Thursday, June 01, 2006

CIA rendition flights and drug running

Another shady airline company with possible links to CIA discovered. For a company that only began operations in July 2005, Security Aviation, Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, soon found itself in the news, the subject of a federal indictment for illegally possessing operational 16-tube rocket launchers and Czech-made L-39 Albatros military jets that could have been a hazard to aircraft. The air charter company's principals, Rob "Commander" Kane and Mark Avery, were recently acquitted of federal weapons charges. Kane told a Federal court that the Czech aircraft were for a multi-million dollar project in the Philippines. After several pilots with former ties to the military and CIA testified on behalf of Security Aviation, a jury acquitted the firm of any wrongdoing. Initially, the jury was split but later came around to acquittal. Jury tampering in cases involving covert intelligence operations has been on an increase with the Bush administration. U.S. Attorney Steven Skrocki said Security Aviation was involved in an "elaborate deception." After the small firm was purchased by Avery, the small charter company was transferred into a multi-million dollar firm with a fleet of expensive executive jets, helicopters, Czech military jets, and employees with shadowy CIA and private military contractor (PMC) experience.

Security Aviation claimed their rocket launchers were not operational, however that claim was disputed by John Berens, a former chief mechanic for Aviation Security who serviced the L-39 jets. Even with the weapons acquittal, the government's probe of Security Aviation continues. Avery admitted that he and Kane spoke about his firm's secret missions, off-shore trusts, and other shadowy operations. Kane claims he is a former Navy SEAL, bounty hunter, a commander in the Philippines Coast Guard Auxiliary, rodeo cowboy, CIA agent, and counter-terrorism operative. Kane's name came up in a 1993 murder trial involving a slain security guard. Federal agents recovered phony identification documents, cash, and bank records from Kane's home. Avery, who is an attorney, is a former state and municipal prosecutor who also owns Regional Property Services, LLC. Security Aviation and an affiliate firm, Regional Protective Services LLC, intimidated two companies involved in the sale of the Czech planes -- Air USA and Red Air of Illinois, for their cooperation with the government in the weapons case. Air USA worked with the government to recover the Czech planes. Air USA flew two of the recovered Czech planes out of Anchorage in January but one crashed on approach to Ketchikan airport, killing the pilot, Stephen Freeman of San Diego. Six Czech jet fighters were returned by the government to Security Aviation in early May. Other companies connected to Kane are High Security Aviation and Regional Phone Solutions. FBI agents, on a search of Kane's office, discovered Bahamas residency papers, Bank of the Middle East documents, and business cards from Ukraine, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates -- all major locations for Russian-Israeli Mafia weapons smuggler and aircraft owner Viktor Bout, a man wanted by several countries but protected by the Bush administration.

Firm connected to shadowy CIA operations has its own fleet of Czech military jets. Possible connection to Viktor Bout network discovered by Feds.

The Anchorage Daily News has been on this story from the start
. The story has been ignored by the media in the Lower 48.

It now appears that although it uses Anchorage as its base, Security Aviation has been involved in secretive operations in the Caribbean. Florida and the Caribbean have been major areas for the operations of CIA rendition flights and renewed major drug smuggling operations. Interestingly, Kane has been connected to Bob Coffin of the FBI's Clearwater, Florida office. Kane's wife said Coffin was her husband's case agent. It remains unclear what official relationship Coffin has with Kane but Clearwater was a major hub of activities for the 911 hijackers and was most recently connected to an aircraft stopped in Mexico hauling 5.5 tons of cocaine.