“I’ve got fresh evidence 13 CIA senior officers helped in Turkey failed Coup. I will divulge the names in the coming days.”
Donald Trump August 15 2016
A Turkish criminal court issued an arrest warrant for Muhammad Fethullah Gülen
August 24 2016 — In a message posted on August 15 2016, Trump claimed that he had evidence that the CIA was involved in the July 15 2016 attempted coup. Trump also promised that he would divulge the name of 13 CIA senior officers who allegedly masterminded the failed plot. Ask yourself a simple question. How do you think the folk in Langley reacted to that piece of news? Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
“Just think a moment about what is happening right now. In 25 years, your children and grandchildren will read [about this coup], as now people read about the 1953 overthrow of Prime Minister of Iran Mohammed Mossadegh. Does it not seem to you at some point that this can happen in Caracas and Kiev, or actually in Ankara, Damascus and Baghdad?”
Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson Chief of staff of US Secretary of State Colin Powell August 2016
UPDATE (August 24 2023) — On July 27 2016, Donald Trump crossed the Rubicon when he called on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Two weeks later, Trump promised that he would divulge the name of 13 CIA senior officers involved in the July 15 2016 attempted coup. From that instant on, Trump was at war with the CIA.
Let me repeat once more. The Havana Syndrome saga is a sophisticated hoax that was initiated during Trump’s presidential campaign and ended with his presidency.
Cui bono? What was the purpose of this disinformation campaign? To whom did it benefit? Ask yourself a simple question:
Who had Motive (a reason to commit the crime), Means (the ability and tools necessary to commit the crime), and Opportunity (adequate chances to commit the crime)?
END of UPDATE
“Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.”
Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer January 4, 2017
Donald Trump, the US Republican presidential candidate, claims in his new tweet that he has evidence that CIA officers helped in Turkey’s attempted coup.
In two consecutive tweets posted on his official Twitter page, Trump said he obtained evidence that will prove 13 high-ranking CIA officers helped in Turkey’s “Failed Coup” and that Obama’s “failed leadership” caused this “stupid mistake” witch put USA interest in Middle East at risk. [AWD News]
“I’ve got fresh evidence 13 CIA senior officers helped in Turkey Failed Coup. I will divulge the names in the coming days.”
This tweet was erased a bit later… The message raises a few questions. Where did Trump — and his staff — get this information? Is it true? If so, who are these CIA senior officers? Will Trump really divulge their identities?
UPDATE (23 August 2016) — A reader asks: “Did Trump learn about this from his Intelligence Briefings?”
The answer is: No. Even if we assume for the time being that the CIA did indeed play a role in the Coup, Trump could not have learned the name of these CIA officers from the Briefings.
Firstly, Trump received his first Intelligence Briefing on August 17 and the two tweets were posted on August 15.
Secondly, these Briefings are ‘informative’ and do not go into specific details. Briefing Officers don’t share ‘sources, intelligence-gathering strategies or particulars of ongoing covert operations’.
Former CIA agent David Priess served both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations as ‘an intelligence officer and each day intelligence briefer on the CIA.
Priess, author of The President’s Book of Secrets, told Inside Edition Trump was brought up to speed on “things like ISIS, the situation in Syria, the threat from China. So the issues are serious.”
“They can be very informative on a whole range of policy issues, but do not give away the inner workings of the U.S. government’s operations overseas.”
You can watch David Priess on this video:
PS — The Intelligence briefings is offered as a courtesy. The President has last say on who shall be briefed and what data they obtain.
Both candidates receive identical information: unbiased, goal evaluation of conditions abroad.
After the election, the winner can be eligible for briefings containing much more delicate information.
“I have not set foot in or even near Turkey in five years. […] The night of the coup attempt in Turkey I happen to have been addressing a group of 100 people or so right here in the town in western Canada where I have been living for the last 15 years.”
Graham Fuller December 2 2017
UPDATE (24 August 2018)– Two years later, there is no still evidence whatsoever that the CIA was involved in the attempted coup.
Of course, in general, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. But in this case, you would think that Turkey would have discovered some evidence of the CIA involvement.
True or not, Trump’s messages must have given a few CIA officers a pause…
Also, despite Turkey’s repeated claims, there seems to be no evidence that Muhammad Fethullah Gülen — whatever his links to the CIA may be — was directly involved in this coup.
Perhaps, the most bizarre episode of this saga is the infamous meeting of General Mike Flynn discussing with high-level Turkish officials the possibility to snatch Gulen out of the US!
Intel Today 