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 →

Posted in France, Syria | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in France, Syria | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in CIA, Gina Haspel | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Belgium, Sarin, Syria | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in CIA, Gina Haspel | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Gaddafi, Libya, Lockerbie | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Salisbury Incident — Alexander Shulgin Statement at the OPCW

“The lie always fears the truth, for the truth is the most terrifying weapon against lies. Let us, therefore, turn to the naked facts which demonstrate how insolently and clumsily the British government is disseminating the insinuations regarding the Skripal case.”

Alexander Shulgin — Head of Russian delegation at the OPCW

Alexander Shulgin is ambassador to the Netherlands and Russia’s representative at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

The following is the unofficial translation of the statement made by Alexander Shulgin, the head of Russian delegation at the OPCW, at that body’s April 18 2018 Executive Council meeting at the Hague.   The text was provided by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Netherlands. Follow us on twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

Posted in Salisbury attack | Tagged , | Leave a comment

109 Military Leaders Protest Gina Haspel Nomination as CIA Director

“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 →

Posted in CIA, Gina Haspel | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Norway — Former Border Inspector Behind Bars in Moscow on Charges of Espionage (UPDATE)

“Frode must come home, and Norwegian authorities must do what they can to get him out. It is not a good signal when such a positive and distinguished bridge-builder like Frode is arrested, it is not a good sign.”

Kirkenes town Mayor Rune Rafaelsen

“Once again we see the effects of big politics hitting us here locally, and we demand an end to that!”

Father Torbjørn Brox Webber

“I would not characterise the case as a global attack on bilateral relations. We have a relationship with Norway which develops in different areas. These kind of things happen, and it is uncomfortable, [but] our national legislation provides for adequate measures.”

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (December 28 2017)

February 6 2018 — Frode Berg, a 62 retired border inspector, was arrested by Russian security service agents in downtown Moscow on December 5th 2017. He is jailed  in isolation at the high-security Lefortovo prison.

On February 2, the Lefortovo District Court in Moscow  ordered that Frode Berg should remain in jail until May 5 2018.

Berg was allegedly caught receiving classified material about the Russian Navy that he is accused of planning to hand over to Norwegian and U.S. intelligence agencies. He denies the charges.

Update (April 23 2018) — Berg broke his silence and now claims that he was duped into working for Norway’s national intelligence agency. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

Posted in Norway, Russia | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CIA Director Nominee Gina Haspel — Agency Spin Doctors Working Round-The-Clock

“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 →

Posted in Gina Haspel | Tagged , | Leave a comment