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).

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’”

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Deep State and Bob Parry Exposed It

A year ago yesterday, it became fully clear what was behind the feverish attempt by our intelligence agencies and their mainstream media accomplices to emasculate President Donald Trump with the Russia-gate trope. It turned out that the objective was not only to delegitimize Trump and make it impossible for him to move toward a more … Continue reading “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Deep State and Bob Parry Exposed It”

Trump’s Timidity Is Letting Comey Off the Hook

Because President Donald Trump has again pulled the rug out from under them, House Republicans face Mission Impossible on Friday when they try to hold ex-FBI Director James Comey accountable for his highly dubious authorization of surveillance on erstwhile Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Comey let go his unprecedented legal maneuver to have a court … Continue reading “Trump’s Timidity Is Letting Comey Off the Hook”

Clapper’s Credibility Collapses

Former National Intelligence Director James Clapper’s key role in helping the Cheney/Bush administration “justify” war on Iraq with fraudulent intelligence was exposed on Tuesday at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington by his own words quoted back to him from his memoir “Facts and Fears: Hard Truths From a Life in Intelligence.” Hard truths, indeed. Clapper … Continue reading “Clapper’s Credibility Collapses”

On the Brink With Russia in Syria Again, 5 Years Later

The New York Times, on September 11, 2013, accommodated Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s desire “to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders” about “recent events surrounding Syria.” Putin’s op-ed in the Times appeared under the title: “A Plea for Caution From Russia.” In it, he warned that a military “strike by … Continue reading “On the Brink With Russia in Syria Again, 5 Years Later”

Senator Richard Burr: A Longtime Fan of Torture

Newly released official documents obtained by the National Security Archive showing that CIA Director Gina Haspel directly supervised waterboarding at the first CIA “Black Site” simply confirm what Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-NC) already knew as he orchestrated the charade that was Haspel’s confirmation hearing. Burr allowed her to “classify” her own direct … Continue reading “Senator Richard Burr: A Longtime Fan of Torture”

Ahed Tamimi and Her Mother Are Freed From Jail

When they left prison on Sunday AHED Tamimi and her mother Nariman received a hard-earned heroes’ welcome from Palestinians and others opposed to Israel’s occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands seized in 1948 and enlarged by the Israeli army in 1967. AHED was 16 years old last December when an Israeli soldier shot her cousin … Continue reading “Ahed Tamimi and Her Mother Are Freed From Jail”