General David Petraeus and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2010Jim Watson / Reuters
The Atlantic: Trump’s Risky War of Choice Against the Generals
The president’s decision to revoke John Brennan’s security clearance has drawn fire even from figures like Robert Gates and David Petraeus, who have avoided criticizing him.
This week, beset by bad news about Omarosa Manigault-Newman, President Donald Trump decided to launch a war of choice. The White House announced Wednesday that he had revoked security clearance for John Brennan, who was the CIA director under Barack Obama and has since become a leading Trump critic. Trump also threatened to take clearance away from a slew of other critics.
But wars, once started, don’t always unfold the way you intend. In Trump’s case, a host of prominent retired military and intelligence leaders have entered the fray opposing him. First, retired Navy Admiral William McRaven wrote an open letter to the president in The Washington Post on Thursday criticizing the revocation of Brennan’s clearance and asking to join him: “I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.”
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WNU Editor: These are men that you do not cross, and in their "war" against President Trump they are now exposing themselvs publicly.
Neocon rebellion...
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ReplyDeleteI know little about these people. I did see Brennan in an interview earlier this year. Disturbingly unimpressive. Testifying vaguely behind a wall built of bricks labeled secret, top secret, classified. An ounce of image in the best Comey tradition. Both he and Petraus are establishment types. How many boats did they rock in their careers, if any? In the military, one is automatically elevated by playing the game properly. Rank doesn't greatly impress me.
I don't think these are Guderians and Mansteins facing the Maginot line.
Trump is out there in his methodology. I don't see that in his critics. I am reminded of Billy Mitchell, who demonstrated the efficacy of army aviation against naval ships in 1921 and became a target of the established herd.
Ok. It's 3:30AM. I'm hitting the sack.
Hope the rest helps. We have a lot of skilled professionals versus a president
ReplyDelete1. never held political office
2. never served in the military
3. never held any govt position
4. we are told of his business skills and yet
a. promised health plan
b. wall that Mexico would pay for
c. fix infrastructure
5. has alienated allies
6.his one accomplishement is a tax cut for the wealthy and that money middle class got back already eaten by inflation
7. claims to be wealthy but refuses to reveal his income taxes
Note the intro:
ReplyDeletecircle the wagons, ie, the good guys (whites) preparing to defend against the savages (Indians)
nope: the good guys go after the real savage
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ReplyDeleteSKILLED PROFESSIONALS someone bleated.
ReplyDeleteThe current crop of SKILLED PROFESSIONALS were not picked any differently than Les Aspin.
QED
Fred has gone completely insane, I think. But it's understandable. Keep in mind -CNN and MSNBC have not reported anything on the findings you and I have read and seen. To them they don't exist. Hence Fred doesn't believe anything we tell him. To him cnn is the truth. Let him.
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ReplyDeletewe need you to advise Trump since you are a know it all and fully immersed in the past and snarky about this or that one while banging away at your keyboard
tired of winning?
Dear editor:
ReplyDeletestanding up for a belief, a principle is not the same thing as "exposing yourself"
Lapides - Neither was Obama, so do not go their with your double standards hypocrite. At least Trump actually worked in the civilian world and he is a billionaire. Obama was a professional politician, who in actuality has never done anything.
ReplyDeleteI was astounded learning ex govt officials can keep their security clearances out of office. What a massive breach of security. I think once you leave office you lose your security clearances. From President on down. No exceptions. This is what powers the formation of a Deep State.
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ReplyDeleteSmith, lol, the sarcasm is strong in your sir.
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ReplyDeleteMr. Lapides,
I heard you just bought a new Ford Model T. No more kerosene headlights! Your ma said it's even got an electric starter! What are you going to do if the battery runs down? Then you'll miss that hand crank like your old one had! You better play it safe and drive in the daytime only boy, and park on hills when you stop.
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ReplyDeleteFred, there is in my book no way to defend the DELIBERATE dishonesty and empty POSTURING of the prior occupant of the white house.
His greatest accomplishment was a deception called obamacare. Good thing he has the Republicans to blame for that disaster. And HRC for the Libya miscalculation. For the weakest economic rebound after a recession since WWII when even cutting a full work week from 40 hours to 30 couldn't make his administration's efforts look acceptable, why, he has the bankers, the Republicans, and even himself!!!! when he recently mused that perhaps he was 10 or 20 years premature. To that I say the man needs a new mirror vender. I suggest one who didn't specialize in mirrors for the carnival.
Show us, Fred, an economic response so fast and so large as that of this country's when The Self Annointed Saviour of the Known Universe and Beyond was replaced by Trump.
Any of your "professionals" spring to mind Fred, who might hold a candle to this rebound?
Roger
Fire 400 generals !
ReplyDeleteGuys! This is all about money; these guys want to keep the established rules so they can retire and use their clearances to make money off of. That's it! ALL ex Govt employees not working for the govt should loose their clearances.
ReplyDeleteWell... Obama was led by them he did everything they said and asked for -- Now Mr. Trump tells them "I'm the Boss" and it is like - Oh no - he doesn't listen to us - They've simply forgotten that he is the boss - The results matter and Black Ops are not a game - $62bn a year in Afghanistan with all they can muster for any Taliban attack - Now the North and South supply lines are cut meaning No convoy is safe - Every Blackwater option is fully deployed to convoy duty. These are the results as AJ said Fire 400 generals! And "liquidate" all assets, no visas and get out - It will take China, India & Iran years to deal with the containment and we have guns for sale.
ReplyDeleteRemember what Chuck Schumer said in January of 2017 about the intelligence agencies? They have six ways from Sunday to get you. That was a threat. This should be seen for what it is, a coup against the Constitutionally elected president of the United States. I don't care what you think of Trump, a coup against the US presidency cannot be tolerated.
ReplyDeleteThere is NO evidence on how wealthy Trump is; there is mounting evidence that he owned huge sums to the Russian mobs...want to find out? have him reveal his taxes.
ReplyDeletepicking on this and that in the past is a silly game for avoiding the present. Deal with the here and the now.
Is the entire intel community wrong and Trump right? if so, why have an intel group at all.
Are you tired of winning?
How Important Is the Protest Against Trump from the National-Security Establishment?
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ReplyDelete"These are men you do not want to cross." I'd say the same thing about Trump. This is a man you do not want to cross.
ReplyDeleteDJT is best understood as a counter puncher. He does not throw the first punch but responds with often devastating effectiveness against those who attack him. These men launched a war of choice against him. Prediction: they are going to lose and lose VERY, VERY,VERY badly!!
To the best I can tell, this all started with Brenan's bizarre rant impugbing DJT's patriotism and all but calling for a coup against a duly elected POTUS after a very successful meeting with a very important leader.
At some point, Admiral McRaven went insane. His bizarre rant mirrors that of John Brennan. He accuses POTUS of humiliating and embarrassing us. Wrong sir. It is you and your ilk who have done what you accuse POTUS of.
A thorough review of the Bin Laden raid is actually in order. We gave up ALLOT there for essentially a retired terrorist.
Frankly, preserving inside access to inside information for those not currently employed by an organization is NOT a winning issue when NO ONE outside of government has such access to such information about their former employer nor would it be expected. Increased taxes and crushing regulations as espoused by the previous Administration aren't winning issues either. Furthermore policies that exacerbate Cold War 2 without providing evidence as to why we need to do this are overwhelmingly losing issues.
Bottom line: the admiral and others launched a war of choice against POTUS that they can't win and never could.
They are either insane or they are desperately trying to hide something. As for men like McRaven and Petraeus, they can either back down or spend the rest of their lives in some extremely cramped quarters. The choice is theirs. As for Brenan, it is probably to late. He's going down and hard. To hitch oneself to him is unwise in the extreme. These ideologically blind idiots apparently did just that!! They can still get out. Will they come to their senses in time? Unfortunately my guess is no.