To Lose a Spy

About a week ago the US lost an Iranian spy named Shahram Amin...

About two weeks ago my blog was titled to "To Catch a Spy.. It focused on the fact that the FBI just snagged 10 Russian spies and swapped them for for four Western/NATO spies... So then let us consider this weeks blog as a sequel.--"To Lose a Spy"

From the outset it should be made clear that the facts of the case are all suspect. This means those self-serving fulminations emanating from both CIA and Iranian intelligence are twisted to present the organizations in the best possible light.. My guess is that CIA still is uncertain of what went haywire.

The relative facts are that the Iranians have their man home and the US operatives have piles of reports from him , collected over several years , that are suspect.. You must wonder--Was he bait to be reeled in a the rght moment after CIA fish bite or did the man have a crises of conscience; and longed to return to mama and kids under Persian skies. Did he miss the home cooking that much ? Or did he crack because his family was threatened ?

His CIA handlers offered him 5 milliion bucks to remain in the worlds greatest democracy. With that largesse the Persian could have lived as well as any ayatolla back home. And boought a variety of tender company to stem any loneliness; also to live as Omar Khayyam if he chose,. It is back to rice and greasy mutton and time in a stuffy flat in Terhan now for the some-time defector. This Persian apparently did not live by bread alone. Allah over 5 million was quite a choice.

Despite stiff upper lip nonsense from CIA, the episode is a net loss fror the US. It has been reported that a new National Estimate is being worked to correct the findings that Iran was years away from developing a nuclear weapon. Much of the disinformation reportedly came from this source.

The fact the US has a strong military presence on the Iranian borders of Iraq, Afghanistan and a naval fleet with nuclear strike aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf, the US appears overwrought from the threat from Iran. Israeli propagandists have created this frenzy much as they did on the run up to war in Iraq.

You can assume that there are layers of National Technical Means of intelligence collection thick in and around Iran. Yet the human intelligence collection appears thin. Otherwise why would the US exfilitrate a floozie spy such as Amin. Apparently he was used by CIA for several years inside Iran before he was brought to the US. My guess is that he was donated to the US by Israeli or Saudi intelligence . Bpth countries have acess to Iran far beyond the US. Like walk-in spies, donated spies are always less reliable and more suspect

The Iranian intelligence will now have a clear picture of US debriefing procedures, main CIA players on Iran and the normally classified essential elements of information needed by the US. Even a former chagrined CIA Director General Michael Hayden,served under GWB, came out yesterday saying the US might more likely strike Iran. Or he he just another US military leader following the Israeli Lobby marching orders ?

Some believe espionage is a board game like chess. There are moves and countermoves you can devise if you wish to pursue the analogy. I pass on the comparison except in one instance, If you lose in chess, you can blame only yourself--you have been out smarted by a more skilled adversary Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret

Mel Gibson Drives Some Jews Nuts

You can the believe that the Dog Days of Summer are rapidly approaching when the NEW YORK TIMES star OP Ed writer Frank Rich devotes his most recent Sunday column to excoriating a sociopath like Mel Gibson.. Frank in this article proclaims he is a Jew, so what does that to do with Mel's latest recorded rant that attacks blacks, Latinos and a girlfriend who is sexually aloof ?

Mel is on record earlier in a DWI arrest making anti semitic remarks about Jewish American cop that collared him. You can probably conclude that Mel is incompatible with Jews;, especially, at a minimum when an officer doing his duty happened to be a Jew; my sense is that had the arresting officer been Chinese or Japanese, the drunken actor would have attacked with other racial epithets.

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton or usual defenders of the Latino soul have not sent a posse to the rescue from Mel's racial slurs. But Feminiists expectedlly attacked Mel for his rude and brutal remarks about his squeeze; one gasped that his conduct was too " grotesque to ignor" Mel should expect that sort of thing from the sisterhood, especially since he is celebrity and his statements were made public. Mel probably shrugs it off as ladies with those attitudes do not attend his films anyway.

Rich ,however, used Gibson latest screwball rant to settle an old score for Jews whether the incident was appropriate for this purpose or not. Rich wrote the folling last Sunday.

"Gibson is in such disgrace today that it’s hard to fathom all the fuss he and his biblical epic engendered back then. The commotion began with the revelation that his father, Hutton, was a prominent and vociferous Holocaust denier and that both father and son were proselytizers for a splinter sect of Roman Catholicism that rejected the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, including the lifting of the “Christ-killers” libel from the Jews. Jewish leaders and writers understandably worried that “The Passion” might be as anti-Semitic as the Passion plays of old. Gibson’s response was to hold publicity screenings for the right-wing media..

Rich is probably overwrought by Gibson's record 350 million dollar success over the film Passion of Christ." It was a rare Hollywood bonanza production made without Jewish investment or input.. Rich commented as follows in the Sundy NYT:

"Uninvited Jewish writers (like me) who kept raising questions about the unreleased film and its exclusionary rollout were vilified for crucifying poor Mel. Bill O’Reilly of Fox News asked a reporter from Variety “respectfully” if Gibson was being victimized because “the major media in Hollywood and a lot of the secular press is controlled by Jewish people.” Such was the ugly atmosphere of the time that these attempts at intimidation were remarkably successful. Many mainstream media organizations did puff pieces on the star or his film, lest they be labeled “anti-Christian” when an ascendant religious right was increasingly flexing its muscles in the corridors of power in Washington."

Why Rich picked this particular moment to rip the scab off an old wound is open to speculation. Perhaps the American Jewish Zionist community is heady with sucess by backing President Obama down over settlements or surpressing the headlines of murders of 11 turks in the recent Gaza flotillla incident or the continued US approval of the Gaza blocade by Israel-- Was Gibson the one that got away and was Rich off to settle the score when Gibson was vulnerable?, Who knows? Ask Rich. If he were not a Jew with an ax to grind, it would not appear as crass.

Having little interest in bible stories, I still made a point to see the "Passion of Christ ", mainly because of the uproar by some Jews.. It was a griity film; brutal Roman soldiers were thugs rightly depicted. The scouraging of Christ scene was over done to border on sadism, so Rich's view of this was about right. Rich complained that Gibson's Sanhedrin priests , who engineered the death of Christ,. had hook noses and bad teeth. So ? They probably did. These high priests were not angelic--even Christ threw out the money lenders from the temple that surrounded these fellas.

Two Hollywood old time Jewish moguls, Zanick and DeMille.. when Holy Land films were made by them, the Sandhedren looked like grubby, watery-eyed Shylocks. So why is Rich whinning?

Does Rich also want to paint out Judas' money bag as depicted at Michaelangelos' Last Supper ? Rich must live in a New York Jewish echo chamber. Strange conduct. Who annoited him as the arbiter of taste ? Or a revisionist of the history of the Jews.?

If Mel Gibson is not anti semitic by now after all the attacks by Jews on him, it would be surprising. And that is his business and those who believe this affects his acting and picture making abilities. That Mr Gibson has a personality disorder, there appears to be no question--if he was not different , doubt he could have made the off-the-wall films or played a role in them that made them vibrate. He was made by the public and can be destroyed by it--he should be not castigated by those who want to control his output or content.

As both Gibson and Rich appear to be facing some sort of crisis, suggest they each buy themselves a red Porsche, find a serene Japanese woman and hire a skilled Chinese cook {Confuscious say that make all ding hao } Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret

TO CATCH A SPY

What do you know ? The FBI captured 10 Russian spies with their families who were embedded in the US for around 10 years as" Rezidenturas"or deep cover agents. What is surprising is that they were not Israeli agents; these Zionists are nestled deeply in the US. They have appeared as the main target of the FBI since the end of the Cold War. The FBI problem with the Israelis is that , in the main , they capture them, but cannot easily convict them, because of domestic political pressure.

The 10 Russian spies were swaped for four western agents held by the Russians--two that appeared to spy for the United Kingdom and the other for the US. All were Russian nationals. The swap, however, did not have the pathos and drama of the Cold War exchanges. For example:

""On February 10, 1962, Powers was exchanged along with American student Frederic Pryor in a well publicised spy swap for Soviet KGB Colonel Vilyam Fisher (aka Rudolf Abel), a Soviet colonel who was caught by the FBI and put in jail for espionage.""{GOOGLE}

Gary Powers was the U2 ill-fated pilot and Colonel Abel was a Soviet super spy who was a spymaster,. Powers was later to die in California when a helicopter he was flying ran out of gas. The USAF was to award him medals after his death. CIA Chief Tenet awarded him a CIA star despite the fact, according to procedures, he did not destroy his U2 or take a poison pill when captured,. Abel was treated as a hero in Moscow. By reputation he is the most skilled spy of his era,

last time I saw the U2 was at the Red Army Museum in Moscow in 1967..the Soviets captured it with all sensitive camera equipment as the aircraft was not completely destroyed.--I would not have traded Powers for Abel.

The recent spy incident was curious as the !0 Russians were not charged with espionage, but rather failing to register as representatives of a foeign government and money laundering .This should make the busy dual- citizenship Israelis, Mexicans and Chinese start looking over their
shoulders.-- Many in these nationalities have difficulty with the priority of their citizenship--there are other nationalities with confused loyalties as well .

The US seems to agree that this Russian group did not collect classified information, but it appeared the members were exercised regularly by the Moscow Center to practice spy craft procedures. Their main threat appears to be as spottters for higher qualified Russians to recruit American spies. The most valuable Russian spy handlers in the US are protected by diplomatic immunity. Those who were pulled in by the FBI drag net are small fry--you can bet there are still many more of them to keep the FBI 0n their toes,

Ihe retuned Russians will be used as American experts in language and analysis of US affairs by Russian Intelligence organizations. So despite damage to their web in the US, the Russians will treat them as foeign area specialists, once they figue out countermeasures for the conduct that ensnared them by the FBI.

While the US gives priority to National Technical Means{NTM}, the Russians ,like the Soviets, rely on Human Intelligence[HUMINT}. The US thinks in terms of strategic missile and air targeting, the Russians think in terms of facing the enemy on the ground--both countries have both means, but the US crippled its HUMINT capabilitiees when Admiral Turner was the CIA chief under President Carter. And this may go to explain later US failures on WMD in Iraq. as well as GWB's ditzy behavior on the run-up to 9/11

The Russians scored big in the Cold War with HUMINT. It pentrated the FBI in the late 80s in the Robert Hanssen affair; it was characterized as the worst intelligence disaster in history--Hassen sold out for 1 million 400 thousnd over a 22 year period. At CIA Alrich Ames sold out for a little less than a million dollars. Ames was responsible for the deaths of af least 10 pro US agents and the compromise of a 100 intelligence operations run against the Russian Soviets.

This recent US/Russian spy incdent had almost a Gilbert and Sullivan aspect. Both sides appeared to have agreed it is okay to read each others mail, but it should be done more discreetly. One of the Russian female agents had a frisky Mata Hari reputation with a British passport; she is set to open a modeling agency in London. KGB Honey Trap.? Sometimes it appears the Russians consider espionage as a form of entertainment.

Noone wants spies around unless you need the special information they can provide--the problem is you never know when you need the information. Unlike NTM , you just can not press a botton for HUMINT. The Russians think long term about it and set up for it. The US still prefers to press NTM buttons and hope for the best.. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.

Michael Steele--Democratic Party Trojan Horse

Michael Steele, Republican National Party Chairman{RNC} is a Democratic Party Trojan Horse'. Steele just publically expressed his dismay over the Afghan war--neocon Republican ultras are having a calf over Steele's public criticism of the Afghan war. Steele has already openly callied for getting out of Iraq, so his new prouncement is an another major blow to the war party Republicans who promote permanent war. It is apparant something has got to go--Steele or the frenzied neocon influence in the Republican Party

After all the RNC is the main fund raiser for the Republican Party. In this capacity it also distributes campaign funds to selected Republican Party candidates,so it would appear Steele is out of bounds pontificating on national security policy--especially if those views are contrary to those of the Republican Party. The Republicans adore war so Mr Steele is way out of step. Steele has called the Afghan war Obama's war-- Goddamit, it is a Republican war according to them--Are these sickos who do not want to share the glory of war ?

Mr Steele is black. He was selected by the Republican Party because of his race not his executive talents or red hot connections with Republican fat cats. There are plenty of black rich donors, but that list belongs to the Democrats, so like McCain /Palin, we remain confounded by his leadership selection.

Despite the fact his views on abortion, global warming and gay marriage are mainstream republican, Steele's perceived banners are closer to the Rainbow Coalition, except he cannot rhyme as well as Jesse Jackson.. His snappy dress, Jive talk and KOOL pulls him unintentionally into the Rainbow.

When Steele was Lt Governor in Maryland, his main contribution was with black business men and affirmative action-he spent 70 million on such projects. The fact that he spent three years studying the priesthiod at a Catholic seminary must have appealed to the religious right fixated in the Party, but he was not ordained. Association with the Catholic priesthood should not be that positive in a resume for a position that does not demand holiness, but you have to remember the Republican Party is the Party of God.

During his campaign for Lt Governor his opponents used to roll Oreo cookies on stage when he was speaking--black on the outside but white on the inside. This may explain his later affirmative action stances to demonstrate he was not an Oreo, but it also substanciated that he was not a Repubican Party true believer.

His selection to the RNC was sick ploy by Republican Party to put a multi racial face on the Party, So far it has backfired. Steele.s fund raising is dismal; he has the image of a gaffe- prone buffoon and is an embarassment to most serious blacks As for most white Republicans, he makes them cringe.,

The irony of this latest Steele fracus is that he is dead right on Afghanistan Obama seriously reenforced and bought into nation building. No sane educated person believes the war can be won, anymore than the Iraq war.. It is another military/industrial/congressiuonal stimulus package--30 billion supplemental just approved by the Democratic congress for the war; 110 billion is the cost estimate for the war in 2010.

After being attacked for giving credit for the war to Obama by neocons like Kristol, McCain, Graham, Lieberman and other misguided neocons, Steele tried to walk back his statement, Ron Paul was the only high ranking republican to complement him for his honesty,

At this stage the Afghan war has taken on a banal quality. Petraues took command of the war--for the record he is still in command of CENTCOM so is he giving orders to himself and wearing eight stars since he now commands two four-star billets. There are a reported 50-100 al Qaeda in Afghanistan, so why the full-scale war ? Is General Petraeus to be known as a "Ghost Buster", for he is killing and chasing an almost amorphus enemy.

So if the Republicans are smart the war should branded as Obama's War-- it is dumb ass to do otherwise.. The Democrats should make burnt offerings that Steele remains at the RNC as he sows discord in the Republican Party.Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.

General Petraeus has stooped to conquer.

He has been demoted or volunteered to step down from a higher CENTCOM to a lower theater command to head the US/NAT0 war in Afghanistan. Both are four-star billets, so to a civilian it is all the same; it is the same pay and perks are about the identical. But you sleep with the blood-in-you-eye Taliban at night in Afghanistan rather than with sybaritic charms of Tampa Bay at McDill AFB CENTCOM HQs.

To a military way of hierarchal thinking, there is difference in assignments that goes beyond a nuanced media spot light and date of rank--it is one of pecking order and prestige. Four-star generals are the elite of the US Army- -they run the army. Like bull elephants they settle ranking and status among themselves.

Unlike the McChrystal fiasco, doubts whether even a hippy" Rolling Stone" Reporter could penetrate the group's discreet iron curtain around their interrelationships. So where and how Petraeus fits into this august assembly is unknown, at this writing we do not even know who is the CENTCOM commander. Does Petraeus absurdly wear two hats or not?

While General MacArthur who said THERE WAS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VICTORY, Petraeus only promises that the US will not lose. That is a big difference. Hence the protracted conflict or endless war policy he tenders.

He explains to a gullible public that counter insurgency is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Well general, this is a defense for failure.--the American people want to get off your ride. That is one important reason they elected Obama who apparently has booted this mandate in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Generals McChrystal and Petraeus are two peas in a pod. Though different in style and temperament, both are devout practioners of the counter insurgency/nation building religion. For whatever reason, the media and the administration embrace this hokum as a strategic panacea, despite the fact it never has worked. In Iraq, Petraeus bribed and armed The Sunnis which is at best a short term fix. His counter insurgency doctrine is repackaged Vietnam era "hearts and mind” with expensive nation building tossed in the mix. He has stated MONEY IS AMMUNITION.

McCain and GW Bush pushed propaganda that the surge worked. The neocons embellished the myth and applied it to Afghanistan. In November 2009 as Obama pondered strategy in Afghanistan, right wing neocons Kagan and Kristol wrote in THE WEEKLY STANDARD on McCrystal and Petraeus...

'McChrystal is an outstanding and battle-tested commander with a creative staff and extremely talented subordinates. And he is working for the architect of the Iraq surge, Gen. David Petraeus.

The political team, on the other hand, is weak. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and Amb. Karl Eikenberry has been ineffective and even counterproductive. The Obama administration recently relegated Holbrooke to a diminished role and assigning Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton the responsibility of formulating policy and working directly with Afghan President Hamid Karzai"

Enough said about the false virtues of McCrystal's potential; his career ended in disgrace. Since Petraeus and McChrystal were fused and his assignment endorsed by Petraeus, there is a chance that Petraeus was compelled to take a step down in command to compensate for his bad judgment on McChrystal. The other wonderous thing coming out of the relief of command saga is SECDEF Gates reportedly wanted to keep McChrystal, because of his pivotal role in Afghanistan. How long will Gates last with such flawed judgment?

One thing for certain is that as currenntly organized, the country team collective of Petraus, Holbrooke, Jones , Eikenberry and Hillary is dysfuctional--who is the boss? This is the same lack of unity of command that helped bring defeat in Vietnam.

As General Petreuus is reborn as our savior again, there is a certainy that he will not bring triumph--victory is not in his tool box--he,,however, might spin his way to a stalemate and call political accomodation "succees". President Obama would be delighted with this contortion of victory as the bodies returned home mount and the stench of corruption from nation building ovewhelms the White House.. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.