SVG in the "Laboratory" (or, who's funding YOUR campaign?)

Just when you thought that the yes/no campaign was heading to a predictable campaign crescendo (rallies, entertainers, candlelight marches, big crowds, etc.), PM Gonsalves has thrown a monkey wrench in the whole process. He has charged that the NDP's "no vote" campaign is being run by the "Oakes Brothers" -- CEOs of "Strategic Communications Laboratories," a shadowy outfit that helped the NDP in its 1998 election campaign.


More ominously, he questioned whether the funds to pay the Oakes Brothers' hefty fees were coming through some commitment to return SVG to the bad old days of economic citizenship, and selling passports to foreigners. Specifically, he mentioned a firm called Henley & Partners, which markets such passports exclusively in St. Kitts, and also sells them in Dominica. Apparently, Arnhim made a secret trip to St. Kitts, and the implication -- but not the allegation -- is that there were some funds exchanged there.


Within minutes of the PM's press conference, the Oakes Bros. SCL Elections website (http://www.sclelections.org/) was offline.


The NDP quickly responded that the Oakes Bros. were indeed in town and on the case. However, they claimed that the Oakes Bros. were working pro bono, and that no money changed hands. Further, they claimed that they had no contact whatsoever with Henley & Partners, who, they claimed, were seeking legal advice.


Setting aside for the moment that it would be impossible to know that someone was seeking legal advice unless you were, indeed, in contact with them (hmmmm...) the web is full of juicy and salacious info about our British visitors. Some tidbits:

NIGEL OAKES and Strategic Communications Laboratories

1. Has been quoted as saying that his companies, including Behavioural Dynamics, “use the same techniques as Aristotle and Hitler. . . We appeal to people on an emotional level to get them to agree on a functional level.”
2. Described his work as “mindbending for political purposes.”
3. Has an employee, Mark Broughton, SCL’s public affairs director, who advocated using the company to tell lies to the public, saying “sometimes the means to an end has to be recognized.”
4. Falsely stated on his website that he studied Psychology at the University College London (UCL). However, British Freedom of Information requests to UCL revealed that “Nigel Oakes never attended UCL.” After UCL confirmed that he never attended, Mr. Oakes changed the information on the website to say that he “studied Psychology.” He does not say where he studied Psychology.
5. Falsely stated that he “set up an academic working group at London University.” British Freedom of Information requests to London University revealed that this was also false.
6. Received US$2 million to “lift the deteriorating public image of Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid” in 2000. However, he shut down his operations and “quit after his public relations methods came under scrutiny.”
7. Of that US$2 million, at least $300,000 was paid in cash.
8. Claims that his consultancy fees are in the region of US$1 million
9. SCL had “annual profitability of between 9% and 15% on international turnover of $257 million (£141 million) between 1995 and 2003.”
10. Expected “15% per cent profitability on turnover of £100 million” between 2004 and 2006
11. Created and funded false NGOs and groups in Indonesia, which were paid to stress messages that favoured the president of Indonesia.
12. Created a false NGOs called the “Foundation of Independent Journalists,” which held seminars on “journalistic ethics and independence” while being paid to deliver messages favourable to the President.
13. Screened supposedly independent television commercials – which were actually secretly created by SCL – “stressing religious and ethnic harmony” that favoured his client.
14. Shortly before he fled Indonesia, he also fled Thailand in the middle of a project, although the circumstances are unclear
15. Establishes “Op Centres” which use “psy ops” (Psychological Operations). According to the SCL website, these Op Centres create “behavioural compliance.”
16. “Modules within the Opcentres can range from “Word-of Mouth Units” to “Cultural Alignment Units” and previous projects SCL have undertaken for clients include to “Design and develop a permanent military strategic communication facility capable of delivering strategic and operational psyop campaigns for a South Asian country.” and to “Design, build and install a Homeland Security Centre for an Asian country. The Opcentre can override all national radio and TV broadcasts in time of crisis.”
17. Claims to be involved in military psyops campaigns
18. Offered to sell a story of his romance with Lady Helen Windsor to the British press (LOL)
19. Was thrown out of Windsor Castle after he attempted to gate crash a party held there. (LOL 2X)