Ray McGovern

Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. In the Sixties he served as an infantry/intelligence officer and then became a CIA analyst for the next 27 years. He is on the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).

The Pitfalls of a Pit Bull Russophobe

Fiona Hill’s “Russian-expert” testimony Thursday and her deposition on Oct. 14 to the impeachment inquiry showed that her antennae are acutely tuned to what Russian intelligence services may be up to but, sadly, also displayed a striking naiveté about the machinations of U.S. intelligence. Hill’s education on Russia came at the knee of the late … Continue reading “The Pitfalls of a Pit Bull Russophobe”

Ukraine for Dummies

At Wednesday’s debut of the impeachment hearings there was one issue upon which both sides of the aisle seemed to agree, and it was a comic-book caricature of reality. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff led off the proceedings with this: “In 2014, Russia invaded a United States ally, Ukraine, to reverse that nation’s embrace … Continue reading “Ukraine for Dummies”

Thanks to a Soviet Navy Captain – We Survived 1962

Oct. 27, 1962, is the date on which we humans were spared extinction thanks to Soviet Navy submarine Captain Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov. Arkhipov insisted on following the book on using nuclear weapons. He overruled his colleagues on Soviet submarine B-59, who were readying a 10-kiloton nuclear torpedo to fire at the USS Randolph task force … Continue reading “Thanks to a Soviet Navy Captain – We Survived 1962”

Seth Rich’s Ghost Haunts the Courts

As if it weren’t enough of a downer for Russiagate true believers that no Trump-Russia collusion was found, federal judges are now demanding proof that Russia hacked into the DNC in the first place. It is shaping up to be a significant challenge to the main premise of the shaky syllogism that ends with “Russia … Continue reading “Seth Rich’s Ghost Haunts the Courts”

DNI Nominee Intent on Getting to Bottom of Russiagate

Shortly before President Donald Trump announced he had nominated Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) to replace Dan Coats as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe made it clear he intends to hit the deck running on the “crimes” behind Russiagate. “What I do know as a former federal prosecutor is it does appear that there were crimes … Continue reading “DNI Nominee Intent on Getting to Bottom of Russiagate”

Mueller, Dems Scramble as Russiagate Falls Apart

Friday’s surprising report that Robert Mueller had successfully sought an extra week to prepare for his House testimony on Russiagate (now set for July 24) must have come as scary news to those of his fans who can put two and two together. Over the past few weeks, it has become clearer that each of … Continue reading “Mueller, Dems Scramble as Russiagate Falls Apart”

Ex-FBI, CIA Officials Draw Withering Fire on Russiagate

As Congress arrives back into town and the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees prepare to question ex-Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller on July 17, partisan lines are being drawn even more sharply, as Russiagate blossoms into Deep-State-gate. In Sunday, a top Republican legislator, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) took the gloves off in an unusually acerbic public … Continue reading “Ex-FBI, CIA Officials Draw Withering Fire on Russiagate”

Hope for a Breakthrough in Korea

There is hope for some real progress in U.S.-North Korean relations after Sunday morning’s unscheduled meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, largely because Russia and China seem more determined than ever to facilitate forward movement. Sitting down before the talks began, Kim underlined the importance of the meeting.“I hope it … Continue reading “Hope for a Breakthrough in Korea”

Crowdstrike Never Produced Final Report on Alleged Russian Hacking

CrowdStrike, the controversial cybersecurity firm that the Democratic National Committee chose over the FBI in 2016 to examine its compromised computer servers, never produced an un-redacted or final forensic report for the government because the FBI never required it to, the Justice Department has admitted. The revelation came in a court filing by the government … Continue reading “Crowdstrike Never Produced Final Report on Alleged Russian Hacking”

DoJ Bloodhounds on the Scent of John Brennan

The New York Times Thursday morning has bad news for one of its favorite anonymous sources, former CIA Director John Brennan. The Times reports that the Justice Department plans to interview senior CIA officers to focus on the allegation that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian intelligence to intervene in the 2016 election to help … Continue reading “DoJ Bloodhounds on the Scent of John Brennan”