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Ex-FBI Agents Outraged at Obama-Ayers Ties
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 9:46 AM
By: Ronald Kessler
Former FBI agents who worked the Weather Underground case are angry about the longtime relationship between Barack Obama and William Ayers, a leader of the domestic terrorist group who has admitted widespread bombings.
“It outrages me to think that a person would be seeking the presidency of the United States and was close to an individual like Bill Ayers,” former agent Max Noel told Newsmax.
Ayers said in his book that he participated in the bombing of New York City police headquarters in 1970, the U.S. Capitol in 1971, and the Pentagon in 1972. In September 2001, the New York Times quoted him as saying, “I don’t regret setting bombs . . . I feel we didn’t do enough.”
Ayers’ wife, Bernardine Dohrn, was sent to prison for failing to cooperate in solving the robbery of a Brink's armored car in which two police officers were killed.
Charges against Ayers were dropped because the FBI used so-called national security wiretaps that could not be used legally in criminal cases.
Obama launched his political career at Ayers’ home in 1995. From 1999 to 2002, he served with Ayers on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago. In response to criticism of their relationship, Obama has said he was 8 when Ayers was bombing buildings.
But the presidential candidate was a grown man when he sought and obtained Ayers’ blessing for his entry into politics.
Former FBI agent Willie Reagan said, “I spent seven years of my life hunting down people who described themselves as revolutionary communists and were involved in bombings.”
Reagan, who infiltrated the Weather Underground in New York, said he witnessed members of the group making bombs.
“At some point, Obama knew of his background and should have repudiated him, not later when he is running for president,” Reagan told Newsmax.
Noel, who worked the Weather Underground case in San Francisco, also questioned Obama’s reaction to questions about the issue, saying, “I have a problem with Obama minimizing the relationship and saying it has nothing to do with anything. Because having done background investigations for security clearances for years, you look into a person’s character, his associates, his loyalty and so forth.”
Noel noted that Ayers was a directing force of the Weather Underground. His wife-to-be, Bernardine, headed that organization.
“They were a violent, violent, anti-government, domestic terrorist organization,” Noel said. “Obama has not only associated with those people, he continued associating with racist people like his minister Jeremiah Wright over a period of 20 years. I don’t think that’s by happenstance. It’s just amazing to me. The American people are being led by the nose by people who say this isn’t important.”
Oliver “Buck” Revell, a former associate deputy director of the FBI, is similarly blunt. “In dealing with Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, and the element that they represented, Obama was dealing with individuals who both openly and admittedly have engaged in treasonous activity and violence against the United States,” said Revell, who worked on the Weather Underground case in Philadelphia and Chicago.
The Obama campaign has refused to say when Obama became aware of Ayers’ terrorist background. When Obama began going to Columbia University in 1981, both Ayers and Dohrn were frequently in the news because of their violent past and brushes with the law. Ayers’ past was well known in Chicago, where he was quoted regularly and described as a former radical and former fugitive. Obama continued to serve on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago with Ayers for more than a year after Ayers expressed regret in the New York Times for not bombing more people.
“Obama is a bright man, and he’s certainly well read and intelligent,” Revell said. “He had to know the background and activities which have been openly described by Ayers.
“The relationship says to me that Obama lacks judgment, that he lacks a perspective on what the United States should stand for,” he said. “It’s appalling that he was even elected to the state Senate in Illinois, but to go from there to a United States senator and then to a candidate for president is astounding.”
Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com.
© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Ex-FBI Agents Outraged at Obama-Ayers Ties
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 9:46 AM
By: Ronald Kessler
Former FBI agents who worked the Weather Underground case are angry about the longtime relationship between Barack Obama and William Ayers, a leader of the domestic terrorist group who has admitted widespread bombings.
“It outrages me to think that a person would be seeking the presidency of the United States and was close to an individual like Bill Ayers,” former agent Max Noel told Newsmax.
Ayers said in his book that he participated in the bombing of New York City police headquarters in 1970, the U.S. Capitol in 1971, and the Pentagon in 1972. In September 2001, the New York Times quoted him as saying, “I don’t regret setting bombs . . . I feel we didn’t do enough.”
Ayers’ wife, Bernardine Dohrn, was sent to prison for failing to cooperate in solving the robbery of a Brink's armored car in which two police officers were killed.
Charges against Ayers were dropped because the FBI used so-called national security wiretaps that could not be used legally in criminal cases.
Obama launched his political career at Ayers’ home in 1995. From 1999 to 2002, he served with Ayers on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago. In response to criticism of their relationship, Obama has said he was 8 when Ayers was bombing buildings.
But the presidential candidate was a grown man when he sought and obtained Ayers’ blessing for his entry into politics.
Former FBI agent Willie Reagan said, “I spent seven years of my life hunting down people who described themselves as revolutionary communists and were involved in bombings.”
Reagan, who infiltrated the Weather Underground in New York, said he witnessed members of the group making bombs.
“At some point, Obama knew of his background and should have repudiated him, not later when he is running for president,” Reagan told Newsmax.
Noel, who worked the Weather Underground case in San Francisco, also questioned Obama’s reaction to questions about the issue, saying, “I have a problem with Obama minimizing the relationship and saying it has nothing to do with anything. Because having done background investigations for security clearances for years, you look into a person’s character, his associates, his loyalty and so forth.”
Noel noted that Ayers was a directing force of the Weather Underground. His wife-to-be, Bernardine, headed that organization.
“They were a violent, violent, anti-government, domestic terrorist organization,” Noel said. “Obama has not only associated with those people, he continued associating with racist people like his minister Jeremiah Wright over a period of 20 years. I don’t think that’s by happenstance. It’s just amazing to me. The American people are being led by the nose by people who say this isn’t important.”
Oliver “Buck” Revell, a former associate deputy director of the FBI, is similarly blunt. “In dealing with Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, and the element that they represented, Obama was dealing with individuals who both openly and admittedly have engaged in treasonous activity and violence against the United States,” said Revell, who worked on the Weather Underground case in Philadelphia and Chicago.
The Obama campaign has refused to say when Obama became aware of Ayers’ terrorist background. When Obama began going to Columbia University in 1981, both Ayers and Dohrn were frequently in the news because of their violent past and brushes with the law. Ayers’ past was well known in Chicago, where he was quoted regularly and described as a former radical and former fugitive. Obama continued to serve on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago with Ayers for more than a year after Ayers expressed regret in the New York Times for not bombing more people.
“Obama is a bright man, and he’s certainly well read and intelligent,” Revell said. “He had to know the background and activities which have been openly described by Ayers.
“The relationship says to me that Obama lacks judgment, that he lacks a perspective on what the United States should stand for,” he said. “It’s appalling that he was even elected to the state Senate in Illinois, but to go from there to a United States senator and then to a candidate for president is astounding.”
Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com.
© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
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