inflated price.

* Operation Condor: While not explicitly defined in the excerpt, the term appears in relation to individuals involved in controversial activities, suggesting its association with clandestine or potentially illicit operations. (Context implies a regional or international operation).

* Rappaport, Bruce: An individual with passports from multiple countries who built a global empire involving banking, shipping, and oil interests, often operating through companies registered in remote locations.

* Safari Club: A group involving former Saudi intelligence chief Kamal Adham and others, linked to BCCI and influencing international affairs.

* Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS): A Geneva-based multinational providing inspection and verification services for international trade, which supported Bruce Rappaport's early ventures.

* Southern Air Transport (SAT): An aviation company with alleged ties to US intelligence, involved in government contracts and subject to controversy.

* Stephens Inc.: A financial firm linked to Jackson Stephens, involved in banking acquisitions and providing financing to companies like Harken.

* Swiss-Israel Trade Bank: A bank in Geneva that provided early support and loans to Bruce Rappaport for his ventures.

* Task Force 157 (TF-157): A US intelligence unit focused on monitoring Communist Bloc naval and shipping information, operating through front companies and maintaining its own communication system.

* "Thursday Club": A social gathering attended by British elite, including members of the royal family, Ward, and Nahum, reportedly associated with sex parties.

* United Dye: A company mentioned in connection with alleged financial manipulation and looting by David Guterma and Virgil Dardi.

* U.S. Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC): A US government agency involved in financing commodity imports. In Jamaica, it was implicated in corruption alongside BCCI.

* Zapata Petroleum: A company formed by George H.W. Bush and the Liedtke brothers, which was later split into Zapata Offshore and Pennzoil.

Additional Questions

What systemic factors enable organized crime and intelligence networks to intersect and thrive?

Based on the sources provided, several systemic factors appear to enable the intersection and thriving of organized crime and intelligence networks:

* A Deeply Intertwined and Symbiotic Historical Relationship: The sources indicate a historical "sordid union" between intelligence and crime that gave rise to figures like Jeffrey Epstein. This relationship was formalized in instances like Operation Underworld during World War II. This historical foundation created a "covert world" where organized crime and intelligence have "intermingled and often cooperated for the better part of the last 90 years, if not longer". This relationship became "so intertwined and so symbiotic that, today, it is nearly impossible to know where one ends and the other begins". In the case of Israeli intelligence, such collusion was "baked in at the very foundations of, not only its intelligence service, but the origins of the state itself". The intelligence-mob collaboration established with Operation Underworld did not cease after World War II; post-war narcotics operations were subordinated to anti-Communist activities and used as a cover for using mob assets around the world.

* Mutual Benefit and Shared Interests: Intelligence agencies have utilized organized crime networks for covert operations, such as cultivating intelligence for the Allied invasion of Sicily, smuggling arms, and using criminal activities like drug trafficking as a cover or funding source for anti-Communist efforts and other operations. Criminal networks, in turn, gain protection from law enforcement, legitimization, and opportunities for transnational expansion and financial gain. They help intelligence agents conceal arms shipments or sabotage those for adversaries. Shared interests can extend to activities like human trafficking and sexual corruption, identified as an "important shared interest" between intelligence-linked figures and organized crime associates.

* The Use of Blackmail and Compromise: Blackmail is described as a key tool to "compromise individuals and stilt honest political discourse". Individuals rooted in the covert world of intermingled intelligence and crime engage in "sexual blackmail activities designed to obtain damaging information (i.e. “intelligence) on powerful individuals with the goal of controlling their activities and securing their compliance". Covert power structures "have long wielded blackmail... as their weapons of choice to corrupt and control public institutions while manipulating and looting the public". Blackmail was reportedly used by William Donovan (OSS) against J. Edgar Hoover, and Hoover's possible susceptibility to blackmail may explain why organized crime investigations were "soft-pedaled". Roy Cohn, a figure with extensive ties across politics, the mob, and intelligence, was skilled in wielding blackmail. Key power brokers during the Reagan era, involved in the intelligence-crime alliance, were also intimately involved in "sex blackmail" and boasted about their ability to "fix" and "manipulate" politicians and powerful individuals for the benefit of intelligence, organized crime, and personal gain. Jeffrey Epstein's operations are seen as potentially mirroring the sex trafficking/blackmail practiced by top officials in networks like BCCI.

* Financial Intermingling and Money Laundering: The massive amounts of capital generated by activities like the global drug trade require entry into "legitimate, that is, legal, channels". The offshore banking system and specific financial institutions are crucial enablers of this flow, known as "hot money". Banks profit from handling these illicit funds. Figures like Meyer Lansky were instrumental in bringing mob groups into gambling and developing complex banking networks to launder money. Specific institutions like Castle Bank were formed as a "melding of worlds" between mob-linked attorneys and intelligence veterans to organize "complicated money laundering operation[s]". Banks connected to figures like Tibor Rosenbaum and Meyer Lansky facilitated the flow of "hot money" derived from casino skim, drug trade, and other rackets, moving funds through offshore banks and converting them into loans and investments. Financial networks involved in money laundering were also linked to political power centers and the "supermob". The flow of illicit money was dumped into "above-board" industries, particularly real estate. Technologies like the PROMIS software, reportedly developed or marketed by companies linked to intelligence agencies (NSA, Israeli intelligence) and individuals connected to organized crime, were allegedly used for tracking money flow but also for "laundering of money, especially drug profits".

* Institutional Corruption and Protection from Above: The success of the alliance between intelligence and organized crime relies on protection from "individuals at the highest levels of government, particularly in the Justice Department". This protection allows "business rackets with criminal elements" to thrive. Apparent aversion by figures like FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to target organized crime allowed them to grow strong economically and politically. Law enforcement investigations have been "soft-pedaled". Cases illustrate how seemingly legitimate businesses gain advantages by agreeing with organized crime, and vice versa, allowing for enormous profits. Corruption can be localized, extending to police forces protecting rackets. The involvement of high-level officials, including those close to presidential administrations, in banking and business networks tied to both intelligence and organized crime facilitates these activities.

* The Blending of Legitimate Business and Criminal Activity: Criminal networks, political power, and "legitimate" commercial activity are described as mixing together. Individuals involved in these networks are often publicly known as powerful lawyers, businessmen, and lobbyists, while their "clandestine and shadowy activities" are tied to intelligence and organized crime. Criminal proceeds are invested in high-risk legitimate operations and large-scale businesses like oil exploration, land speculation, corporate farming, technological manufacturing, and real estate development. Front companies and ostensibly legitimate businesses are used as covers for intelligence operations and criminal ventures like arms and drug trafficking.

* Transnational Operations and Geopolitical Context: These networks operate internationally, leveraging global conflicts, political alignments, and economic systems. They establish international supply lines (like the French Connection for drugs), use offshore financial centers, and adapt to geopolitical shifts such as the fall of the Soviet Union to move capital and expand operations. Intelligence services may leverage organized crime contacts for geopolitical ends, and criminal networks may provide services (like lobbying for passports) that facilitate international criminal enterprise.

Who organized Operation Underworld?

Based on the sources, the organization of Operation Underworld involved a series of actions and negotiations between American intelligence and organized crime figures, rather than being the product of a single organizer.

Here's what the sources indicate about its origins and participants:

* The relationship between intelligence and organized crime was formally established during World War II through Operation Underworld.

* It involved the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), which opened an inquiry into potential saboteurs and Nazi agents in ports.

* C. Radcliff Haffendon oversaw this ONI inquiry.

* Through contacts from US State Attorney Thomas E. Dewey's office, specifically attorney Frank Hogan, Haffendon learned about criminal elements on the New York City waterfront.

* Hogan suggested that Haffendon and the ONI speak with Joseph "Joe Socks" Lanza.

* Since Lucky Luciano, who had been put in prison by Thomas Dewey, was a key figure, a "delicate series of negotiations were subsequently launched in what is now known as 'Operation Underworld'".

* The operation involved the recruitment of high-level organized crime figures for work with American intelligence services.

* Luciano agreed to the ONI's requests after the operation was "given the go-ahead," and his prison cell became a hub for coordinating counter-intelligence activities with the Navy.

* The government was "forced to reluctantly acknowledge" this operation after decades of public denials.

* The scope of the operation expanded beyond its initial objectives, with Luciano and his colleagues, including Meyer Lansky, helping the ONI cultivate intelligence for the Allied invasion of Sicily.

* The OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the wartime forerunner to the CIA, was "lurking in the background" of Operation Underworld, though its precise role is unclear.

* The collaboration was first prompted by the "specter of fifth column activity".

In summary, Operation Underworld was the result of ONI's need for intelligence and port security during wartime, leading them to explore contacts within the criminal underworld suggested by figures connected to organized crime prosecution. A series of negotiations ensued, leading to the government giving approval and recruiting high-level mob figures like Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. The sources don't name a single individual as the sole organizer but highlight the key governmental and criminal players involved in its formation and execution.

Who was a mentor to Lansky?

Based on the sources provided, Arnold Rothstein is identified as a mentor to Meyer Lansky.

Specifically, the sources state that Rothstein "acted as a mentor to Lansky, Luciano, and Costello". Rothstein reportedly dispatched a series of frontmen to China, including Sidney Stajer, Jacob Katzenberg, and George Uffner, in order to organize a global narcotics trading network. Jacob Katzenberg was described as a "Lansky flunky as much as a Rothstein frontman", further illustrating the connection between Rothstein and Lansky's network through these associates.

What was the National Crime Syndicate?

Based on the sources provided:

The National Crime Syndicate was an entity that formed from an alliance primarily between Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. According to the sources, this alliance was the basis of what subsequently became known as the National Crime Syndicate.

The Syndicate has been described in varying ways; some commentators suggest it operated "loosely at best" and may not have existed in a "meaningful way". However, it might be best understood as a "social network" – "a sprawling, faction-filled web of associations and organizations that either collaborated or competed, depending on the situation or the spoils".

The 1950s Senate investigative body, the Kefauver Committee, subsequently defined the National Crime Syndicate as a confederation of organized crime interests then dominated by the Italian-American mafia and the Jewish-American mob. During the Kefauver Committee's investigation, some of the biggest players in the American Mafia named Sam Bronfman as a central figure in their bootlegging operations.

The National Crime Syndicate had considerable influence on top New York politicians. This influence, particularly over the Democratic Party through figures like Marinelli, became "brazen", reportedly giving Luciano control over grand juries and the counting of votes in local elections. Meyer Lansky is known to have donated to the political campaigns of Al Smith, a key figure in Tammany Hall. The Syndicate even attempted to rig the Democratic National Convention in 1932 in favor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Luciano later stated that his criminal enterprise commonly controlled most of New York City’s delegates to that convention, illustrating their significant influence over the party's dealings in the city during that period. While inquiries led by Judge Samuel Seabury and Roosevelt led to a wane in Tammany's public influence due to its criminal associations becoming known, the National Crime Syndicate's influence on New York politics remained strong well past Tammany's decline.

What was Operation Paper?

Based on the sources, Operation Paper was a CIA code-named operation.

Here's what the sources tell us about it:

* It involved the CIA's support for the Kuomintang (KMT) forces in Burma and Thailand.

* It was the result of a military strategy developed around 1950 by General Graves B. Erskine, who ran the military wing of the Survey Mission to Southeast Asia and worked closely with representatives of Nationalist China.

* The operation was the birth of a military strategy aimed at supporting KMT fighters in Burma and their allies in Thailand.

* It involved the CIA organizing a secret army with the KMT forces in Burma after they were driven out of mainland China by Chinese Communists. There were prospective plans for this army to stage an invasion of China.

* One of the architects of Operation Paper was Willis Bird, who served with the OSS during World War II in the China-Burma-India theater. Bird later remained in the region as a supplier to the Thai military and police and was nicknamed "Mr. Opium". He is described as certainly being a middleman for moving supplies obtained via Agency financing.

* The operation marshaled resources from CIA operatives, including the mob-linked banker and OSS veteran Paul Helliwell.

* Arms and supplies flowed to Thailand and Burma aboard ships chartered by Sea Supply, a front company organized by Helliwell, while others were procured through the shadowy World Commerce Corporation.

* Although the KMT forces supported by this operation failed in their military operations, they were successful in monopolizing and expanding the opium trade in Burma.

* Peter Dale Scott has argued that Operation Paper was a key point in the development of US intelligence complicity in the global drug trade – at the very least, it marked a major instance of intelligence's indirect support for drug traffickers.

What was the PROMIS software?

Based on the sources provided and our conversation history, the PROMIS software was a central component in a complex and far-reaching scandal involving intelligence agencies, organized crime, and illicit financial activities.

Here is a breakdown of what the sources indicate about PROMIS:

* Definition: PROMIS stands for the Prosecutor’s Information Management System.

* Origin: It was originally created and marketed by Inslaw Inc., a company founded by former NSA official Bill Hamilton and his wife Nancy.

* Purpose: Its revolutionary efficacy lay in its ability to integrate separate databases and analyze information on a large scale, allowing for the tracking of anything, specifically money and people.

* Acquisition and Modification:

* In 1982, Inslaw leased the software to the US Justice Department, then headed by Edwin Meese III.

* Raffi Eitan, the head of the Israeli intelligence service Lekem and handler of spy Jonathan Pollard, became interested in PROMIS.

* In February 1983, using the alias "Dr. Ben Orr," Eitan obtained a copy of a new version of the software, "advanced PROMIS," from a former Inslaw employee then working at the Department of Justice.

* With the software in hand, Eitan planned to install a "trapdoor" or "backdoor" to gain covert access to any database connected to a device running the software.

* An Israeli American programmer in California, reportedly contacted by Ari Ben-Menashe on Eitan's orders, planted this backdoor.

* There were eventually two different modified versions of PROMIS with different backdoors: one bugged by Israeli intelligence primarily for spying on governments and intelligence services, and another bugged by CIA-linked entities and individuals primarily for financial espionage and money laundering.

* The CIA version was reportedly modified by Michael Riconosciuto at the Cabazon Indian Reservation near Indio, California, where he worked for Wackenhut (now G4S Security). Riconosciuto stated that Earl Brian was the mastermind of this scheme.

* The timeline regarding when US intelligence developed and began using a bugged PROMIS is complex, with a memo indicating the CIA was offered a government copy as early as 1981, potentially blurring the lines between the Israeli and CIA versions and suggesting a more collaborative nature rather than competitive. Ari Ben-Menashe attested to the collaborative nature, stating Robert Maxwell engaged in collaborations related to the CIA version.

* Distribution and Sale:

* Earl Brian, a long-time associate of Ronald Reagan and former CIA covert operations figure, was brought in by Eitan to market the modified PROMIS worldwide. Brian attempted to buy out Inslaw using his companies Hadron Inc. and SCT, the latter financed by Allen & Co., which had business ties to Brian.

* After Inslaw was forced into bankruptcy by Meese's actions, Brian sold the bugged software to Jordan's and Iraq's intelligence services, and to a few companies.

* Eitan was reportedly dissatisfied with Brian's progress and turned to Robert Maxwell, believing he could more effectively market and sell PROMIS to governments worldwide.

* Through Maxwell-owned companies like Degem and Information on Demand (purchased in 1982, the same year plans were made to subvert PROMIS), Maxwell successfully marketed PROMIS, granting Israeli intelligence access to the inner workings of numerous governments, intelligence services, and corporations.

* Maxwell even enlisted Senator John Tower to help sell PROMIS to sensitive US laboratories like Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratory, paying Tower Mossad money for his services. Tower later became chairman of the board of Maxwell's company Pergamon-Brassey, which may have been involved in Neva-related software operations and hired former Meese Justice Department officials involved with the PROMIS operating system there.

* The CIA's version of PROMIS was marketed, in part, by the Jackson Stephens-owned Systematics. Systematics, represented by the Rose Law Firm, primarily serviced banks and became a leading vendor of banking software and services globally.

* According to some sources, Systematics acted as a primary vehicle or front company for the National Security Agency (NSA) to implant bugged software in major money-center banks and clearinghouses as part of a Reagan/Bush effort. This "bugged software" is asserted to be PROMIS.

* Systematics reportedly had ties to Israeli intelligence, with a subsidiary in Israel operated by Mossad contractors that sold software to banks and telecommunications companies. Systematics also reportedly entered into a joint venture with Robert Maxwell to sell bugged PROMIS versions to five banks, mostly Swiss.

* A 1985 letter indicated that PROMIS was being provided to Sheik Khalid bin Mahfouz, a Saudi billionaire tied to BCCI, and implicated figures like Khashoggi and Ghorbanifar in selling PROMIS for covert purposes, specifically to someone in the banking industry. BCCI and affiliated entities reportedly used PROMIS and were connected to its illicit uses. One BCCI subsidiary, First American Bank, reportedly "filtered PROMIS money" (laundered proceeds from the sale of the stolen software).

* Arkansas Systems, which focused on selling software to banks and used its software on ATMs and remote teller terminals globally, also assisted Systematics and was involved in the export of encrypted software and hardware. Arkansas Systems did considerable business in Asia and Eastern Europe, including Russia and China.

* Uses and Implications:

* The bugged PROMIS software was used by governments to commit financial crimes with greater finesse and also to track down and disappear dissidents. For instance, in Latin America, it facilitated mass murder during Operation Condor.

* One unsetting use, a collaboration between the US and Israel, was its use to keep track of dissident Americans. Beginning in 1982, as part of the Continuity of Government (COG) program, Oliver North used PROMIS at the Department of Justice and the White House to compile a list of American dissidents and "potential troublemakers". This database could identify and locate perceived "enemies of the state" almost instantaneously.

* Some sources suggest PROMIS was the primary software used for searching the domestic surveillance database known as Main Core. Israeli intelligence reportedly played a role in its deployment for Main Core and remained involved.

* The software was developed for many uses, including on US and UK nuclear submarines and for tracking nuclear material inventories and long-range ballistic missiles.

* Systematics' involvement suggested a focus on financial intelligence, aiding NSA surveillance of the financial system and being intimately linked to money laundering efforts, especially drug profits.

* The focus on obtaining a secret window into global banking flows enabled covert tracking of funds and presumably allowed funds to be covertly hidden or financial crimes covered up.

* Robert Booth Nichols, a key figure in the PROMIS scandal, was tied to FIDCO, which Riconosciuto described as an NSC front company where he encountered PROMIS via a system from "IBM Tel Aviv". Nichols, who laundered money for Ferdinand Marcos, was investigated for using "highly sophisticated computers in Switzerland" for money laundering, suggesting he may have used PROMIS.

* The World Bank also used PROMIS at its computer center to track wire transfers, reportedly in connection with a money-laundering operation involving BCCI London and Caribbean institutions.

* Control Data Corporation (CDC), a major defense contractor close to the Navy that had computers and special code at sensitive US nuclear sites like Sandia and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, also had a long-standing relationship with Soviet nuclear facilities and was involved in US-USSR tech transfers. CDC provided services to the World Bank's computer center where PROMIS was found to be in use, and was connected to PROMIS in other ways. CDC hired Edwin Wilson's company for advisory capacity and was accused of bugging Army offices for inside bidding information. A Gouletas family company acquired Electronic Realty Associates Inc. (ERA) from Control Data Corp, acquiring a software program that worked with savings and loan associations.

* Robert Maxwell's involvement with Bulgarian intelligence led to the Neva program, a large-scale theft of US technology where stolen technology was re-engineered by Maxwell-owned Bulgarian companies and resold. This growing empire, according to one source, grew into one of the most powerful crime syndicates globally, embracing Russian, Bulgarian, New York, Japanese, and Hong Kong crime families. Software is suspected to have been part of Maxwell's Neva-related operations.

* Arkansas Systems' tech transfer activities included lobbying for the removal of export controls on software and hardware containing the DES algorithm and doing business in Moscow and China, providing check processing software to convert the Chinese banking system.

* E-Systems, a defense contractor specializing in computer software and systems, had a close relationship with Systematics. E-Systems was involved in Operation Condor (a DEA/Customs supported Mexican anti-drug initiative, distinct from the South American one) providing maintenance for Evergreen International Aviation's planes used in the operation. E-Systems was also in talks to update C-130s for sale to Libya, a group that included figures later named in the Iran-Contra hearings. Norman's report on Fostergate suggested that through Systematics' relationship with E-Systems, Vince Foster may have had access to highly sensitive code, encryption, and data security information.

* The PROMIS scandal became unruly after Congressional investigations concluded wrongdoing by the Justice Department, leading to the appointment of William Barr as special prosecutor.

* Journalist Danny Casolaro, who investigated the PROMIS scandal and related networks ("the Octopus"), reportedly obtained printouts from the PROMIS-based Main Core database before his suspicious death. Several others connected to the scandal or Casolaro's investigation also died suspicious deaths around the same time, including Alan Standorf and Robert Maxwell.

* Later, Ghislaine Maxwell's siblings, Christine and Isabel Maxwell, would be involved with internet and big data analytics companies like Information on Demand and The McKinley Group/Magellan, which seemed to build on Robert Maxwell's intelligence-linked work in technology and are described as potential successors to the stolen PROMIS software. These ventures connected them to Silicon Valley figures, including Bill Gates.

* Christine and Isabel Maxwell's companies were tied to Israeli intelligence. Isabel led an Israeli software company tied to Israeli military intelligence and political figures who had worked with her father.

* Israeli companies like Amdocs and Verint Inc., prominent in information technology and heavily funded by the Israeli government with connections to its military and intelligence, were subjects of reporting suggesting infiltration by spies exploiting encrypted trapdoors to gather data on Americans. Some believed "Mega," a code word used by Rafi Eitan, referred to an international gathering of Western intelligence organizations including Mossad and CIA, where information was exchanged.

* Companies linked to Epstein and his associates, such as Carbyne911 and Toka (funded by Epstein and Ehud Barak), are described as Israeli intelligence-linked tech companies backed by venture capital firms with ties to Microsoft executives who cultivated connections with Epstein and the Maxwells. Toka recently won contracts with governments through the World Bank, where a former Microsoft executive tied to Epstein network associates serves as a director.

In essence, the PROMIS software, initially designed for law enforcement database management, was allegedly stolen, modified with backdoors by Israeli and potentially US intelligence-linked individuals, and then marketed globally for purposes ranging from espionage and financial tracking to money laundering and identifying dissidents. Its distribution and use involved a network of intelligence operatives, criminals, businessmen, and political figures across multiple countries.

What was the purpose of Project ARTICHOKE?

Based on the sources provided, Project ARTICHOKE was a "special interrogation" program led by Paul Gaynor, who headed the Security Research Staff within the CIA's Office of Security. The program's methods included hypnosis, sensory deprivation, chemical substances, and "psychological harassment". Project ARTICHOKE is described as the "immediate forerunner" of the notorious MK-ULTRA program. The groundwork for ARTICHOKE was reportedly laid by an earlier project named BLUEBIRD, which involved experiments utilizing "drugs and hypnosis".

What was Operation CHAOS's primary goal?

Based on the sources provided, the primary purpose or goal of Operation CHAOS was to monitor the growing civil rights and antiwar movements in the United States.

Here are the details about Operation CHAOS found in the sources:

* It was the CIA's largest domestic espionage operation.

* It was initiated during the Johnson years.

* The driving force behind its inception was James Jesus Angleton, the ultraparanoid CIA counterintelligence chief.

* It involved the full cooperation of various police departments and other law enforcement agencies with the CIA.

* Multiple subprograms were created under CHAOS, each with different operational imperatives, and adjacent programs were rallied for support.

* One such supporting program was MERRIMAC, which involved CIA infiltration of antiwar/peace groups in the Washington, DC area to gather information on organizations, their members, sources of funds, and plans. MERRIMAC provided much of the information it harvested to CHAOS.

* James McCord, while working as chief of the Office of Security's Physical Security Division, would have been in direct cooperation with MERRIMAC and CHAOS.

* Anderson Security, a proprietary firm for the Office of Security, managed infiltration and espionage of dissident groups in the capital on behalf of the Office of Security, connecting it to MERRIMAC and CHAOS.

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