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soldiers and spies all around you. Many of the people on the trip came to the realisation that this is terrible here. "Free Tibet"—we all know about that; but the ones who had been with me on a trip to the Amazon, where the oil companies and our own military are doing the same things, said: "But doesn't this remind us of what we're doing in so much of the world?" It's something we tend to forget. We can all wave banners about "Free Tibet", which we should, but how about freeing the countries that are under our thumb, too? I hate to say it this way, because some people might disagree with me, but I think Iraq is in worse shape than Tibet is these days, although both of them are in pretty bad shape. But so, what we saw in Tibet is that same kind of model that we're implementing around the world. And yet, most Americans are not aware that we're doing it. They're aware that the Chinese are doing it, but not aware that we're doing it on actually a much bigger level than the Chinese are. soldiers and spies all around you. Many of the people on the trip young daughter at the time. She's now twenty-five. And I also was came to the realisation that this is terrible here. "Free Tibet"—we all offered some bribes. In fact, I accepted a bribe of about half a know about that; but the ones who had been with me on a trip to the million dollars. It's what's called a "legal bribe", but it's a bribe, and Amazon, where the oil companies and our own military are doing it was given to me with the condition that I not write the book. the same things, said: "But doesn't this remind us of what we're There was no question about that. I describe it in detail. doing in so much of the world?" It's something we tend to forget. Tassuaged my guilt by putting a lot of that money into non-profits We can all wave banners about "Free Tibet", which we should, I had formed—Dream Change and Pachamama Alliance—that are but how about freeing the countries that are under our thumb, too? I helping Amazonian people fight oil companies. But I didn't write hate to say it this way, because some people might disagree with me, the story. This happened a number of times, and I would find one but I think Iraq is in worse shape than Tibet is these days, although excuse or another, and I wrote other books about indigenous people. both of them are in pretty bad shape. But so, what we saw in Tibet I worked with these people. I wrote the books you mentioned earlier is that same kind of model that we're implementing around the about shamanism and so forth... world. And yet, most Americans are not aware that we're doing it. And then, on 9/11, I was in the Amazon with the Shuar people. I They're aware that the Chinese are doing it, but not aware that we're had taken a group of people from a non-profit in to learn from doing it on actually a much bigger level than the Chinese are. indigenous people in the Amazon. But shortly after that, I came up to New York to Ground Zero, and as I stood there looking down into SEEING THE LIGHT that terrible pit, that smouldering pit, and it still smelled of burning AG: John, talk about your transformation. You were making a flesh, I realised that I had to write the book—I could no longer defer lot of money. You were travelling the it; the American people had no world. You were in a position where . . . understanding of why so many people you were meeting presidents and prime "What we saw in Tibet is that around the vorld are angry and tinivers of countries, bringing them to same kind of model that we're frustrated and ernie ane wat I had their knees. at made you change an . . to take responsibility for what happene: then, ultimately, make the decision to [USA] implementing around the at 9/11. Ih fact, we all have to take a write about it? world. Yet most Americans... certain responsibility, which is not in «Ay Youknos amy: serdtintee:/ are aware that the Chinese are 3,v3 © condone nus mur: Yankee Calvinism in New Hampshire doing it, but not aware that in any way—but I did realise that the and Vermont, with very strong mora we're doing iton amuch bigger American people needed to understand principles; came from a pretty . " why there's so much anger around the conservative Republican family. And all level than the Chinese are. world. I had to write the book. during the 10 years that I was an So this time I didn't tell anyone I was economic hit man, from '71 to '81, I was writing it, and even my wife and pretty young, but it bothered my conscience. And yet, everybody daughter knew I was writing something but didn't know what. I was telling me I was doing the right thing. Like you said, presidents _ didn't reach out to other people. It made it a little more difficult to of countries, the president of the World Bank, Robert McNamara, write it. But finally I got it in the hands of a very good New York patted me on the back. I was asked to lecture at Harvard and many agent and he sent it out to publishers. At that point, this manuscript other places about what I was doing. And what I was doing was not —_— becomes my best insurance policy, as if something strange happens illegal—should be, but it isn't. And yet, in my heart, it always tore at —_ to me, including now, suddenly the book will sell. Even though it's my conscience. I'd been a Peace Corps volunteer. I saw. As time been a bestseller for a long time, it will sell a lot more copies, if... went by and I began to understand more and more, it got to be more —_ People sometimes laugh and say, "Do you worry that your publisher and more difficult for me to continue doing this. I had a staff of may be trying to assassinate you, because it would certainly help about four dozen people working for me. Things were building up. book sales?" I don't worry about it. So at that point, once I got the Then, one day I was on vacation, sailing in the Virgin Islands, and —_ manuscript there, it became my insurance policy. I anchored my little boat off St John Island and I took the dinghy in [to shore] and climbed this mountain...up to this old sugar cane ASSASSINS AND COUPS plantation in ruins. It was beautiful. Bougainvillea. The Sun was AG: You write "a jackal is born" about Jack Corbin. Who is he? setting. I sat there and felt very peaceful. And then suddenly I JP: Well, Jack Corbin—and that's not his real name, but he's a realised that this plantation had been built on the bones of thousands _ real person—is alive and well today, working for us in Iraq. But he of slaves. And then I realised that the whole hemisphere had been is a jackal, he is an assassin. And one of the most fascinating stories, built on the bones of millions of slaves. I got very angry and sad. I think, involves Seychelles, which is a small country, an island And then it suddenly struck me that I was continuing that same country, off the coast of Africa. And it happens to be located near process and that I was a slaver, that I was making the same thing Diego Garcia, one of the United States's most strategic air bases. happen in a slightly...in a different way, more subtle way, but just as There's a long history behind Diego Garcia. But in the late "70s, bad in terms of its outcome. At that point, I made the decision I Seychelles had a president who was very friendly to us, James would never do it again. And I went back to Boston a couple of | Mancham, and he was overthrown in a bloodless coup by [France- days later and quit. Albert] René, a socialist. And René threatened to get us out of AG: So, you quit, but that was one step. Writing about it was Diego Garcia, to expose the real facts behind the terrible things that another. Talk about your attempts over time. went on to put us in Diego Garcia. There's a lot of details that I JP: Oh, yes. After I quit, I tried several times to write the book —_ won't get into now... that became Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and, each time I AG: Also, Diego Garcia is very significant as a military base. reached out to other economic hit men I had worked with or jackals JP: Extremely significant. And it was used—it's being used—in to try to get their stories, word got out and I was threatened. Ihada Afghanistan and Iraq and sorties that we fly in to Africa or any part [USA] implementing around the world. Yet most Americans... are aware that the Chinese are doing it, but not aware that we're doing it on a much bigger level than the Chinese are.” ASSASSINS AND COUPS AG: You write "a jackal is born" about Jack Corbin. Who is he? JP: Well, Jack Corbin—and that's not his real name, but he's a real person—is alive and well today, working for us in Iraq. But he is a jackal, he is an assassin. And one of the most fascinating stories, I think, involves Seychelles, which is a small country, an island country, off the coast of Africa. And it happens to be located near Diego Garcia, one of the United States's most strategic air bases. There's a long history behind Diego Garcia. But in the late "70s, Seychelles had a president who was very friendly to us, James Mancham, and he was overthrown in a bloodless coup by [France- Albert] René, a socialist. And René threatened to get us out of Diego Garcia, to expose the real facts behind the terrible things that went on to put us in Diego Garcia. There's a lot of details that I won't get into now... AG: Also, Diego Garcia is very significant as a military base. JP: Extremely significant. And it was used—it's being used—in Afghanistan and Iraq and sorties that we fly in to Africa or any part NEXUS * 15 "What we saw in Tibet is that same kind of model that we're AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2007 www.nexusmagazine.com