Obama Nominee Admiral Dennis Blair Aided Perpetrators of Killings in East Timor

Part II of our conversation with investigative journalist Allan Nairn, who reveals Admiral Dennis Blair played a critical role in backing the Indonesian occupation of East Timor during the 1990s. At the height of a wave of ruthless attacks on Timorese that killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands, Blair personally informed top Indonesian general, Wiranto, of unwavering US support. He continued to support the Indonesian military until international outcry forced the Clinton administration to withdraw its military and diplomatic backing

AMY GOODMAN: Right now we’re going to turn to President Obama’s cabinet. The President-elect Obama is facing a political challenge over his choice to run the Central Intelligence Agency. Obama has tapped Leon Panetta, a former Congress member and White House Chief of Staff under President Clinton. Many observers call him a surprise pick because of limited intelligence experience and his public opposition to the Bush administration’s policies on torture. Obama defended Panetta’s nomination at a news conference yesterday in Washington.

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: I have the utmost respect for Leon Panetta. I think that he is one of the finest public servants that we’ve had. He brings extraordinary management skills, great political savvy, an impeccable record of integrity. As chief of staff, he is somebody who—to the president—he’s somebody who obviously was fully versed in international affairs, crisis management, and had to evaluate intelligence consistently on a day-to-day basis. And we’re going to talk about his picks for the intelligence positions, but we have just gotten Christopher Gunness back on the line, spokesperson for the UN Relief and Works Agency, known as UNRWA. […]
We go back now to the story of top Democrats chiding Obama for not consulting with them before announcing the pick and have suggested they might oppose Leon Panetta to be head of Central Intelligence Agency. In a brief statement, the new chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein of California, said, “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.” The outgoing Intelligence Committee chair, Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, says he shares Feinstein’s concerns.
It’s interesting to compare that to how lawmakers are greeting Obama’s other top intelligence pick. While members of Obama’s own party vow a tough confirmation hearing for Leon Panetta, who has written against torture during the Bush administration, they’ve expressed no reservations about another nominee who has been accused of supporting torture and murder abroad. The former commander of the US military forces in the Pacific, Admiral Dennis Blair, has been tapped to become the Director of National Intelligence. He would be Panetta’s boss. It’s the nation’s top intelligence job, overseeing sixteen agencies.

Admiral Blair played a critical role in backing the Indonesian occupation of East Timor during the 1990s. At the height of the wave of attacks on Timorese that killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands in 1999, Admiral Blair personally informed top Indonesian general, Wiranto, of unwavering US support. He continued to support the Indonesian military until international outcry forced the Clinton administration to withdraw its military and diplomatic backing.