Painting by Anthony Freda.
We’ve pointed out for years that arming the Syrian and Libyan rebels to topple leaders we don’t like is a really stupid idea.
It turns out that the CIA agrees with us.
The New York Times reports:
The Central Intelligence Agency has run guns to insurgencies across the world during its 67-year history — from Angola to Nicaragua to Cuba [to Syria].
***
An internal C.I.A. study has found that it rarely works.
The still-classified review, one of several C.I.A. studies commissioned in 2012 and 2013 in the midst of the Obama administration’s protracted debate about whether to wade into the Syrian civil war, concluded that many past attempts by the agency to arm foreign forces covertly had a minimal impact on the long-term outcome of a conflict. They were even less effective, the report found, when the militias fought without any direct American support on the ground.
***
The findings of the study, described in recent weeks by current and former American government officials, were presented in the White House Situation Room and led to deep skepticism among some senior Obama administration officials about the wisdom of arming and training members of a fractured Syrian opposition.
***
“One of the things that Obama wanted to know was: Did this ever work?” said one former senior administration official who participated in the debate and spoke anonymously because he was discussing a classified report. The C.I.A. report, he said, “was pretty dour in its conclusions.”
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Mr. Obama made a veiled reference to the C.I.A. study in an interview with The New Yorker published this year. Speaking about the dispute over whether he should have armed the rebels earlier, Mr. Obama told the magazine: “Very early in this process, I actually asked the C.I.A. to analyze examples of America financing and supplying arms to an insurgency in a country that actually worked out well. And they couldn’t come up with much.”
***
Last month, Mr. Obama said he would redouble American efforts by having the Pentagon participate in arming and training rebel forces.
Dan Froomkin – an investigative journalist with the Washington Post, HuffPost and now First Look (and a Democrat) – slams Obama for deciding to arm Syrian rebels even after the CIA told him it wouldn’t work, in an article entitled “Obama Knew Arming Rebels Was Useless, But Did It Anyway“:
He knew better, but he did it anyway.
***
Bush at least thought the war in Iraq would do some good.
He was incredibly wrong, mind you. He was both delusional — and actively manipulated by neocons like Dick Cheney (who believe the application of American power is always and inherently a good thing). He intentionally misled the public about his real reasons for going to war (the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were an excuse, not a reason; there were no Iraqi weapons of mass destruction). His eventual goal was both unachievable (a sudden flowering of pro-Western democracy in the Middle East) and perverse (American control of Iraqi oil fields). His methods (firing all the Baathists; trying to install a corrupt puppet) were spectacularly misguided. Much of the rest of his presidency was consumed with sectarian warfare in Iraq and new lies to cover up the old ones at home. And the end result was a massive human rights catastrophe, including torture of U.S. detainees, a refugee crisis, mass casualties, social disorder and – finally – the Islamic State.
Bush also certainly saw – and exploited — the political upside of being a war president.
But [at least Bush] didn’t let loose the dogs of war simply because his political operatives told him it would poll well.
In response to embarrassment caused by the revelation that Obama agreed to arm the Syrian rebels after the CIA warned him it wouldn’t do any good, the U.S. military is now saying they won’t work with the Syrian rebels.
Specifically, General Allen – the head of America’s anti-ISIS campaign – now says that the administration now has no plans to ever coordinate with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) or any other of the existing rebel factions. He says they’ll only work with a new coalition of “moderate” rebels.
Sadly, there aren’t any moderate rebels in Syria (and see this).
Virtually all of the arms – and humanitarian aid – end up in the hands of the most brutal terrorists.
If you go back and read the Oded Yinon plan, see "A Clean Break..." an "Rebuilding America's Defenses" and other PNAC and JINSA missives as part of the same plan - it makes perfect sense.
It's not about Qatari gas pipelines, it is about preventing an Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline, selling gas from Leviathan, blocking support for the Hezbollah resistance and for Hamas guerillas... and for "Greater Israel."
Naturally there are MIC and banking elements, but on the political state dept, beltway, think tank level - it's right wing Zionist Jews basically driving the car, and not decried as such because it's always racist to discuss Jewish power, even where you're talking a minority of that minority....
Well, enjoy the next few decades of war and shredding of the Constitution.
You don't spend 4 trillion to secure 19th centruty energy sources on the other side of the world when you could drill your own, fund alternative energies research, etc. etc.
America has simply been hijacked. And if not by the pro-Israel crowd, than by any number of other wealthy, pro-war interests.
when will the bs stop, if the syrian rebels were funded, armed, and trained they'd of headed east to damascus, and still lost.
the funding went, and is still going exactly were obama wants it.
the plan is a complete success. usa, saudia arabia, and uae bombing openly in syria, with un blessing, sound like libya.
the western half of syria, and all of iraq need to be controled by the people bombing for nat. gas pipe-lines.
another year assad will be surrounded, as their trying to do to putin.
100's of thousands more muslums will die,( but that will happen anyway), but the choosen will have oil, and nat. gas routes.
just my personal opinion, but what makes these countries think their going to build, and keep pipe-lines operating through 1000's of miles in the me?
Syria schmeria, the CIA said the same thing about Libya and look how well that turned out
Chaos mayhem and millions of African/Muslim refugees flooding the EU and Americas is the objective
Wages are cratering rents are rising and leftists are winning on demographics alone
if Obama didn't say it he should have, "I have a message for ISIS, defeat the Assad regime in Syria and set up your own Muslim state. You can have a caliphate in Damascus. Of course it will have to be part of a larger Parliamentary government, with elections overseen by the UN, and loans from the IMF, you can probably get into the EU in a few years." Sir, isn't that your Ukranian policy. "Yeah, well see we a have coherent foreign policy."
If you want your Islamic State, you can keep your Islamic State
Still searching for his Legacy, the bloodthirsty Obama drags the "reluctant" CIA and a war-weary nation into more wars! Absolute proof now that Obama is more evil and stupid than W Bush --
"Doh, has arming and funding terrorists ever worked?"
"No Mr President the evidence shows it's a bad idea and that it doesn't work, but we'll do it if you want (because that's what we do at the CIA)."
"They told me it didn't work, but I made it clear that I wanted to do it anyway."
Funny how this all gets reported near the end of his ruling period.
He'll get another Nobel Peace Prize for what he will do in the future
An elected dictator.
From a President that armed Mexican drug gangs expect anything
what is this a joke. the cia 'agrees with you?
isis is not being fought . it is a huge lie. they are being funded with weapons and money and logistics. everything on tv is a lie. they are there to fight assad. that is all. any other complexities of the situation are lies meant to decieve you.
if isis is fighting the kurds, it's because u.s. struck a side deal with turkey to have them kill one another. it is of no consequence.
McObama
Nothing to do with traditional idea of "working", Obama is just implementing Soros' plans from MENA to the Ukraine. Sort of a Sykes-Picot 2014 style.
In a courageous and brilliant speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2014, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pierced the veil of obfuscation that characterizes too many speeches at the United Nations, and delivered a scathing denunciation of Western imperialism, imperialism that can only be accurately described as global theft. Lavrov, on behalf of the Russian Federation implicitly warned that US/NATO is risking global war in embarking on its campaign to seize and dominate huge territories, while inexorably and ruthlessly determined to conquer and subjugate Russia, having learned nothing from the historic reality that Napolean’s effort to dominate Russia led to the collapse of Napoleonic France, and Hitler’s attempt to subjugate Russia led to the obliteration of his Third Reich.
more: http://www.globalresearch.ca/pardon-us-for-our-countrys-existence-in-the...
Obama and his handlers are grade A pieces of human shit.
Are there any patriots left in the SS, Marine detail, or Capitol Police?
Not with any balls or an inherent belief in the Constitution they are sworn to defend. A few Ed Snowdens with access to sensitive information (and the odd testicle or two) and they could bring this shower of shit down. Self-serving fuckwits the lot of em.
Jeez, reading any other news other than the US News, Bath House Barry is the #1 Terrorist, like Carlos the Jackal!
"Carlos the Backdoor Man."
The same foreign media that idolized him and applauded his Nobel Peace Prize
bathhouse barry the walking talking reggie fuckstick. hes a messiah, the magic negro
Obama is the result of the affirmative education of the stupid. Others with higher intellect obtain the same education, aka dogma indoctrination. Both receive the credentials without learning to think or question everything.
"Who protects us from our protectors?" Our intellectually deficient leaders are lead by others who they believe more capable. "Who certifies our hidden agenda makers?"
Trust is the myth of a superior intellect has your interest as a goal.
Obama. The commuity organizing mastermind who spends all his time playing golf, blowing reggie, while single handedly dismantling all that is great in the US of A.
Obama is the biggest threat farce danger useless moronically intelligent super genius idiot to destroy murka!
Obama is the biggest threat farce danger useless moronically intelligent super genius idiot to destroy murka!
No ll
The American people in this "Democratic Republic" deserve the lion's share of the blame for their continued indifference in the face of total corruption in that "bureacracy" called Washington from top to bottm.
Keep telling yourself at the end of the day it's about the collective interests of "We The People" and always has been!
that's what I said. I know I should use /s but it's not as fun.
If the CIA is so against this President's policies then "why" aren't they also talking about what we did 8 months ago in Kiev, along with the DNI and all his subordinates delivering an open letter to Congress declaring their efforts not only treasonous but dangerous to national security and the destruction to our reputation with foreign government(s) around the globe?...
More "Pollyanna" from the team at Langley that simply covers their asses when they are up to their elbows and chins in ""...
Truth be told if they cared so much about their reputations in the IC then why the fuck aren't we seeing them resign and step forward as a collective to make it stop along with a notice to all the members of Congress and the President that what they have been doing should land them all in jail or lay the foundation for a referendum to bring back Nuremburg!... But of course that would also mean they would be accomplices to all those wonderful crimes as well which is why we will never see that happen unless the American voter demands absolute change and collective punishment for the crimes the politicians in D.C. keep committing in their names.
Guess they figure that if the American people don't give a fuck -Why should they!
After all... They are good at what they do post-9/11 creating chaos everywhere they let our military go and to use a General Powell-ism not in the slightest care about "fixing what they break"... Just total devastation and destruction the way the Zionist(s) pay them to do!!!
P.S.
On G.W.intentionally misleading the public about his real reasons for going to war (the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were an excuse, not a reason; there were no Iraqi weapons of mass destruction)....
Mr. ex-Washington Post (CIA PR front man) Froomkin really needs to clarify his position and "link" to what not a reason really means along with the DNI and all the "fine" people" that have contributed to such misery and brutality in the Middle East and now Eastern Europe based on that lack of a reason?!!!
After more than 13 years and still no answers here's what that link should like!
http://www.ae911truth.org/
I think that Obama has zero permission to do anything independently. He's a complete pawn.
Chain of COmmand:
Tel Aviv/Mossad (Masters)
^
CIA (Mormons, shrubs, others)
^
Valerie (Chicago communists)
^
Bath House (gay guy)
Arms to 3rd world rebels but no squirrel gun for you Joe American, says Barry Obola and democrats. Keep dreaming dems.
I think destabalization did work but it is far too costly now with the advent of the Internet. Adversaries wise up, there are only so many tactics to execute with boots on the ground be them intelligence or military and as enemies have access to much more information to stymie the tactics the costs rise in blood and treasure.
Another part of this story worth a mention is China becoming the reserve currency. With the privalege comes a price, the host nation also begins and eventually becomes the global policeman. Think America allowed the Chinese very sensitive nuclear and missle tech in the 90's for no reason? That happened along with all the outsourcing to them at the same time. So
America, like Britain before it will withdraw from many areas in the east on policeman duties and cut military expenditures while China will step into this role. Long Chinese defense contractors. As an American I realize what we got in the end was a police state. Being global police and us turning into one because thats what we projected should be no surprise. But police states kill business confidence in the end.
Warfare-welfare states cannot last and history shows how they end but they ALWAYS do. Nowadays, this doesn't happen in centuries but decades with the tenure of reserve currency/global policeman being 80 years. I say good riddance, the population is war weary, the general population gets no real benefit at the end of it's tenure.
Lastly, blaming Obama when the intelligent amoung us know he is just a puppet President is a political move, sounds like clearing the deck to make way for Jeb Bush to run. This may not win me any upvotes here but I like the man and spoken with him. He passed through my idea to GW Bush in 2008 to dry up the discount window from the Fed. My advice was for a month but they did it for a week cooling speculation and oil dropped from $105 or so down to $95. GW said he needed a benchmark per oil barrel speculation. I got him his raw benchmark and gave the American people some relief at the pump. I say this as an example that some here that care and are bright can pick up the phone and shredly create a win for the people.
I also wrote Jeb on an idea for a debate platform to connect politicians with the people citing the big disconnect that exists between them. He liked the idea and refer me to Pete Peterson (basically Rockerfellers) that wouldn't give me a meeeting even with Jeb's recommendation. The short is I self-funded a network concept, it took off but required fine tuning to be generic social media tool rather than a political one as investors are scared of government, yes even the billionaires currying some favor but opposed to the general direction of the country.
As an innovator you realize there will be some compromise with capital if you care and want to get funding to make a couple yards for the football game of life for team humanity. It was a long commentary, thanks you for letting me speak my views.
this story is flawed... the ussa trained isis fighters in qatar, jordan and turkey. malaki was elected, not installed and it was brennan who gave away the farm in iraq.. bush actually wanted three states established with equal representation and distribution of oil money. ussa companies had to compete to win contracts, not were given.
obama and his kenyan family are sunni and his half bro is a member of the muzzie brohood, isis is sunni... need say more? ok his college education was funded by the house of saud, their influence got him into harvard (an over rated shithole of marxist libtard unicorn philosophy..) and that is why he bowed in the infamous picture of a ussa pres groveling in front of a two bit sunni wahabi terrorist funding scumbag... yes do let us see the 28 pages of the 9/11 commission report... the part that nails the sauds. why do you think gulianni refusd the money from the sauds..
we are supposed to believe a libtard rag regarding presidential briefings and libtard conclusions... since when. the cia does what the president tells them to do and the benghazi fiasco in all its glory was a brennan/obama/clintoon creation... the feb 17 brigade secvurity / blue mtn. combo was part crony capitalism and part deliberate misguided by fatass hilary.. who doesn't know her ass from a large hole int he ground.. congressman rogers wife was a part owner of blue mountian... certainly blackwater/xe/academi/greystone have well qualified ex military for security purposes ... as shown that the "annex" used them... and they were able to rescue 68 personell whereas the stae dpt secuirty coudl not do shit. exactly who was "bob" the cia oic talking to when he told the annex security people to "stand down"... love to know that one.. of course they disobeyed and went ot he rescue..
actually arming rebels does work... as long as they are not muzlim jihadi extemeists... that lesson we haven't learned..
Esum - Interesting post.
Thank you!
What do you do when the enemy of the American people turns out to be the President?
"turns out to be" ? No. Obama was always america's enemy. His central idea is this: "If ya can't change it, destroy it ".
Lucklongshot - That is a job for military and intelligence agencies still logal to the constitution and you pray it becomes a benevolent dictatorship, because that is where all states end.
A house divided will fall so hedging preps, getting out of the way is important. Understand how the world works is critical for when to make mo es and when to run. It's a barbell economy so either work 60 hours a week attempting to break gravity or work part-time, share dwellings and pursue simple pleasures. That is on a personal level in how to deal.
Shutting out foreign lobby and true nationalism is the answer. Intelligence can start investigations into foreign lobby, exonerate past leadership by calling it failed policy like this article (which many Americans realize) but the investigations can get current senior politicos to think twice by nailing a couple of them.
Trade rebalancing needs to accelerate or we run the risk of becoming Argentina, once a powerhouse in the early 20th century. Reign in the damn bankers, the money multipler/debt issuance has just stalled the inevitable reorganization of the boom/bust cycle of central bank model. The rule of law must apply to all. Throw a couple of them in jail for a year so they stop thinking there god and government is now irrelevant. Bankers make loans, they can't run countries worth shit. They want all the perks of power but don't spend real time in planning organic growth and when debt model blows up they just point back to Congress which bought off by lobbying and has lost touch with the people who could write plans for them (since they have forgotten how after 40 years of financialization). Bust a couple of them too to make them think twice. Create yourself some conflict like Galileo suggested to implement change starting with heated rhetoric, no need for civil war or revolution.
People need leadership at the top with some balls and they will follow. Americans are a forgiving people but there patience is wearing thin and it isn't that they will revolt with firearms its that they will walk off into the wilderness causing true economic collapse. If one cannot compete because the law criminalizes the population and taxing the shit out of them while leaders exempt themself why compete and attempt to grow personal wealth, hence national wealth? Plus the hypocricy is stinks to high heaven which damages confidence.
Throw some people in jail today or let other nations decide if they will give you in intelligence and defense a paycheck tomorrow.
"What do you do when the enemy of the American people turns out to be the President?"
Make sure that half of your article blames bush and cheney.
Grimaldus
Nobel Peace Prize Obama giving arms and training to rebels so they can more effectively kill American soldiers.
Buying votes with American (and others) blood... thats worthy of Nobel Peace Prize for sure. Killing anywhere anytime anybody is good for the Presidential mojo.... expect Obama to want more killing.
US Citizen, Press TV reporter dead in car crash near Syria 2 days after Turkey calls her a spy http://wtfrly.com/2014/10/20/us-citizen-press-tv-reporter-dead-in-car-cr...
Of coirse the incompetent corrupt arrogant narcissistic illegal indonesian kenyan alien muslim sociopathic pathological liar in chief ignored logical advice. What else would one expect from a thing that only cares about its overprivileged opulent celebrity grand imperial golf lifestyle.
When somthing doesn't work change your objective.
+1000
Good one. Indeed!
Define "doesn't work"
The arms manufacturers looking at their bankaccount are thinking "it does work".
Yes. The See Eye Aye knows it does not work but they do it anyway because their MIC-Defense pals get rich off of it.