John Rees is a British journalist resident in the United States of America. I specialize in international risk analysis and am best known for my evaluations of China, Russia and several African countries.In 1967 I founded and published a newsletter, Information Digest which appeared every two weeks until 2003. Political Research Associates is quoted as stating that I ran a network of private informants on college campuses in the United States - this is untrue. I did have better information on campus groupsfrom friends and associates than did some of the FBI's own agents.[1]. As demonstrated by a law suit against me (which they lost) the neo-Nazi group Liberty Lobby showed the equality of my dislike for all totalitarian groups. Based out of Baltimore, Maryland, I have been active as a critic of the further shores of political thought since the 1960s. Chip Berlet Political Research Associates February 2 1993</ref>. Chip Berlet, whom I know and appreciate, sadly believes, without evidence that I had a network that would pass information along to me, so I could forward it to the director of intelligence at FBI headquarters, from where it would be forwarded to field offices. These activities were, according to him, part of a network of private right wing groups that the FBI used to gather intelligence on government critics and people opposed to the Reagan Administration's foreign policy stance in Central America.[2] In reality, information that I received both from left-wing organizations and my friends who were interested in their activities was written up, and published, in the Information Digest which was made freely available to those who were interested in such nonsense! As Chip says, my own Information Digest reported on extremist movements on both the liberal and conservative ends of the political spectrum. Rees also criticized Lyndon LaRouche and the LaRouche movement saying the organization has "taken on the characteristics more of a political cult than a political party," and a cult-like "blind obedience."[3] Among the publications he was associated with are Review of the News and American Opinion, published by the John Birch Society, of which Rees was a member[1]. Again, poor Chip jumped to a conclusion without any proof. I was never a member of the John Birch Society, despite my affection and respect for Robert Welch their founder and many of their membership. Mr. Welch agreed that I should work for JBS publications without becoming a member. In addition, I worked with the Birch Society's late Congressman Larry McDonald in the activities of the Western Goals Foundation[1].
References
- ^ a b "The Hunt for Red Menace" Because I was opposed to Communism of the Marxist-Leninist variety I was labeled a right wing journalist. <ref>"[http://www.thenation.com/archive/detail/11196250 The 'Information Digest' Ploy]" Levin, Hillel ''The Nation'' October 7, 1978</li> <li id="cite_note-1">'''[[#cite_ref-1|^]]''' "GROUPS GIVE FBI DATA ON FOES OF US LATIN POLICIES" Ross Gelbspan ''Boston Globe'' March 15, 1988</li> <li id="cite_note-2">'''[[#cite_ref-2|^]]''' "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/larouche/main.htm Ideological Odyssey: From Old Left to Far Right]" John Mintz ''Washington Post'' January 14, 1985</li></ol></ref>
