What is the Gap in the lone Pine … Pine Gap or CIA

Lone Pine at Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli – Pinus pinea

The Lone Pine was a solitary tree on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, which marked the site of the Battle of Lone Pine in 1915. It was a “Turkish Pine” of species Pinus brutia.

Pines which are planted as a memorial to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in Gallipoli are also known as “Lone Pines” or “Gallipoli Pines”. However, there are at least two species of pine in that locality—in addition to “Turkish Pine” Pinus brutia, the “Aleppo Pine” Pinus halepensis is also common. Branches from “Allepo” pines were also used by the Turks to protect their trenches, and cones and seeds from “Allepo” pines are common at “Lone Pine” memorials in Australia, in particular, the tree at the Australian War Memorial.

The “original” Lone Pine, a “Turkish Pine” of species Pinus brutia, was the sole survivor of a group of trees that had been cut down by Turkish soldiers who had used the timber and branches to cover their trenches during the battle.^[1] They has also cut down other trees to do this, most particularly “Aleppo Pines” Pinus halepensis. The tree was obliterated during the battle; however, pine cones that had remained attached to the cut branches over the trenches were retrieved by various Australian soldiers and brought home to Australia.^[2]^[3] The resultant seedlings sent home by one soldier were found to be Turkish pines, but those sent home by a pair of soldiers were found to be Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine). Initially, Turkish pines were regarded as a subspecies of Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine), but now they are usually classified as a distinct species, Pinus brutia.^[4]

Keith McDowell, an Australian soldier of the 23rd Battalion who fought at Gallipoli, brought a pine cone from the battle site home to Australia.^[5] Many years later seeds from the cone were planted by his wife’s aunt Emma Gray of Grassmere, near Warrnambool, Victoria and five seedlings emerged, with four surviving. These seedlings were planted in four different locations in Victoria: Wattle Park, Melbourne (8 May 1933), the Shrine of Remembrance (11 June 1933), the Soldiers Memorial Hall at The Sisters near Terang (18 June 1933) and Warrnambool Botanic Gardens (23 January 1934).^[2

What seeds do we plant? What has been planted?

Here are some notes from the video:

Whitlam’s speech on the steps of old Parliament House;
Taken 18 months to assemble Pine Gap, no aeroplane can fly closer than 2.5 miles to the base, the secrecy is total
Agreed in 1966 the US could build it
Near Alice Spring centre of speculation on the CIA’s activities
officially experimental space station
Joint facility run by Defence Departments Australia and US
Richard Stallings and CIA Victor Marchetti drafted the Pine Gap treaty laying out the ground rules for cooperation between the two governments.
Officially all surveillance information gathered at Pine Gap would be shared equally.
Desmond Ball states Pine Gap was set up for espionage
Robert Menzies supported the United States
Strong links formed – Nurrunga, Woomera, North West Cape,
Whitlam the first Labor Prime Minister of Australia in 23 years
Would you trust international affairs to the men who gave you Vietnam it is a choose between the past and the future, Whitlam stated.
Whitlam elected in 1972 Des Ball states there was considerable concern in Washington
Whitlam Press Conference (in US) 1972 – questioner – both raised the question of the fact of the military installations in Australia with particularly reference to secrecy surrounding them can you indicate the policy your government will take on these questions?
There need be no secrecy, Mr Barnard and I can find out whatever we want to
Christopher John Boyce serving 42 years in the State Penitentiary for counter espionage age of 24 caught selling secrets gathered at Pine Gap to the Russians working as a cypher clerk at TRW Communications an alleged front for the CIA
Victor Marghetti: They were going to cut the Australians out of the existing information that was coming down, in any case it was a ‘screw the Aussies’ type project.
Nixon: I have concluded time has come for action.
didn’t take long for the Whitlam Government to get itself off side with the Nixon Administration.
Nixon: I have concluded that the time has come for action.
Jim Cairns states: “I objected to the American bombing of Hanoi undefended open bombing, Hanoi, I complained about that. The American ambassador was sent to tell Whitlam that they objected very strongly to that.”
Whitlam Government coming into power barging in we were deeply concerned
Frightened of the small degree of independence being displaced by the Labor Government
Labor Government a security risk by the United States, the US at an official level to have it removed.
You don’t see the jewels of counter intelligence being placed in jeopardy by a party that was seeking a new way for Australia
Early in 1973 Whitlam demanded from ASIS the names of operatives and where they were carrying out there operations. He was told there were operates in Chile working under the CIA involved in the destabilisation of the Allende Government. He immediately informed them to cease that particular operations. They didn’t. At least 2 of our operates were there, in September (11) 1973 bloody coup de tat took place and toppled Salvador Allende. Enter Marshall Green, the new American Ambassador to Canberra, a senior career diplomat involved in at least 3 coups most notably the one in Indonesia, Marshall Green stated if the Australian government dared to take the power away from US multinationals we would move in.
John Kerr selected as Governor General by Gough Whitlam despite warnings from colleagues of his allegiance to US intelligence organisations.
John Kerr President of Law Asia, CIA funded organisation
He was part of an intelligence organisation in the army
The lease for the renewal of Pine Gap was due on 9 of December, and large sections of Labor Party wanted to close it down, weren’t happy having a foreign base of that type in this country
Mr Whitlam made comments in Parliament telling the Australian public what Pine Gap base was about and made comments about Richard Stallings who set it up Pine Gap base and part of the US intelligence community lived at Doug Anthony’s place in Canberra (I know where he lived in Hughes, we used to drive past, ha, I wondered who those guys were – just joking!)
Whitlam: He said he had no associations with CIA money in Australia, Mr Anthony has (National Party). In October Whitlam sacked the head of ASIS and this was followed by the sacking of Barber the head of ASIO
(voice Head of Counter intelligence) …its a tender plant that needs nourishment some of the major secrets that deal with the world I was once in were given to the Australian Services.
(message Top Secret from Ted Shakley, CIA East Asia Division to Director General ASIO) On November 2 the Prime Minister of Australia made a statement at Alice Springs that Australia that the CIA had been funding Anthony’s National Party in Australia. On November 6 the Prime Minister publicly repeated the allegation that he knew of two instances in which CIA money had been used to influence domestic Australian politicians.
Shakely has a long history of involvement in overthrowing other country’s governments or attempting to do so. Shakely was an organiser of the Bay of Pig invasion of Cuba. He was involved I Vietnam. Shakley was an interested party in what was happening in Australia
(Message) with continued reference to the CIA can do other than blow the lid on those installations where persons concerned have been working….particularly the installations at Alice Springs the Director General should be assured that the CIA does not lightly adopt this attitude. Your urgent advice would be appreciated. Reply should be made to CIA … the US Ambassador is fully informed of this message.
(voice) – the CIA don’t do this for the health or to play games there was a goal there and the goal I think was to get rid of Whitlam. That was the whole purpose I think was to bring in somebody that they were much closer with and feel would be more reliable and see things more their way
(protest) … fair go. Malcolm Fraser speaking.
Steve Gurlach journalist: 11 November is a very interesting day certainly more than john Kerr going to Remembrance Day coming back and dismissing the government. Whitlam was to address Parliament and blow the lid on the CIA operatives in Australia. He was meant to give that speech in the afternoon 11 November 1975. Unfortunately 1pm came along before he could do the speech and he was dismissed.
Gough speech: Parliament you elected in May last year has been dissolved. The proclamation you have just heard read by the governor general official secretary was counter signed Malcolm Fraser.
Malcolm had come back from Government House, he said Doug I want you to come and see me straight away, the Governor General has dismissed the government. He said: I’ll be there right in.
(media commentary) In most tumultuous day in Australian political history the Prime Minister has been sacked, the opposition leader has been asked to form a caretaker government and both houses of parliament have been dissolved.
(commentator) 1975 was a watershed period n Australia, to a great extent we were pretty naïve, we knew about interference in other countries, hadn’t experienced quite the same degree, I think we were not prepared for it
Victor Marghetti: In a sense it is Chile but in a much more muted and sophisticated and subtle form.
(Steve Gurlach journalist: The parallels between the Kennedy assassination and Whitlam dismissal are staggering really. Both popularist leaders, well respected and liked by the people of the country, both threatened the CIA in one way or another Kennedy threatened to scatter it to the wind up to the Bay of Pig fiasco. Whitlam threatened to close bases, Whitlam withdraw troops, Kennedy threatened to withdraw troops. That military mind set, joint chiefs of staff, and CIA and in doing so they had to hit back. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, you don’t need an assassination here you just need the Governor General in your pocket. Same outcome.
Did the CIA orchestrate the downfall of an allied government, end the government. What is certain is the CIA is still present in Australia and still very active.

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prV-Yae_5_g

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