Bishop, Baldwin, Rewald, Dillingham and Wong: Ronald Rewald

[Magda Hassan]

Flying High in Hawaii

Ronald Rewald and the CIA

Sightings from The Catbird Seat

~ o ~

DEATH, HELP FROM FRIENDS

From Disavow - A CIA Saga of Betrayal

by Rodney Stich and T. Conan Russell

~ ~ ~

INTRODUCTION

This book describes the life of a CIA agent and a highly secret CIA proprietary with its home office in Honolulu, Hawaii. Disavow describes how a Honolulu television reporter discovered irregularities in the covert operation. This CIA and Justice Department people, and federal judges, then perpetrated fraud upon the head of the operation so as to distract attention from this covert operation.
As part of this cover-up, Ronald Rewald was sacrificed and government offices feloniously misused in a way that inflicted great personal and financial harm upon Rewald and his family.
Rewald is the main character in this story, and the main CIA proprietary and secret CIA operation was Bishop, Baldwin, Rewald, Dillingham and Wong(BBRDW).
This secret CIA operation had offices in 17 countries and was staffed by many deep-cover CIA personnel.
Rewald grew up in the Midwest and was recruited by the CIA while in college. Later, the CIA made Rewald head of this CIA proprietary, during which he lived the life of a CIA spy mingling with some of the most powerful people in the world.
Major newspapers throughout the world covered the events, except, of course, U.S. newspapers that kept the lid on the scandal. But then, what else is new?
The saga described in these pages commenced with the 1983 exposure of this deep-cover CIA operation. A Honolulu investigative television reporter focused on BBRD&W after receiving a tip from Chinese intelligence. This attention threatened to expose far-flung CIA activities.
The CIA, working with Justice Department officials and federal judges, reacted by putting in motion a standard procedure: shift attention away from any government ties and find a scapegoat. In this case, that was Rewald – and his family.
After the irregularities were discovered in the covert CIA operation, the CIA and the Justice Department lied to the public, claiming they never heard of Rewald and had no part in any of BBRDW’s activities. I have boxes of documents showing these to be typical lies coming from the mind-set deeply entrenched in the government of the United States, especially among legal personnel.
With the help of federal judges in the Ninth Circuit, Rewald was denied constitutional due process, the most elementary defenses under our form of government.
Federal judges denied Rewald the right to an attorney of his choice who wanted to defend him, Melvin Belli. Instead, a young attorney – almost a kid – just out of law school, who had never tried a case, was assigned to defending Rewald, even after the attorney admitted he lacked experience.
During the kangaroo trial, the judge refused to allow Rewald to introduce official documents showing that BBRDW was a CIA operation and that he was a CIA agent.
Knowing that Rewald was innocent, but protecting people in government, the judge sentenced Rewald to 80 years in prison.
A few news services and reporters touched upon the events, including CBS reporter Barry Peterwon who wrote, “Rewald was a covert agent for years.”
The London Sunday Times wrote, “The CIA order an agent to kill Rewald.”
CBS anchor Dan Rather described the Rewald CIA story “intriguing and important.”
The San Francisco Chronicle was a little more direct: “The CIA had only slight involvement with the Honolulu investment firm, highly-places reporters said. That was a lie! Pointing to the firms’ extensive intelligence ties, three CIA station chiefs listed as connected to the company, among dozens of other CIA agents identified....”

~ ~ ~

DEVELOPING YEARS

The next years would be busy ones for Ron and Nancy....
Ron had always been a very good athlete...
Ron especially loved football and was far better than average....
Cleveland won the NFL Championship that season. That spring, Ron received an invitation to a try-out camp from the Browns’ head coach, Blanton Collier... After one of the scrimmages, a scout from the American Football League had asked him for his name ...
The letter from the Browns came soon after, with a contract signed by Mr. Bixler....
Four days before the start of the Browns’ training camp at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, tragedy struck. Ron was running the stadium steps to build stamina when he fell and hurt his ankle.... His career was over before it began.
He had, however, laid the foundation for a career in the sporting goods business...
No sooner did the news of his release from the NFL league office hit the news wires than his telephone began to ring. Hank Stram, of the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs called to say that their scout had reported seeing Ron perform in the Brown’s rookie camp and had been very impressed. Stram said he wanted Ron for the Chiefs and would sign him right then for that season and the next. He added that if the ankle healed that season, the coach would have him on the first plane to Kansas City....
The contract was in his hands the next day, as promised, signed by coach Stram....

~ ~ ~

A weak beam of light escaped the fluttering drapes, drawn behind the sliding glass doors of the lanai. A shimmering full moon lit up the empty beach and pool some sixteen stories below. Inside room 1632, the lamp on the night stand next to the bed cast a dim light on the prescription bottle of Codeine #3, which was sitting next to the bloody razor blade.
On the rumpled bed, an open Bible rested amidst the blood stains. On the floor at the foot of the bed laid a motionless body clad only in blue shorts. Blood oozed from a slashed right wrist.
A shiny boot roughly rolled the blood splotched body onto its back and the silence was broken by a heavy voice, carrying a Latin accent.
“Okay, Rewald’s not dead.” Angelo Cancel, a stocky Latino snorted. “We’re in luck.”
He was accompanied by Robert Allen, a man in his late 50's. . . . He was heavy; 200 pounds on a 5'10" frame. He grabbed Rewald by one hand. “Great. Let’s get him into the bathroom. See if he’ll talk.”
The two dragged the limp body into the bathroom, leaving a smudged trail of blood. Propping him up against the tub, Cancel slapped his face, the again, harder. He seemed to revive momentarily, then slumped heavily.”
“Shit!” Cancel snarled in frustration. “He’s dying right here and now!”
“Drink,” Allen said in panic, “try giving him something to drink!”
Cancel retrieved a glass of water from the sink and held it to the dying man’s lips. It dribbled down his chin and chest.”
“Son-of-a-bitch! It’s no use,” Cancel groaned. “He can’t swallow.”
In frustration, Cancel slapped Rewald twice more, then got right in his face, while shaking him violently. Bob leaned foreware and lifted Rewald’s head up by his hair.
“Ron! Ron!” Allen pleaded. “Where is the green book?”
Ron’s eyes rolled in and out of consciousness. He gasped faintly, then gagged, trying to drink. Cancel shook him once more, banging his head against the tub.
“Ron, is it here?” Allen asked in desperation.
Ron forced a gagging response. He blinked through glazed eyes, then barely nodded ‘no’.
Cancel sneered calmly, then continued in a soothing voice after withdrawing a Buck Knife from his white linen coat. “Ron, my friend. We came to help you.”
Cancel pulled the knife blade open and gently laid it on Ron’s left forearm, which he had lifted onto the rim of the tub.
“The company always looks after its own.”
He then dug the knife tip deep into the flesh below the elbow, and slowly drew it across the forearm. The splayed tissue pulsated bright red ooze.
The two men left the dying man alone in the bathroom, and began a hurried search of the hotel room. After several minutes, they came up empty handed and cursed in frustration. Before leaving they stopped at the bathroom door for one last look, then were gone.
Soon the Chairman of Bishop Baldwin Rewald Dillingham & Wong would be dead....

CHILEAN JUNTA

It was almost midnight as United flight #193 left the Hawaiian skies.
Others, one by one, closed their eyes and fell asleep in the large comfortable seats of the first class cabin. Only Ron seemed unable to rest. As he stared out through the plane’s small porthole, seeing nothing in the darkness, as uneasiness filled Ron that night. Maybe it was a prelude of things to come, but an empty hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach made him uncomfortable....
Oh, it wasn’t a particular concern about leaving the children. That wouldn’t set in for at least a day or two, if normal patterns persisted. Anyway, he knew they were in good hands ...
Then, of course there were the security guards and bodyguards, four or five of them, led by Calvin Gunderson, who had the responsibility of overseeing all security for the Rewald family. They would never be out of his sight, although the older ones would try all the same. But the calm, conscientious Hawaiian Gunderson, always unruffled, would keep them safe and secure always ...
The concern was not over the children. Ron, from outside observation, should have been a man at peace with himself and very satisfied with his station in life. Chairman of the Board of Bishop Baldwin Rewald Dillingham & Wong, now a very prestigious and fast growing multinational consulting firm, with offices in London, Paris, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Guam, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, India, South America and the Middle East, in addition to several U.S. offices, including Beverly Hills, and of course Honolulu, its international headquarters.
Bishop Baldwin’s investments included a trust company, travel agency, airline, real estate companies, an automobile dealership, a chain of sporting goods stores, ranches, investment companies, a printing company, agri-business, a trade company and school, warehouses and plantations, and office buildings. In Hawaii alone he oversaw, along with his partner, Sunny Wong, a hundred forty employees, including a couple dozen or so investment analysts and bankers, in addition to scores of support people throughout the company’s world-wide operation.
He lived on a beautiful Hawaiian estate (appraised at over $2 million) on a private lagoon, with its own private waterfall, spring and exotic fish pond, paddle tennis courts and lush tropical gardens. In addition to the unlimited use of company chauffeurs and limousines, he drove a Cadillac, had a Rolls Royce convertible for his wife and sports cars for the older children to drive, and all the accouterments of wealth from Rolex watches to custom suits, even his own string of thoroughbred polo ponies.
He was President of the prestigious and very exclusive Hawaii Polo Club, one of the oldest in the United States. It listed among its members His Royal Highness, Prince Charles of England....
Ron had a charming, almost disarming, personality that put everyone at ease, always sensitive to the needs of others. Ron appeared a happy and successful man who had everything. And yet, as he stared into the empty night through the plane’s window, thoughts, worries and concerns raced through his mind. He also had secrets, many of them.
Ron prayed the next days would go well, according to the missions’ plan. This trip that was for all outward appearances a half business, half pleasure trip to Chile to look at investment opportunities and play polo at Santiago’s plush and exclusive Equestrian Club, was really far more.
Ron’s CIA cover as a wealthy Honolulu business executive, was on yet another mission, this time taking him into Argentina, after briefings in Chile, in the middle of a war between the Argentines and the British over the Falkland Islands. The situation was deteriorating fast. An American could become a very unpopular commodity in a hurry, should the U.S. government or the President say the wrong thing, something to alienate an already strained U.S.-Argentine relationship. Yet, the information needed was vital and critical, or at least that’s what he was almost always told by his chief of CIA at the Honolulu station headquarters....
As the plane touched down, Ron hoped their greeting party would be there waiting for them as planned. When they had disembarked and cleared customs, he could see them waiting. There was Michael Daily, a young up and coming Bishop Baldwin executive hired for his expertise in South America, specifically Chile and Argentina, where he had lived and worked for a number of years.... His father had previously owned the Hawaii Polo Club, in addition to a hotel or two in Honolulu. Michael grew up, so to say, in the saddle, and was an excellent polo player ...
There was Michael’s pretty wife, Becca, whom Ron had suggested should join them on this trip, to Michael’s delight. Ron’s intentions had been for her to keep Nancy company.
There was also Al Lopaka, a friend and polo player from Hawaii, a devilish rogue, in a good sense. He was a real charmer, a lady killer who retired as a professional singer and entertainer to concentrate on his first love, playing polo, which he did very well....
All three had been sent on ahead of the Rewalds to organize everything so Ron’s time would be put to the most productive use. Mike Daily set up business meetings and luncheons, and Al Lopaka set polo practice ...
Santiago was an old dirty city, very poor and, since the government’s military junta took over years earlier in their bloody coup, murdering the president, Salvadore Allende, there was very little economic recovery....
Before leaving for the hotel and a few hours rest, they all agreed to meet for dinner that evening at a unique little restaurant well known in Santiago, a must for visitors. Michael had arranged for two other couples to join them, people they hoped to be doing some business with while they were down her for Bishop Baldwin and the CIA....
The guests were already there, Al Lopaka, Michael and Becca Daily, Gustavo and his wife ... Michael then introduced the Rewalds to General Munoz and his wife. The general was a stern-looking middle-aged man, rigid in appearance, but extremely polite.
Ronald Wolfson, who was already there, served as vice president of Chase Manhattan Bank, Santiago, and had assisted Michael on a number of Bishop Baldwin needs. Ron had been told that Wolfson had a desire to leave Chase Manhattan for their firm if the right deal could be structured.
Mrs. Wolfson, a former high fashion model from New York, skinny as a rail, had obviously already taken a liking to the irrepressible Lopaka, and as the evening progressed and the empty wine glasses accumulated in front of her, she became bolder by the hour to the embarrassment of all except, surprisingly, her husband....

~ ~ ~

General Munoz ushered them into an elegant office and explained that they had been summoned to meet with General Manteola, second in command only to Pinochet and one of the four original members of the junta responsible, he said, “For liberating Chile.”...
A few minutes later a tall, thin gaunt looking General Manterola entered ... He was smiling as he approached, greeting first Ron, by name, then Mike Daily. Obviously, he had been briefed....
The General then got down to business, explaining that ten years ago, when they had taken power, the junta had expropriated over five hundred businesses at the time, and had over the years returned most, or sold them off. They had, however, retained some, and knowing of the reputation of Bishop Baldwin Rewald Dillingham & Wong, thought something might be worked out that would be to the benefit of all.
He further explained that the government of the United States had shunned any significant relations with Chile under its present leadership and that Commander Pinochet desired that relations between the two governments be improved, so that American corporations would once again do more business and prosper together with Chile as economic partners....
General Manterola went on to explain that they still held one of Santiago’s largest banks in their control and would be willing to give it to Bishop Baldwin for a token price, “Say one million dollars, U.S.” It had, he said, assets netting over sixteen million, which they could have their auditors verify to their satisfaction first. They really wanted it owned by a new American interest in the hope it would be the start to stimulate other U.S. companies to do business there.
Ron said he would certainly take it back to his board of directors and check their interests. What he really meant is he would report it toJack Kindshci, Charles Richardson, CIA F.R.(Foreign Resources), Chief of Base and Jack Rardin, CIA Chief of Station, and let them give the information to the home office at Langley.
For, in reality, Bishop Baldwin was their baby, a CIA owned and operated proprietary company, and any such decision would in fact be theirs. But then they might see some intelligence value in this, and they were always seeking new banking capabilities.
The General then sweetened the deal by adding that if Ron would put this deal together they would throw in for Bishop Baldwin, or its chairman (Ron) 2,800 acres of prime agricultural land in southern Chile, with timber forests and excellent farm land, included free for making the deal....

~ ~ ~

The country club was impressive by anyone’s standards, unexpectedly so for Santiago, Ron thought as they were shown to the Wolfson’s table. Membership ran seventy-five thousand U.S., Wolfson later told him. As the men, Ron, Michael and Ron Wolfson paired off to discuss business, the girls, Nancy and Mrs. Wolfson, chatted about lesser things....
Ron discussed with Wolfson the meeting they had been to with General Manterola earlier in the day, and explained his offer. Wolfson was impressed and somewhat in awe of the special treatment these newcomers to Chile had received. If they, Daily and Wolfson, were to set up BBRD&W offices in Santiago, how long would it take and how much would it cost, Ron inquired? They estimated sixty to ninety days, and upwards of forty thousand dollars, was the consensus.
What about auditing the bank offered by Manterola? It would not be feasible to have Bishop Baldwin do the audit. It would take a local accounting firm. Wolfson suggested Price Waterhouse, for they had an office in Santiago and were familiar with theChilean economy. Ron agreed they would be best, indicating they currently used them in Taiwan, Indonesia, and London.
After considerable discussion, Ron said at the next board meeting he would propose the setting up of offices in Santiago, with a retainer agreement satisfactory to Wolfson for the present.... He did tell Wolfson to contact Price Waterhouse and see what they wanted for a feasibility study on the project....
All parted on good terms and agreed that Wolfson would be brought to Hawaii later in the year for discussions about his future....

~ ~ ~

WEEK OF THE SULTAN

The upcoming week would prove to be one of the busiest and certainly, most important and productive of Ron’s term as Chairman of the Board of Bishop Baldwin Rewald Dillingham & Wong, and the CIA.
Sometimes the CIA has to target operations within the United States. Under CIA charter, the Agency may not exercise law enforcement or police powers or undertake internal security functions, but this does not mean it cannot operate within the United States....
The CIA charter does not specifically say the CIA may not gather intelligence in the United States, rather, legislation makes it clear the CIA may gather intelligence within our borders, so long as the target is foreign. That understanding was codified by Executive Order 12333, which President Reagan signed on December 4, 1981....
Monday meant that he had another weekend out of the way, another successful polo match. The Marquess of Waterford and his three sons, all excellent players, had won a hard fought match . . . Ron’s mind was already on the new week’s guests, the Sultan of Brunei and Ricky Zobel. This would be a serious week of work and play, hopefully with the results the Agency hoped for....
By 7:00 a.m. he would find himself in his Eldorado convertible battling the morning rush hour traffic into downtown Honolulu. ... The air was always fresh and warm at this time of day, so at the first stop light Ron would put the top down and breathe in the fragrant air. There was no place like Hawaii....
When Ron entered the office, one of his three secretaries, Fenlyn Kimura, would be waiting at the entrance. She would follow him all the way into his office, letting him know what would be on the agenda for the day. . . .
His office was on the 26th floor of theGrovesnor Center, which was Hawaii’s newest and most prestigious complex. BBRD&W was one of its first occupants . . . They now occupied three floors and the staff now numbered about 120 people. The 26th floor held all the executive offices, staff, the board room, computer offices and legal and CIA staff. BBRD&W maintained 20 full-time attorneys. Most worked on the various operations; several also did Agency work....
Ron’s office was the size of two large suites. It was octagon-shaped with three walls being glass. The far wall was a full waterfall with a dial to control the flow. . . .Very impressive indeed, but then he was often meeting with billionaires and international bankers, so anything less would not have the bill....
Fenlyn would finish going over the daily schedule, weeding out or redirecting anybody Ron would absolutely not have to meet . . . Then Ron would meet with Sunny Wong. Sunny was the President of BBRD&W and its Chief Executive Officer. Although he was CIA cleared and early on was more involved in the Agency’s operations, he was now basically running the day-to-day operations of Bishop Baldwin....
Sunny would bring Ron up-to-date on the normal business activities and how the company acquisitions were working out . . . Once Sunny left, Sue Wilson would come in and go over the needs of the staff in foreign offices. On this particular morning, Sue brought him up-to-date on Taiwan and the fact that the staff there was wondering when a large shipment of equipment could be expected to arrive. Ron asked her to track down Captain Avary and get him on the phone.
Bob Jinks was also asking for support in Australia, where Bishop Baldwin was setting up additional offices. . . . The office manager in Sweden was asking for more company brochures. However, he wanted special ones with Jack Kindschi’s name omitted. Jack had blown a Greek agent’s cover when he was stationed there and they were once again dealing with this agent to get information on President Popendreo. Ron told Sue to see that it was done. Ron also wanted to talk to Jason Wong in Hong Kong to see how the capital flight effort was being received by the Chinese....
Sue soon traced Captain Avary down and he was on the phone from Paris. He informed Ron that he expected to firm up delivery dates for the Taiwanese on tanks and armored personnel carriers by the end of the week and hoped to be back in Honolulu by Saturday.
He knew that the weekend meant the Agency would be hosting the Sultan of Brunei and Zobel, and Captain Avary always wanted to be where the action was....
Jack Rardin called to see what time Ron would meet with him . . .
Ken Sanders, the head of the public relations companies owned by BBRD&W, was prompt for his 1:00 p.m. appointment. He was requesting Ron to do a few interviews. The first would be with USA Today, then Pacific Business News. Ron agreed, but when he was asked to do local media and newspapers, he refused . . .
Jack Rardin arrived at 2:00 p.m. and was immediately shown into Ron’s office. They went over the requirements for the Sultan . . . Most of all, the objective was to win him over and get close to him, give him anything he wanted, obligate him if we could and get any raw intelligence he was willing to part with.
Areas of concern included OPEC Oil,Indonesia, where Ron would soon be Consul General, and President Marcos, with whom he had a modest relationship. Like Zobel before him, expectations were not high, so anything he could ferret out would be highly regarded.
The Sultan had never before visited the U.S. and the Agency wanted him to feel friendship towards the United States. Ron again reviewed his file, noting his interest in exotic cars, polo and women. He was, after all, coming to Hawaii to play polo at Ron’s club, by way of an invitation he had accepted from Ron through Zobel, who Ron had been setting up for a long time in making this marriage. Ron would invite the Sultan to their dealership for Lamborghini and Maserati. The dealership also carried the largest collection of Rolls Royces, Mercedes, Excaliburs and other such exotic types in the state....
Ron informed Jack that he would not see him until Wednesday; and that he would hold a reception for the Sultan at theOahu Country Club. Ron also told him that Ricky Zobel and Ron would try and talk some business with the Sultan after the polo match was out of the way. He was expected to stay in Honolulu for one week. Rardin seemed nervous, but then, he always was.
Ron had reason to feel nervous too. The IRS had been asking questions and he didn’t have the answers. He asked for help in this area, and Rardin told him to get another tax extension. He gave Ron three new cover stories, fresh out of CIA headquarters and told him to choose whichever one he felt the most comfortable with. These were lies that he was to tell the IRS agent checking into his operations. . . .
Through the years that Bishop Baldwin had been growing and attracting attention worldwide, they had attracted various regulatory agencies as well. The difference was, that when theSEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), theBanking Commission, the FDIC, and even the first time the IRS made inquiries about BBRD&W, a simple phone call by Ron to his Station Chief or Chief of Base would result in their immediate termination. Even the CIA Director, William Casey, had personally assured Ron that any of that type of interference would be taken care of by Headquarters. He need not concern himself. Why did it take them so long to put a halt to this one? Ron blamed it on Rardin and his lack of attention to detail....
Ron, of course, had other requirements from CIA-FRD Chief of Base, Charles Richardson and these would take priority. Charles was also the Bishop, in Bishop Baldwin, and was now in Saudi Arabia on assignment....
Jack Kindschi arrived at 3:30 p.m., as Rardin headed back to the CIA station for which he was chief of station. Kindschi was proud of his contributions and work on the Capital Flight book, and justifiably so. It had accomplished what the CIA had in mind when this effort was first called for. It had created panic in Hong Kong among the international bankers and they knew well, with very little pushing, billions of dollars would soon be heading to the USA.
All told, the Agency had a hundred different agents saying the same things about the Chinese takeover and how Hong Kong “could not survive.” With that many sources spreading the same line, the public accepted it as true, showing how disinformation works....
Myra buzzed Ron saying Jinks was on the phone from Australia....
Bob wanted more help than the Agency was able to give him in dealing with the government down there. They were requesting more financial disclosure that the Agency had to give in any other country and Ron wasn’t sure Langley wanted to further develop the accounting records. They already had a new audited Price Waterhouse statement to support their operations in Chile and Brazil. He doubted they would want to extend it to Australia. The more that is exposed, the greater the chance of blowing the cover at some later date....
Myra knocked on the door as Ron was hanging up on Jinks to tell him that Wolfson was on the phone from Chile. Ron motioned for Kindschi to stay seated and put Wolfson on the speaker. He was just routinely reporting in and checking to see if Ron would be down there again soon. Wolfson was vice president of Chase Manhattan Bank in Santiago and now also a paid consultant....
That evening the Kindschis joined the Rewalds for dinner. ... Jack and Ron talked about the objectives that could be gained with the Sultan. Women were high among them and he would have more than a few pretty little things the Agency controlled around to attract his attention. At this point, no one knew if he would come alone or bring one, or both of his wives. ... Zobel was newly married, so he could not be counted on to help distract the young Sultan....
Tuesday morning at 5:45, Ron woke up and stretched for a minute or two....
At the office, the morning was routine. Around 10:00 a.m. Calvin Gunderson came in to tell Ron he was heading out to the airport to watch the Sultan’s plane arrive....
By 1:30 p.m., Ron was back at work and getting briefings on an India request from Chan Pasrich for military hardware for Indira and her son, Rajiv. Now they were asking for assistance in purchasing a 747, specially equipped with command post electronics, similar to that of the President of the United States. ... While the one ordered was everything they wanted and hoped for, the price was not right. Ron said he could do nothing in getting a better price, but was soon told that the problem was not the price,but the kick-back to the Gandhi family and the usual number of military and political personnel along the way.They had cancelled the entire order and wanted to place another one with BBRD&W’s assistance.
As far as the Gandhis were concerned, BBRD&W was just a very well-connected firm with strong ties to the military and political leadership. Chan, of course, was on the payroll and as a field agent knew exactly what BBRD&W really was. Ron told Chan that he would have to run it past the station chief and get guidance from headquarters. . . .
Clearly, India was into false billings and double payments that would benefit the leaders, not all that unusual for that part of the world. . . .
U.S. companies could not legally be involved in kick-backs. Since the Lockheed scandal in Japan, everyone was very careful. Often, Bishop Baldwin got around this by getting their agents named as sales representatives for the large aircraft manufacturers, sometimes for just a single deal. That way they could take the commission and pay it to the necessary people in the various countries. Sometimes they even got to keep a percentage for themselves....
Wednesday started like the rest of the week....
By 2:20 p.m., Ron was at the polo club. Enrique arrived at the same time and they looked over Ron’s best horses and had them saddled and readied for the Sultan’s arrival. ... At 3:17 p.m. a long procession of limousines approached the club and passed through the gate. ... Of the ten or so limos, the one in the middle was especially obnoxious looking. It was a stretch Lincoln with an extended rear wheel mount on the back fender. The Sultan soon emerged, followed by a short chubby looking woman, his wife....
“Your Royal Highness, I am pleased you could join us and I would like to welcome you to my humble club,” Ron said....
At 7:35 p.m., the entourage arrived at the Honolulu Club. Bodyguards from the Sultan, Zobel and Ron were lined up like a procession and the eleven person party were soon well seated....
Zobel led the way in most of the conversation. ... After a many-course meal, it was 10:15 p.m., and while it was bedtime for the children and the women had all had enought, Ricky and Ron suggested that the showroom of Motorcars Hawaii could be opened for a special late night visit, Ricky thinking that the Sultan might find it of interest. The Sultan liked the idea very much, so Ron motioned for Calvin and whispered for him to call Bill Bartenstein. Bill ran Motorcars Hawaii....
The Sultan really enjoyed browsing and sitting in the cars. He tried many for comfort. Ron knew, from intelligence briefings, that the Sultan already have over two hundred, so he was surprised when Bartenstein came over and told him the Sultan wanted to buy some. Bill asked Ron what kind of deal he should make. Ron told him to ask the going price. Ron didn’t feel the Sultan needed a bargain, especially since he was considered to be the richest man in the world....
The Sultan had an aide purchase two cars . . . His Highness wanted the cars as soon as possible; in fact, he would send a plane to pick them up so they would arrive in Brunei by the time he returned home....
It had been a most profitable evening as Ron dropped the Sultan off at his hotel.... Jim and the Sultan had even compared notes about the drive-ability of Feraris ... Jim had arrived at his expertise because he often drove the red Ferari Tom Selleck, of Magnum P.I. drove in his popular series. Motorcars Hawaii were the ones who leased the car to the television production company that produced the series....
Thursday morning Ron awoke at the usual 5:45 a.m. ... Franklin drove Ron to the office at 7:30 a.m....
At 2:00 p.m., Ron called Rardin and said he would come to his office. Ron needed to stretch his legs anyway.... it was a quick walk to the Federal Building....
Ron walked down the hallway and into Jack Rardin’s office. It was a typical government office, very nondescript, with his only personal touch being a huge Kentucky University banner on the wall. . . . After a few minutes talking about the Sultan and Ron’s plans, they both walked past the walk-in safe where all the cable traffic was sent and received, past all the shredding machines to the back of the offices where there were no windows. Here there was a large table with books of up-to-date requirements.
Ron had always hated looking through them prior to overseas trips, but he now scanned the up-to-date information of the Sultan....
Friday morning was typical of most mornings.... Shortly after he arrived at the office, a clog was thrown into his plans. Fenlyn came in to announce the governor’s office had called and asked if the Sultan, Enrique and he, plus their wives would please join the governor and his wife for lunch at Washington Place, their formal residence....
This was the last thing Ron wanted today. ... Ron found himself calling Nancy and telling her they had to have lunch with the governor at noon. She was not pleased....
General Braswell called. He was Commander in Chief of the Pacific Air Force and he wanted to confirm a Saturday noon tennis game with Nancy and Ron, plus his wife....
Braswell would soon, after retirement, be joining Bishop Baldwin as a full time consultant. He was a West Point graduate and sharp as a whip.
A meeting Ron had already scheduled with Bob Allen (an Agency veteran) and General Forrest, to discuss problems with General Hunter Harris and his drinking and potential security risks, went as scheduled. If it had been up to Allen and Forrester they would have had him committed. Ron felt Harris should no longer be in a position to hear sensitive information, but felt they did have him under control, with Jackie Vos constantly baby-sitting him. Ron suggested they go on monitoring the situation, but to maybe keep him off the air base for awhile. ...
Ron and Nancy arrived at the governor’s mansion, followed by Enrique and the Sultan within minutes. The women were given a tour of the historic old estate by Jene Aryoshi, the governor’s wife. Ricky, the Sultan and Ron stayed in the garden and talked. The governor was on his way from the capital, one block away.
Bad protocol, Ron thought, but it gave him more time with his target. They talked about the U.S. economy, and Ricky told the Sultan how well connected Ron was with high ranking politicians and military people in the U.S. The Sultan said he kept all his funds in Great Britain financial institutions, something Ron already knew only too well. In fact, he could quote the names and amounts he kept in each, such as British Crown Agents (4.7 billion dollars). Ron expressed little interest, but said he would not trust the British after the way they ruined Hong Kong and felt that the Falkland crisis had damaged their economy much more than anyone would have realized. The Sultan looked concerned. Ron looked the other way. Ricky grinned ever so slightly and shook his head, satisfied.
Everyone was shown into the main dining room and the governor joined them. Over salad, he welcomed the Sultan and Mr. Zoebel....
The main course was a thick filet wrapped in bacon, something that was very offensive to the Sultan, who was a Muslim. No one ate their food, and it was all quickly removed. They all made the best of it by enjoying dessert and other than the offer of wine, which was also rejected by the Sultan and Ron, everyone seemed to ignore the eating portion of the event. On the way out, George Aryoshi asked Ron if he and his wife could attend this week’s polo match. Ron had little choice but to say yes, although he did not welcome any more distractions for Sunday....
That evening, Nancy and the children arrived at Oahu Country Club at 7:10 p.m. for the Polo Club reception in honor of the Sultan and Zobel. The first to greet the Rewalds was Jack Lord and his wife, Marie. They were the Rewald’s only close non-agency friends in the islands, although Ron was certain it would not have happened if not for his cover and profile. Jack, whose real name was John Ryan, was now retired from Hawaii Five-O since they stopped shooting in the islands after twelve years. He had been a good friend and was often over for dinner at the Rewalds, or the reverse....
Ron introduced them to the Sultan and then drifted off into the crowd....
Nancy, Helen Kindschi, Marie Lord and a few other polo widows were seated at a table, small-talking. At 8:00 p.m. toasts were started to the guests. Ron welcomed them one more time and a number of the more prominent members provided gifts for the visitors and their wives and generally made them feel at home. Ricky approached Ron and shook his head about the governor’s luncheon, then asked, “Are you asking the Sultan to transfer his money through your company?”
“Of course not,” Ron answered. “We couldn’t handle that kind of money.”
He went on to say that Bishop Baldwin would have no way of placing funds that large. He added that no one in Hawaii could handle even half of what he had. Ron did add that he hoped the Sultan would consider placing his money in the U.S. and mentioned a number of investment houses in New York capable of taking such deposits. Ricky shook his head in understanding and said, “Well, the Sultan is thinking about what you had to say.”
Ron nodded, then added, “Good.”
Zobel said we could talk about it Monday.
Ron smiled. “Great,” he nodded....
Saturday morning, Ron awoke at 7:15 a.m. ... At 12:00 noon Nancy and Ron arrived at the Waialai Country Club for their tennis match with General Braswell and his wife... At the polo field, the Sultan and Zobel’s Philippine team were having a light workout, their final one before Sunday’s match....
Sunday morning Ron ate breakfast with the family on the patio. ... He read the morning paper, which featured a nice article about the day’s big polo match....
By 10:15 a.m., Jim and Jeff and Ron were in the limo on their way to the match. Ron was on the phone with Jack Lord, telling him they would be arriving in about 12 minutes....
There were already almost two hundred cars in the parking lot when Ron arrived. In another hour the parking lot would be full. The beautiful clubhouse area would be surrounded by limousines, some with bumper flags designating them as governors or diplomats or military generals. Rolls Royces would be bumper to bumper with Mercedes and Bentleys and Cadillacs....
The first game started with Jack Lord throwing in the game ball....
The first game ended with Jim and Jeff’s team eking out a one goal victory....
The main event brought the crowd to its feet for the introduction of the players. The Philippine team was introduced first. The Sultan enjoyed the standing ovation immensely....
The game ended in a 9 to 3 victory for the Philippine team. ... Ron congratulated the winners and the losers for a game well played....
After the game, talk was of polo and the beautiful polo club. The celebration lasted until sunset....
Before parting, Zobel and Ron agreed to meet with the Sultan in Ron’s office at 11:00 a.m. on Monday. The two shook hands and agreed it had been a very good day....
Monday morning Ron awoke at 5:45 a.m....
By 7:00 a.m. Ron was driving to work, top down, trade winds in his hair and the sunshine warming him. ... This was an especially important day and he was already assessing what had been done and what was hoped for. There was no question that the Sultan was enjoying this visit. Ron felt confident they could count on his return, but for what? To play polo?
This was not what everything was about. ... Could the Agency count on him for information at some later date, on oil, on his neighbors, on money or assistance? This whole mission had been a major investment, a very big gamble. It certainly had paid dividends with Ricky Zobel alone, his insight into Marcos and world monetary trends and other neighbors in the Far East was invaluable. But, now it was all about the Sultan of Brunei, the world’s richest man....
It was 11:20 a.m. before the Sultan and Zobel were shown into Ron’s office. They were made comfortable, tea and other beverages offered....
The Sultan thanked Ron for a wonderful time, both at the polo match and at sharing “his” delightful island with him....
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000]E

[Peter Lemkin]

Phew.....a tangled web....some familiar names and events...some that are not. For your next assignment, try to draw a proximity and connection diagram between all those names...only joking....

[Magda Hassan]

2003 Introduction to
"The Seizing of the American Broadcasting Company"

William Casey
At the time it appeared, Andy Boehm's article was the most thoughtful analysis of William Casey's maneuvering to take over ABC. In fact, it was the only article we were aware of to consider the serious questions that this leveraged buyout posed. At the time it occurred, it was the most blatant attempt yet at controlling the broadcast media by an intelligence officer who was also a friend, ally, and investor in corporate sponsored media; in this specific case, Cap Cities, the entity Casey used to orchestrate the buyout. Of course, Casey's 1985 maneuvering foreshadowed a creeping control by corporate-CIA friendly investors that later broke into a full gallop. Two present day examples would be the Fox Network controlled by rightwing GOP crony Rupert Murdoch, and the Clear Channel radio network whose Texas owners are friendly with President Bush and reportedly sponsored the pro-Iraq war demonstrations to blunt the effect of the huge anti-war demonstrations held last year. Perhaps if more reporters would have examined the Cap Cities/ABC buyout, the warning sounds of what was to come to pass in American media would have been clearer and louder.
Boehm's article was generally overlooked at the time. Although today, in light of the above, it has even more relevancy than when it was published. But the article has one serious shortcoming that necessitates this introduction. It does not spell out clearly enough why CIA Director Casey was so angry with ABC and so determined to get his friends and fellow investors at Cap Cities to move in on it. Boehm refers to this in a brief section of his essay as follows: " The CIA was ostensibly upset because on Sept. 19-20, 1984, ABC News had aired allegations that the agency had contracted for the murder of Ron Rewald, a Honolulu swindler who claimed that his scams were directed by the CIA, of which he claimed to be a secret agent." (Italics added)
The added emphasis in the sentence should pose an obvious question: If Rewald's story was so shaky and conditional, why was Casey so angry that he became the first CIA Director to move for control of a TV network in history? And why are the actual "scams" of Rewald not noted? We can think of two reasons for this. Rewald's trial had ended in his conviction on fraud charges and the judge had sealed much of the court record. So Boehm did not have that much to go on. Also, Casey's actions, and the growing hostility of the Establishment to independent journalism, might also have intimidated Boehm's publishers. Whatever the case, it is possible today to tell a more complete story about Ron Rewald, his role in the investment bank Bishop, Baldwin, Rewald, Dillingham and Wong, Casey's outrage and how it facilitated the Cap Cities takeover.
Ron Rewald was recruited to spy on the student radical movement in America in the 1960's. Some of his spying took place at the University of Wisconsin. In the 1970's as a result of the exposure of this illegal activity by the Church Committee in the Senate, Rewald revisited his CIA connection. They assured him he would not be exposed or held liable for his past acts. In fact, they offered him an even better assignment. Since he was moving to Hawaii, and he was already running a small investment firm of his own, they asked him to move the firm to Hawaii and later to expand it into an investment bank. There was one qualification. Although Rewald could still do his investment consulting, the major part of the bank's activities would be for CIA activities that needed to be sheltered from both public and Congressional oversight. Thinking these would be small activities that would not take up a large part of the firm's time or funds, Rewald agreed.
And for the first two years of Rewald's reenlistment with the CIA, this was approximately true. But in 1980, something happened that changed the assignment, altered Rewald's life, and ultimately provoked Casey to act as he did toward ABC. In January of that year, the dead body of Francis John Nugan was found in his Mercedes on the Great Western Highway in Lithgow, Australia. Thus began the unraveling of the Nugan Hand Bank. Years later, after five official reports and investigations it can logically be concluded that Nugan Hand was a proprietary of the Central Intelligence Agency. That it was on the brink of failure when Nugan either committed suicide or was murdered. The other partner, Jon Hand fled or was spirited out of the country. Nugan's death and Hand's flight blew the CIA cover off Nugan Hand and necessitated a displacement of its covert activities in the South Pacific to Hawaii and Bishop Baldwin. (For a good summary of the rise and fall of Nugan Hand see Jonathan Kwitny's 1987 volume The Crimes of Patriots.)
Now Bishop Baldwin expanded its operations greatly. Satellite offices opened up in more than a dozen cities worldwide. It now employed a staff of nearly 200 people. Rewald lived in a Hawaiian estate near Diamond Head valued at over a million dollars in 1980. Bishop Baldwin had a fleet of cars and a chauffeur to drive around Rewald and Bishop Baldwin's clients. The company which had four accounts at its incorporation in 1979, had 110 by 1983. And in such exotic places as Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands. Rewald was now meeting with people like the Sultan of Brunei and Vice-President George Bush, and arranging secret arms deals with Rajiv Gandhi of India. In fact, this last seems to have been the major CIA use of the company i.e. to spirit weapons and arms of all types into Pacific Rim countries. Bishop Baldwin also used businessmen to collect intelligence and to direct the flow of capital into American companies. It also was used as a cover for more sinister assignments like the assassinations of leftist leaders and sympathizers.
This all ended in July of 1983. At that time a local reporter who was mysteriously tipped off began to expose Bishop Baldwin as the shell company it was. The local report spread quickly enough to major media. The CIA went into a denial mode, cutting off all ties to Rewald and letting him take the fall for the collapsed company. Rewald attempted suicide in a Honolulu hotel but recovered. The CIA considered him dangerous and unstable so they hired an assassin, Scott Barnes, to liquidate him. They gave him the cover of a minister and placed him inside the prison Rewald was being held in on fraud charges. Barnes backed out of the assignment when he was questioned by local law enforcement authorities.
Having decided to cut ties to Rewald, the CIA began to cover up its clear and important ties to Bishop Baldwin. The three leaders of the cover up were Casey, CIA Counsel Stanley Sporkin, and former Chief of Litigation John Peyton. The court placed a ten million dollar bail bond on Rewald which he could not possibly raise in the wake of the scandal. In addition a gag order barred Rewald's attorney from repeating in public what he told them. Case records which are normally public records, were held from view.
The trial was a farce. Of the four prosecuting attorneys, two were from the CIA. One was Peyton who claimed it was an utter coincidence that he ended up in Hawaii on the Rewald case. The judge forced Rewald to drop his attorney of choice, Melvin Belli. He had to employ a young lawyer from the Public Defender's office who had not tried a case yet. Rewald was not allowed to be present when classified documents were being cleared for use during the trial. Jurors were not screened in the court but in judge's chambers. Rewald's lawyer was cited twice for contempt and tried to withdraw from the case when he saw the judge would not let him present a full defense of his client. The prosecution actually presented imposters in court so as not to have CIA personnel questioned about Rewald. Yet even after being convicted, Rewald testified as an expert witness at another CIA agent's trial who also used Bishop Baldwin as a cover. Richard C. Smith was acquitted.
What is relevant to our subject occurred in September of 1984 while Rewald was awaiting trial and after Barnes had pulled out of his assassination mission. ABC reporter Gary Shepard put together a two part report for the ABC nightly newscast hosted by Peter Jennings. It featured interviews with both Barnes and Rewald. And it told the story from their point of view. Barnes was allowed to reveal how the CIA had hired him to kill Rewald and Shepard related the fact that there was evidence to indicate Bishop Baldwin was a CIA front company. As Boehm relates in his article, Casey and the CIA began to attack ABC. But a week later, Jennings said on the air that ABC stood by its story. Then Casey began to shift his efforts into high gear with the result that Boehm describes. But Boehm does not relate that after Cap Cities completed its purchase of ABC in 1985, Jennings then went on the air and related again the CIA denial of its attempt to kill Rewald. He then stated that ABC had no reason to question the denial. (This information, as well as much of the above, can be gleaned in the Kwitny book, pgs 365-377, and in the book Disavow published in 1995 and authored by Rodney Stich and T. Conan Russell.)
The exposure of myriad illegal activities taken part in by Rewald and Bishop Baldwin--up to and including murder-form the backdrop for the Casey-Cap Cities buyout of ABC. It also helps explain who owns and controls the major media in this country and why. And through that fact it helps give an appropriate background to why ABC is prolonging a lie about the murder of President Kennedy forty years after the fact. And why that particular lie is also publicly shared by the Central Intelligence Agency.

--- Jim DiEugenio
http://www.ctka.net/abc_cap_intro.html

[Magda Hassan]

Phew.....a tangled web....some familiar names and events...some that are not. For your next assignment, try to draw a proximity and connection diagram between all those names...only joking....

This may come in handy:
[U]http://www.namebase.org/sources/ZS.html[/U]