Sorry for the inflammatory title, but it is the title of David Swanson’s article in Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, warisacrime.org: Who’s Lying? Brennan, Obama, or Both?.
And the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)? These people:
For the Steering Group, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Thomas Drake, Senior Executive, NSA (former)
Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)
Matthew Hoh, former Capt., USMC, Iraq & Foreign Service Officer, Afghanistan
Larry Johnson, CIA & State Department (ret.)
W. Patrick Lang, Senior Executive and Defense Intelligence Officer, DIA (ret.)
David MacMichael, National Intelligence Council (ret.)
Ray McGovern, former US Army infantry/intelligence officer & CIA analyst (ret.)
Elizabeth Murray, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Middle East (ret.)
Todd Pierce, US Army Judge Advocate General (ret.)
Sam Provance, former Sgt., US Army, Iraq
Coleen Rowley, Division Council & Special Agent, FBI (ret.)
Ann Wright, Col., US Army (ret); Foreign Service Officer (ret.)
These key points:
We regret to inform you that some of our former co-workers are telling us, categorically, that contrary to the claims of your administration, the most reliable intelligence shows that Bashar al-Assad was NOT responsible for the chemical incident that killed and injured Syrian civilians on August 21, and that British intelligence officials also know this. In writing this brief report, we choose to assume that you have not been fully informed because your advisers decided to afford you the opportunity for what is commonly known as “plausible denial.”
We have been down this road before – with President George W. Bush, to whom we addressed our first VIPS memorandumimmediately after Colin Powell’s Feb. 5, 2003 U.N. speech, in which he peddled fraudulent “intelligence” to support attacking Iraq. Then, also, we chose to give President Bush the benefit of the doubt, thinking he was being misled – or, at the least, very poorly advised.
And:
We have observed John Brennan closely over recent years and, sadly, we find what our former colleagues are now telling us easy to believe. Sadder still, this goes in spades for those of us who have worked with him personally; we give him zero credence. And that goes, as well, for his titular boss, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who has admitted he gave “clearly erroneous” sworn testimony to Congress denying NSA eavesdropping on Americans.
And:
Iran has joined those who blame the Syrian rebels for the August 21 chemical incident, and has been quick to warn the U.S. not to get more deeply involved. According to the Iranian English-channel Press TV, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javid Zarif has claimed: “The Syria crisis is a trap set by Zionist pressure groups for [the United States].”
Actually, he may be not far off the mark. But we think your advisers may be chary of entertaining this notion. Thus, we see as our continuing responsibility to try to get word to you so as to ensure that you and other decision makers are given the full picture.
I don’t trust either Clapper or Brennan, who were deeply involved in the worst aspects of the Bush administration. I have already advocated that both of them, along with Gen. Keith Alexander be cashiers for lying to Congress and exceeding their authority.
I smell a PNAC alumni operation and the smelly hands of the Poppy Bush’s rolodex list in what it going on right now. And I hope that the President is not naive about his intelligence and national security advisers. I thought that maybe I was going too far down that road until “some of our former co-workers are telling us, categorically, that contrary to the claims of your administration, the most reliable intelligence shows that Bashar al-Assad was NOT responsible for the chemical incident that killed and injured Syrian civilians on August 21, and that British intelligence officials also know this.” caught me up short.
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Speaking of morals and conscience in the 21th century. Just watched part of a documentary on Al Jazeera about the Salvadorization in Iraq. Policy set by Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld, executed by Gen. Petreaus with the mention of two mystical figures: Jim Steele and Special Forces Colonel James Coffman. Because the training of a new Iraqi police force was nor effective in a surge of Sunni led terror attacks, the Pentagon decided to train “police” commandos drawn from the Shia community and belonging to the Sadr militia. These death squads of terror, torture and murder were very effective to start a full-fledged sectarian war inside Iraq which is still raging. One Sunni sity that suffered greatly was Samarra, where the mosque with the golden dome was bombed. The brave soldier who made Wikileaks possible is serving 35 years while Obama has a free hand to start the next war in the ME.
Found only a single mention of “Fraga 242” here @BooMan, a diary by danps in 2010 – State-run Iranian media beats the NY Times on WikiLeaks reporting. Of course, the “Salvador option” was witnessed and reported at the time. With “Fraga 242” the order is laid at the desk of President George Bush.
Excellent reporting by Steven D in October 2006 – You Get What You Pay For, and in Iraq We Paid for Death Squads.
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See my other comment on our newly appointed Ambassador (?) – Ugly Propaganda by Samantha Power at UN.
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Democrats Didn’t Listen to Obama, in 2004 he did promise to expand the War on Terror in Afghanistan. Obama has done nothing to change the mindset of Americans and imperial wars.
I dunno Oui… the PNAC crowd came to Clinton with the same plan they ultimately presented to their man Bush regarding the need for regime change in Iraq– and Clinton told them to take a hike.
There’s no need to apologize for the title. It’s clear and to the point. Didn’t BiBi put the words ‘red line’ in Obama’s mouth? Too bad the macho Israeli view of life finds so much resonance in the US — pop in Joe from Lowell.
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Churchill was right, what do we care if they gas each other?
Propaganda: Repeating Lies Over and Over Again. What had effect perhaps 60 years ago leading up to WWII and during the Cold War, today people can find the other views and opinions through modern media. Listening to the press conference of John Kerry and French FM Laurent Fabius, it’s repeating the same old lines of total bs. Reading from the same playbook as Samantha Power yesterday and the day before that by President Obama. The EU will only act on Syria and the apparent gas attack through the UN Security Council. No one knows whether Obama will wait that long. The objective is to degrade the military capability of the Assad regime and make a political solution possible. Kerry mentioned the strenghtening of the Al Qaeda groups but provides no insight how to deal with these thugs committing war crimes every day.
It’s just a disgusting mess in US foreign policy towards the Middle-East. Kerry did mention our “national interest,” meaning Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. Kerry dares to speak out that if Assad isn’t stopped with his chemical arsenal, it will endanger all of us. Both Kerry and Fabius referred to the heinous scenes on videos of children suffering in neurotoxin attack in Ghouta, telling the world it’s Assad’s crime. No, the US will do all that’s necessary to get rid of Assad and hope for the best. There is no room for failure. I find it once again stunning he mentions the gas attack of Assad in the same breath as Hitler and Saddam Hussein. Also mentions Syria, Hezbollah, Iran and North Korea with possessing WMDs and risk of proliferation to terror groups. This does injustice to Iran and its people who have been on the receiving end of heinous gas attacks in the 1980s by Iraq. Iran has signed and ratified the CWC protocol and treaty. Iran leadership has always condemned the use of nerve gas in the strongest terms. John Kerry, you are a fraud! It’s just ugly propaganda based on LIES.
○ JPost – America’s real Middle East priority: Iran
How we can stand in front of the world and be so hypocritical is just amazing. How about we set an example by just not killing anyone in this civil war.
The privilege of having the most and biggest “guns.”
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This article written for the MintPress News has been seen in recent days in “quality” newspapers around the globe – EXCLUSIVE: Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack. h/t Marie2
Dutch Military Intelligence (MIVD) has given their evaluation and analysis of the US, UK and France NIE’s from which MP’s Dutch Parliament concluded the evidence of who was responsible and what was the scientific proof of the neurotoxin used, wasn’t there (yet).
The Dutch have had a bad encounter with US and British intelligence when a trap was set in the southern district of Iraq, the desert region to the Saudi border in Operation Iraqi Freedom. An ambush was set up by Saudi militants to murder a Dutch Marines patrol to incur casualties. This was known by US/UK intelligence which they did not share with the Dutch Marines in As Samawah. The Dutch had been reluctant to join the US/UK led allied forces to join only after UN approval. The Dutch government immediately send additional Apache helicopters for reconnaissance and do their own intelligence gathering. Casualties by nationality in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As an aside, the Dutch took over Camp Smitty from the US Forces and found radiation levels of depleted uranium so hot they ordered to move out and camp in the desert! Sickened Iraq Veterans Cite Depleted Uranium
Well, looks like the British had something to do with it too.
Britain sent poison gas chemicals to Assad: Proof that the UK delivered Sarin agent to Syrian regime for SIX years | Mail Online
Btw. I do not consider this as proof that Assad used the CWs. To me it shows more, once again, the hypocracy of the western world. And I do think Assad is capable of using them, but so far there is no proof that he actualy did so,
The Mint Press article is as true as the folks they interviewed. It seems unlikely to me that the Saudis would be so stupid as to violated the CWC–they are a signatory and have no Schedule 1 chemical weapons stocks. But it is still conceivable that they were involved in trying to trigger US involvement by making it appear that the US “red line” had been crossed.
The Mint Press article should be viewed with some caution as it is not completely clear who the people interviewed actually supported in the civil war.
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Regime change didn’t happen in a matter of weeks or months as expected (based on intelligence?). The chosen policy of feeding arms, funds and intelligence to the rebels backfired as there was no opposition to unite and foreign fighters came in with its goal of a Sunni Islamic state accompanied by ugly atrocities and war crimes. A re-evaluation and Obama is staying the course by increasing support for the rebels. Excellent reminder by Juan Cole …
○ Russia calls for Syrian “Taif” accord in 2012
During the last decade, beginning with the Bush presidency, Bashar Assad was again vilified and blamed for most of the atrocities in Lebanon. This included the so-called Israeli evidence pointing towards Damascus for responsibility of the Rafic Hariri assassination in Beirut. Bush was clearly doing King Abdullah’s bidding through “mediator” Ambassador Prince Bandar in Washington DC. Can someone explain why the Syrian Orthodox Christians will be left to hang and dry and by bombing the Assad regime, the US will give military advantage to Al Qaeda terror groups funded and aided by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Western powers.
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○ Report: Israel to Seek US Attack on Syria, or Freedom to Do So March 18, 2013
Read also my comment – Another Blatant Lie by Kerry Unmasked.