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Note From The Scoop Editor: - A couple of fairly obscure news links submitted by readers follow.

The first provides a rare glimpse inside the Pentagon's budgetary processes, exposing that even with an enormous black budget at its disposal, crooked accounting still thrives in the world's largest military.

The second, by an acute observer of things Japanese, recounts a personal story about a Japanese Dr Strangelove. ( Warning: This story could well be pure fiction, but if so it is still entertaining.).

These are stories that will appeal to those inclined to look behind the news. Needless to say neither of these stories is likely to appear in the Dompost any time soon. Enjoy…

STORY LINK ONE **************

Military stashes covert millions

The Pentagon asks MacDill's Special Operations to tuck an extra $20-million into its budget until it's needed
By PAUL DE LA GARZA, Times Staff Writer
Published September 28, 2003
For full story see..
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/09/28/Tampabay/Military_stashes_cove.shtml

TAMPA - The U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base inflated budget proposals at the Pentagon's request last year to hide $20-million from Congress, according to documents obtained by the St. Petersburg Times.

Special Operations officials divided the money among six projects so the money would not attract attention. They also instructed their own budget analysts not to mention it during briefings with congressional aides, the documents show.

… snip …

The plan, according to defense officials and documents obtained by the Times, called for Special Operations to pad its proposed budget by $20-million so the money could be used later by the Pentagon for some other purpose. The Pentagon initially wanted Special Operations to hide $40-million. The Special Operations Command, which oversees the nation's secret commando units, refused.

It is unclear what the Pentagon intended to do with the $20-million, or what became of the money. Young surmised that the money could have been used as a contingency fund, available to Rumsfeld to use at his discretion. While $20-million is relatively modest in a Pentagon budget of almost $400-billion, Young said, if all the armed services are doing it the amount could grow significantly.

"I don't know if it's been done before," he said, "or if it's common practice with the secretary."

For full story see..

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/09/28/Tampabay/Military_stashes_cove.shtml

STORY LINK TWO **************

Dr. Strangelove, His Bombs and Blondes

Captain Japan Reports
July 12th 2003
For full story see..
http://www.bigempire.com/sake/bomb.html

I stood at the urinal early Monday morning, fly down and ready for business. Just prior to beginning, a waft of smoke crossed both nostrils. I turned my head away from the wall, hands still at the ready in front.

"What the hell is this?" I barked.

"This is the only way I can handle this building," came a voice from behind. I recognized it to be that of a Newsroom copy editor from the domestic edition.

I finished up and turned toward the row of stalls. White puffs were rising from the one in the middle.

……. Snip …..

To this point our conversations had revealed that he was a colonel in the Japanese Air Force; had a PhD in physics; worked as a liaison with the U.S. Air Force in Colorado Springs; and, obviously, was handling nuclear materials in a location known to manufacture bombs. I prodded further.

"Come on," I encouraged, "you are in the location, you have the opportunity, motive, mission, rank - it wouldn't be any higher than a colonel to be able to handle nuclear triggers. You are a physicist; that is what you studied in school, right? There is nothing a Japanese Air Force colonel, who is a nuclear physicist, could be doing in Rocky Flats except one thing."

His chin dropped to his chest. He couldn't utter a word. An affirmation? I still didn't know.

His name was Noboru Takahashi, but to me he became Dr. Strangelove.

For full story see..
http://www.bigempire.com/sake/bomb.html

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