The CIA and Gina Haspel loom as an obstacle to President Trump’s Saudi rescue mission. The White House wants to exonerate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi . This is not only because MbS has a tender filial bond with Jared Kushner, but also because the president and his cabinet want...
Author: Jefferson Morley (Jefferson Morley)
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Trump Ramped Up Drone Strikes in America’s Shadow Wars
From the Daily Beast: In 2009 and 2010, Obama launched 186 drone strikes on Yemen, Somalia, and especially Pakistan. Donald Trump’s drone strikes during his own first two years on the three pivotal undeclared battlefields, however, eclipse Obama’s—but without a corresponding reputation for robot-delivered bloodshed, or even anyone taking much notice. In 2017 and 2018...
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After CIA Visit, South Korea’s Intel Chief Expects Another Summit
President Trump’s “fire and fury” rhetoric no longer drives the news cycle. Nor does the pomp and circumstance of his Singapore summit with North Kore’s Kim Jong Un. The most recent denuclearization talks between the United States, North Korea, and South Korea were cancelled earlier this month. All the while, the U.S. and South Korean intelligence...
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Former Saudi Intel Chief Questions the CIA’s Findings on Khashoggi Killings
The prince, a former Saudi intelligence chief who has also served as ambassador to the United States, said the agency’s conclusion that Iraq possessed chemical weapons before the U.S. invasion in 2003 showed it could be unreliable. Source: Senior Saudi prince says CIA cannot be trusted on Khashoggi conclusion | Reuters
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Ha’aretz: Israeli cyber firm negotiated advanced attack capabilities sale with Saudis
One staple of Middle East media coverage rarely seen in U.S. coverage is the story of how the Israel’s high-tech sector supplies spyware to Arab intelligence services. This sort of collaboration is an example of the quiet alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Haaretz.com, the reliable Israeli news site, has the latest example. The Israeli...