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).

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”

Pretexts for an Attack on Iran

An Iraq-War redux is now in full play, with leading roles played by some of the same protagonists – President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, for example, who says he still thinks attacking Iraq was a good idea. Co-starring is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The New York Times on Tuesday played its … Continue reading “Pretexts for an Attack on Iran”

Orwellian Cloud Hovers Over Russia-gate

George Orwell would have been in stitches Wednesday watching Attorney General William Barr and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee spar on Russia-gate. The hearing had the hallmarks of the intentionally or naively blind leading the blind with political shamelessness. From time to time the discussion turned to the absence of a legal “predicate” to … Continue reading “Orwellian Cloud Hovers Over Russia-gate”

Unaccountable Media Faced With Dilemma in Next Phase of Deep State-Gate

This originally appeared at Consortium News. Readers of The Washington Post on Monday were treated to more of the same from editorial page chief Fred Hiatt. Hiatt, who won his spurs by promoting misleading “intelligence” about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and suffered no consequences, is at it again. This time he is trying … Continue reading “Unaccountable Media Faced With Dilemma in Next Phase of Deep State-Gate”

Russia-gate Evidence, Please

For those interested in evidence – or the lack of it – regarding collusion between Russia and the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, we can thank the usual Russia-gate promoters at The New York Times and CNN for inadvertently filling in some gaps in recent days. Stooping to a new low, Friday’s Times headline screamed: … Continue reading “Russia-gate Evidence, Please”

A Look Back at Clapper’s Jan. 2017 ‘Assessment’ on Russia-gate

The banner headline atop page one of The New York Times two years ago today, on January 7, 2017, set the tone for two years of Dick Cheney-like chicanery: “Putin Led Scheme to Aid Trump, Report Says.” Under a media drumbeat of anti-Russian hysteria, credulous Americans were led to believe that Donald Trump owed his … Continue reading “A Look Back at Clapper’s Jan. 2017 ‘Assessment’ on Russia-gate”

Send the Mad Dog to the Corporate Kennel

Outgoing Defense Secretary Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis was famous for quipping, “It’s fun to shoot some people.” It remains a supreme irony that Mattis was widely considered the only “adult in the room” in the Trump administration. Compared to whom? John Bolton, the rabid neocon serving as national security adviser? That would be the … Continue reading “Send the Mad Dog to the Corporate Kennel”

Michael Isikoff Cuts His Losses at ‘Russian Roulette’

Last Saturday, veteran Washington journalist Michael Isikoff began a John Ehrlichman/Watergate-style “modified limited hangout” regarding the embarrassing overreach in his Russia-gate “collusion” reporting. He picked an unctuous, longtime fan, radio host John Ziegler, to help him put some lipstick on the proverbial pig. Even so, the interview did not go so well. Those who can … Continue reading “Michael Isikoff Cuts His Losses at ‘Russian Roulette’”