Former CIA Director John Brennan: “Trump comes off ‘small, petty, banal’ by constantly tweeting”

Posted on February 21, 2018 by L

It never ceases to amaze me how successful you have been making yourself so small, petty, and banal with your tweets. Your insecurity is well deserved, as is your concern over Russia investigation. Thomas Paine was right when he said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Former CIA Director John Brennan (Twitter — February 20 2018)

On Tuesday (February 20 2018), President Trump claimed in a tweet that he has been tougher on Russia than former President Obama was during his time in office. Former CIA Director John Brennan replied about an hour later. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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On This Day — Swissair Flight 330 (February 21 1970)

Posted on February 21, 2018 by L

“330 is going down. Goodbye everybody.”

Co-pilot Armand Etienne — February 21 1970 1:34

“Bern threw a ‘cloak of silence’ over the case.”

Swiss Investigator Robert Akeret

“The secret deal was ‘immoral’ and in breach of legal principles, but it was justified for strategic reasons. This might be absolutely shocking, but the reward was that there were no more attacks.”

Pr. Jean Ziegler

swiss330

Wreckage from the Swissair plane that crashed in a forest in Würenlingen

On 21 February 1970 — a cold and wet Saturday — Swissair Flight 330, bound for Tel Aviv, crashed shortly after take-off from Zürich. 38 passengers and nine crew died in the tragedy. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — Former CIA Director Leon Panetta: “President Must Build ‘Loyalty’ With Intel Community”

Posted on February 20, 2018 by L

“Obviously, it’s not a good situation. Because there is a lack of trust between the president and the intelligence community, and between the intelligence community and the president. And, you know, every time he demeans the intelligence community or accuses it of leaks or accuses it of doing things that it’s not doing, that obviously impacts on the morale of that institution.”

Former C.I.A. Director Leon Panetta

“Either we need a new election or hang [CIA Director] John Brennan for putting out disinformation.”

Former CIA operative Robert Baer

Leon Panetta

Former C.I.A. Director Leon Panetta

February 20 2017 — Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that intelligence officers were withholding sensitive information from the President out of concerns that it could be compromised.  Former C.I.A. Director Leon Panetta discusses the news and the ‘leaks’. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Book Review — Directorate S : The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Posted on February 20, 2018 by L

“In the 15-year story that Directorate S tells, Afghanistan has been built a bit and bombed a lot, the Taliban have been fought with and then courted, the Pakistanis embraced then abandoned. What the British tried to document in Curzon’s day, the Americans refused to learn; there is indeed trouble on the Frontier again, and in Directorate S we have the definitive account of it.”

Rafia Zakaria — The Guardian

Resuming the narrative of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars, bestselling author Steve Coll tells for the first time the epic and enthralling story of America’s intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 9/11. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Chief Judge Colleen McMahon: CIA Disclosures To One Are Disclosures To All [UPDATE]

Posted on February 19, 2018 by L

“The CIA is spectacularly terrible at responding to FOIA requests. It’s so bad it’s highly possible the perceived ineptness is deliberate. The CIA simply does not want to release documents. If it can’t find enough FOIA exemptions to throw at the requester, it gets creative.”

Tim Cushing — TechDirt (Legal Issues)

“I suppose it is possible that the Government does not consider members of the press to be part of the public. I do.”

Chief Judge Colleen McMahon

“If the CIA loses in this case, the unsavory practice of providing classified information only to sources willing to do the agency’s bidding will be dealt a setback.”

Paul Mirengoff — Powerline

Chief Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

The CIA claims that it can hand over classified information to some — ‘very friendly’ — journalists and still pretend the information has not been made public. Chief Judge Colleen McMahon just made it clear and simple for the Agency: “You cannot have your cake and eat it too.” Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Netherlands — Dutch FM Admits Lying About Putin “Greater Russia”

Posted on February 19, 2018 by L

“We live in a country where the truth matters. That’s why I see no other option than to resign. The office of the Foreign Minister must be above all doubt, both at home and abroad.”

Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra

“Liar Liar Pants On Fire” is a phrase that children like to scream at each other whenever they think the other is lying. They also like to scream it at adults who tell them stories about fairies. It is an overall stupid thing to say, since if your pants actually caught on fire when you lied, more politicians would be dead.

Urban dictionary

Halbe Zijlstra

Halbe Zijlstra — the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands — has admitted that he lied about hearing Vladimir Putin talking up ambitions to reform the Soviet Union. Zijlstra stepped down on February 13 2018 after MPs had summoned him to explain himself. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — Former Mossad chief: “Mike Flynn was very experienced. Maybe, he has been thrown under the bus.”

Posted on February 19, 2018 by L

“Maybe Flynn made a mistake even with no intention, but that can happen to anyone. I don’t think we need to worry that our intelligence will go to Russia.”

Former MOSSAD Boss Danny Yatom

yatom

Former MOSSAD Boss Danny Yatom

February 19 2017 — Since the election of Mr Trump, various media have reported ‘rumors’ that Israel, the UK, Australia and some European countries might be reconsidering whether they could openly share intelligence with the Trump administration due to the President’s alleged close ties to Putin. So far, these rumors were swiftly dismissed by the experts. But the latest series of news raises to a higher level the issue of whether intelligence shared with the US IC could be leaked to Russia by some members of Trump’s cabinet. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — New Documents: Benghazi Had Nothing to Do With Protests

Posted on February 18, 2018 by L

“This document removes any further doubt that the State Department and the Obama administration knew immediately after the assault on Benghazi that it was a well-orchestrated terrorist attack and not a ‘spontaneous demonstration’ over a ‘hateful video,’ as the Obama administration repeatedly claimed. These documents show that the Benghazi scandal is not over… not by a long shot.”

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton

“At no time did I ever second-guess that the team would depart.”

‘Bob’ — Former CIA chief of the Benghazi Annex

benghazi

February 18 2017 — Senator Rand Paul has always claimed that Hillary Clinton lied to Congress about the true nature of the CIA operation in Benghazi that was attacked by terrorists on September 11 2012. Will we ever know the truth? Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Former CIA Director James Woolsey: “US meddles in foreign elections – but only for a very good cause”

Posted on February 18, 2018 by L

“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.”

Henri Kissinger — US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford

“We had bags of money that we delivered to selected politicians, to defray their political expenses, their campaign expenses, for posters, for pamphlets.”

CIA Officer F. Mark Wyatt

“If the Chinese indeed tried to influence the election here…   The United States is only getting a taste of its own medicine.”

Peter Kornbluh — Director of the National Security Archive

Former CIA Director Agency James Woolsey told Fox News political commentator Laura Anne Ingraham that the United States interferes in other countries elections, but “only for a very good cause” and always “in the interests of democracy.” Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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BND, DGSE and MI6 Discuss Post-Brexit Co-Operation

Posted on February 18, 2018 by L

“I am pleased that, in this way, many senior intelligence professionals take the opportunity of the MSC to discuss important security questions. Such personal meetings and intensive exchange of expertise are not only essential for diplomats, but also for intelligence agencies.”

Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger — Chairman of the Munich Security Conference

Bernard Emié (DGSE), Bruno Kahl (BND), Alex Younger (MI6)

February 16 2018 — Munich — In an unprecedented joint statement, the current directors of the British, French and German foreign intelligence agencies have called for a continued security co-operation after the UK leaves the EU. In her speech (and following answers raised by members of the audience), Theresa May said that the UK wants to negotiate a “Special Treaty on Security Issues”. The British PM appears to suggest that a co-operation on intelligence matters could be traded for economic advantages.  Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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