Tag Archives: politics

On the necessary evil of secrecy

“The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings.”President John F. KennedyWaldorf-Astoria Hotel New York CityApril 27, … Continue reading

Posted in CIA, Richard Nixon, Transparency vs Secrecy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On This day — Ayatollah Khomeini Returns to Iran (February 1 1979) [MI6 and the CIA collaborated with Tehran until at least 1983] [UPDATE : A Quick Note on Conspiracy Theories — Are Republicans and Conservatives More Likely to Believe Conspiracy Theories?]

“You will see we are not in any particular animosity with the Americans. [The Islamic Republic of Iran] will be a humanitarian one, which will benefit the cause of peace and tranquility for all mankind. (…) It is advisable that … Continue reading

Posted in Iran | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On This Day — CIA Director William Casey Resigns (January 29 1987) [UPDATE : History in the Age of ChatGPT]

“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” William Casey CIA Director (1981-1987) January 29 2024 — William Joseph Casey (March 13, 1913 – May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence … Continue reading

Posted in CIA, IranContra | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On This Day — Tehran Releases 52 US Hostages After 444 Days (January 20 1981)

“It is now very clear that there were two separate agreements, one the official agreement with Carter in Algeria, the other, a secret agreement with another party, which, it is now apparent, was Reagan. They made a deal with Reagan … Continue reading

Posted in Iran, October Surprise | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On This Day — Argentina Prosecutor Alberto Nisman Is ‘Suicided’ (December 5 1963 – January 18 2015) [UPDATE : U.S. Attorney Announces Terrorism Charges Against High-Ranking Hizballah Member]

“Over the next few weeks, every Argentine seemed to have an opinion about how Nisman had died; the case became the Latin-American equivalent of the J.F.K. assassination, grist for conspiracy theories involving spies and foreign governments and conniving politicians. Posters … Continue reading

Posted in Argentina | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment