The VENONA Files and the Alger Hiss Case

With thanks to Chas and bek

The VENONA files are decoded cables sent from Soviet agents in the United States to Moscow. Transcripts of the intercepted cables were released by the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency in 1995 and 1996. The VENONA transcript with the most relevance to the Hiss case is #1822, sent March 30, 1945 from the Soviet's Washington station chief to Moscow. (The transcript appears below.) If one accepts that "ALES" is indeed Alger Hiss, the transcript indicates that Hiss continued to work as a Soviet agent well until at least 1945, well after his association with Chambers ended in 1938. The period of the 1940s was one during which Hiss served as an important policy maker in the State Department.

Please click on the title (link) to learn more about the VENONA files.

This post was inspired by a discussion of Ann Coulter's recent book, Treason. An excerpt:

The credibility of democrats on national defense is at stake as it has not been since McCarthy's days. Democrats are on the precipice of securing their reputation as the Chamberlains of our time. In fact, today's appeasers are worse than Neville Chamberlain: Chamberlain didn't have himself as an example. In the latest round of liberal demoralization techniques, they are once again rooting against America. You would think the most destructive terrorist attack in the history of the world would call for something new, but the liberals have simply dusted off the old cliches from the Cold War and trotted them out for the war on terrorism. The only patriotic liberal in the world is Tony Blair, and he's in England.

Every once in a while their tempers get the best of them, and like Dr. Strangelove trying to restrain the Nazi salute, liberals say what they really mean. Their own words damn them as hating America. One week before the first anniversary of 9-11, Reuters ran a photo of Ground Zero with a caption that said, "Human rights around the world have been a casualty of the U.S. 'war on terror' since September 11." Arguably thousands of Americans dying hideous deaths is a more comment-worthy "casuality" than any alleged death of "human rights" around the world. Also was it really necessary to put "war on terror" in quotation marks?

That's the difference between the "Right" and the "Left". The "Right" sees an opportunity to learn more, think for themselves, and blend it into a complete and rational thought applicable to so many other situations (political). We're able to see the ebb and flow of government. Discover the instances of history repeating itself. The "Left" on the other hand, do as they're told.

Group Responds to FOX Oil-for-Food Story

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

NEW YORK — In the wake of a FOX News Channel Sept. 19 news documentary, Breaking Point: "United Nations Blood Money", and a story that first appeared on FOXNews.com on Sept. 17, FOX News received a written statement from the Hayel Saeed Anam Group on Oct. 8.

Click here for the FOXNews.com story.

Click here for the Hayel Saeed Anam Group site.

In the statement, the company states that Abdul Rahman Hayel Saeed, a corporate director, had a business relationship with Ahmed Idris Nasruddin dating back to 1982. But the relationship ended acrimoniously in 1984, and there have been no business dealings between the parties since.

Hayel Saeed Anam Group further states that while there was a valid power of attorney given by Saeed to Nasruddin in 1982, it merely authorized him "to sign in the name of the principal [Saeed] acting as founding partner, the public deed of establishment of the Association Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism for the Arab Gulf States and Switzerland [later re-named MIGA]."

The company states that this was not a continuing power of attorney to Nasruddin and that any subsequent use by Nasruddin was not valid or authorized.

The statement also claims that the participation in the Oil-for-Food program of Pacific Interlink, a Hayel Saeed Anam subsidiary, was above board.

FOX News' continued offers to interview Abdul Rahman Hayel Saeed, or a spokesperson from Hayel Saeed Anam Group, on-camera for this story, have been declined.