One Year Ago — Seymour Hersh: 16th annual Sam Adams Laureate

Posted on October 13, 2018 by L

“Trump issued the order despite having been warned by the U.S. intelligence community that it had found no evidence that the Syrians had used a chemical weapon. The available intelligence made clear that the Syrians had targeted a jihadist meeting site on April 4 using a Russian-supplied guided bomb equipped with conventional explosives. Details of the attack,  including information on its so-called high-value targets, had been provided by the Russians days in advance to American and allied military officials in Doha, whose mission is to coordinate all U.S., allied, Syrian and Russian Air Force operations in the region.”

Seymour Hersh

“A 80-year-old guy that should have retired a decade ago is the ONLY journalist in America with balls enough to speak truth to power and to the general population. He is forced to publish his articles in London and Berlin because “the beacon of liberty” as US likes to call itself, for no apparent reason, practices Pravda style censorship.”

Anonymous — Hrky 75

October 13 2017 — VIPS,  an organization led by former U.S. intelligence officials, has selected legendary journalist Seymour Hersh to be the recipient of an annual award for integrity and truth-telling, named for the late CIA analyst Sam Adams. Excellent choice! Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran’s Ultimate Party (Oct. 12-16 1971)

Posted on October 13, 2018 by L

“As irrelevant as a straw until it breaks the camel’s back, the party gave the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini his opportunity. Popular uprising became Islamic revolution. And we live with the results.”

Martin Hoyle — Financial Times (February 2016)

The Imperial Family of Iran arriving at Pasargadae for the opening ceremony of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire.

In October 1971, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran, the self-proclaimed ‘king of kings’, celebrated 2,500 years of the Persian monarchy by throwing the greatest party in history at Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Persian Empire. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Lockerbie Conspiracy — Apartheid Foreign Minister Pik Botha Dies

Posted on October 12, 2018 by L

“Had he known of the bomb, no force on earth would have stopped him from seeing to it that flight 103, with its deadly cargo, would not have left the airport. The minister is flattered by the allegation of near omniscience.”

Botha’s spokesman Roland Carroll

“Had we been on 103 the impact on South Africa and the region would have been massive. It happened on the eve of the signing of the tripartite agreements.”

Pretorius Official Statement

October 12 2018 — Pik Botha served as his country’s foreign minister for 17 years until the end of the apartheid era in 1994.  He died last night at the age of 86. The German newspaper Die Zeit claimed that Pik Botha intended to fly on Pan Am 103 but had been warned off. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — The Brighton Bombing (October 12 1984)

Posted on October 12, 2018 by L

“Mrs. Thatcher will now realise that Britain cannot occupy our country and torture our prisoners and shoot our people in their own streets and get away with it. Today we were unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always. Give Ireland peace and there will be no more war.”

IRA Statement (October 13 1984)

 “The only sorrow of the Brighton bombing is that Thatcher escaped unscathed.”

Steven Patrick Morrissey — English singer, songwriter and author

Margaret Thatcher and husband Denis leave the Grand Hotel following the bombing.

On October 12 1984, Patrick Magee made an audacious attempt to kill Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet by exploding a bomb at the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party Conference. The Prime Minister was unharmed but five people were killed in the attack and many more injured. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero (August 15, 1917 — Assassinated March 24, 1980) UPDATE : Canonisation on October 14 2018

Posted on October 11, 2018 by L

“Let my blood be a seed of freedom and the sign that hope will soon be reality.”

“Between the powerful and the wealthy, and the poor and vulnerable, who should a pastor side with? I have no doubts. A pastor should stay with his people.”

Archbishop Oscar Romero

“His ministry was distinguished by his particular attention to the most poor and marginalized.”

Pope Francis

“There are clear [evidential] threads on who gave the original order and who paid for the murder that any concerted investigation in El Salvador would absolutely be able to gather enough evidence to prosecute those involved.”

Matt Eisenbrandt — Assassination of a Saint

March 24 2018 — Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was a prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador. He spoke out against poverty, social injustice, assassinations, and torture. Romero was assassinated while offering Mass in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence. No one was ever convicted for the crime. UPDATE (October 11 2018): Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador will be proclaimed Saint on October 14. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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On This Day — Einstein Letter to FDR (October 11 1939)

Posted on October 11, 2018 by L

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”

“The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking…the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.”

“I made one great mistake in my life-when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made but there was some justification-the danger that the Germans would make them.”

Albert Einstein

Einstein and Szilard re-enact discussion of letter to FDR for 1946 documentary Atomic Power

On October 11 1939, Alexander Sachs, Wall Street economist and longtime friend and unofficial advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, met with the President to discuss a letter written by Albert Einstein the previous August.  Einstein had written to inform Roosevelt that recent research on fission chain reactions utilizing uranium made it probable that large amounts of power could be produced by a chain reaction and that, by harnessing this power, the construction of “extremely powerful bombs” was conceivable.  Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — James Bond “From Russia With Love” Premiere in London (October 10 1963)

Posted on October 10, 2018 by L

 “… the film is highly immoral in every imaginable way; it is neither uplifting, instructive nor life-enhancing. Neither is it great film-making. But it sure is fun.”

Richard Roud — The Guardian  (October 11 1963)

“Fleming found he had a love for espionage, and combined with his support for all things British, provided purpose to his life. But after WWII ended, he found himself at loose ends, and took a job with a newspaper. He hated the drudgery that went with the position, and often found himself daydreaming while admiring a picture of Jamaica near his desk. After several vacations to the island, he decided to move there permanently and, drawing on his family’s income, built a home for himself. He called it ‘Goldeneye.’ Fleming told friends he had always wanted to write a spy novel…and now with time on his hands, he did exactly that.”

Ian Fleming: The Man Behind the Most Famous Spy — CIA Website (May 2018)

From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond film series produced by Eon Productions, as well as Sean Connery’s second role as MI6 agent James Bond. The film premiered on October 10 1963 at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — CIA Director Pompeo Delivers Opening Keynote at 2017 Conference on Ethos and Profession of Intelligence

Posted on October 10, 2018 by L

“As a large government organization, eliminating barriers to action is a never-ending challenge for us, one that most of my predecessors faced as well. Porter Goss, who’s serving on one of our panels today, noted the problem during his tenure as CIA Director under President George W. Bush.”

Mike Pompeo — CIA Director

October 10 2017 — The following text is the transcript of the speech delivered by Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo at the Conference on the Ethos and Profession of Intelligence at George Washington University on October 4, 2017. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Lockerbie — Christine Grahame MSP : “Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied”

Posted on October 10, 2018 by L

“In the meantime, yet to be completed and sent to the Crown Office is the separate police-led Sandwood inquiry into the actions at the time of police, prosecutors and forensic officials. The inquiry, which is investigating claims of attempts to pervert the course of justice prior to the Camp Zeist trial, started in 2014. Pronouncements have been made on its imminent conclusion, which has been much postponed. Although the SCCRC could conclude its findings without that report, I have no doubt that it would be difficult for it to fully conclude without it. Sandwood’s—to be kind—slow progress is cause for concern, because 30 years on, justice delayed is justice denied for the people of Lockerbie, the Syracuse students, every other one of the 270 who died and their families and friends—and, perhaps, even the Megrahi family.”

Christine Grahame MSP (October 2 2018)

“I found it quite upsetting. The man is obviously very ill and he is desperate to see his family – absolutely desperate to see his family – so, whatever it takes, that’s the priority. He did tell me things I can’t discuss with you. But I am absolutely more convinced than ever that there has been a miscarriage of justice.”

Christine Grahame MSP (May 2009)

Christine Grahame has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament since its inception in 1999. Grahame has been outspoken in her view that the conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing is unsafe and represents a miscarriage of justice. Grahame has lodged several questions and motions on this scandalous case in the Scottish Parliament and continues to be involved with campaign groups on the matter. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — Germany Intelligence officials reject the idea of creating a European Intelligence Agency

Posted on October 9, 2018 by L

“We don’t need a European intelligence agency or any other additional European intelligence institution.”

Bruno Kahl — President of the BND [Germany’s foreign intelligence agency]

BND chief Bruno Kahl

October 9 2017 — In recent years, many European leaders have floated the idea of a “European CIA”. Not everyone is convinced. And obviously, the spooks don’t like it.

In a speech last month, French President Emmanuel Macron called for creating a European intelligence academy to strengthen links between EU countries. The European home affairs commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, also suggested a united European intelligence system to help prevent terrorist attacks.

On October 5 2017, German intelligence officials rejected the idea of creating a European intelligence service. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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