Review 21.18
11 November - 24 November 1996

DENNIS AND DENIS:

Graeme Campbell stood up in Parliament a couple of weeks ago and suggested members read a 'research paper' written by that gardener and part-time AAFI minister for truth Denis McCormack. The title of the paper is 'The grand plan: Asianisation of Australia - race, place and power'. Apparently, it's all about the conspiracy "nurtured by elites for the Asianisation of Australia." Well, at least Denis didn't come right out and say bankers, multiculturalists, Aborigines, Asians and Jews. Who knows though, before long he might. Campbell claimed during his speech that "I have said before that Australia needs Denis McCormack in federal parliament. In this paper, which I intend to table tonight, he has arrived." Now that Campbell's dumped all over his latest creation, Pauline Hanson, perhaps Denis will have a shot as Campbell's new running mate. John Pasquarelli, time to decamp.

Meanwhile, was that Dennis Stevenson promoting Graeme Campbell on Canberra Radio? Stevenson is the former MLA in the ACT Parliament who was a Lyndon LaRouche spokesman and member and former League of Rights activist. Tell us it isn't so Graeme. One Denis/Dennis is enough for anyone. Maybe you should send one of them over to Pauline, after all, we hear that John is just about fed up with her.

UNCLE KONRAD:

Remember Konrad Kalejs, Nazi War Criminal extraordinaire. In January last year the Review tracked him down in cushy retirement in Melbourne after ordering the execution of some 30,000 Jews in Latvia during World War II. What followed was an unprecedented cat and mouse game between journalists from the Review, The Australian and The Age and officials from the Canadian Government. Konrad ran back and forth between Canada and Australia trying to evade publicity and numerous Canadian Government arrest warrants. In Australia, journalists staked out airport terminals and retirement villages.

The Review even found him one day holed up in a condominium in Toronto heavily occupied by Jewish Holocaust survivors.

Eventually the Canadian mounties nabbed their man and Konrad went on trial in Toronto. Seven months later and the trial is still continuing. Last week Konrad took the stand in Toronto. Unfortunately the Review wasn't there to see it. But according to reports Konrad came out with some beauties. The KGB was trying to frame him - an oldie but a goldie from Eastern European War Criminals - witnesses had been pressured to lie about him, and immigration officials from three countries had made mistakes.

It got better still. Konrad claimed he didn't know what officers under his command were engaged in. Then he got so confused that he claimed that the witnesses supplied by his own lawyer had been instructed by the KGB. That's the problem with liars - they usually have lousy memories. Kalejs questioned the accuracy of Australian and American immigration reports where he had claimed that he was a "farmer" when immigrating to those countries. The hearing was told that Kalejs avoided outlining his military experience when he left Europe, because it would have linked him to war crimes.

But whilst Konrad was busy protesting his ignorance, Counsel for the Canadian Government brought in a Video Tape interview of Victors Arajs, Kalejs' commanding officer in the Arajs Kommando death squads. Apparently, you could have heard a pin drop in the court room when Victor Arajs recounted how, well yes, in actual fact, Konrad Kalejs was one of his officers and had indeed commanded one of his death squad battalions. Konrad, never slow on the uptake, immediately changed his tune. "O.K we hunted down Reds and Communists, but that's it. We had more important things to do than persecute Jews," he eventually responded. The trial continues.

KIWI FRUIT IN TEHERAN:

Iran's new Ambassador to New Zealand, Mohammed Mehdi Sazgara, has flagged his country's latest effort to push into the Asian Pacific region, embarking on a campaign to initiate joint ventures between New Zealand companies and Soviet Central Asian republics. Sazgara has also proposed joint venture projects between Iran and New Zealand through the Asia 2000 foundation. Meanwhile, the Iranian publication ITTILA'AT reports that the coordinating officer of the Iranian Navy, Oriadar Muhamad Husein Shfiei, announced that the Iranian Naval works will soon begin construction of a new warship. The new destroyer is 88 meters long, with a 1,000 ton capacity and embarked helicopter. The US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) was briefing western officials last week about Iran's new top defence priority "developing a naval capability to intercept shipping in the Gulf." DIA claims that North Korea's contract to supply Iran with Nodong -1 ballistic missiles has been shelved following American moves to block the deal and because of Iran's failure to make the payments.

HOME LEAVE:

Ephraim Halevy, former deputy head of Israel's secret service, has been recalled from his post as Israeli ambassador to the EU and returned to Jerusalem where he is to help the new government resolve difficulties with the Jordanian relationship. Halevy was in charge of the Israeli negotiators of the Jordan - Israel peace treaty.

SUCCESSORS:

With the Clinton victory, US Administration officials are likely to face a reshuffle. The two contenders to succeed Winston Lord as assistant secretary of State for Asian affairs are Stanley Ross, formerly senior director for Asia in President Clinton's National Security Council, and, Kurt Campbell, deputy assistant Secretary of Defence for the Asia region.