Where is the Bingo! ? If he doesn't testify on Libya, "con" is the wrong direction On Monday, November 12, 2012 1:07:47 PM UTC-5, Travis wrote:
> > > > > > > <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/13579/14/> > Home <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/13579/15/> | > Blog<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/11722/16/>| > Subscribe <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/11669/17/> | > Podcasts <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/113507/18/> | > Donate > <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/69687/19/> > * A Covert Affair: Petraeus Caught in the Honeypot?* > > *by Justin Raimondo > > <javascript:>Antiwar.com<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168137/20/> > * > > *Recently by Justin Raimondo: Romney’s > Neocons<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168138/21/> > * > > The outing of Gen. David Petraeus as an > adulterer<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168139/22/>, > and his subsequent resignation as CIA Director, was carried out by an > unknown FBI “whistleblower” who leaked the facts of the FBI investigation > into the General’s private life to Rep. Eric Cantor. The *New York Times* > reports <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168140/23/>: > > “*Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, said Saturday an F.B.I. > employee whom his staff described as a whistle-blower told him about Mr. > Petraeus’s affair and a possible security breach in late October, which was > after the investigation had begun. * > > “’*I was contacted by an F.B.I. employee concerned that sensitive, > classified information may have been compromised and made certain Director > Mueller was aware of these serious allegations and the potential risk to > our national security,’ Mr. Cantor said in a statement. * > > “*Mr. Cantor talked to the person after being told by Representative Dave > Reichert, Republican of Washington, that a whistle-blower wanted to speak > to someone in the Congressional leadership about a national security > concern. On Oct. 31, his chief of staff, Steve Stombres, called the F.B.I. > to tell them about the call.”* > > The FBI probe apparently started in late > spring<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168141/24/>, > when several people associated with Petraeus not just the one > woman<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168142/25/>, > as has been reported elsewhere received harassing emails. The emails were > traced to 40-year-old Paula > Broadwell<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168143/26/>, > national security analyst, military intelligence veteran, and author of a > biography of Petraeus. Authorities believed his email account may have > been <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168144/27/> hacked, > and this led to a remarkable irony: the CIA chief’s emails were monitored, > without his knowledge, whereupon it was discovered Broadwell may have > either had access to his account or tried to obtain access. In any case, in > the course of their spying, FBI monitors discovered a large volume of > emails to and from Broadwell. Looking for evidence of a security breach, > all they found was evidence of a “human drama,” as one anonymous FBI > official put it: an illicit affair between Petraeus and Broadwell. > > Petraeus was only informed of the investigation on October 25 or > 26<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168145/28/>. > So here we have the astonishing fact of the CIA’s head honcho being spied > on for a period of months by our own law enforcement officials. > > Or maybe it wasn’t a simple case of complaints about “harassing” or > threatening emails. Fox News > avers<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168146/29/>: > > > “*The FBI had been investigating an unrelated and much broader case > before stumbling on the affair. Fox News has learned that during the course > of this investigation, the name of biographer Paula Broadwell came up. The > FBI followed that lead and in doing so, uncovered his affair with her.”* > > What was this “much broader case”? Almost certainly it was a > counterintelligence investigation, i.e. a pushback against efforts by some > foreign entity to penetrate or otherwise compromise US secrets. We can only > guess at the specifics, however we do know that in the course of that > investigation Broadwell’s name “came up.” > > On the surface, at least, Broadwell is not the sort of person whose name > would come up in a counterintelligence investigation: a West Point > graduate, where she earned degrees in political geography and systems > engineering, she seems like the veritable embodiment of All-American > red-white-and-blue super-patriotism. This biographical > account<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168147/30/>on her high > school website says > > “*Paula pursued a military intelligence career abroad, serving in Asia, > Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During her service, especially after > 9-11, Paula’s intensity was directed toward the war against terror; her > contributions and efforts to thwart terrorism have been commended by the > U.S. Army and by Europe’s Special Operations Forces Commanding General. In > this arena, she has planned counter-terrorism initiatives presented to NATO > and worked on transnational counter-terrorism issues with foreign and > domestic agencies, U.S. Special Forces, and the FBI.”* > > Graduate studies at the University of Denver in Middle East studies > enabled her to travel to “Jordan and Israel,” and make a swing through the > Persian Gulf and Europe where she spoke at various conferences. This > triumphal tour was capped by a Harvard fellowship “for study in Syria and > Iran.” > > While Broadwell’s current academic affiliation is with Harvard’s Kennedy > School of Government, her previous post was deputy director of the Jebsen > Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. > The Center, according to its > self-description<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168148/31/>, > “distinguishes itself by a philosophy that maintains counter-terrorism > should be predictive, preventive and preemptive, with the latter being a > last resort.” Founded in 2005, the Jebsen Center was made possible by the > generous donation of one Jan Henrik Jebsen, heir to the Norwegian shipping > fortune, who gave $1.3 million to set it up. Jebsen, a former investment > banker with Lazard Freres, is the principal of Gamma Applied Visions Group, > an international octopus with tentacles all over the place: part arms > dealer <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168149/32/> and > weapons developer<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168150/33/>, > part “green” > energy<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168151/34/>company. As > one might expect from someone who has so much of his > multi-billion dollar fortune invested in making and selling armaments, > Jebsen is on the > board<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168152/35/>of directors > of the distinctly warlike Hudson Institute, where Scooter > Libby <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168153/36/>, Douglas > Feith <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168154/37/>, Michael > Ledeen <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168155/38/>, and > practically every neocon you’ve ever heard of have found refuge. > > While, in true neocon fashion, Hudson scholars conjure a wide diversity of > imminent “threats” to the US, including > China<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168156/39/>and > Russia <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168157/40/>, their > main focus is the threat of Islamist radicalism, especially as it impacts > Israel. Indeed, Hudson operates inside > Israel<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168158/41/>, > where it pushes the far-rightist views of the most extreme elements in > Israeli society: the settler movement, and the faction of Likud angling for > war with Iran. It has also focused its attention on > purging<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168159/42/>universities > of academics who don’t toe the right-wing ultra-nationalist > Likudnik line. > > More recently, former Hudson president and “trustee emeritus” Max Singer > who has since moved to Israel, where, as a “public policy consultant” at > Bar Ilan University, he spends his time inciting > violence<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168160/43/>against > Palestinians is on a mission to protect Israel from the alleged > threat <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168161/44/> posed > by the President of the United States. > > The Jebsen Center has been equally useful to the neocons. Richard H. > Schultz, head of Tufts’ International Studies program (of which the Center > is a part) was a > signatory<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168162/45/>to the > Project for a New American Century’s “open letter” to President Bush > urging war with Iraq and a number of other Middle Eastern actors in the > wake of 9/11. Here he > is<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168163/46/>recommending the > importation of Israeli “anti-terrorist” techniques to > pacify the restless natives of Iraq. Here is > another<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168164/47/>Jebsen > Center scholar describing alleged terrorist actions engaged in by > Iran worldwide. And then there’s the testimony of this > guy<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168165/48/> > : > > “*The idea of overthrowing the Iranian government through covert but > peaceful means is not original. The project was first brought to my > attention in August 2006 when I worked as an intern research assistant at > Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Diplomacy’s Jebsen Center for > Counter-terrorism. I worked for the then director of the center Brigadier > General Russell Howard (Ret.) on a project titled Bringing Down Iran > Without Firing A Shot. I wasn’t very experienced in the world of covert > operations in the field or in the academic realm but I was very interested > in becoming involved in it. General Howard, on the other hand, was not only > a counter-terrorism strategist but a veteran Special Forces officer, an > academic, and a tutor. It was General Howard who introduced me to the idea > of targeting factors specific to Iran in order to adapt to the country’s > specific needs. He had six factors which he believed were important: The > military use of ongoing insurgencies within Iran, political strife, > economic strife, declining oil revenues, demographics, and deteriorating > infrastructure.”* > > Interestingly, in November of 2006, during her tenure at the Jebsen > Center, Broadwell led a group of Fletcher School students on a trip to > New York City <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168166/49/>to > meet with then Iranian UN representative Javad Zarif. Both are > alumni <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168167/50/> of the > Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. > > All this establishes a context that goes far beyond the titillating > details of the alleged affair between Petraeus and Broadwell and this is no > doubt what set alarm bells ringing in the intelligence community when it > was revealed. Is there really any need to point out the uses of the “ > honeypot <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168168/51/>” in > intelligence-gathering and other covert activities regularly engaged in by > spooks <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168169/52/> of all > nations? From Mata > Hari<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168170/53/>to the Mossad > agent <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168171/54/> who > lured Israeli nuclear scientist Mordecahi Vanunu, sex is a time-honored > weapon in the war of spy-vs-spy. A secret affair with the CIA Director is > the equivalent of the Honeypot Olympics, and we have to ask: was the > remarkably fit Ms. Broadwell a lure? If so, she’s won a Gold Medal. > > Broadwell’s actions sending emails that were bound to be traced back to > her appear to make little sense on the surface. But if the goal of luring a > 60-year-old geezer into an affair with a much younger woman was to expose > him, and get him fired, then surely her antics succeeded in accomplishing > that goal. > > So who would have an interest in getting rid of Petraeus? Here’s where the > Cantor connection comes in. The tip by an anonymous “FBI employee” that > wound up in Cantor’s office two weeks ago came through Rep. David > Reichert<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168172/55/>, > Republican of Washington state, who has a friend who knows the > whistleblower. Cantor then spoke to the whistleblower directly, who put him > in touch with FBI Director Mueller. > > Cantor is a great friend of Israel, and Petraeus not so much. The General > was attacked <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168173/56/>, > as you’ll recall<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168174/57/>, > by partisans of the Lobby, including Abe > Foxman<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168175/58/>, > when he delivered > testimony<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168176/59/>before > Congress citing Israel as a strategic liability in the Middle East. > As the executor of the new Obamaite policy of sidling up to Islamists, not > only in Libya <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168177/60/>but > also in > Syria <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168178/61/> and > Egypt <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168179/62/>, > Petraeus was no doubt seen by the Israelis as an enemy to be neutralized. > > Broadwell’s affiliation with the Jebsen Center, and the Center’s > connection to the neoconservative network, sets the scene: a young, > attractive woman with impeccable national security credentials throws > herself at Petraeus, and he takes the bait. Whether she’s been recruited by > a foreign intelligence agency at this point or not is irrelevant: he’s > already put himself in a vulnerable position, and there are any number of > actors on the international stage more than willing to press their > advantage. > > Will we ever know the full story? At this point, the story is so hot that > it may burn the cover story “it’s all about sex” right off the wrapper. > Because there’s more a *lot *more here than meets the eye. When Cantor > pledged <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168180/63/> to > Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he and his fellow > Republicans “will serve as a check on the administration” in regard to the > President’s policy toward Israel, he was clearly aligning himself with a > foreign leader against American interests as perceived by the White House. > But would he really go this far deliberately taking down a key figure, one > beloved by Republicans, in order to keep his promise to Netanyahu? > > Stay tuned to this space, because this story is moving *fast*…. > > *Update*: This morning [11/12/12] the *New York Times* > reports<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168181/64/> > : > > “*F.B.I. agents interviewed Ms. Broadwell for the first time the week of > Oct. 21, and she acknowledged the affair, a government official briefed on > the matter said. She also voluntarily gave the agency her computer. In a > search, the agents discovered several classified documents, which raised > the additional question of whether Mr. Petraeus had given them to her. She > said that he had not. Agents interviewed Mr. Petraeus the following week. > He also admitted to the affair but said he had not given any classified > documents to her. The agents then interviewed Ms. Broadwell again on > Friday, Nov. 2, the official said.”* > > Bingo! > > *Reprinted from > Antiwar.com<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168137/65/>with > permission. > * > > *November 12, 2012* > > *Justin Raimondo [send him mail <javascript:>] is editorial director of > Antiwar.com <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168137/66/>and is > the author of > *An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. > Rothbard<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168182/67/> > * and *Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative > Movement <http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168183/68/>*.* > > Copyright © 2012 > Antiwar.com<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168137/69/> > > *The Best of Justin > Raimondo*<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/168184/70/> > > *Back to LewRockwell.com Home > Page<http://list.lewrockwell.com/t/2702457/31021098/13579/71/> > * > > > > > > > -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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