What will become of the USA in twenty-five years if we continue this trek down the yellow brick road (a fantasy metaphor) toward democratization of countries that lie outside the circle of American influence?

What will become of the USA if the executive and legislative branches of government continue to weaken America’s worldwide status? Obviously no one can predict the future or answer those questions even if one proposes a theory based on the outcome of historical events, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prognosticate.

I say that continuing to assert our way of life and governing on the rest of the world is a task we will never accomplish no matter how badly we feel for the people living under oppressive governments. And, we can not pursue governmental lucidity as long as we include agencies that provide intelligence to policy makers. Open records and transparency are concepts applicable to the departments of education, transportation, health, agriculture and so on but not for the CIA, NSA, DOD. You may be asking what’s this guy trying to say. If you read my blogs you’ll notice a pattern in my rants. The point I try to convey is that it’s asinine for the president and the attorney general to continue their dismantling of the CIA’s purpose by exposing the agencies inner most information gathering methods and techniques. To most of us who live outside NYC conducting Khalid Sheik Mohammed’s trial in a civilian court right at the epicenter of world curiosity seems to be misguided but it is much more serious than merely misguided. If we look closely we’ll see many from around the world there with eyes wide and ears open watching and listening for clues to how our intelligence network functions. Those folks (UN mid-level foreign diplomat staff) could care less about KSM, what they are looking for are US vulnerabilities.  You and I won’t see this taking place; it will be done with the greatest of stealth and diplomatic immunity. Instead, our attention will be on what we hope to see—a conviction. We will smile when the trial is over and comment about justice being served but much information will have been publicly shared that will help educate our opposition to the way America does business. What a windfall for those that would try to destroy us.

For more on the effects of small yet methodical enemy incursions go to: http://marvwiebener.wordpress.com/ and read Lobster Boil.

My interest in espionage, the CIA, and military intelligence work never waned, although marriage, education, kids and my profession all took precedence during the following years.

 In 1977 I embarked on a mission to further my understanding of two more interests I’d only day-dreamed about; The Holy Land and archaeology. My wife Nancy Egner (deceased 1994) surprised me with a tour package for my birthday. I tried several times in the following months to talk her into going with me but Nancy opted to look after our two young children not wanting to burden relatives with that task for two weeks.

The plane full of tourists, including me, landed in Amman, Jordan after dark on October 17, 1977. We were ushered to our hotel with orders from our guide to get some rest so we’d be ready for a busy day of sight-seeing. I tried to take a shower but the pressure was nonexistent. I tried to sleep but was too excited. I was hungry but the hotel wasn’t a Marriott, not even close and as far as I could see out my fourth story window there was not a neon sign advertising food and drink anywhere. I learned to adapt. More tomorrow.

I promised to continue the blog topic of last week, SPYING: What Will Obama Do?, but I’m now even more concerned about Attorney General Eric Holder and his intent on investigating Bush-era interrogation tactics, so we’ll return to Spying later.

Ladies and Gentlemen, friends and readers of this blog according to an article by Greg Miller and Josh Meyer written August 9, 2009 Mr. Holder is on the verge of naming a federal investigator. The question becomes is this the right move for the US?  No, I say absolutely not.  You might wonder why I’m so emphatic. As some of you know I’m not an expert on interrogation methods or the laws that govern their usage.  I am an interested citizen of the US that not only has the right to proffer my opinion but the obligation to do so, especially in the face of an impending injustice.  The Bush-era interrogation tactics investigation is the impending injustice I’m referring to.

Ask yourself why are we investigating, so that we can point at Bush and his administration with the finger of contempt and righteous indignation?  Or maybe we will find al Qaeda innocent of murdering three-thousand innocent non-combatants.  Some believe we will expose the evil within the CIA, DOD.  Let me say this to that belief, I can find evil in your hometown church, in any college and cookie manufacturer in the US—in other words, evil is everywhere.  Now ask yourself this, is it absolutely evil, absolutely un-lawful, absolutely un-ethical and immoral to torture the hell out of someone if there is a good chance they have information that could save one American life.  I believe it isn’t absolute and therefore the end justifies the means.  Let’s move on with new and improved interrogation methods, let’s implement the ones we already have.  Let’s thank Bush and the interrogators for keeping the US safe from attacks since September 11, 2001 and move on.  What will we benefit if the government spends millions of dollars, countless man-hours, and ruining reputations in the process?  Those citizens, the results of this investigation will be released to, are probably still in diapers, and the likelihood of them giving a damn is remote.

July 8, 2009

Intel gathering with respect to Iran and their nuclear intentions is the most important issue facing the US spy community today. There are other issues of a similar nature that are on the Intel agenda, but at this moment in history Iran and what that nation is up to ranks number one. Why? A number of reasons and at the top of that list is Iran’s history, culture and providence. Iran, formerly the Persian Empire was unchallenged hundreds of years ago as the seat of trade routes linking the Mediterranean with the East. Trade was not limited to silk, salt and pottery, the most significant import/export that passed between regions trading in tangible goods were the intangibles—culture, language, philosophy, religion, belief systems, even the rudiments of science. The Persians were under, or at least exposed to, the influence of other cultures that challenged their strict lifestyle. This required a tightening of leadership influence and in some cases extreme measures were taken to inoculate the people from the pressure of persuasion. As a result, like most religions, the Qur’an became the absolute word on behavior as well as faith. Of course, like most religions, various interpretations emerged and with that fanaticism. Today Iran’s Guardian Council views the influence of the West (mainly the US) the same as it did the harmful influence of other cultures long ago. Looking at Iran’s situation from their perspective is a challenge for those of us liberated from what we call oppressive government, but if we could see it the Councils way one might empathize, a smidgeon. It isn’t hard to see how religious leaders, no matter how dogmatic, could see our nation as astray. A nation of egomaniacal, self-centered, immoral, perverted idol worshippers and that’s just the leadership. I’m smiling, sort of. I said all of that just to make a point and that is; Iran and its leadership don’t play by the same rules. They’ve been at the game much longer than we have and they are a sophisticated, shall I say, adversary. They know tricks we can’t even conceive of and right now the Guardian Council and their own ‘Dennis-the-menace’ Ahmadinejad have their collective fingers crossed as they lie to the world. Everyone knows about their deceptive ways and they know everyone knows, but they keep on deceiving. That is precisely why the Intel gathering community must do all in its power to obtain verifiable information for use when developing policy concerning US and Iranian matters.