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).

Plenty of Intelligence To Prevent 9/11

Shortly before 9/11 the National Security Agency (NSA) asked Thomas Drake to join its senior staff. As things turned out, Sept. 11 was his first day on the job. Already au courant with key NSA programs via his earlier contract work, Tom was immediately tasked to find out how much information NSA had on terrorist … Continue reading “Plenty of Intelligence To Prevent 9/11”

Robert Gates and Those ‘Transfer Cases’

My longtime colleague at CIA, Mel Goodman, has written an instructive article about our decades-ago co-worker Robert Gates, whom Mel labels the “Poster Child for Bureaucratic Deceit.” Sadly, I can vouch for the correctness of Mel’s findings. Gates’s case is emblematic of how it is that ambitious, brown-nose functionaries (as well as rising four-stars) can … Continue reading “Robert Gates and Those ‘Transfer Cases’”

Generals End-Run Around Civilian Intel Analysts

In a posting earlier today I alluded to the fact that the National Intelligence Estimate process seems to have fallen into a state of complete disrepair – or, at least, disuse. I can speak from personal experience with NIEs and what happens when their judgments are not welcome and/or not even asked for. Westmoreland Rules … Continue reading “Generals End-Run Around Civilian Intel Analysts”

Hold the Generals Accountable This Time

If, after the horrors of this week in Afghanistan, the 4-Starry-eyed generals responsible for this 20-year March of Folly are not held accountable, there will be still worse to come. None were held accountable for the disasters of Vietnam or Iraq, and now the allegedly smart 4-Star Generals and Admirals are – get this – … Continue reading “Hold the Generals Accountable This Time”

Love Triangle Exposed: Democrats-Mueller-NY Times

Yesterday on The Critical Hour, in connection with the flurry of commentary on the latest anti-Russian piece from The Guardian, I explained in some detail how Special Council Robert Mueller helped the Democrats win back the House in 2018. There were other factors in play, of course, but in retrospect, Mueller’s performance was highly instructive. … Continue reading “Love Triangle Exposed: Democrats-Mueller-NY Times“

The Guardian: Regurgitating the Russia-Gate Canard

The UK Guardian, and particularly Luke Harding, lead author of Thursday’s Kremlin papers appear to show Putin’s plot to put Trump in the White House, are heaping still more discredit on what was once a respectable newspaper. This long story (long in both senses of the word) regurgitates "what are assessed to be leaked Kremlin … Continue reading “The Guardian: Regurgitating the Russia-Gate Canard”

Blaming Russia for MH17 Shoot-Down: A Bum Rap?

Veteran journalist and specialist on Russia, John Helmer, reports that the trial in the Netherlands of three Russians and one Ukrainian accused in the July 17, 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, killing 298, has called into serious question evidence of Russian involvement. Sad to say, the evidence the U.S. earlier claimed to have … Continue reading “Blaming Russia for MH17 Shoot-Down: A Bum Rap?”

A Cyber-Culprit Other Than Russia?

Buffeted on all sides, from the unceremonious (literally) departure from Afghanistan to various cyber crimes blamed on Russia, President Biden is being challenged by the likes of the New York Times’s David Sanger to show he has cojones (free translation from Spanish – manliness). ( See: Biden Weighs a Response to Ransomware Attacks. Will Biden … Continue reading “A Cyber-Culprit Other Than Russia?”

Assange To Be ‘Moved Around’ Sine Die

Very bad news for those who still care about freedom of the press and what the fate of Julian Assange means for the artifact-First Amendment added to the U.S. Constitution 240 years ago. The UK High Court just announced it will hear the US appeal of a lower court decision against extraditing Julian Assange. Godot … Continue reading “Assange To Be ‘Moved Around’ Sine Die“

New York Times Pushing the Envelope on Russia

If Wednesday morning’s passive-voice ("Russian hackers are accused of"), evidence-free New York Times article titled "Attempted Hack of R.N.C. and Russian Ransomware Attack Test Biden" has a familiar ring, look who wrote it. The senior author is David Sanger, the NYT’s chief Washington correspondent. Based on Sanger’s unenviable record, the story he wrote with Nicole … Continue reading “New York Times Pushing the Envelope on Russia”