Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Ray McGovern — Russia Reads US Bluster as Sign of War


Russia is not discounting US saber-rattling as just politics or bluster.
During the Reagan administration, I was one of the CIA analysts assigned to present to White House officials the President’s Daily Brief, which summed up the CIA’s views on the pressing national security issues of the day. If I were still in that job – and assuming CIA analysts are still able to speak truth to power – I am afraid that I would be delivering alarming news about the potential of a U.S.-Russian military clash.
We analysts were responsible for picking up warnings from Moscow and other key capitals that the U.S. news media often missed or downplayed, much as the major news outlets today are ignoring the escalation of warnings from Russia over Syria.

For instance, Russian defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov warned on Oct. 6 that Russia is prepared to shoot down unidentified aircraft – including any stealth aircraft – over Syria. It is a warning that I believe should be taken seriously.
It’s true that experts differ as to whether the advanced air defense systems already in Syria can bring down stealth aircraft, but it would be a mistake to dismiss this warning out of hand. Besides, Konashenkov added, in a telling ex-ante-extenuating-circumstance vein, that Russian air defense “will not have time to identify the origin” of the aircraft.
In other words, U.S. aircraft, which have been operating in Syrian skies without Syrian government approval, could be vulnerable to attack with the Russian government preemptively warning that such an incident won’t be Moscow’s fault.…
Consortium News
Russia Reads US Bluster as Sign of War
Ray McGovern, prepared the President’s Daily Brief for Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Reagan. During Reagan’s first term he conducted one-on-one morning briefings of the Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the President’s national security assistant

See also

Debate Moderator Distorted Syrian Reality

3 comments:

GLH said...

Is having US aircraft illegally bombing in Syria already an act of war?

Salsabob said...

It's so nice that the Russian bombing in Syria just puts a little rogue on and messes-up the hair of an 8-year old in such a cute way -

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/11/world/syria-wounded-girl/

Putin suck-ups are sick.

Peter Pan said...

Putin will be regarded as a fool if Syria ends up as Russia's second Afghanistan.