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© REVIEWS ABSURDISTAN: A bumpy ride THE SYDNEY CONNECTION: through some of the world's scariest, Nugan Hand, Murray Riley & the weirdest places Murder of Donald Mackay by Eric Campbell by John Jiggens HarperCollinsPublishers, Aust, 2004 Network to Investigate the Mackay ISBN 1-59477-019-0 (273pp tpb) Murder, Hill End, Qld, 2004 Availability: HarperCollins, ISBN 0-9578684-1-3 (133pp tpb) http://www.harpercollins.com.au Price: A$20.00 + $5 p&h (+ $10 o/seas) R« Campbell's first posting as a foreign Availability: Australia—HEMP, PO Box correspondent for Australia's ABC tele- 951, Paddington, Qld 4064 vision was in 1995, to Moscow, and his last lhe conspiracy to murder anti-corruption posting, where his book closes in 2003, saw activist Donald Mackay in July 1977 him back where he'd started. In the mean- went far beyond any involvement by certain time, he'd been to "some of the world's cannabis-growing farmers of Italian descent scariest, weirdest places", as the subtitle to in the town of Griffith, New South Wales. Absurdistan announces. According to independent journalist John His book is a series of diarised vignettes of — Jiggens, the murder was ordered by none his experiences in Russia, Chechnya, other than Griffith-born lawyer Frank Armenia, Afghanistan, the Balkans, China, Nugan, one of the principals behind the Tibet, the Hindu Kush, Pakistan and notorious money-laundering, drug-and arms- Kurdistan. It's his take on news highlights financing Nugan Hand Bank (and who from some of the world's hot-spots, mixed —_ allegedly committed suicide in 1980). with a record of his personal interactions His hypothesis is that Mackay was mur- and poignant reflections. dered because he was getting too close to the truth and Nugan couldn't risk exposing his role through his family Nugan Group fruit- packing company in paying the farmers and wholesaling the marijuana crops that were primarily destined for export to the USA. Jiggens believes that the two busted pot plantations around Griffith would have pro- e = vided a far larger quantity than the entire a ae Australian market demand, and this is where iva ry the so-called Sydney Connection came in. wy The first wave was when Texan Bernie Houghton, with close links to high-level US ABSUEDISTA nl intelligence and military contacts including Erin Compistit in the CIA and US Naval Task Force as well —- as to the Mafia and Asian drug lords, set up . ; ; 5 an empire to cater for US soldiers coming to It was in Iraqi Kurdistan in March 2003, at Sydney on R&R leave. the onset of the US invasion of Iraq, that | Various serving and former police officers Eric's cameraman Paul Moran was killed in ag wel] as politicians were also implicated, a roadside terrorist bombing. Eric was lucky a. they were with the next incarnation of the to escape with a few injuries. It was alife- connection after corrupt ex-detective Murray changing experience for him, especially as Riley t d ith Frank Ni he had not that long before become a father. Tiggens maintains that with ‘N arica's He sets the scene in the prologue with this withdrawal f horrific incident and fills in more detail rom Vietnam, the role of this Sydney towards the end of the book. Connection stepped up in facilitating the An award-winning journalist at home and transportation of illegal drugs from the abroad, Eric brings a refreshing wit, irony, Golden Triangle to the USA via Sydney. and sense of the bizarre to his insightful He's aghast that three royal commissions reportage. He is also a master of the wry couldn't even finger this international crime understatement, as you'll see by opening his syndicate, but through his self-published aptly titled book at any page. book (a follow-up to Marijuana I first ran into Eric Campbell 25 years ago Australiana) he argues the case for a proper when we were in a fringe theatre group war- inquiry to be conducted. As for Mackay's play together; how strange that years laterhe urderer, he suggests the wrong person was should be reporting from war zones! His implicated: it was not small-time crim book is a warts-and-all rollercoaster ride Jimmy Bazley but a corrupt cop, Fred through some Significant, strange and is Krahe. Jiggens, who acknowledges work of urding Moments in recent history, ani other researchers on the scent, puts more heartily recommend the journey. pieces of the puzzle together. ABSULDISTAN Brie Comptes | - It was in Iraqi Kurdistan in March 2003, at the onset of the US invasion of Iraq, that Eric's cameraman Paul Moran was killed in a roadside terrorist bombing. Eric was lucky to escape with a few injuries. It was a life- changing experience for him, especially as he had not that long before become a father. He sets the scene in the prologue with this horrific incident and fills in more detail towards the end of the book. An award-winning journalist at home and abroad, Eric brings a refreshing wit, irony, and sense of the bizarre to his insightful reportage. He is also a master of the wry understatement, as you'll see by opening his aptly titled book at any page. I first ran into Eric Campbell 25 years ago when we were in a fringe theatre group war- play together; how strange that years later he should be reporting from war zones! His book is a warts-and-all rollercoaster ride through some significant, strange and dis- turbing moments in recent history, and I heartily recommend the journey. APRIL — MAY 2005 NEXUS = 71 www.nexusmagazine.com