written by the author of Rogue Journey, 1945-1975, and Vietnam Journey, ten years in the Nam, a family story.
written by the author of Rogue Journey, 1945-1975, and Vietnam Journey, ten years in the Nam, a family story.
Greetings Readers,
I have held this post for several days to clear my mind and do some rational critical thinking concerning the Skripal poisoning. The controversy is easily opinionated as “the Russians did it’. Not so fast, Russia repeatedly denies it and where is the proof? There is none, and there will be in probability none forthcoming.
Convicted double agent Skripal was sentence to 13 years imprisonment and spent years behind bars before being exchanged in an East-West spy swap. In his new life in Britain the former agent apparently posed no threat to the Russian government. There is plainly no motive for the Kremlin to execute this man and it is a mystery that may never be solved.
Conversely could it be others? At this point in time who would have the motivation to pin the unsavory incident on the Russians and why? Research, analysis, and rationality brings to mind one other suspect, one whose had a recent hardliner staff change in directorship at the highest pinnacle of American’s intelligence organizations. The CIA.
Who benefited by the attempted murders? Definitely not Russia, the U. S. however did. The act drew closer the NATO alliance as to fervent criticism of Russia which hit an all time high, and therefore placed itself firmly in the camp of the domestically and internationally beleaguered President Trump. It was a win-win for the significant segment of Russia hating departments in the Pentagon and in the intelligence field.
The devious act countered Russia’s surge to retain its world leadership. The move stopped Russia its tracks and its alleged, debatable, ‘most powerful leader in the world, Putin’. If the CIA did it, it was a brilliant strategic move done at the right moment to boost a defensive and disliked American president.
The Democrats and media once criticize Tillerson the then Secretary of State for allowing critical positions unfilled, i. e. Ambassador to South Korea, etc. but currently Russia has temporarily lost over 120 key positions and is diplomatically blinded. That in itself is a CIA plus, but the damage continues and the play for newer sanctions bu the U. K. has just begun.
Background: After the poisoning in Salisbury, England the U.K sends home 23 diplomatic staff to Russia, quickly followed by 60 from the U. S. and the closing of a Consulate in Seattle, Washington state near a submarine base. Within days more than 80 other diplomats and alleged espionage agents are summoned out of European and Nordic counties. As I write am waiting for the other shoe to drop by way of the Russian retalitory response.
Assassinations and attempted assassinations are no stranger to America’s CIA. The U. S. tried to kill Castro a half-dozen times with cigars, food, and a seashell. One of the most publicized was the successful torture murder of the incorruptible Patrice Lummumba in the resource rich Congo. There have been dozens of attempts and successes in South America, some of which at times with suddenly exploded and disappearing aircraft as depicted in John Perkin’s best seller 2004 book I was an Economic Hitman.
In my Cold War lifetime I have never seen so much negative diplomatic activity over a couple of dubious, unsuccessful, double agent spies who have absolutely nothing of importance to provide to any government on earth. (Papa & Dau) Of course this is the third or fourth alleged poisoning by the Russians in the past 50 years. Are we prepared for more conflict and possibly an extension of the Cold War over two failed spies? I hope not.
All the Best to you.
Ron Miller