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).

Breathe Easier: Blinken, Lavrov Meet Friday

Whoa! Could this mean that reports of the death of U.S.-Russia security talks are greatly exaggerated? What about the impasse, the deadlock? Might it mean no Russian invasion of Ukraine – at least not yet? Actually, figuring out what the planned bilateral talks Friday in Geneva mean requires no PhD in political science. Nevertheless, the … Continue reading “Breathe Easier: Blinken, Lavrov Meet Friday”

Peeking Past the Pall Put Over Arms Talks With Russia

Western media are painting an image of gross failure for Russia at the U.S.-Russia bilateral talks in Geneva, as well as subsequent talks between Russia and NATO in Brussels and the Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. Adamant! is the impression being fostered by both Russia and the West (largely for … Continue reading “Peeking Past the Pall Put Over Arms Talks With Russia”

US-Russia Talk About Where Not To Place Missiles

"Impasse, Deadlock" says The Washington Post describing the outcome of the high-level U.S.-Russia talks Monday, with a tone of self-congratulation (we told you so), tinged with wishful thinking. Yes, wishful thinking. Given the very high stakes, the media is a huge part of the problem, since they keep millions in the dark about the real … Continue reading “US-Russia Talk About Where Not To Place Missiles”

Putin’s Quid: No Offensive Missiles in ‘ABM’ Sites

Take heart, most of you who fear war rather than profit from it. You would not know it amid the gloom and doom about "another Russian invasion" of Ukraine, but diplomacy – not war – is about to break out this month. As senior U.S. and Russian negotiators begin talks early next week in Geneva, … Continue reading “Putin’s Quid: No Offensive Missiles in ‘ABM’ Sites”

What! No Russian Invasion of Ukraine?

I hope you know this by now, but on Christmas morning the Russian military announced a sizable troop withdrawal from Russian territory near Ukraine. The New York Post’s Eileen AJ Connelly jumped on the story. At noon Saturday her piece, "Over 10,000 Russian troops leaving Ukraine border region after month of drills", was posted. While … Continue reading “What! No Russian Invasion of Ukraine?”

Putin Has a Big Brother in Xi

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and I have something in common. My big brother, Joe-Ray, died during the World War II. Unlike Putin’s big brother, though, mine was done in by meningitis – not by the Germans. Putin’s brother Viktor died during the 872-day German blockade of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from Sept. 1941 to … Continue reading “Putin Has a Big Brother in Xi”

Xi to Putin: Our Relationship ‘Exceeds an Alliance’

Whether Russia and China have a formal defense alliance or something short of that became largely moot today when Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that "this relationship even exceeds an alliance in its closeness and effectiveness." The New York Times is insisting (and is technically correct as far as we know) that "the two countries … Continue reading “Xi to Putin: Our Relationship ‘Exceeds an Alliance’”

Assange Verdict: Vengeance Is Ours, Saith the Agency

Are the CIA and its contractors able to bully not only the U.S. Department of Justice, but also the UK judiciary? This is not hard to conclude after the High Court decision announced early Friday to bow to the US and extradite Julian Assange. Underneath the pettifoggery, the decision demonstrates that the British will lop … Continue reading “Assange Verdict: Vengeance Is Ours, Saith the Agency”

Did Biden Thwart Putin’s ‘Plan’ To Invade Ukraine with 175,000 Troops?

U.S. corporate media accounts of how tough President Joe Biden was at his virtual summit with President Vladimir Putin yesterday followed a weeks-long script recently catalyzed by the eye-catching Washington Post Dec. 3 story entitled: "Russia planning massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, US intelligence warns." Impressive: That’s a lot of strawman invaders … Continue reading “Did Biden Thwart Putin’s ‘Plan’ To Invade Ukraine with 175,000 Troops?”

Biden-Putin Talk Tuesday With Xi in the Wings

On May 25, 2021, when the date of June 16 was announced for the summit between Presidents Biden and Putin, it seemed a good idea to waste no time in warning Biden and his neophyte advisers that a major shift in the “world correlation of forces” (to borrow an old Soviet term) was bound to … Continue reading “Biden-Putin Talk Tuesday With Xi in the Wings”