February 06, 2006
Scottie Contradicts Own Administration, Media Yawns
Here's an exchange that took place (under Scottie's watchful eye, no less) shortly after the New York Times' revelation of the existence of the NSA spying programme:
Q General, what's really compromised by the public knowledge of this program? Don't you assume that the other side thinks we're listening to them? I mean, come on.GENERAL HAYDEN: The fact that this program has been successful is proof to me that what you claim to be an assumption is certainly not universal. The more we discuss it, the more we put it in the face of those who would do us harm, the more they will respond to this and protect their communications and make it more difficult for us to defend the nation.
And here's Scottie hisself during Monday's Press Conference:
We know that al Qaeda is a very sophisticated enemy. They have sophisticated communications. They are trained in counter-intelligence and counter-surveillance operations.
The assembled throng, asleep as usual, missed this blatant self-contradiction.
Scottie then continued:
We know that they are constantly adapting and changing their tactics. And that's why it's important that we don't get into talking about programs of this nature.Now, because of its disclosure, we have talked about it in a very limited way, and talked about what it is and what it is not. And we will continue to point that out to the American people.
One is to presume that the Administration perceives itself to have talked about it in such a manner as to not give away any operational details. Which brings the self-contradiction full circle: there was never any reason to hide the existence of the programme from the American people.
Which argument is not intended to confer any sort of legitimacy, in this blogger's eyes, upon the programme, nor upon international espionage operations of the type we've been engaged in for decades, nor of the "War On Terror" in general.
One matter, indeed, that this blogger (having first blogged the exact passage in question two-and-a-half years before Osama made it famous) and Osama see eye-to-eye upon is the William Blum method for putting a stop to terrorist attacks against United States interests:
As I've written elsewhere: If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize -- very publicly and very sincerely -- to all the widows and orphans, the impoverished and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. Then I would announce that America's global military interventions have come to an end. I would then inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but -- oddly enough -- a foreign country. Then I would reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings, invasions, and sanctions. There would be enough money. One year of our military budget is equal to more than $20,000 per hour for every hour since Jesus Christ was born. That's one year. That's what I'd do on my first three days in the White House.On the fourth day, I'd probably be assassinated.
Posted by Eddie Tews at February 6, 2006 04:21 PM
Comments
The CIA is good for the individual American, the nation as a whole, and the world at large.
Ones values need to be modified, whatever it takes, to convince oneself that the CIA is completely Good and not-Evil.
So change your values, and step into the light. -- Posted by: Roger on March 13, 2006 12:16 PM