Roland Haas
Charles Goyette,
August 22, 2007
Roland Haas, author of Enter the Past Tense: My Secret Life as a CIA Assassin, explains his murder of people for the State and how it nearly ruined his life too.
MP3 here. (38:50)
Roland Haas is a former CIA operative.
Josh
August 23rd, 2007 at 1:11 am
Is there a way to dismantle a state that is made of “need to know” bureaucracies in which no one really knows what they’re doing?
We need to find all these bureaucrats and make sure they know of what they are a part. There’s a lot more sunshine than many realize (and than was ever intended). These people must not be looking at what the light’s revealing.
Josh
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:46 am
test
Joe
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:26 am
Charles: I don’t know if i am totally sold on this guy. How does a blue eye caucasian roll into Afghanistan in 1979 with an indigenous population and locate his target and then murdered them, without drawing alot of attention in the process. Back in 79 he probably would had to walk into the country. Doesn’t pass the smell test to me..
Danny
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Joe, I’ve read the book & it details how many Westerners, aka hippies, went to Afghanistan in pursuit of drugs. If memory serves, he went to Afghanistan in the early 70s, prior to the Soviet invasion.
If it doesn’t pass your smell test maybe you should read the book first.
Bill Jones
August 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
The most remarkable thing about this interview was the utter lack of remorse shown by this murderous psychopath.
All too common among government types
Michael
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Joe, alot of Afghans are caucasians and some have blue eyes. By growing your hair and beard long, your ability to blend in becomes easier. Haven’t you ever seen any reporting from Afghanistan? Do all the people there look the same to you? I see East Asians, Europeans, Indians…all these people make up the Afghan people, some more than others. There not a homogeneous group.
Hide Behind
August 24th, 2007 at 12:04 am
Could he be for real, not likely in total, but could he of worked for CIA as a contractor or worked for a contractor possibly.
Does the US use people for individual cases who have opportunity, yes they do.
Many Americans have worked for Intelligence services from high level CEO’s to peon workers for an NGO.
It is a lot easier to get in touch with firly high level DEA agents and to work for them and I imagine that one if an opportunity arose could do the same for intell.
Personal knowlege of men who work as contractors and have for years in Latin America and when not directly under contract for a service, work for Contractors in security or surveilance fields.
Hell there are litterally hundreds of thousands of people who would kill anyone for a couple grand never mind doing it for the governemnt and be paid highly while doing so.
The more one reads of the treue history of conflicts set in motion by US and the individuals who are used and in turn use others for our governemtns projhects the more likely some low level like this guy could well of done what he says.
Some of our Senators who sit on the intel committees seem to of been very active in some assassinations that were deeemed enmies of state along with high level CEOS for Pepsi and Coca Cola in planning and facilitating Latin American assassinations.
The old saw , I will believe it when I see it, should apply.
Nwah
August 24th, 2007 at 1:02 am
Let’s face it. This guy is cold-blooded serial killer. He is no better than those locked up in hig-security prisons. Why is that “we” condemn common murderers while adoring people like this guy who has killed 18 people??
I wonder if the spirits of the people he killed haunt him.
Hide Behind
August 24th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Who adores?
A skill is a skil no matter if it is a grunt in military in Iraqui , Afghanistan, Phillipines, Africa or Latin America all a hit on the street for cash or gang loyalty, a governemtn paid stooge or a President whose politcal party needs protecting, today it is killing for pay or for the fun of it.
Nothing cold blooded about it, just the way some humans are.
I can remember grandparents telling of men that when a possee was needed to go after a lone felon what had once been a mild church going store keeper. or a nice guy neighbor turned into a free wheeling killer just for the fun of it and the knowlege they could be hero’d for taking part.
Such men, and yes women, should be looked upon much as they look upon their targets, no more nor any less than slugs who need killing.
Until people wake up and realize that it is not just the hired hands who are this way but their elected officials they will continue to be part of our everyday lives.
Karen Kwiatkowski
August 24th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
The comment regarding eye color reminded me of the famous National Geographic cover photo in 1985 (see it here: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/afghangirl/ ). There may be many reasons to doubt people when they tel you what they have done in their lives — but that he was a blue or green eyed American entering and operating in a country that has been a cultural crossroads and trading center for centuries is probably not one of them!
Terry Silver
August 25th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
For NWAH, Bill Jones, and others who think Roland Haas is a serial killer, murdurous psychopatch or whatever and say Roland shows no remorse. I know Roland personally. He does not easily show his emotions but he is basically a kind and gentle man who thought what he was doing was for the good of his country. We give medals to soldiers who kill and to pilots who drop bombs on hundreds of people. Being the caring person Roland really is, his actions had to do severe damage to his emotions and psyche. Why do you think he had an emotional and physical breakdown? Roland visited my son in a nursing home, shaved him, held his hand, and enccouraged him. He stayed with my son the whole night while he was dying. A cold-blooded killer!!!!!! NO, NO, NO, NO.
Natasha
August 26th, 2007 at 8:07 am
He has no conscience at all. Let the spirits of those he had murdered haunt him for the rest of his life.
Terry Silver
August 26th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Natasha: Are you ready to wish that servicemen and women who fought and killed for their country be haunted by their experiences all the rest of their lives? If so, you have no mercy for our young people who fight and die for our freedoms (at least that is their motives if not our leaders’ motives). War and killing of anyone is terrible, but when there are monsters like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Castro etal, what is the alternative? Shall we all march into ovens like sheep? That was the Jews’ problem–too intellectual and peaceful on the whole. They did not believe in fighting and many were too civilized and educated to believe the horrible things inflicted on them could really happen. I’d say if you’re sincere about being anti-war, join a religious organization and try to change people’s warlike natures. But, on the other hand, a lot of hatred and killing is done in the name of God and religion.
Re
August 27th, 2007 at 5:54 am
Terry Silver,
you are nothing but an ignorant, brainwashed idiot….you are the product of an education system based in self-serving propaganda rather than facts….read Howard Zinn for true history…yes, most of the servicemen and women in Iraq will come back damaged mentally and physically…blame that on the gov….”die for our freedoms”….what freedoms idiot???…this is one of the most repressive countries on earth….you dumb redneck.
remember….freedoms are never given …just taken.
Terry Silver
August 27th, 2007 at 6:43 am
Dear Re
Calm down and stop foaming at the mouth. I was saying that “fighting for our freedom” is probably the servicemen and women’s motivation and not our leaders’ motivation. I think this administration is the most corrupt in American history.
Danny
August 27th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Re,
You’re quick on the insults & namecalling aren’t you? You mention self-serving propaganda but cite Howard Zinn? That’s about the equivalent of Hannity citing Ann Coulter as her version of a story as “true history.” If you want someone to take your sources (Zinn) seriously, why don’t you try to back up your opinions with logic rather than nonsensical rants?
Dumb redneck? This is one of the most repressive countries on earth? That’s an awful lot of hot air from someone who’s not using much to back any of it up. Can you at least try next time?
Danny
August 27th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Natasha, Do you know him to know that he “has no conscience at all” or are you just making this up as you go along? And what about the spirits of those who were murdered by the people he murdered? Drug dealers aren’t the types of people that I would consider worthy of much sympathy.
Re
August 27th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
danny boyyyyyyyyyyy
any country in which protest and dissent is ostracized and repressed, where you are blacklisted, not allowed to travel in airplanes because you participated in a peace protest, where you can’t protest in a street because it’s private property, where your mail, email, phone conversations are listened to, where you have no right to habeas corpus, where the citizens – peaceful- are a threat to the the “national security”, where the military commisions act rules,where cointelpro is still ongoing, where anyone can be detained for no reason indefinetely, where propaganda rules in the MSM and does not allow you to know the truth, where media is so tightly controlled you do not know the crimes your gov. commits overseas, where brainwashed idiots like you require an explanation to know why you live in a repressive country….that qualifies it as repressive , don’t you think?
Re
August 27th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
And those are some of the reasons… to name a few.
Yes, read Howard Zinn, Chalmers Johnson, Noam Chomsky, re-educate yourself after years of de-education thanks to the stupid box and an educaSHion system that rants and raves about freedom, democracy, principles and values…all debased terms void of any meaning.
jake
August 27th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I was in Afghanistan in 1971. Lots of red-headed, blue & green eyed people around (legacy from Alexander’s troops?). And killing is almost a sport there – everyone’s armed with guns & knives.
Danny
August 27th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
I’ve read Chomsky. He’s a fool. What would you say if I told you to read Ayn Rand? See the equivalent?
Are you insinuating that protest is not allowed? We had a protest in my town just six weeks ago.
No, you shouldn’t be able to protest on private property if the owner doesn’t want you there. Should I be able to sit in your car & protest that I think Zinn is senile? Should you be able to protest in a street with traffic? It’s against the law to do such a thing. But I guess the law doesn’t matter to you. You’re not speaking of the first amendment, you’re speaking of anarchy.
Re, you’re a conspiracy theorist. While your points may have hints of truth in some situations, they’re not the norm. Are you referring to Padilla? If I think he was denied his constitutional rights would I still be brainwashed as you describe?
I didn’t ask for an explanation from you, nor do I need one.
You’re the left wing equivalent of a Jerry Falwell-type who believes that God created AIDS as punishment to gays. Basically, I’m not going to call you names, but describe you as what you are: Gullible and uninformed.
Now, go read this guy’s book. It’s not all about killing. It describes how he saved the lives of a half dozen people, all the while putting the safety of himself into the fray. You won’t get the whole story until you know the whole story. Then again, I notice a pattern with your comments.
Paul
August 28th, 2007 at 5:05 am
Haas was/is part of a violent secret organisation that has been subverting democratically elected govts and conducting other nefarious skullduggery for decades. (As for instance Chalmers Johnson argues) 9/11 was blow-back for these activities. The fact that (in another interview) Haas warns us how big the current treat of Islamic terrorism is, shows how he shields his onw actions from real moral scrutiny. He himself helped create this threat.
What Haas and his brother in arms always argue at some point, is that with their vile acts they serve national security. “Our national security interest in ….” (fill any remote part of the world), is the common phrase. It basically is an ideology. Call it National-Securitism. What it really is about, of course, is not protecting the US-population or the country but protecting the global interests of the economic elite. Ultimately that’s what he’s been killing for.
Terry Silver
August 28th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Paul
I understand where you’re coming from but neither Roland Haas and others like him, nor our servicemen and women are the ones who should be the target of your anger. If it is true that all or most of our military actions are for the purpose of protecting the interests of the economic elite, the source of the rot is not in our servicemen and women or in individual heroes like Roland Haas, whose motives rightly or wrongly are out of patriotism. Direct your anger in the right direction, starting with Bush and Cheney and their ilk, plus all the lobbyists throwing their money around the corridors of power. You can also direct your anger at all the people who do not bother to vote and at those in charge of the voting process who make it difficult for the working person to get to the polls.
Re
August 28th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Yes, DANNY , I assume you are a grown man.
Chomsky is an idiot. And you are soooo bright. Unfortunately you can’t block the sun with your finger. Read a little, like I said before re-educate yourself. You obviously live in a bubble which I do not CARE to know. Your naivete, arrogance and ignorance are your cultural traits. You wear them as a badge of honor…what else is new?
Terry Silver
August 28th, 2007 at 10:32 am
You’re a real sweetie Re. Stop drinking the vinegar. This blog is not meant to be a vomitorium but a civilized discussion.
Danny
August 28th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Terry, it’s people like Re who make great assumptions & attack people on a personal level when they’re intellectually overmatched & incapable of conversing on an educated level. We’re all so dumb because we’re able to find the flaws in the works of people like Chomsky. Because it’s all they’ll ever read, it’s all they’ll ever know, unless some liberal college professor tells them otherwise. Talk about sheep!
Re
August 28th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Thanks Terry.
Let’s stop the pretense shall we?….what is civilized about you, your beliefs or your society?
You are an apologist for murder, oppression and hellish suffering as far as I can gather…how does that make you civilized?
Look at the indexes of incarceration, drug and alcohol usage, teenage pregnancy, women abused, white collar crime, violent crime, murders, rapes, gov. corruption, racism to name a few in your society and tell me what is civilized abut it?
I do not care to sugarcoat things. I speak my mind as I see it.
Live with it.
Terry Silver
August 28th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Re:
Even if you are right in your beliefs, I can’t see you winning people over. Your whole persona is negative, hostile and every other unattractive trait. People wouldn’t stay around all that negative energy long enough to be persuaded by your views. All that wild shooting (symbolic I hope) isn’t very effective. I’m not an apologist for murder, oppression and hellish suffering. People such as Roland Haas, like our servicemen and women, do what they do for honorable reasons of their own, apart from the reasons of people who give the orders and make the plans. Direct your anger in the right direction. I know Roland Haas personally to be a kind, warm and loving man. You’ll never convince me otherwise because I’ve seen him in action. And even you, my saintly Re, have done things you’re not proud of, found out you were mistaken about people or events, or hurt another human being.
reality hurts
August 28th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Democracy is just 2 wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner.
Terry Silver
August 28th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Okay Reality
How about a sound bite about every other form of government?
Re
August 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Chomsky a university professor,one of the most celebrated intellectuals today. While you danny are…what?
You get pissy because anyone that gets beyond the boundaries setout for you by the establishment is an anarquist a conspiracy creator . How sadly limited and totalitarian you are.
Your head seems to be shrink wrapped by your nationalism. In the eyes of world opinion you rank lower than dirt. No offense.
Terry Silver
August 28th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
You speak for the world now, Re??? My, my, delusions of grandeur indeed. No offense!
Terry Silver
August 28th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Re:
Where is this wonderland that is better than this country? Have you considered going there? You’re so quick to analyze and label people. Let me take a stab at analyzing you — a bratty kid who had everything handed to you, who is now utterly bored and needs the stimulation of taking a world-class tantrum. If the US ever turns into the kind of country you envision as being ideal, I have a feeling that you would be one of the first to belly-ache.
Paul
August 29th, 2007 at 3:03 am
Terry, everyone being responsible for their own actions is a basic moral principle of any decent society. No rule of law (which of course is the primary and essential foundation for human freedom) is possible without it. So you can’t just blame Bush and Cheney and leave all those at the lower rungs of the US war machine off the hook. “Just following orders” won’t fly (remember Nuremberg). As a foreigner (Dutch) I don’t hold any brief for your patriotism. Your calling Roland Haas a hero just demonstrates how utterly blinded you are.
Terry Silver
August 29th, 2007 at 6:16 am
Paul,
I can understand your dismissing American patriotism but aren’t you patriotic toward your own country or is patriotism only an American thing? If you were convinced by your country’s leaders that your relatives and friends, and even your community were in serious jeopardy, would you fight for them if you were called to do so? How can the ordinary person know what what really are the plans, what really are the motives of their leaders? Does the ordinary person have the time, money and expertise to investigate behind the scenes? Would they even be able to gain access to the people in power? It’s all the ordinary citizen can do to take care of the day-to-day needs of him or herself and family.
If the ordinary citizen’s motives are protection of family and love of homeland but his or her leaders are motivated by greed or insane theories, how is the citizen to know this? Where do you stop the blame? Is every military person to blame for the suffering and destruction caused by their leaders’ hidden agendas and lies?
As for as Roland Haas is concerned, I definitely think he is a hero. He put himself in danger for the good of his country–regardles of what our leaders’ motives were–which he had no way of knowing.
Also, I know Roland personally. He visited my son during his terminal illness, shaved him, held his hand and encouraged him, and finally stayed with him throughout the last night of his life. No intellectual arguments or rabid name calling by some people will ever change my mind. Roland was a hero and is a wonderful human being. His actions saved a lot of innocent people and those innocent people are the ones we should care about.
Danny
August 29th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Re, I’m not the one who’s “pissy.” You’re the one who’s all bent out of shape. Second, you have not idea what you are talking about. World opinion, nationalism, etc? Talk about being limited. It’s just conspiracy theories with you.
“While danny, you are…what?”
Much smarter than you Re, much smarter than you. If you stay in the box you’ll never advance further.
Re
August 29th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Your nationalism is part of your identity, your foundation of who you are as a person.
However is hard for you to recognize and admit much less show remorse for the crimes of your country.
The analogy would be having a father that is a killer , a thief and a thug, however, he goes to church on sundays and preaches about goodness…so that makes him a good guy….right.
You, collectively, are complicit and RESPONSIBLE for the hell Iraq has become. The deaths of one million Iraqis -probably many more- and the suffering and misery of millions of other will be a load in your conscience…if you have one. You collectively are rsponsible for the actions of your government…..can’t weasel out of that one….NEVER. Since with your inaction, indifference and callousness have shown the world that you do not care.
Your argument is weak. Love of family and homeland you say??…
please, give me a break… Where do you people live …under a rock??…stop watching Tv then. READ.
Re
August 29th, 2007 at 8:31 am
danny boy….
bla, bla , bla…it’s over boy.
Danny
August 29th, 2007 at 8:41 am
What’s over? The fact that you can’t argue because you’re intellectually inferior? That if someone can provide valid points to your argument that they’re worthy of being called names? You can punch but can’t defend. Do you believe everything your college professors told/tell you? You’re the one that needs to get out from under the rock. It’s damaged your left frontal quartex.
Terry Silver
August 29th, 2007 at 8:56 am
What are you doing to make the world better Re? As far as I can determine, all you do is rant, rave and raise hell. Do you do anything for the abused, downtrodden people that you care so much about (?????????????) Are you one of the people who will vote for someone who hasn’t a chance in hell to win so that you can feel morally superior? It’s types like you that ensured that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rove would get into power. Some of the people who might have done some good for the country didn’t meet your unrealistic expectations.
Terry Silver
August 29th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Re:
Do you and your co-horts ever give the USA credit for anything? The USA must have some something good about it or why do so many people want to come here? If you see another country superior to the USA, please go there as soon as possible, or are you afraid another country wouldn’t put up with your nonsense. Get your nose out of your books and get some real-life experiences.
Re
August 29th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Moral cowards.
Answer my arguments. Confront the issues. Do not wallow in meaningless generalities.
Talk about your complicity, responsiblity and your lack of remorse regarding Iraq. Talk about your inaction and indifference to stop a genocidal action by your gov. Talk about the interference of Washington DC in the affairs of other nations being the cause of strife and tension world wide. Talk about the US being the single most important threat to worldwide peace. Talk about your thriving MIC. Talk about your decadent school systems, health services, infrastructure and homeless veterans…those you care so much about. Talk about your soldiers coming back maimed and affected by DU238. Talk about why more than 12,000 have died from gulf war I syndrome…when less than 300 died in combat operations. Talk about the toxic wasteland the US has made of Iraq for centuries to come. Talk about why walter Reed sucks. Talk about why soldiers have to pay for their own food and buy their own protection gear. Talk about why militarism and outsourcing will run your country to the ground. Talk about how people can be so stupid to re-elect a moron. Talk about the racism of your gov. regarding New Orleans. Talk about Saipan the sweatshop run by the US gov. where no labor or immigration laws apply. Talk about why your congress is prostituted to the tune of 3 billion corporate dollars a year. Talk about why 68 lobbists pimp each member of congress , yes 68.Intelligent people talk about issues not persons. Get your collective heads out of your arse.
Stop talking about me. Stop talking about me.
People are not stupid…they know where the loot is.
Terry Silver
August 29th, 2007 at 11:43 am
All great arguments Re. So what are you doing about it? Are you putting your money where your mouth is? If you think you have the answers to all our problems, run for office. But get a makeover on your personality (if that’s what you can call it) or nobody will vote for you.
You say “Stop talking about me.” Unfortunately the nasty way you come across gets in the way of finding anything worthwhile in what you write.
Anger can be a positive emotion—but the way you spray out your anger over everybody and everything only ends up as emotional masturbation.
Re
August 29th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
LOL
See, what I do is take exception at your perceived exceptionallity and virtuosity.
That is your problem to fix…not mine. I do not live there in your bubble world. I don’t care what you think. I say the truth, if your candy, sensitive ass can’t handle it it’s your own character flaw not mine.
I took you to task because of your defense and glorification of an assassin in his words ..not mine.
I do not care at all about your sacred cows…none of them. It’s up your collective selves to do something about your country dumping on the rest of the world and being a melanoma on the surface of the earth…the world is losing its patience but waiting…grow up as a country spoiled children. Be part of the world community rather than being the ridiculous rogue cowboy you pretend to be.
Travel a little and open your eyes.
後で会おう
Terry Silver
August 29th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
YAWN . . . . .
Paul
August 29th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Terry,
The fact that Roland Haas lovingly tended your son does not make him less guilty for the killing he has done. When my best friend commits a murder, do I have to deny his guilt? I can deeply regret his action and sympathize with him but I don’t have to, and should not, deny he’s committed an terrible unforgivable crime.
As to the question what you and me as average citizens can know about our govts: the very idea of democracy is that we ARE able to inform ourselves. So, however much you may resent Re, he surely is right to advise you to make the effort and read, read.
We Dutch are known to be low on patriotism as you Americans are known to be high on it. But, for my liking there still is way too much of it in Holland. I don’t find anything admirable in patriotism or nationalism or whatever you want to call it. I realize that must sound rather strange to you. We Dutch have our good points but also more than enough bad ones. I don’t even understand how anybody who takes a different position, i.e. that we Dutch, English, Germans or whoever, are special and should count for more relative to other nations, can expect to be taken seriously.
Terry Silver
August 29th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Paul
Ideally we should never go to war but what are you supposed to do when a Hitler-type comes into power? Just submit? What if the killing of one person saves ten, twenty or fifty others? Do you never envision when killing a person might benefit society as a whole? What are we to do with evil people? Let them take over?
In a democracy you are only able to inform yourself to a certain extent. If the media is almost totally controlled by one person or organization, how are you to learn the facts? Not everyone has the luxury of spending their time seeking the truth. Many are barely making it through the day earning a living.
I don’t see that patriotism has to make you uncaring about other countries and people. There are self-centered and greedy people
in every country.
Regarding Re – he or she may be right about some things but does that person have to be so nasty? He/she seems to think he/she is the only one concerned about the issues he/she brings up. He/she attacks immediately if you do not agree with everything he/she expounds on.
Also, regarding your and his/her advice to read, read, read. A certain amount is essential but book learning is not enough. Experience is the best teacher. You have to admit that a lot of idiots come out of colleges and universities. And some of the most intolerant people are the young, full of book learning and little life experience.
Re
August 29th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Again, if you had read some you would know that corporate US, with the blessing of gov. had a big role to play in the rise of Hitler. He receive support from corporations such as GM, Ford, IBM, Standard Oil, DuPont, Union Bank, Union Carbide, Coca Cola, J.P Morgan , Sullivan and Cromwell and many others. And Hitler served the interest of their enablers, dissolving labor unions and incarcerating members of the socialist and communist parties.
Without a perspective of history, you can’t possibly know that it was the US gov. or Usan corporations that contributed to put those people in power to begin with. Let it be Hitler, Hussain, Suharto, Musharaf, Pinochet, Somosa, Mubarak and many, many others etc.
How do you conciliate the fact that some of those Hitler types are some of USA’s best friends when they serve their interests?….How hypocritical or ignorant can you get?
The world does not want the US to be its henchman. Your MIC does. It works in their interest. Why do you think the US is the largest merchant of death in the world?….Why does it spend hundreds of billions yearly –more than the entire world combined- and criticizes Venezuela for buying a few jets and other small armament??…get real.
I do not care how old you are, I’m old enough to know facts form rosy shaded myths Usans love.. To know that the US gov, only cares about its ‘interests’ , which by the way , are not the interest of the general population of Usans. This kind of knowledge does not come from hands on experience, comes from taking an active interest in finding out the truth. I suggest you do the same.
Paul
August 30th, 2007 at 2:19 am
Terry
For dealing with evil people there is the law. It’s as simple as that. Any sane person knows that the criminal dealings in the netherworld by the CIA etc. are antithetical the rule of law and thus to freedom. Your talk about Hitler etc. suggests an upheaval, an extremity, that (luckily) has nothing to do with our present situation. The big danger of your attitude, when enough peopel share it, is that it might turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just look at you Americans! You are armed to the teeth, your geografic location is safer as that of any country in the world, but still you feel threatened. It’s a psychological mystery. This artcle by Floyd Rudmin has some great insights on this:
http://www.counterpunch.org/rudmin02172006.html
That patriotism makes you take on double standards and leads to mischief is cried out by the whole of history. It’s an offshoot of primitive tribalism, which is antithetical to the idea of justice and equality before the law, granted also to strangers. On this you might read Karl Popper’s “The Open Society and its enemies”.
Understanding the world is an intellectual effort. Of course practical experience can teach you things no book can, but then again practical experience is always extremely limited, certainly in our age of intricate division of labour. So any real enlightenment is only possible by tapping other people’s experiences and insights, which means reading and thinking and re-thinking for yourself.
Terry Silver
August 30th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Paul
I think you live in an ivory tower. You say “For dealing with evil people there is the law.” First you have to catch them. There are such people as evil geniuses.
You say that someone like Hitler suggests an upheaval, an extremity . . . But someone like him comes along periodically. I asked what are we supposed to do if we should never go to war — submit to evils like Hitler,Stalin, Attila the Hun? Nobody answered that question.
All I get is intellectual debates that are not related to what I’ve asked, or nasty and endless attacks on the US by RE. I hate zealots of every kind, religious, political, intellectual or whatever. Zealots would destroy everything and everybody if their warped minds consider their actions to be for the greater good. The US has faults and many of us try to do something about it. Maybe the zealots would like us to throw bombs around and create general havoc. All that Re, and maybe you, concentrate on are the evils of corporations. You don’t see the good and generous things that many Americans are involved in.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with Patriotism because some people use it as a cloak to cover their nefarious deedss. As for corporations, I consider them to be the least patriotic of Americans. They’ll end up making the US a third-world country.
By the way, did either you or Re get their knowledge of the US only from books or movies? In Re’s case, he/she doesn’t seem to really be familiar with US citizens if she refers to as USANs–definitely not a term we woould use.
cowbot
August 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Thank you for saying that. I was a little irked at Charles’ treatment of his guest.
While I agree that soldiers and intelligence operatives must answer to their consciences (and i believe Roland has), it is wrong to call them ‘murderers’ in the sense that the nature of their jobs makes them tools of policy – not deciders – in contrast to a murderer who makes the decision to take a life.
Roland did a fair job of presenting this distinction. I thank him for coming forward with his important book. It will help raise awareness and hopefully resistance against the murderous foreign policies the US government has engaged in over the past decades.
Paul
August 30th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Terry
The undoubted fact that there are many warm and kind-hearted Americans, that even those involved in (what I call) imperial crimes simultaneously are loving, selfless husbands and friends counts for nothing in this discussion. It’s about the “system”and how ordinary Americans psychologically serve it.
I don’t think anybody would disgree with the notion of needing to fight back when a Hitler is in power. The problem here is that you Americans detect new Hitlers almost every year, Hitlers that are always just so conveniently positioned that fighting them serves the interests of Money and Power.
Finally: I’m unable to view your calling Roland Haas a hero otherwise than as precisely an instance of zealotry.
Cheers, Paul
Terry Silver
August 31st, 2007 at 6:02 am
Paul
It’s precisely the phrasing “you Americans” do this or that evil thing that bothers me. Doesn’t the fact that Bush has such a low rating in this country mean anything to you? Many of the people I know were against the Iraq war even before it was launched. This is a very large country with millions of people. We’re not just one big entity of evil.
I disagree that Roland Haas was any kind of zealot. He was recruited as a very young man, a time of life when many young men and women are full of idealism.
Cheers, Paul. At least you don’t get nasty with your comments. For that I thank you.
Terry
Mike
September 1st, 2007 at 10:14 am
I just watched this clown on cspan give his spiel, it was like watching a train wreck. This guy is very obviously a complete fraud. Its amazing he had a book published and so many people are missing enough chromosomes to buy it…but then again when this pathological liar is mirroring all of the evil government james bond fantasy the liberals want so desperately to believe I guess it isn’t that surprising. Jesse “welcome to wendy’s, how may I take your order” MacBeth comes to mind.
I am seriously looking forward for this guy getting exposed as the bulls**t artist he is now that he is garnering more public attention.
Dave
September 1st, 2007 at 10:25 am
Hey…This Guy Is The Real Deal, What Makes You Think He Just Walked In???? They are inserted….They do not walk in. Believre me….This is a long term op….Allot of intel. What he does is his job and obviously he did it well. People are never going to undertand his lifestyle….They are not intended to….NEVER!!!!
Terry Silver
September 1st, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Mike
What is your justification for calling Roland Haas a bulls**t artist? Just how is it so obvious to you that he is a complete fraud? You don’t have to like him but thst doesn’t make him a bulls**t artist. Give me some facts.
Your throwing in liberals, James Bond, Wendy’s etc has me thoroughly cocnfused. What are you trying to say?
jim meisenbach
September 1st, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I also saw mr. haas on c-span today. i will admit that i had a certain amount of skepticism regarding some of his statements.
(1) i can’t believe the cia didn’t jump all over him for publishing. (see “decent interval” from a few years back.)
(2) true, he didn’t seem to manifest much emotion.
(3) i don’t doubt for one minute that such actions are carried out. but, as he said, war aint pretty. never has been, never will be. it is dirty, bloody, and must be dealt with on that level. i am sure that paul and re have never been in the trenches, lived in an occupied land, or been persecuted for their beliefs. people fought and died for their right to express themselves. thank a vet.
Terry Silver
September 1st, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Hi Jim
Roland didn’t ask the CIA’s permission. A friend of his, a retired Lt Colonel, who wrote the book about the White Tigers (I believe it was from the Korean war), sought permission to write his book and it was denied. He finally wrote it anyhow, and he advised Roland to go ahead and write his story without asking for permission.
Roland says he hasn’t heard from the CIA since his book has been published. He says the CIA had three choices: They could say Roland was crazy; they could say what Roland relates never happened (unfortunately Roland has passports and other material that proves he was in those countries during the time he mentions); or the CIA could just benignly ignore him. Apparently they are going along with the third choice.
Another reason the CIA probably has no problem with Roland’s book, this past year they did come out and admit they had been involved in some overseas clandestine activities. Secondly, Roland doesn’t reveal any CIA activities that are still top secret. He doesn’t want to put others in danger
Roland wouldn’t have done the things he did if he hadn’t thought his assignments were for the good of his country. He was very patriotic and had wanted to be a marine but was sidetracked from that plan when the CIA recruited him.
Some people wear their emotions on their sleeves. I’m one of those types, but Roland is not. If you read his book, you’ll understand why he became so stoic. No matter what people think, Roland has strong feelings that he doesn’t easily show.
Although Roland’s not ashamed of what he did for our country, he’s only human and not the murderous machine that some like to make him out to be. He was haunted by his past experiences just as many soldiers are traumatized by what they have had to do in war time. Memories of those experiences, of the people involved, caused him to have a physical, emotional and mental breakdown.
Roland did not write the book to glorify himself. The sub-title “My Secret Life as a CIA Assassin” was chosen by the publisher. Roland wrote it for his kids and his relatives. If you read Roland’s book, you’ll understand why.
jim meisenbach
September 1st, 2007 at 9:03 pm
indeed, i do intend to read it. i will withhold judgement until i finish it.
i recently was reminded of an old saying, “imagine there’s a war and nobody shows up.” this was apparently written by bertholt brecht, who was, i understand, a socialist. this was taken out of context. the whole saying, i am told goes like this: “imagine there’s a war and nobody shows up-then war will come to you. who stays home when the battle begins and lets others fight for his cause will share the defeat. not even those will avoid the fight who want to avoid it. because he will fight for the cause of the enemy, who doesn’t fightfor his own cause.” rather poignant, i think, for those who choose to ignore patriotism. those who choose to shrug off pride in self and country, enjoy the freedoms earned by those who who fought the fight, and paid the ultimate price, should say a quick prayer of thanks for those did. irregardless of what some people may think of mr haas credibility, there is no doubt that activities like this go on. we play by the rules of the lowest common denominator. nobody said the usa was perfect. but it is far ahead of whoever is second. freedom isn’t free.
Dave
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Too all. Many comments are made by thosed who are uninformed and until you have walked in those shoes and traveled where they have been, your should never be accusative. I only heard a portion of Roland talk a few days ago and I intend to read his book for clarifiction of what I thought I heard. I take it that several comments have been made by thoes who have not served their country in time of war, which is another reaon for our ability to free speech. Yes, Freedom is not free. I’ve been there.
NY+Tanning
September 7th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Thanks your article is delightful.
I like your diary..
bye
Mr. Smith
September 12th, 2007 at 6:42 am
Paul, let’s talk about the Dutch soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. Being Dutch, by your logic, you are an accomplice to the war in Afghanistan. By the way, how’s the Islamisation of Holland going? Been reading up on your Koran?
Brian
September 12th, 2007 at 8:04 am
Ya’ll have been snowed! The guy is a fraud, his stories are complete fabrications. Not one bit of what he says in his book is real. This guy has been totally discredited. He is a fraud. As much as you may not agree with what the military does, don’t prop up a fraud as one of your proponents, keep things intellectually honest. You would never know who the people are that do this kind of work.Prop him up if you choose to, but you’ll only undermine your own credibility, simply because this man never did any of the things that he says that he has done in this book. If you still choose to hold him up, you will be on the same intellectual, and credibility level as he is; which is in a deep hole.
Brian
September 12th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Terry, Haas is a total fraud simply because he cannot answer even basic questions about anything regarding that line of work. He does work for the government, that is true, but he was never, ever, a covert operative; let alone an “assassin”.
He cannot hide around the “its classified” line that posers love to hide behind. He can provide documentation that he was in countries at particular times, but that proves nothing other than he was in a country. Haas is a liar, and he wrote a book to make some money, which is fine, but he should have been honest and wrote this book as fiction; which is precisely what it is.
When questioned by people who work in the very departments that he claims to have worked in, he cannot answer any of their questions about the most basic things. Despite what you may think, these people are not ghosts, they exist in real life; and many people know them. They can speak, and socialize, and certainly out posers like Haas. Make no mistake, Haas is a poser 100%.
He came on to a military board to speak about his book where some of the very people he would have worked with reside, and he did nothing but turn tail and run. He would not answer the most basic questions. You might say that it is because he cannot answer any questions, but that is a total false hood. Guys like Haas can fool most of the people most of the time because he had a very SMALL amount of inside information; but he cannot full everyone all the time. This time, he has walked into a hornets nest where the real deals reside, and they are going to show this guy for the fraud that he is.
Haas is a fraud. He is in Georgia, and there are many people there that would gladly meet him to vette him. But he is too much of a COWARD to do that. Haas is not a warrior, he is not who he says he is; but he is a poser and he is a coward.
Frenchie
September 12th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Anyone whom has had the slightest (and I say slightest) clue about how the Clandestine Services operate can see thru this malarky.
My easy prediction is Mr. Haas will be exposed as a fraud-very soon. As as matter of fact a little bird just told me :)…easy bait Bulls**t for the predisposed conspiracy crowd. He is a fake and will be exposed as such.
Frenchie
Vo Danh
September 16th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Roland Hass is a pathetic loser, an armchair wannabe. He is not unique; he’s simply a recent addition to a list of thousands of posers who have spun fictional stories about how they survived being a prisoner of war, won the Medal of Honor, became a government assassin, etc.
One does not need detailed knowledge of how our intelligence services operate to recognize that Haas’s story is nonsense.
Any reasonably intelligent, moderately well-informed person who is willing to remove his or her ideological blinders and examine Haas’s story with a little common sense and logic should be able to recognize it as the fiction that it is.
It amuses me to see how easily complete frauds like Haas are able to con ideologues who so fervently wish to believe the worst about our government that they will believe any fiction that satisfies that wish.
I’m even more amused by the often downright silly arguments ideologues construct to defend their belief of the fiction and their confidence in the credibility of the liar who produced the fiction.
Haas and others of his ilk view audiences that are receptive to their tall tales as the equivalent of the child in the cereal commercial–tell the story to Mikey, he’ll believe anything.
Haas must laugh himself silly when he reads the nonsense that his willing marks write in defense of him and his fiction.
Spiritus Sanctus
September 19th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Mr. Haas’s story is bulls**t. Complete bulls**t.
I served 30 years in the Army, retired in 1995. 25 of my 30 years were in Army Intelligence and some of that was in clandestine assignments. I have talked with a couple of old CIA friends of mine who have read Haas’s book — it’s not even good fiction.
Be a Good Daughter
November 21st, 2007 at 10:17 am
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Peace
November 22nd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Reminds me, I still need to read Confessions of an Economic Hitman. I certainly support war resisters, otherwise look for World War III, and the complete descent into fascism here.
Be a Good Daughter
November 24th, 2007 at 12:47 am
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Randolph Palmore
December 12th, 2007 at 2:26 am
Randolph Palmore…
Once you discover the opinions you were seeking out, you can put it to use….
john
March 18th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
true hero, i’ll have 2 billion roland haas’s to go please.
Pass Drug Test Blog
June 13th, 2008 at 2:52 am
…
rs
July 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
This guy is real. I’ve met him in real life and slightly know him and why he wrote the book. – it has to do with because if his story gets out to the public, the Hells Angels and the CIA will most likely not murder him (for knowing many secrets) because it will stir up conspiracy which they do not want the heat of. Also since he signed no contracts for his job the CIA did not give him any retirement so he had to make this book, which was recently published and now there will be a movie on his life in a few months with his son acting as him as a youngster. Just a little insight on some things you can not find in public =D
rs
July 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
This man is a gentleman. You have no room to speak if you haven’t met him.
AJ Wood
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Listened to Mr Haas on Coast2Coast w/Art Bell, and was compelled to buy the book. Good move on my part…book was very good read! I believe the book is non-fiction and would like to thank Mr Haas for his service to the country. He could have said no, but chose a harder path for a greater good. We owe him a debt of thanks not condemnation.
richie d
August 15th, 2009 at 7:26 am
get real people,i have served in the british army for 12 years now,in various roles,from an infantryman at 16 to my current posting at int corps.according to some sources i have read, this guy is just a part time ops jockey,in your national guard or some shit. this nonsense is disrespectful to the people who go out there and put it on the line for real,james bond is not real,neither is this clown.organisations such as CIA or MI6, our equivalent would not recruit kids as assassins,why go to the trouble of training them in basic skills when they could just recruit from the sf community,its just my personal oppinion,but i think the guy is talking complete bollox.its just a shame that due to security considerations of the people out there for real,this helmet cannot be proved a fraud/