Suitcase-Gate, CIA Drug Plane Scandals Meet

[struggle4progress]

'Player Overlap' between two scandals visible in Miami Trial
The true owner of the "N" number painted on the business jet used in the sting against Hugo Chavez is a CIA contractor.

Tuesday Sept 30, 2008
by Daniel Hopsicker

... Newspaper photos taken of the Citation X top-of-the-line business jet right after the ill-fated suitcase flight show ‘N’ number N5113S on the tail.

But a Florida-based CIA air contractor called Air-Scan Inc. is assigned that tail number, according to FAA records, for a Cessna 182 flying in Iraq ...

http://www.madcowprod.com/09302008.html

AirScan Inc. was formed in 1984 by former US Air Commandos Walter Holloway and John Mansur ... They have been specializing in airbourne surveillance, security operations, surveillance systems, wildlife surveys and training since 1989 ... They .. won a $10 million contract from the Coalition Provisional Authority to provide aerial surveillance of the pipelines protected by Erinys International Ltd. They are rather secretive about many of their operations, choosing to remain vague, citing privacy, and speak mostly about their infrared deer surveys and polar bear trackings, according to AirScan's website ...

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AirScan_Inc.

pitchas:
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N5113S.html
http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=504843

[Peace Patriot]

1. Well, well, well! A bit of light shed on Guido-gate! Thank you!

As Venezuela's VP said--and I've always thought it was the most pertinent comment on this ridiculous Bushwhack caper out of Miami--that, if the Chavistas had wanted to give Cristina Fernandez $800,000, they would have taken it on Chavez's plane, the next day, with diplomatic immunity. Chavez traveled to Argentina on a state visit just after Guido got caught by airport security with obvious bricks of cash stuffed into his suitcase, when he entered Argentina aboard the private oil jet flight.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Oh, jeez, your Sourcewatch link is loaded. Amazing.

From that link:

~snip~
Clients
Over the years, AirScan has worked for many government agencies and corporations. Among their clients have been:

US Department of Defense
US Air Force: Members of AirScan led the think tank responsible for the Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft study
NASA
US Forest Service
National Test Pilot School
National Response Corporation
US Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Reclamation
The US states: Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
Maximum Protective Services <3>
ECOPETROL: the national oil company of Colombia
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (Angola)
SONANGOL: national oil company of Angola <4>
Colombia
On December 13, 1998, the Colombian Air Force, funded by Occidental Petroleum with coordinates provided by AirScan, dropped a US made cluster bomb on the Colombian town of Santo Domingo. Three employees of AirScan were flying a Skymaster plane from which they provided the Colombian military with the coordiantes to disembark their troops and where to drop the bombs. The attack was planned at Occidental's complex in Cano Lima by the CAF and AirScan <5>.

AirScan is one of the named defendents in the law suit Galvis Mujica v. Occidental Petroleum, et al. filed April 23, 2003 in the US District Court in Los Angeles. The suit was filed by the Washington DC based International Labor Rights Fund and is based on the Alien Tort Claims Act <6> <7>. The AirScan employees, Arthur McClintock, Jose Orta, and Charlie Denny have disappeared and no one seems too ready to cough them up <8>. The Coast Guard is investigating whether Orta, who was allegedly flying the plane, was a military officer on active duty at the Coast Guard at the time <9>. AirScan has denied any involvement in the attack <10>.

US Representative Jan Schakowsky's letter to Colin Powell in November of 2002 requests he decertify the Colombian Air Force's 1st Combat Command so that they may stop receiving US funding. US Ambassador Anne Patterson had recommended this action as well and in the summer of 2004, Secretary of State Powell did decertify the unit <11>. He is, however, still reluctant to support finding the three pilots, as Rep Schakowsky had also requested.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AirScan_Inc.

And check the entry for "Africa." Jezus. Thank you very much. I'm saving this thread.

[EFerrari]

3. Wow.

Maybe Harrison Ford will make the movie. :crazy: