Monday, January 20, 2020

Former CIA Official Accuses President Trump Of Being Obsessed With 'Killing Celebrity Terrorist Targets'

Via Kevin McCarthy/Instagram, and Daily Mail: "President Trump ate ice cream and meatloaf with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday when the Pentagon confirmed that a top Iranian general was killed in an airstrike. From left: Trump aides Hogan Gidley and Dan Scavino; McCarthy; and Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night."

Just Security: The President, His Relationship with Intelligence, and the Soleimani Strike

When it comes to intelligence, like with so much else, President Donald Trump likes big names. It’s this focus on celebrity, headlines, and immediate gratification — versus substance, impact, and consequences — that so often motivates him. Partly because of this, as a senior CIA counterterrorist manager, my team and I often struggled in persuading the president to recognize the most important threats. Now, with the killing of Qassem Soleimani, I worry that while Trump got a big name and lots of headlines, the long-term impact on U.S. strategic interests was not fully considered.

At CIA, I saw this play out more than once. Trump’s obsession in focusing resources against Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza is one example of the president’s preference for a “celebrity” targeted killing versus prioritizing options that could prove better for U.S. security.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: So who would this ex-CIA official approve in killing?

More News On A Former CIA Official Accusing President Trump Of Being Obsessed With 'Killing Celebrity Terrorist Targets'

Trump obsessively hunts 'celebrity' terrorist targets and ignores other threats to the US, former CIA officer says -- Business Insider
Trump puts 'celebrity' terrorism targets ahead of national security – ex-CIA man -- The Guardian
Former CIA senior official says Trump obsessed with killing 'celebrity' targets for 'headlines' -- Washington Examiner

8 comments:

Bob Huntley said...

,,,

Anonymous said...

In the pre-modern era battles were often decided by the death of the leader. Although it mostly does not now, it still as a large psychological impact.

Taking out leaders and perhaps finding it does not work and moving on to other priorities is not any worse than the shifting strategic bombing priorities of the US and British in WW2.

Trump IMO is better than Douglas London. If it doesn't work, Trump will move on and try something else and he won't take a long while to change tactics. I figure that Doug would worry 6 ways to Sunday about this or that blowback and 2 decades later Soleimeni is still operating in the filed and getting the results he wants.

The difference between Doug and Trump is like the difference between Rolling Thunder and Linebacker.

Anonymous said...

Osama Bin Laden had more battlefield experience than Hamza. Osama's experience is nothing to sneeze at, but it does not make him a battlefield genius. It is more that he endured air bombardment for a few days.

Hitler had way more battlefield experience than Osama, so that should make him a genius, a Sun Tzu, by comparison.

Anonymous said...

That's okay. I mean, Obama had a thing for bombing entire wedding parties for mid level terrorists.

Anonymous said...

As much as I dislike Obama what you posted is pure, unadulterated bullshit

www.amazon.com/ROBERTS-RIDGE-Sacrifice-Mountain-Afghanistan/dp/0553586807

If you read the book Roberts Ridge, you read where a Spec Ops guy does the math, because he does not want the pilot to mess up and bomb him.

He wants an enemy position 200 meters form him bombed. Instead of say 200 meters Northwest of coordinates (,x,y), the spec ops guy does the math, because he knows there is a double digit probability that the pilot will bomb coordinates (x,y). The pilots is busy flying, looking out or dodging enemy fire, etc.

Then there is bad intel or people in the vicinity of bases getting shelled by the Taliban.

BTW 75% to 80% of the civilians are killed were killed by the Taliban.

Anonymous said...

oh ?? and which one of the (up to) 8 wedding parties are you going on about? lol

jimbrown said...

"ex CIA counter terrorism manager" seeks attention by making up BS the way it's really done story.

News at 11.

Papa G said...

We all know how well the intelligence community performed with the WMD in Iraq. With the exception of DIA the entire IC caved. This is typical of CIA. This guy speaks with certainty but every intel estimate from his vaunted Agency is rife with words like “probably”, “may”, “could” and on and on. There is no certainty in there intel; so leaders go with their gut, Obama included.