A Lucky Day (Ray gets into the Times once every 10 years)

To the Editor of the New York Times:

February 25, 20015; page A22

The headline of David Cole’s essay asks, “Did the Torture Report Give the C.I.A. a Bum Rap?” We should recall that the Senate Intelligence Committee’s “torture report,” which rebutted C.I.A. claims that torture worked, was based on original C.I.A. documents.

Mirabile dictu, Mr. Cole gives the C.I.A.’s rebuttal equal weight: “When one places the C.I.A.’s accounts of the 20 cases side by side with the committee’s accounts, however, the truth is far from clear.”

As a former Army intelligence officer, I was proud when the Army’s chief of intelligence, Lt. Gen. John Kimmons, said at a 2006 Pentagon news conference: “No good intelligence is going to come from abusive practices. I think history tells us that. I think the empirical evidence of the last five years, hard years, tells us that.”

General Kimmons’s gutsy words were meant as a pre-emptive rebuttal of claims by President Bush just hours later that his “alternative set of procedures” yielded good intelligence.

RAY McGOVERN
Arlington, Va.

The writer served as an Army intelligence officer from 1962 to 1964 and as a C.I.A. analyst for the next 27 years. He is co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

 

Rabble Rousers: Peace Activists Give Food for Thought

by Jacquelin Agostini, February 20, 2015

http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/02/20/rabble-rouser-peace-activists-give-food-thought/23572359/

Ray was happy to spend February 14 at Sacred Heart parish, Camden, NJ, discussing the moral imperative of activism. It was a particular honor to be asked to share the podium with the Pastor of Sacred Heart, Fr. Michael Doyle of “The Camden 28,” and Bonnie and John Raines of the “Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI.”

Bonnie and John were part of a smaller group, which, on March 8, 1971, mounted a small raid on the FBI office in Media, PA, removing files that documented serious FBI crimes like COINTELPRO. They were never caught. Five months later, “The Camden 28” raided a Selective Service office in Camden, but the action was sabotaged by a FBI infiltrator.

After an historic trial in Camden, the jury decided that those committing this high-profile act of nonviolent civil disobedience in protest of an unjust war did the right thing. They were acquitted on all counts.

Good news: There is a very professional, and very moving, documentary on this, called “The Camden 28.” More good news: now there’s one on the Media, PA, raid, as well, called simply, “1971.”

When I was in NYC in early February for my Court appearance, I was invited to see this gripping new film by Johanna Hamilton, telling the story of the courageous folks who raided the FBI office in Media 44 years ago, escaped with documents more valuable than they could ever have imagined, and kept their involvement quiet until they announced it last year. This was no small embarrassment to J. Edgar Hoover and his stalwarts. It was not as though they were after professional criminals like Willie Sutton.

Stay tuned for further information regarding when and where to see “1971.”

 

Video Shows NYPD Arresting Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern When He Tried to Attend Petraeus Event last October

by Kevin Gosztola

http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2015/02/06/video-shows-nypd-arresting-former-cia-analyst-ray-mcgovern-as-he-tried-to-attend-petraeus-event/

Meanwhile, back in NY Criminal Court on Feb. 4, the Manhattan DA offered Ray an ACD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal), meaning the charges against him of illegal trespass and resisting arrest will disappear after six months, IF Ray behaves as a “law-abiding citizen.” Ably advised by Moira Meltzer-Cohen, his pro bono attorney, Ray accepted the offer.

​The Judge then asked him if he understood that he had to be a “law-abiding citizen” for the next six months. The defendant overcame the temptation to comment at some length and replied simply, “I do.” (On learning this, Rita labeled it Ray’s shortest speech ever.) The Judge said nothing about the First Amendment, so Ray is assuming it is still in effect.

After his short “speech,” Ray was interviewed for two minutes in front of the Criminal Court by RT:

Israel “mowing the lawn” in Gaza: Elizabeth Murray interview with Turkish TV (6 and a half minutes)

​While in Berlin recently for the Sam Adams Award presentation to Bill Binney, Murray, who was Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Middle East before retiring from the CIA, addressed the unspeakable callousness of Israel and its U.S. supporters toward Palestinians.

http://www.ahaber.com.tr/webtv/turkiye/elizabeth-murray-erdogan-filistinin-sesi-oldu

​The interview alludes to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s outburst at Davos in January 2009, when pro-Israel pundit David Ignatius tried (in vain) to keep Erdogan from directly blasting then-Israeli President Shimon Peres over Israeli actions in Gaza.

For a 3-and-a-half-minute video clip of that revealing contretemps, see:

​Erdogan Slams Peres in Davos; “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” & Walks Off Stage

Jan. 29, 2009, ten days after the end of the late 2008-early 2009 Israeli attacks on Gaza.

 

​Respected German journalist reveals he planted CIA articles under his own name. (Will be interesting to see how “mainstream media” try to suppress or spin this one.)

Dr. Udo Ulfkotte, the editor of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, for decades one of Germany’s top “mainstream” newspapers, admits he accepted stories written by the CIA and published them under his own name. Ulfkotte said the aim of much of the deception was to drive nations toward war.

He sees that happening again with widespread yellow journalism exaggerating the threat from Russia. So he decided – despite all manner of threats against him – to blow the whistle and expose the widely accepted practice of a corrupt “journalists” beating the drums for war.

​Luckily, this could never happen in the United States! Or…..?​

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/28368-editor-of-major-german-newspaper-says-he-planted-stories-for-cia