we find similar catalytic elements of a definitely neoconnish complexion --- good oberservation
know the enemy On Nov 16, 1:53 pm, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > Why Paula Broadwell Sent Those EmailsIt wasn’t jealousybyJustin Raimondo, > November 16, 2012 > When it comes to grandstanding, few politicians can outdo SenatorsJohn McCain > and Lindsey Graham. A few hours before the President’s first press conference > since the election, this duo hadone of their own, demanding a > "Water-gate"-like special congressional investigation into the attack on our > BenghaziCIA secret prison"consulate." As ifat least threecongressional > committees looking into the matter isn’t enough, they want another one – just > to make sure it comes to the right conclusions. > And what are those conclusions? It’s the same Fox News party line that we’ve > been hearing since Day One: according tothe wingnuts, the President and his > administration deliberately withheld military and security support from the > "consulate," and ordered rescue teams to stand down while Ambassador Chris > Stevens, and three others, were sacrificed on the altar of the President’s > reelection campaign. > You may ask: why would Obama, then-CIA chief Gen. David Petraeus, and the > Pentagon pull such a deadly and heinous betrayal? Although it is never said > out loud – except bythe nuttiestof the wingnuts – the clear implication is > that the White House is inhabited by traitors. It all makes perfect "sense" > if you fervently believe the President is a secret Muslim. > For those whose ears aren’t quite attuned to the dog whistling of the Fox > News/Karl Rove media combine, we haveCharles Krauthammer, who gives > essentially the same tired old story a conspiratorial twist (with a dash of > scandal): the administration, he avers, was holding the knowledge of his > affair with Paula Broadwell over Petraeus’s head, supposedly forcing him to > testify at a Sept. 13 congressionalbriefingthat the "Innocence of Muslims" > video was a significant factor in the Benghazi attack. Obama isn’t just a > secret Muslim, you see: he’s a blackmailer, too. > It’s truly a sickening and singularly unconvincing narrative, not least > because these three stooges of the War Party –McCain,Graham, andKrauthammer– > all hailed the US intervention in Libya, while criticizing the President for > being too "late and slow" about it. Whenradical > Islamistsalliedwithal-Qaedawere installed in Tripoli and Benghazi by NATO air > power andmobs of howling savageson the ground, the War Party – personified by > this tiresome trio – were over the moon. Now they’re complaining about the > consequences of our great "victory" – "it’s a good day for Libya, America, > and the world," Krauthammer crowed at the time. But was it? > When it comes to the Benghazi attack, all parties agree on one thing: the > security arrangements provided for the CIA station/consulate were > inadequate.Unarmed security guardsemployed by an obscure UK-based firm nobody > had ever heard of, and the "protection" afforded by theFebruary 17 Brigade, a > key militia group that led the uprising against Qaddafi in Benghazi and was > being "trained" by the CIA, were all the protection they had. Perhaps the > State Department was confident the February 17 gang would defend them if > attacked. The only problem was that the Brigade, itself a radical Islamist > outfit, did nothing while theAnsar al-Shariagroup – another, even more > hard-line Islamist "militia" – stormed the diplomatic compound, and, later, > the CIA station a mile or so away. Indeed, the consulate "guards"alerted the > attackersas to the whereabouts of Ambassador Stevens and his staff, who had > fled to the nearby CIA station after the initial assault. > Those "guards" came from a small outfit known asBlue Mountain Security. This > was mainly a travel company catering to adventurous tourists until the > "liberation" of Libya, when they managed to get around Libyan regulations on > foreign security providers by partnering up with a "local" security > organization. Except it wasn’t at all local:the Eclipse Groupis a shadowy > organization run by Iran-Contra co-conspirator and neocon loonyDuane > Clarridge, who boasts of running his own "private" CIA. It was this group, > which just happened to have a license to operate in Libya, that gave Blue > Mountain access to the Libyan security market. > Isn’t it funny how neocons turn up in the weirdest places? All you have to do > is probe a bit beneath the surface of practically any foreign policy > disaster, and there they are, like bugs scittering away in droves the deeper > one digs. > Speaking of neocons, we nowknow the identityof the Shirtless Guy, the FBI > agent whose dogged pursuit of the source of those "harassing" emails led to > the exposure of Petraeus’s affair with Paula Broadwell and the CIA chief’s > downfall:"The agent, Frederick W. Humphries II, 47, is also described by > former colleagues as relentless in his pursuit of what he sees as wrongdoing, > which appears to describe his role in the F.B.I. investigation involving Mr. > Petraeus. Suspecting that the case involved serious security issues and was > being stalled, possibly for political reasons – a suspicion his superiors say > was unjustified – he took his concerns to Congressional Republicans. > “Fred is a passionate kind of guy,’ one former colleague said. ‘He’s kind of > an obsessive type. If he locked his teeth onto something, he’d be a > bulldog.’"Humphries, a former Army captain and military intelligence officer, > is a friend of Jill Kelley, the woman whose "cyber-stalking" complaint > triggered the investigation that eventually uncovered the Petraeus- Broadwell > liaison. Hereportedlybecame so "obsessed" by the case that his superiors > forbade him from getting involved in it, and so he went around them: to the > Republicancongressionalleadership, which spilled the beans to the top guns at > the FBI. From there it went to DNIJames Clapper, who insisted Petraeus > resign. Humphries was convinced "the case was being stalled for political > reasons," according to theTimes: anearlierTimesaccount attributed his > impatience to his "worldview." > What "worldview" is that? TheTimesdescribes his "conservative political > views," and a look at his background should give us a few clues.To beginwith, > he was instrumental in the investigation that foiled the so-called Millennium > terrorist plot of 1990. Current headlines describe him as a "hero." However, > other cases in which he figured prominently paint a definitely unheroic > portrait of a man consumed by hatred of Muslims. In 2007, Humphrieswent > afterYoussef Megahed, a USF student arrested in South Carolina while on a > road trip with a newly acquired friend, Ahmed Mohamed. They had been pulled > over for speeding and the police found suspicious items in the car: PVC pipes > filled with potassium nitrate. Mohamed said they were "model rockets," while > the government admitted they were "low explosives." > The two were charged with illegal transportation of explosive materials and > possession of destructive devices, but neither was convicted on those counts. > However, Mohamed got a 15-year sentence for a Youtube video explaining how to > convert a toy car remote control device into a detonator. Megahed was > acquitted of all charges, but the fanatical Humphries pursued him, and hewas > re-arrested, this time on suspicion of posing a “terrorist” threat. "We felt > that Mr. Megahed was willingly providing assistance to Mr. Mohamed, who is a > self-professed terrorist," averred Humphries at the trial. What was the > evidence against Megahed? As Megahed’s lawyerput it:"The only thing the > government did and I think it’s important for people to understand this is > they put on a supervisory FBI agent who testified about what other people > investigated, and they put on a forensics computer examiner who basically > said, ‘Here’s Youssef’s history on his computer,’ without giving context to > either of those. And when we pointed out and were able to discuss what these > two witnesses the actual context of the allegations against Youssef, it > became crystal clear that there was nothing there. There was simply no basis > to the charges against Youssef."In short, Humphries’s testimony and that of > the "forensics expert" was pure innuendo, which is why the judge threw it out > and freed Megahed. This should give us some idea of the "worldview" espoused > by Petraeus’s pursuer.This storysays Humphries gave a talk on Afghanistan at > the "FBI Citizen’s Academy," and that his friend, Jill Kelley – another key > catalyst in the outing of Petraeus – also attended. Other news outlets > areclaimingthey met there for the first time. In any case, the two became > close – although theshirtless pictureHumphries sent her issaid to > benon-sexual in nature – and when Kelley started receiving anonymous emails > warning her to stay away from Petraeus she went to Humphries. He became > convinced he had uncovered a grave security threat because the emailer seemed > to have inside knowledge of the movements of both Petraeus and Gen. John > Allen, the top US commander in Afghanistan. > Ms. Kelley is fast eclipsing Broadwell as the central player in this drama, > whichmanyhave compared to a soap opera but which may in fact be more akin to > a spy thriller. > Kelley, 37, is married to Scott Kelley, a surgeon at a hospital in Tampa, > Florida: the couple lives in a $1.5 million mansion "a stone’s throw" away > from MacDill Air Force Base, headquarters of CENTCOM. The daughter of > Lebanese parents who came to the US in the 1970s "due to political > disputes,"according toAl Arabiya, her family is Maronite Christian. Kelley > wasdescribedby a onetime member of Petraeus’s staff as a "’self-appointed’ > go-between for Central Command officers with Lebanese and other Middle > Eastern government officials." > One can’t help wondering: which Middle Eastern governments? > Kelley and her husband moved to Tampa a decade ago, and she soon became the > center of asocial whirlwindinvolving top CENTCOM officers, including Petraeus > and Allen. Famous for herlavish parties, with white tents on her manicured > lawn and valet parking, she was known as the unofficial "social liaison" for > MacDill and the surrounding community. (Although if you were anything less > than a colonel, you could forget about getting an invite to one of her > sparkling galas). She worked hard at becoming a fixture, even getting a > special pass to MacDill which allowed her to breeze in and out: the pass, as > you might imagine, has since beenrevoked. > A sumptuous mansion, a Mercedes and a BMG in the driveway, a reputation as a > socialite with rather expensive tastes – these insignia of wealth hid a > miasma of debt, foreclosures, and creditor lawsuits that belied the glossy > surface of her life. AsUSA Todayreports:"The $2.1 million purchase of a > three-story office building downtown ended in foreclosure. The couple > defaulted on a $250,000 line of credit and owe thousands on credit cards. > "Chase Bank sued for $25,880 in 2010. > "FIA Card Services sued in February for $79,876, including more than $75,000 > in cash advances on a Visa Signature card. > "Regions Bank sued in August 2010 after the Kelleys failed to make payments > on $250,000 borrowed July 19, 2005. The bank ultimately settled for $85,000 > and required the Kelleys to pay $850 a month toward the debt."There was also > a seeminglydubious cancer charityrun by Jill and her husband, which also > lists her twin sister, Natalie, as an officer. Almost half the money raised > went to expenses: no one knows where the other half went. More recently, > Kelley attended the Tampa GOP convention, where she met a New York City > businessman who was convinced by her that she could get him a no bid coal > gasification contract with the South Korean government: the hook was > herrelationshipwith Petraeus, which she said would guarantee the contract. He > flew her to New York to discuss the details, but soon discovered she had no > idea what she was talking about after she demanded an$80 millionpayment. > SisterNatalie Khawamis alsoquite the card: police records indicate at least > half a dozen calls from Ms. Khawam concerning alleged prowlers, unwanted > visits from supposed agents of her ex-boyfriend, and other domestic dramas. > The boyfriendmay beherex-husband, or perhaps lobbyistGerald Harrington, a > bigtime Democratic party contributor and military lobbyist associated with > Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and John Kerry. Khazam’s bankruptcy > records indicate Harrington "loaned" her $300,000. In another weird twist, > both Petraeus and Allen intervened in a child custody case involving Khawam > and her ex-husband: both sent letters to the judge praising her to the skies. > However, as theTampa Bay Timesput it:"The court had a different opinion. ‘Ms. > Khawam appears to lack any appreciation or respect for the importance of > honesty and integrity in her interactions with her family, employers, and > others with whom she comes in contact,’ a judge wrote after a litany of > hearings and psychological evaluations. ‘The court fully expects that Ms. > Khawam’s pattern of misrepresentations about virtually everything, including > the most important aspects of her life, will continue indefinitely.’"Harsh! > Millions of dollars in debt, Khazam moved into the Tampa Bay mansion with her > sister. The two made a formidable team as they carved out a niche at the > intersection of Tampa’s social elite and MacDill’s military brass. > Kelley,saystheTampa Bay Times, was "determined to make her footprint" after > moving to Tampa in 2003, and was apparently very clear on setting up shop as > close to MacDill as possible. She "knocked on doors up and down Bayshore > Boulevard, asking homeowners if their house was for sale. She wanted the > prestigious address, and she got it. In June 2004, the couple paid $1.5 > million for a 4,800-square-foot brick mansion with stately white pillars and > a view of Hillsborough Bay, just six miles from MacDill Air Force Base." > They became renown for the untrammeled extravagance of their parties, where > "there was always more than anybody could possibly eat," according to one > guest. Behind the façade of wealth and self-assurance, however, the sisters > were slowly sinking into an ocean of debt and accompanying litigation. > When we put what we know about the Kelley household together, we come up with > a clear pattern and set of motivations pointing to an ulterior motive behind > all this frenetic socializing and status-seeking: > 1) To say they were living beyond their means is a bit of an understatement: > saddled with anenormous debt– the mortgage on their house was inserious > arrears– one has to wonder where they got all the money for this constant > round of entertaining. > 2) Jill Kelley made a "determined" effort to buy a house at a prestigious > address minutes away from MacDill. She was very specific about where she > wanted to live, almost as if she were setting up a "scene" – but to what > purpose? > 3) Kelley waged an aggressive campaign to embed herself and her family into > the social life of MacDill,cultivatingtop-ranking officers such as Petraeus > and Allen, continuing her relationship with these two after they left the > area. At every charity event, every "outreach" effort by MacDill to the local > community,there she was, right in the center of things. Her whole life > revolved around these activities: it was, in effect, her job. > 4) As Petraeus’sformer staff memberphrases her job description, she was a > "’self-appointed’ go-between for Central Command officers with Lebanese and > other Middle Eastern government officials." > Lebanon’s Christian Maronite community has along historyof persecution at the > hands of Muslim radicals, and also one of political extremism in their own > ranks. The violently anti-Muslim Phalangist movement, which engaged in > several massacres, has its base in the Maronite community: they were the main > pogromists atSabra and Shatilla. Allied with the Israelis, the Maronites > fought – and continue to fight – against the Muslim majority: the links > between the Phalangists and other Christian extremist groups and Israeli > intelligence iswell-documented. > Enter FBI agent and anti-Muslim fanatic Humphries, on a crusade to save the > West from infiltration, whobelievedthe investigation into the "harassing" > emails was being suppressed by the Obama administration, and you have all the > ingredients of a political and ideological vendetta aimed at bringing down > not only Petraeus but alsoThat Secret Muslimin the White House. > A whole section of the loony-tunes right-wing in this country fervently > believes the US government has beeninfiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood. And > their paranoia is completely nonpartisan:Frank Gaffney, of the vehemently > pro-Israel Center for Security Policy, and the equally nutty and volubleDavid > Horowitz– former New Leftist Black Panther groupie – turned right-wing > conspiracy theorist – have both been pushing for years the crazy notion that > theBushadministration was infested with Muslim fifth columnists. Their prime > target: none other thanGrover Norquist, the libertarian anti-tax advocate who > is married to a Palestinian woman, and, among his other subversive > activities, helped found a free market institute aimed at the Islamic world. > If Humphries’s "worldview" was similar to or even shaped by these nutballs, > then his actions make perfect "sense": after all, the investigation into the > emails was faltering, in his view, and what else could it be but those evil > fifth columnists who had squelched the probe? Yet he wasn’t going to relent: > this one wasn’t going to get away like Megahed did. He would go over their > heads, expose the terrorist conspiracy, and – as in the Millennium case – be > hailed as a hero. > However, instead of going to the Justice Department, or the chair of a > congressional intelligence committee, he turned to the Republicans, and > specifically House majority leader Rep.Eric Cantor. It was the tag team of > Humphries, Kelley, and Cantor who revealed Petraeus’s secret to the world – > although Kelley didn’t count on the FBI going into her emails and there > discoveringhundreds of pagesof email between her and Gen. Allen. > Which leads us to the question: why did Broadwell send the harassing > emails,warning Allen off of Kelleyand telling the latter toback offfrom > Petraeus? The sex-obsessed American media is naturally focusing on the > salacious aspects of L’affaire Petraeus, but the reality is that neither > Petraeus nor Allen was likely romantically involved with the Lebanese > spitfire. I would suggest it wasn’t jealousy that motivated Broadwell, it was > a desire to protect her lover – and Gen. Allen – from falling into a trap: > instead, she set if off by her actions. This wasn’t a love triangle – it was > a failed counterintelligence operation, and the end of a tragic love story in > which the beloved was unknowingly betrayed by her lover. > We are now being treated to the spectacle of the whole "anti-terrorist" > wingnut media machine pumping outthe narrativeof a craven and traitorous > White House supposedly covering up the "real" story of what happened in > Benghazi. In typical neocon style, this narrative – summed up by > Krauthammer’s "blackmail" thesis – is not only a lie, it is the exact > opposite of the truth. Far from being blackmailed by the administration, > Petraeus was set up and hung out to dry by a murky cabal on the other end of > the political spectrum. > I would note that at both ends of the twin scandals roiling official > Washington – Benghazi and the Petraeus affair – we find similar catalytic > elements of a definitely neoconnish complexion. Atthe Benghazi end, we have > the Blue Mountain/Eclipse Group/Duane Clarridge connection, and on the > Petreaus side we have the Humphries/Kelley/Cantor cabal, with hints of > involvement by a certain "Middle Eastern government" thrown in for good > measure. > Is that a coincidence, or > what?http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2012/11/15/why-paula-broadwell-sent-those-emails/ -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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