By toppling Muammar Gaddafi through a NATO bombing campaign and by backing extremist rebels the US an its allies created a nightmare situation in what was once one of the most prosperous nations on the African continent. Today, Libya is essentially a failed state and the allies have turned their attention to Syria.
Sy Hersh first broke the story of the weapons smuggling rat-line extending from Libya to Syria and he continues to provide much needed, in depth, reporting on US involvement in the Syrian conflict. Despite being effectively blacklisted across western media, the veteran journalist still manages to find a way to publish his pieces with outlets like the London Book Review and his latest efforts in Welt a German publisher.
So, just why has Hersh been ostracized by the western media?
It's simple really. He does his job.
He speaks truth to power.
Along with a scathing critique of the Trump administration's decision to launch an attack on Syria, despite knowing full well that the Syrian government did NOT use chemical weapons against their own people, Hersh has published a conversation of an American Soldier speaking with a security analyst on active duty at a key military airbase in the region.
What this interaction highlights is the fact that the US government and personnel in the region were aware that the Assad regime was not responsible for the chemical attack. It also demonstrates that key US military personnel did not support the decision to launch a barrage of million dollar Tomahawk missiles in response.
The identities of the military personnel have been omitted with consideration for their safety.
A Fuckin' Problem
April 6th, 2017
American Soldier: We got a fuckin‘ problem
Security-Adviser: What happened? Is it the Trump ignoring the Intel and going to try to hit the Syrians? And that we’re pissing on the Russians?
AS: This is bad…Things are spooling up.
SA: You may not have seen trumps press conference yesterday. He’s bought into the media story without asking to see the Intel. We are likely to get our asses kicked by the Russians. Fucking dangerous. Where are the godamn adults? The failure of the chain of command to tell the President the truth, whether he wants to hear it or not, will go down in history as one of our worst moments.
AS: I don’t know. None of this makes any sense. We KNOW that there was no chemical attack. The Syrians struck a weapons cache (a legitimate military target) and there was collateral damage. That’s it. They did not conduct any sort of a chemical attack.
AS: And now we’re shoving a shit load of TLAMs (tomahawks) up their ass.
SA: There has been a hidden agenda all along. This is about trying to ultimately go after Iran. What the people around Trump do not understand is that the Russians are not a paper tiger and that they have more robust military capability than we do.
AS: I don’t know what the Russians are going to do. They might hang back and let the Syrians defend their own borders, or they might provide some sort of tepid support, or they might blow us the fuck out of the airspace and back into Iraq. I honestly don’t know what to expect right now. I feel like anything is possible. The russian air defense system is capable of taking out our TLAMs. this is a big fucking deal…we are still all systems go…
SA: You are so right. Russia is not going to take this lying down
SA: Who is pushing this? Is it coming from Votel (General Joseph L. Votel, Commander of United States Central Command, editor’s note) ?
AS: I don’t know. It’s from someone big though. . . . This is a big fucking deal.
AS: It has to be POTUS.
AS: They [the russians] are weighing their options. Indications are they are going to be passive supporters of syria and not engage their systems unless their own assets are threatened..in other words, the sky is fucking blue.’
"Where are the goddam adults?"
"And now we’re shoving a shit load of TLAMs (tomahawks) up their ass."
"...the Russians are not a paper tiger..."
This is not a democrat/republican issue, this is about understanding the dire consequences for the entire planet by engaging the Russians with this kind of military bravado. Actions like these could very well ignite WW3, if it isn't already underway.
April 7, 2017
SA: What are the Russians doing or saying Am I correct that we did little real damage to Russia or Syria?
AS: We didn’t hit a damn thing, thankfully. They retrograded all their aircraft and personnel. We basically gave them a very expensive fireworks display.
AS: They knew where ships were and watched the entire strike from launch to end game.
AS: The Russians are furious. Claiming we have the real Intel and know the truth about the weapons depot strike.
AS: They are correct.
AS: I guess it really didn’t matter whether we elected Clinton or Trump. Fuck.
AS: No one is talking about the entire reason we’re in Iraq and Syria in the first place. That mission is fucked now.
SA: Are any of your colleagues pissed or is everyone going along with it and saying this is OK
AS: It’s a mad house. . . .Hell we even told the Russians an hour before impact
SA: But they clearly knew it was coming
AS: Oh of course
AS: Now Fox is saying we chose to hit the Syrian airfield because it is where the chemical attacks were launched from. Wow. Can’t make this shit up.
All my props to Hersh. Most memorable Hersh comment on Abu Ghraib: "What was worst was the screams of the children being raped as their parents were interrogated."
We aren't told the real extent of 'harsh interrogation' techniques authorized by the POTUS, and executed by USG forces. If this doesn't scare Americans when done on their authority, it will when it happens to them.
If we don't stop it, it's only a matter of time before our pet monster turns on us. Is there the even any question whether those willing to do such things might care in the least what the nationality of their victims is?
This is the true #pedogate. War is the enemy.
Edit: About a week ago SCOTUS ruled that American officials cannot be sued for their authorization of torture. That is the state of the us justice system. Give that just a moments thought, regarding what that means for officials considering using such tactics universally on Americans being interrogated - not convicted of anything, or even suspected of breaking any law, merely being questioned.
Don't think it can happen here? Enjoy the denial! I recommend the end of the movie 'Brazil' for your enjoyment, as it may well be your best hope.
I agree, we can comfortably ignore the systematic destruction of sovereign nations under the guise of 'humanitarian intervention' but it seems to only be a matter of time before the same instruments will be turned on us. They may speak in patriotic and humanitarian language but they are anything but.
I only hope that the headlong rush into WWIII has been stalled. It is almost impossible for me to know. Some things have given me encouragement, but my crystal ball is cloudy, and the future impenetrable.
Bad enough these failed states turned to be recruiting centers for terrorists where they spread their barbaric propaganda to recruit and kill those who don't support them such as fellow innocent Muslims and non Muslims . The World has to come with strategies to defeating it. Not only Libya, but also Somalia is another failed state. Let make the world a better place for all its people regardless of their races, religions or geographical locations.
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