Syria — A Commentary on the Khan Shaykhun Chemical Attack Intelligence

“This distinguishes this case (Salisbury) from that in Syria, where it could be determined that the sarin used in Khan Sheikhun most probably came from Syrian army stocks due to contamination in the investigated warfare agents and by means of comparative samples.”

Stefan Mogl — Former Spiez Lab (OPCW) Scientist

High quality photograph of the crater identified in the White House report as the source of the sarin attack. The dispenser looks like a 122 mm pipe like that used in the manufacture of artillery rockets. Notice a fractured seam that was created by the brittle failure of the metal skin when the pipe was suddenly crushed inward from above.

France has assessed that the Syrian armed forces and security services perpetrated a chemical attack using sarin against civilians in Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April 2017. Let us try to understand the ‘evidence’ behind this assessment. Follow us on Twitter: Intel_Today Continue reading

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One Year Ago — Lockerbie : An open letter from Dr Jim Swire

“The Lockerbie trial is the most disgraceful miscarriage of justice in Scotland for 100 years. Every lawyer who has read the judgment says ‘this is nonsense’. It is nonsense.”

Robert Black QC FRSE –Professor Emeritus of Scots Law in the University of Edinburgh and best known as the “Architect of the Lockerbie Trial”

Dr Jim Swire

April 27 2017 — This week, the family of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi — the only person ever convicted for the Lockerbie bombing — will launch a bid to appeal against his conviction. Dr Jim Swire — who lost his daughter in the tragedy — sent me a letter that I reproduce here with his kind permission. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading

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Two Years Ago — Professor Ahmadreza Djalali Arrested in Iran On Espionage Charges

“The indisputable fact is that Dr. [Masoud] Ali-Mohammadi was martyred on January 12, 2010, at least three months before European agents approached me in the spring of 2010. This was even mentioned in the TV program based on my montaged statements, which prove that the accusations against me are contradictory lies. How could I be accused of giving information about someone who was martyred four months earlier?”

Professor Ahmadreza Djalali — Letter written in mid-January 2018

Professor Ahmadreza Djalali was arrested on April 26 2016. In the fall of 2017, he was sentenced to death. Here is the last letter Djalali wrote to all who have supported him over the last two years. Follow us on twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading

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CIA Director Nominee Gina Haspel — Agency Spin Doctors Working Round-The-Clock (UPDATE: WashPost Open Letter)

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

William Shakespeare

“It’s completely unacceptable for the CIA to declassify only material that’s favorable to Gina Haspel, while at the same time stonewalling our efforts to declassify all documents related her involvement in the torture program. The CIA has not been forthcoming, and Senators Wyden, Heinrich and I have again asked for declassification of relevant documents. All told there have been at least five requests for more information, but so far none has been provided. Senators and the public need to know more about her record.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein (April 20 2018)

“They are basically running a full-on propaganda campaign but withholding the information that the American people need to be able to make an informed decision about this nominee’s fitness for the job.”

US Senator Martin Heinrich

“Try to get a job in a Fortune 500 company when you’re known to have destroyed evidence. We can’t have a public or private sector where we just say ‘Well, I was just following orders.’ Golly day! Do you want that person to be director of the CIA?”

General Charles Krulak — Retired Marine Corps commandant & former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

“Nothing but love for my friends at CIA, but this campaign by an intel service to forcefully push for the confirmation of its own (seemingly qualified) political nominee is beyond strange. Will they similarly amplify bad news stories & internal dissent? ”

Josh Campbell — Former FBI Agent (April 22 2018)

Gina Haspel — the current Deputy Director of the CIA and de facto its ‘acting’ Director — is using the Agency staff and resources to lie about her past in order to save a very criticized nomination. Ignore for a moment the role she played in the CIA torture program and her decision to destroy the incriminating evidence. Just ask yourself a simple question. Should this ‘public servant’ be allowed to use public funds to promote her own image? This propaganda campaign run by the CIA on taxpayers’ funds to promote a political nominee is wholly inappropriate. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading

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One Year Ago — Declassified French Intel Report on Syria Chemical Attack

“The perpetrators of the Khan Sheikhoun atrocities and other chemical attacks will be held accountable for their criminal acts, not only in the courts but also the history books.”

Jean-Marc Ayrault — French Minister of Foreign Affairs

Jean-Marc Ayrault — French Minister of Foreign Affairs

Paris, 26 April 2017  — Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, spoke following the restricted meeting of the Defense Council at the Elysée on April 26. He presented the national evaluation providing evidence of the use of sarin gas and the Syrian regime’s responsibility in the chemical attack carried out in Khan Sheikhoun on April 4. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading

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One Year Ago — French Foreign Minister Blames Syrian Regime for Chemical Attack

“The analysis of samples taken at the scene of the April 4 (2017) attack in Khan Sheikhun showed there is no doubt that sarin gas was used”.

Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault

France Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault

April 26 2017 — Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stated that French intelligence services blame Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for the chemical attack in rebel-held Syria that killed 87 people on April 4 2017. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading

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109 Military Leaders Protest Gina Haspel Nomination as CIA Director — UPDATE : “CIA Will Allow Senators to Review Classified Material”

“If the record shows that Ms. Haspel played any role in carrying out, supervising, or directing any form of torture or detainee abuse, or the destruction of evidence relating to these activities, we urge you to reject her nomination.”

Military Leaders Letter to US Senate (April 23 2018)

“Our group does not dispute Ms. Haspel’s competence and experience as a CIA operative. But when the moment came to make the hard choice, the right choice, the choice that required more courage and strength of character, Ms. Haspel failed.”

General Charles C. Krulak — Former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps

“Gina [Haspel] has her defenders. Some on the left. Some who are very reputable people. They depict her as being very competent, thorough, and professional. But no one ever accused the Nazis of being sloppy, inept, and amateurish. They were accused of war crimes.”

Larry Beinhart

April 23 2018 — 109 retired military officers representing the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard have sent a letter to the US Senators expressing concern over the nomination of Gina Haspel as CIA director. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading

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Belgian Companies Accused of Illegally Exporting Chemicals to Syria

“Appropriate permits were not submitted to the Belgian Customs.”

Francis Adyns — Spokesperson of the Belgian Federal Public Service Finance

Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt : “The export of the product began in 2010, when it was still legal. They were destined at the time, and also later, for the painting industry.”

Three Belgian companies are accused of illegally exporting chemicals to Syria. The goods exported include 168 tons of isopropanol, a common substance that can be used in the production of sarin nerve gas. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading

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CIA Director Nominee — “As the Haspel Nomination Looms, the World Is Watching”

“In the interest of transparency, I must tell you that I know Gina Haspel and Jose Rodriguez personally. I don’t like them and they don’t like me. Indeed, after my conviction for blowing the whistle on the CIA’s torture program, and three or four days before I left for prison, Rodriguez tweeted at me. ‘Don’t drop the soap,’ he said, showing the kindness, elegance, and class for which he was known in the Agency. I responded, ‘Jose, I’m on the right side of history and you are not.’ That pretty much has defined our relationship over the long term.”

Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou

John Kiriakou is a former CIA counterterrorism officer and a former senior investigator with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. John became the sixth whistleblower indicted by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act – a law designed to punish spies. He served 23 months in prison as a result of his attempts to oppose the Bush administration’s torture program. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading

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One Year Ago — Lockerbie & Pan Am 103 : The Truth at Last?

“After writing about the “ravers” who regularly turn up at lectures to claim that President Bush/the CIA/the Pentagon/Mossad etc perpetrated the crimes against humanity of 11 September, I received a letter this week from Marion Irvine, who feared that members of her family run the risk of being just such “ravers” and “voices heard in the wilderness”.

Far from it. For Mrs Irvine was writing about Lockerbie, and, like her, I believe there are many dark and sinister corners to this atrocity. I urge anyone who is aware of government lies over Flight 103 to come forward.”

Robert Fisk

Mandela visiting Megrahi — aka the ‘Lockerbie bomber’ — in prison. Many thanks to my friend John Ashston who took the picture.

April 24 2017 — The family of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi — the only person ever convicted for the Lockerbie bombing — will launch a bid to appeal against his conviction. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading

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