The stunning decision could end the United States' three-decade pursuit of Polanski, unless he travels to another country that would be willing to apprehend him and weigh sending him to Los Angeles. France, where he has spent much of his time, does not extradite its own citizens, and the public scrutiny over Switzerland's deliberations may dissuade other nations from making such a spectacular arrest.
The Swiss government said it had sought confidential testimony given on Jan. 26 by Roger Gunson, the Los Angeles attorney in charge of the original prosecution against Polanski. Washington rejected the request. "Mr. Polanski can now move freely. Since 12:30 today he's a free man," Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf declared.
for the last couple of years, the three volume set of 'sinister forces: a grimoire ofamerican political witchcraft' has always been within arm's reach. i've learned that whenever something in the news has reverberations back through the history/mystery of 20th century america, i can just jump to the indices & start to see some of the dots connect...
now the polanski polemic, as i've called it, has become perfect fodder for the culture wars: it's middle america vs hollywood. and while the average person may know the water cooler talking points, most of these discussions are long on moralizing & short on the shadowy substance... those "names to conjure with", the "dates that have resonance" & the things "that scream out for an explanation where none can be provided."
one of the most incredible examples: on june 5, 1968, roman polanski & sharon tate attended a dinner party at director john frankenheimer's house where the guest of honor would have his last supper. that guest was robert francis kennedy & he was driven to the ambassador hotel later that night by the director of 'the manchurian candidate'... and, did you know that polanski had john phillips, of the mamas & the papas, investigated for his possible involvement in the murder of sharon tate? ... add to this mix squeaky fromme, scientology, robert evans, west virginia, aleister crowley, disneyland, and of course, the specter that haunts this american house: charles manson.
when i began to see these red flags, i immediately reached out to our guest & author of the amazing 'sinister forces': peter levenda. he has written numerous other books on our hidden history, like his recent 'secret temple: masons, mysteries & the founding of america'. levenda is an authority on these subjects & has also been featured in numerous documentaries concerning the 'unholy alliance' of nazis, the occult & US.
this latest special interview episode from media monarchy - the ninth one, appropriately enough - is a quick, yet fascinating look behind the media mask... behind the face that they present & a glimpse into what it really represents... all this & so much more - just in time for crowley's birthday, the bombing of the moon & halloween.
from raw replay: ABC’s Cokie Roberts disagrees with celebrities who have called for charges against Roman Polanski to be dropped. “Roman Polanski is a criminal,” Roberts said Sunday. “He raped and drugged and raped and sodomized a child. And then was a fugitive from justice. As far as I’m concerned, just take him out and shoot him.” This video is from ABCNews.com, broadcast Oct. 4, 2009.
Polanski, director of such acclaimed films as Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist, was scheduled to receive an honorary award at the Zurich Film Festival. The Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement that U.S. authorities have sought the 76-year-old's arrest since 2005.
''There was a valid arrest request and we knew when he was coming,'' ministry spokesman Guido Balmer told The Associated Press. ''That's why he was taken into custody.''
The U.S. would now need to make a formal extradition request, Balmer told the AP.
Polanski fled the U.S. in 1978, one year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with the underage girl, because the judge in the case planned to renege on the plea agreement. The girl said he plied her with champagne and half a Quaalude during a photo shoot at Jack Nicholson's house while the actor was away.
updates from 9/28:
filmmaker polanski fights extradition to US from switzerland from bloomberg: Filmmaker Roman Polanski will fight extradition to the U.S. following his arrest in Switzerland at the request of California prosecutors who want him brought back for leaving the country in 1978 before he was sentenced for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Prosecutors became aware of Polanski’s travel plans last week and through the U.S. Justice Department asked that he be arrested, Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, said yesterday in a phone interview. Extraditing Polanski could take several months, Robison said. The request for Polanski’s arrest wasn’t related to his failed attempt this year to have the 1977 case thrown out, she said. “It’s because he’s been a fugitive,” Robison said.... Los Angeles prosecutors made prior efforts to obtain Polanski’s arrest abroad, the latest one in July of 2007 when the director visited Israel, according to a statement posted yesterday on the district attorney’s Web site. That effort failed because Polanski left Israel before the Israeli authorities received additional details they requested, according to the statement.
updates from 10/1: defense strategies could keep polanski out of prison from latimes: Prosecutors have yet to say what punishments they'll pursue if the director is extradited, but experts say the defense's strongest option is asking that the case be dismissed for judicial misconduct.
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Director James Cameron journeys to deepest part of ocean* 
