THIS FAR AND NO FURTHER
A Timeline of Events Surrounding the Radical Right's Attempt to Subvert American Democracy
Written and Compiled by Black Max
1996
June
- June: Reports reach the media that Craig Livingston, head of White House Security in the White House improperly requests, and receives from the FBI, personnel files without asking permission of the subject individuals. Estimates range from 350 to 900 unauthorized file disclosures. The incident causes a firestorm of criticism because many of the files covered White House employees from previous Republican administrations. Livingstone, who had the highest security clearances in the US government, previously had been a bouncer at a Washington DC night club prior to receiving the position as head of White House security. DNC operative Anthony Marceca later receives access to the files and downloads them onto his private laptop computer. In March 2000, Independent Counsel Robert Ray will determine that there was no credible evidence of any criminal activity. Ray's report further states "there was no substantial and credible evidence that any senior White House official, or first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, was involved" in seeking the files. Though the incident is largely a series of bureaucratic mistakes, conservative opponents of the Clintons have trumpeted it into a so-called "scandal" that they term "Filegate." (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filegate)
- June 12: Iraq begins barring access to some sites by UNSCOM weapons inspectors. Negotiations and warnings from the UN begin, and continue over the rest of the year. (UN/Iraqwatch/Electric Venom)
- June 18: The Senate Whitewater investigative committee led by Republican Alfonse D'Amato terminates its investigation; the committee splits along party lines as to whether the Clintons committed any wrongdoing, though the committee has worked fruitlessly for over a year trying to compile evidence of Clinton's financial malfeasance and, of course, has probed into his sex life, again without finding anything. (Washington Post, Joe Conason and Gene Lyons)
- June 18: Unabomber suspect Ted Kaczynski is charged with 10 counts stemming from four separate bombings, including two murder charges. A week later, he will plead not guilty to all charges in a Sacramento court. The trial will drag on for almost two years. (Unabomber Timeline)
- June 24: Uzbekistan signs a deal with Enron to exploit that country's large untapped reserves of natural gas. In July, the US government agrees to contribute $400 million to help Enron, Uzbekistan, and Russia develop the gas fields. The agreement is later terminated when it becomes apparent the pipeline across Afghanistan, needed to transport the gas, is not going to be built. (CCR)
Khobar Towers bombing
- June 25: Terrorists explode a bomb in the Khobar Towers, a building that is part of a US military base in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. 19 American servicemen die and 500 Americans and Saudis are injured. The US Justice Department and the FBI both complain about the lack of Saudi cooperation in the subsequent investigation. 14 people, many with ties to a Saudi branch of the terrorist group Hizbollah, are eventually indicted by the Saudis, declared guilty, and executed, without letting the FBI talk to them. Some observers characterize the Khobar Towers bombing as a warning to the Saudis to either contribute more money fast or suffer more bombings. In 1998, Osama bin Laden admits to masterminding the attack. The bin Laden family is awarded the contract to rebuild the installation. (CCR, CNN, Federation of American Scientists)
Destruction of Khobar Towers
Failed attempt by CIA to overthrow Saddam Hussein
- June 26: A CIA-sponsored attempt to overthrow Saddam Hussein fails. 120 coup plotters are rounded up by Iraqi security; many are executed. (MidEast Web)
