Tag Archives: politics

On This Day — US President Richard Nixon : “I am Not a Crook.” (November 17 1973) [UPDATE : 50 Years of Deep Throat]

Posted on November 17, 2024 by L

“And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice. And I think, too, that I could say that in my years of public life, that I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got … Continue reading →

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On This Day — The Genesis of the Havana Syndrome (July 27 2016) [UPDATE — Get Ready for Season II : The Long Road from Lockerbie to Havana Syndrome]

Posted on November 11, 2024 by L

“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” Donald TrumpPresidential candidate July 27 2016 July 27 2023 — On July 27 … Continue reading →

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KRYPTOS Week — Introduction : Sculpture Dedication Ceremony at the CIA (November 3 1990)

Posted on November 3, 2024 by L

“Maybe you’re mistaken–maybe this first part of the Kryptos code is really not a polyalphabetic Vigenere Tableau after all — maybe it’s a different type of code entirely. Or maybe it is a Vigenere code, but it’s been double or … Continue reading →

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70 Years Ago — Hemingway Wins Nobel Prize (October 28 1954) [Was Hemingway pushed to suicide by the FBI?]

Posted on October 28, 2024 by L

“Hemingway may have said ‘yes’ to the Soviet recruitment pitch, but unless there is some additional trove of material in the NKVD archives that argues otherwise, it is clear Hemingway was never a productive Soviet agent.” CIA website — Intelligence … Continue reading →

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On This Day — The Beirut Barracks Bombings (October 23, 1983) [Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad?]

Posted on October 23, 2024 by L

“Though he never said so explicitly, President Ronald Reagan ended America’s military commitment to a strategic mistake that was peripheral to America’s interests. Three-and-a-half months after the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. military personnel … Continue reading →

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On This Day — Soviet Union Launches SPUTNIK (October 4 1957)

Posted on October 4, 2024 by L

“On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched the Sputnik-1 earth satellite into space—an achievement that stunned the American public and press, but not the U.S. policy and intelligence communities. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reported the advancements that … Continue reading →

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Reflection on the Role of the U.S. Vice Presidency

Posted on September 25, 2024 by L

“The vice presidency is not worth a bucket of warm piss.” John Nance Garner September 25, 2024 — Winter is coming soon, and I have decided to embark on a fun project: writing a short book on the early days … Continue reading →

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CIA Annual Ceremony — 50th Anniversary of the Memorial Wall (May 17, 2024) [UPDATE — Earliest known photo of the CIA Memorial Wall]

Posted on August 30, 2024 by L

“We never take for granted the safety of our people, and we go to great lengths to prepare for every eventuality. But danger is part of the job, and it has never deterred us from our vital mission…From our very … Continue reading →

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CIA Annual Ceremony — 50th Anniversary of the Memorial Wall (May 17, 2024) [UPDATE — PBS NewsHour : ‘Every star’s a life’: The personal stories behind the stars on the CIA Memorial Wall]

Posted on August 23, 2024 by L

“We never take for granted the safety of our people, and we go to great lengths to prepare for every eventuality. But danger is part of the job, and it has never deterred us from our vital mission…From our very … Continue reading →

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MEDINT — So just how healthy is Joe Biden? [TIME: Panic.] — UPDATE : Joe Biden withdraws from presidential race

Posted on July 21, 2024 by L

“Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs.” Kate Bedingfield White House Com Director (March 20 2021) March 20 2021 — On Friday, Joe Biden stumbled three times on his way up a staircase to the Air Force One presidential … Continue reading →

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