The Internet World-Wide Web was first introduced in 1991, but it was not until 1993 that the first proper web-browser, Mosaic, took the Internet by storm having been developed at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA). Services were set up for domain registration and sites began turning up all over the Web, running on very basic HTML. The WWW was quickly the most popular service on the Internet.
Then sometime in 1995, the first large ISP’s like AOL and CompuServe began offering Internet access to the masses.
On September 17, 1995 I subscribed to AOL and created the screen-name of Stormbird8@AOL.com . I created the name Stormbird from the poem The Ancient Mariner, published in 1798. Essentially, in ancient times, when a mariner on a long sea voyage observed a seabird landing on his ship, he considered it a warning of a coming storm, and the seabird theoretically led the crew to safer waters, thus they were called “stormbirds.” The number “8,” I read somewhere, is the number of Christianity, the Father and Son connected in two never-ending circles.
I thus continued peddling The Last Circle dog and pony show under the name of my deceased sister, Carol Marshall, to people whom I believed had integrity and commitment to making the world a better place to live. My sister had been a victim, indirectly, of the Octopus, and I was motivated to put forth whatever resistance I could to this growing criminal enterprise.
For this reason, I faxed a two-page letter to Rep. Maxine Waters on September 25, 1996 at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington D.C. This was one month after Gary Webb’s expose, “The Dark Alliance,” was published [August 22, 1996] in the San Jose Mercury News alleging that the CIA sold tons of cocaine to street gangs in South-central Los Angeles and funneled millions in profits to a CIA-run guerrilla army in Nicaragua. It was reported that Rep. Waters was investigating these claims and I felt she had the capability and interest to digest the complexities of the material I had acquired, and I wanted the documents entered into the Congressional Record while hearings were taking place.
On September 27th I subsequently faxed documents to Joseph Lee, assistant at her office, followed up with hard copies sent Priority Mail, and was put in touch with Rep. Donald Payne. Because of the complexities of the material, I was asked to find a journalist who could condense the story into a newspaper article, then send a copy of that article immediately to Maxine Waters.
I was staying in Post Falls, Idaho at that time, so I contacted David Bond, a journalist who worked for the Coeur d’Alene Press in Idaho. Bond reviewed the draft manuscript and supporting documents, but after reading the FBI wire tap summaries naming organized crime figures in collusion with intelligence operatives and Reagan administration officials, he decided he needed “backup” to write the story.
On October 10, 1996 I received an e-mail from Bond inviting me and my husband to meet with him and his “Green Beret buddy” at the Thai Café on the Northwest corner of Appleway and Highway 95. At the meeting on Friday, my husband, Roland, and I were introduced to Bruce Bell, a former Green Beret (Special Forces) who said he was deeply involved in private investigations with Senator John McCain, attorney James H. Warner, and Bob Dole. James Warner was former Senate Counsel, later the Assistant General Counsel for the NRA (National Rifle Association). Bell noted during conversation that John McCain and James Warner had shared adjacent POW cells at the “Hanoi Hilton” in Vietnam for approximately 5½ years.
Bruce Bell, at that time working as comptroller at Olympic Arms in Olympia, Washington, requested I hand over the manuscript and explained that it would be sent to his brother who worked for the CIA in Langley, VA. The manuscript would also be sent to Senator John McCain, James Warner and Bob Dole.
When Bell had mentioned his brother in the CIA, my self-preservation instincts kicked in and I terminated the meeting. The idea of turning the manuscript over to an arms manufacturer with a brother in the CIA seemed ludicrous. My husband, Roland, had served in the U.S. Marine Corp., Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 3rd Marine Division called the “Tip of the Spear” in those days. During 1961-1962, he had served in the special weapons RECON platoon in Cambodia, in an advisors and information gathering unit, so he had a pretty good idea of the underlying issues plausibly related to Bruce Bell and the CIA.
I later e-mailed David Bond that the whole thing was off, but I wanted to remain friends with him. I said I was going to put the manuscript on the Internet because a friend had received an offer from (name withheld) saying they would provide me with a free homepage to get the manuscript out. (My friend had become alarmed at the CIA connection at the Thai Café meeting).
On October 15, 1996 I received a forwarded e-mail from David Bond, originating from Bruce Bell as follows:
Talked to DC – they can guarantee that she will be anonymous and also an immediate Congressional inquiry (which is in progress quietly). They think she would be foolish to put on Internet for number of reasons we discussed ---.
Basically Bruce Bell’s group was concerned that the manuscript would not be taken seriously, considered just another anti-government conspiracy, if it was placed on the Internet. I responded directly to Bruce Bell about concerns that the manuscript might fall into the wrong hands in D.C.
On October 24th, he wrote back that he had forwarded information about my investigation to his people, presumably John McCain, James Warner, et al. He wrote:
I think your concerns are valid and approach is reasonable. They are among the few seriously honorable people left and I trust them with my life (and have before). Will keep you posted. The level of corruption and emphasis on the ends justifying the means attitude is beginning to astound even me. Fortunately, we peasants now have our own e-mail and fax networks, and the mushrooms can’t hide too well anymore. Take care ---
Again on October 24, 1996, I received a follow-up transmission from Bruce Bell in which he wrote:
Spoke with man in DC. He can guarantee to do whatever you want. He is an attorney [James Warner] and therefore anything that comes to him as a cutout means he is able to invoke privilege vis-à-vis access to you, me, etc. Can get immediately all matl’s en masse to launch investigation with committee and/or Congressperson (Senate or House) of your choice. He is very familiar with Inslaw, Fostergate, Casolaro, Mena, etc., and participation on both sides of aisle. He spent 6 years in the cell next door to John McCain and would be willing to call and discuss with you ---
In the above transmission, Bruce Bell gave a code-name that would be used by any of his friends who called me:
Anyone who uses my name, etc., will give you code-name [withheld here] in Vietnamese, and if they do not know me, and very well for lots of years, they will not have this word in reference to me and do not talk to them. Perhaps these procedures will not be necessary and someday we can all laugh about it, but better safe than sorry ---
On October 25, 1996, I received a transmission from Bruce Bell inviting me to join him and his friends in a private chat room on the Internet at a prearranged time. I got an idea of what would be discussed in the chatroom by what he wrote in the e-mail, as follows: (excerpted)
--- If you have been following events in Clinton’s administration closely, I will give you a scenario to think about. Willie re-elected Nov. 5, Electoral College does not vote until Jan. 1. In between, wife indicted, he faces possible impeachment, while Republicans in control of Congress. Things could get very messy in a hurry! Even to point of declaring constitutional crisis and Willie invokes national emergency powers passed by Reagan. Just something to think about I suppose ---.
Bruce Bell used his code name in the chat room, and informed me that if I found myself in any danger, I could enter a special code word [withheld here] used within this Special Forces group when someone is in trouble or in danger. He said that codeword, would trigger immediate disposition by others in the vicinity or region of the sender.
A few other e-mail transmissions arrived, then on October 26, 1996, I received an e-mail directly from James Warner noting that he had attempted to reach me by phone, and providing me with phone numbers at his home and office. I was particularly interested in this portion of his e-mail:
I have a contact in the office of the member of Congress to whom you had addressed your draft letter. The member of Congress is eager to receive whatever you may wish to transmit. I am an attorney, licensed in Michigan, and any communications with me are subject to the attorney client privilege. Please let me know how you wish to proceed. I look forward to hearing from you, and am eager to assist. James H. Warner.
During subsequent phone conversations, James Warner did not provide the name of the individual in “the office of the member of Congress [presumably Maxine Waters] to whom I had addressed my draft letter,” though he talked about his relationship with John McCain, their history together, and what they were attempting to achieve.
I was becoming frustrated by all the secrecy at the Congressional level, and let off some steam in a letter to all concerned, then apologized later. Bruce Bell responded patiently:
No problem – in 1st Cav our motto was to get pissed on, pissed off, and then continue mission (for what that is worth). If you ever want to read some interesting history, look up the first LRP units in Vietnam and you will know what I am talking about.
Some further e-mails indicated the group’s extraordinary concern for security:
“Had talk with Jim [James Warner] – he is determined this country will not become another Mexico [drugs] – he also knows much of the story, how deep it goes, but needs documents, etc. that you are working on – we both agree on that. When I get what you are working on – overnight copies will go to him, me, 2 of my close people from way back, and 2 of his [McCain and ?] for safekeeping. You keep copy and give one to db. Our security lies in knowing that others have it and have ability to disclose if something happens. If, for some reason, you think there are real difficulties, send or say words [code word withheld]. This will stop all contact until you get ahold of me or Jim. If no word in reasonable amount of time (24-48 hrs?), then this will trigger immediate disposition of others. I-Net should be last resort, but have ready to go on it if needed. Let me know what you think.”
On November 5th, Bruce Bell notified me that the manuscript and documents had been received:
Catalogs received by all and being perused intently. Expect some large orders and will keep you posted. Thanks.
On November 10th, he followed up with:
Great catalog – will be ordering soon. Response so far has been that people want to place orders, but are still absorbing the extent of the product line. Lots of stuff, so don’t fret. Kinda a learning curve thing due to technical nature of product. Distributors have to market it correctly and hit market running.
At this same time, in early November 1996, I had been keeping some of my friends apprised of the above transactions. One friend, who expressed deep concerns that the manuscript was allegedly floating around a Congressional office in Washington D.C., and no Congressperson had made contact with me to date, felt I was a sitting duck waiting for the hunter to arrive. He even wanted to stay at my home to guard me. (My husband worked during the day and couldn’t stay home).
I laughed at that. I envisioned the Special Forces veterans bivouacked around my home, along with my friends, and the entire middle-class neighborhood where I lived becoming a secret armed military encampment with everyone using Vietnamese code-names.
Realistically, I didn’t feel the need for extravagant security measures, but appreciated Bruce Bell and James Warner’s (and my friend’s) concerns. They were all true gentlemen, and kindly, despite their affinity for guns. (At that time, James H. Warner was the Assistant General Counsel for the NRA [National Rifle Association], and Bruce Bell worked for Olympic Arms, an arms manufacturing company).
••••••••
Unknown to me at that time, however, my friend had sent a copy of the first 15 chapters of The Last Circle draft to [name withheld] at Cornell University. He wanted someone with access to an Internet website to have a copy.
On November 20, 1996 I received an e-mail from the individual at Cornell noting:
I think you have an excellent piece of journalism here – so good in fact that my loved ones around me do not want me connected directly with its publication – and so I am going to rely on a distributed group to release it ---
He added that his group’s preliminary assessment of the manuscript was as follows:
--- If it is false, we could get sued, if it is true we could get killed, and there is certainly enough information here for any good journalist to verify everything and make a big difference in the affairs of the nation and the world – or so we all hope.
The Cornell webmaster offered to place the manuscript on the Internet in such a way that if it was shut down at the university, it would be automatically re-created elsewhere, within hours.
By then, I still had not heard from anyone in Congress. My friend wrote an e-mail on November 20 imploring me to authorize publication on the Internet:
Cheri, there are two compelling reasons to put this on the Internet. You are responsible for this truth coming out. The scarier it is, the more important it is. Please believe me, if you try to hide from this, they’re going to get you. They always go after rabbits – always. That’s the key here. Get it on the Internet, wait for response and then hold a press conference. Be cheerful, fatalistic and up-front. Smile and say they’re going to try to kill you – name names and put the burden on them! Safety (relative) lies in publicity – always!
I didn’t want any publicity. But I had lost faith in Congress to accomplish anything of value with respect to my manuscript, or the issues therein.
On December 7, 1996 I received a transmission emanating from Cornell University notifying me that The Last Circle was now on the web at www.lycaeum.org/books/books/last_circle/0.htm
As the author of the manuscript, I had used the pseudonym of Carol Marshall, in honor of my deceased sister who would have wanted to see this book in print.