This originally appeared at Consortium News. A day after Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon last week the long dormant war in Syria reignited as jihadist forces seized the city of Aleppo and advanced virtually unhindered in its quest to overthrow the Syrian government until finally meeting resistance from the Syrian Army backed up … Continue reading “Neocons Try Again in Syria”
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).
Will Gabbard Be Able To Direct the Intelligence ‘Community’?
This originally appeared at Consortium News. President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence (DNI) will cause shockwaves in and among the 18 fiefdoms that now comprise the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard will be fighting an uphill battle if she tries to herd those 18 cats into a cohesive whole … Continue reading “Will Gabbard Be Able To Direct the Intelligence ‘Community’?”
Thawing Russia-US Relations?
This originally appeared at Consortium News. A former and future U.S. president talked with Vladimir Putin last Thursday! At least that is what The Washington Post reported today. In a highly detailed account, the Post wrote: “During the call, which Trump took from his resort in Florida, he advised the Russian president not to escalate … Continue reading “Thawing Russia-US Relations?”
Conditioning Americans for War With Russia
Reprinted from Consortium News. As the drums beat louder and louder about alleged threats from Russia, the Biden administration today blew perilous new life into the debunked and disgraced Russiagate disinformation operation. Russiagate seems too good of a weapon for the Democrats to give up. Its initial appearance, beginning in 2016, dangerously raised tensions with … Continue reading “Conditioning Americans for War With Russia”
Decay, Decrepitude, Deceit in Journalism
Reprinted from Consortium News. Russiagate continues to survive like a science fiction monster resilient to bullets. The latest effort at rehabilitating it is an interview by Adam Rawnsley in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine of one Michael van Landingham, an intelligence analyst who is proud of having written the first draft of the … Continue reading “Decay, Decrepitude, Deceit in Journalism”
Will Putin Attack Poland and the Baltics?
Reprinted from Consortium News. At Thursday’s debate with Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” claimed that he “wants all of Ukraine… Do you think he’ll stop?… What do you think happens to Poland and other places?” Spoiler Alert: Official Ukrainian sources confirm that Putin did stop in March … Continue reading “Will Putin Attack Poland and the Baltics?”
Russia and China – Two Against One
Reprinted from Consortium News: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s extremely warm reception of President Vladimir Putin yesterday in Beijing sealed the increasingly formidable Russia-China strategic relationship. It amounts to a tectonic shift in the world balance of power. The Russia-China entente also sounds the death knell for attempts by U.S. foreign policy neophytes to drive a … Continue reading “Russia and China – Two Against One”
Throwing Good Money After Bad in Ukraine?
Reprinted from Consortium News. As U.S. House members grapple with whether to give $60 billion more to Ukraine, they must also grapple with the checkered nature of the intelligence they’ve been fed. On July 13, 2023, President Joe Biden announced Russian President Vladimir Putin “has already lost the war.” That was six days after C.I.A. … Continue reading “Throwing Good Money After Bad in Ukraine?”
Dan Ellsberg’s Parting Plea: Don’t Wait
Sam Adams Associates for Integrity honored the late Dan Ellsberg with our annual award for fearless integrity on April 11, 2023. It was clear that Dan summoned much of his remaining strength to leave an unambiguous message to people of conscience as to why they should blow the whistle on government lies, as he did, … Continue reading “Dan Ellsberg’s Parting Plea: Don’t Wait”
Daniel Ellsberg’s First Leak Helped Prevent War With China
Those unaware of Dan Ellsberg’s 2002 Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers may think the leak of the Pentagon Papers was Dan’s first unauthorized disclosure. Not so. Arguably, his first such leak, in March 1968, was even more consequential. After the Viet Cong shocked most observers by mounting a countrywide offensive in … Continue reading “Daniel Ellsberg’s First Leak Helped Prevent War With China”