Updated at 4 p.m. edt.
An embarrassed Beijing government claims it had no idea Chinese arms dealers met with members of the Gadhafi regime in July, but insists no weapons were sent to Libya.
"We have clarified with the relevant agencies that in July the Gadhafi government sent personnel to China without the knowledge of the Chinese government and they engaged in contact with a handful of people from the companies concerned," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said a press conference in Beijing.
"The Chinese companies did not sign arms-trade contacts, nor did they export military items to Libya," she said. "I believe that the agencies in charge of the arms trade will certainly treat this seriously."
end update
---[
Moammar Gadhafi left an ugly paper trail that confirms some startling geopolitical realities.
The latest screaming headline from the Gadhafi regime's secret files: "China offered Gadhafi huge stockpiles of arms: Libyan memos."
The Globe and Mail of Toronto reported that Chinese arms manufacturers were in discussions in late July to sell around $200-million worth of weapons and ammunition to Gadhafi.
The arms deal would have been in violation of United Nations sanctions.
The Canadian newspaper published some of the actual documents regarding China written in Arabic (with English explainer notes added).
There seems to be no limit to the juicy bits of information rolling out the Gadhafi regime's expansive records as human rights groups, rebel leaders, journalists and others rifle through the captured documents.
The first of the blockbuster disclosures from the Gadhafi files late last week revealed that the regime quickly developed relationships with the U.S. and British intelligence agencies after Gadhafi halted his weapons of mass destruction programs and invited inspectors into his country in 2004.
Gadhafi very much viewed Al Qaeda and Islamist militants as his enemy as well, but not lost on the Libyan dictator was the American-led Iraq invasion and toppling of secular oil-state dictator Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi despot had no connection to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks or many of the other charges the Bush administration leveled.
But, if it could happen to Saddam, Gadhafi knew it could happen to him too. Rather than take the chance, Gadhafi played ball with the the Central Intelligence Agency and MI6 through his intelligence chief Musa Kusa, the documents showed.
The man kept extensive records, incuding the creepy find of the week: Gadhafi's clip book filled with photos of former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
Ick.
So Gadhafi really believed he could prevail over the rebels, because he certainly had enough time the last sixth months to get rid of some of the more embarrassing and perhaps even incriminating evidence.
Despite all the oil money, the ornate tastes and the fully stocked underground bunker, what Moammar Gadhafi really needed was a paper shredder.
Showing posts with label CIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CIA. Show all posts
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Rehabbed Gadhafi Cozied Up to Bush Administration
Moammar Gadhafi began a working relationship with the Bush administration after the Libyan dictator abandoned his weapons of mass destruction programs and invited in international weapons inspectors, according to a published report that cited Libyan government documents.
Gadhafi's policy-changing epiphany was a result of the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. forces. The dictator used the moment to try to rehabilitate his image. The gesture by Gadhafi welcomed by the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as at spy agencies in other Western capitals, like London and Ottawa.
Top Bush administration officials met with the newly "reformed" Gadhafi, who apparently was particularly fond of Condi Rice, ex-national security advisor and secretary of State to former President George W. Bush.
Ex-Libyan intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kusa became the point man in Libya for the CIA, allowing terrorism suspects to be interrogated in Libya and the American spy agency to set up shop in Tripoli in 2004, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kusa, one of the earliest senior Gadhafi regime insiders to defect to the rebel side, was questioned by British authorities shortly after he defected about the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The hunt for Gadhafi, meanwhile, goes on.
"Gadhafi is still at large but he is hiding, he is isolated, he is almost surrounded in possibly one of two small places where we think he is," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Transitional National Council's ambassador to Britain. "We think it is just a matter of time before he is either apprehended or, if he resisted arrest, he might be killed."
Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte is surrounded today by rebel forces, but the city still has a week to negotiate a peace deal and avoid attack.
"Military action will be the last option, because after the fall of the capital, we are not in a hurry," said Khaled Zintani, a spokesman for the rebels in the mountain town of Zintan.
NATO has targeted military sites around Sirte and Bani Walid, where the rebels suspect Gadhafi is hiding.
Gadhafi continues to urge his followers to rise up against the rebels.
"We will fight them everywhere," Gadhafi said. "We will burn the ground under their feet ... Get ready to fight the occupation."
Turning to the future of Libya, representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Britain, France and other countries sat down in Paris with the TNC yesterday to decide how Gadhafi's frozen assets can best be spent.
Libya is coping with security issues, including keeping cash of weapons out of the hands of Islamist militants, and shortages of water, gas, and electricity.
Gadhafi's policy-changing epiphany was a result of the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. forces. The dictator used the moment to try to rehabilitate his image. The gesture by Gadhafi welcomed by the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as at spy agencies in other Western capitals, like London and Ottawa.
Top Bush administration officials met with the newly "reformed" Gadhafi, who apparently was particularly fond of Condi Rice, ex-national security advisor and secretary of State to former President George W. Bush.
Ex-Libyan intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kusa became the point man in Libya for the CIA, allowing terrorism suspects to be interrogated in Libya and the American spy agency to set up shop in Tripoli in 2004, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kusa, one of the earliest senior Gadhafi regime insiders to defect to the rebel side, was questioned by British authorities shortly after he defected about the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The hunt for Gadhafi, meanwhile, goes on.
"Gadhafi is still at large but he is hiding, he is isolated, he is almost surrounded in possibly one of two small places where we think he is," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Transitional National Council's ambassador to Britain. "We think it is just a matter of time before he is either apprehended or, if he resisted arrest, he might be killed."
Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte is surrounded today by rebel forces, but the city still has a week to negotiate a peace deal and avoid attack.
"Military action will be the last option, because after the fall of the capital, we are not in a hurry," said Khaled Zintani, a spokesman for the rebels in the mountain town of Zintan.
NATO has targeted military sites around Sirte and Bani Walid, where the rebels suspect Gadhafi is hiding.
Gadhafi continues to urge his followers to rise up against the rebels.
"We will fight them everywhere," Gadhafi said. "We will burn the ground under their feet ... Get ready to fight the occupation."
Turning to the future of Libya, representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Britain, France and other countries sat down in Paris with the TNC yesterday to decide how Gadhafi's frozen assets can best be spent.
Libya is coping with security issues, including keeping cash of weapons out of the hands of Islamist militants, and shortages of water, gas, and electricity.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Karzai's Brother, Drug-Dealer and CIA Informant, Assassinated
U.S. counterterrorism officials say the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was assassinated today by a friend and body guard, will be a loss to intelligence officials in the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Ahmed Wali Karzai was shot in his own home by an assassin at close range by Sardar Mohammed. The Taliban is said to be behind the hit. The gunman was cut down immediately by other armed body guards for Karzai.
Ahmed Wali Karzai was a known drug kingpin in Kandahar, dealing mostly in locally grown and processed heroin, but he was also on the CIA payroll.
"He was a necessary evil. Many will be glad to see him gone, but security in Kandahar may also take a nose dive," a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told The Baz File.
President Hamid Karzai, at a press conference with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy did not seem to be surprised by the news of his half-brother's death.
"This is the life of all Afghan people," Karzai said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke by phone to President Karzai today to extend her "deepest condolences to him and to his family."
"The United States condemns this murder in the strongest terms. For too long, the people of Afghanistan have suffered under the threat of violence, intolerance, and extremism," Clinton said.
It harkened back to the assassination earlier this year of the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, Salman Taseer, who was whacked by one of his machine-gun wielding bodyguards in Islamabad. The turncoat assassin was miffed that Taseer defended a Christian woman sentenced to death.
"You can't hire good help these days, as Karzai's brother and Pakistan's Punjab governor can attest to," the counterterrorism source quipped.
Ahmed Wali Karzai was shot in his own home by an assassin at close range by Sardar Mohammed. The Taliban is said to be behind the hit. The gunman was cut down immediately by other armed body guards for Karzai.
Ahmed Wali Karzai was a known drug kingpin in Kandahar, dealing mostly in locally grown and processed heroin, but he was also on the CIA payroll.
"He was a necessary evil. Many will be glad to see him gone, but security in Kandahar may also take a nose dive," a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told The Baz File.
President Hamid Karzai, at a press conference with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy did not seem to be surprised by the news of his half-brother's death.
"This is the life of all Afghan people," Karzai said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke by phone to President Karzai today to extend her "deepest condolences to him and to his family."
"The United States condemns this murder in the strongest terms. For too long, the people of Afghanistan have suffered under the threat of violence, intolerance, and extremism," Clinton said.
It harkened back to the assassination earlier this year of the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, Salman Taseer, who was whacked by one of his machine-gun wielding bodyguards in Islamabad. The turncoat assassin was miffed that Taseer defended a Christian woman sentenced to death.
"You can't hire good help these days, as Karzai's brother and Pakistan's Punjab governor can attest to," the counterterrorism source quipped.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Drone Strikes Aim at Awlaki; Clinton Says Saleh Broke Promises
The uptick in the CIA's drone war in Yemen shows there is no disguising U.S. concerns over losing the chief Yemeni ally in the war against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
U.S. drones and Yemeni military are "taking advatage of the power vacuum" created by the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to keep American-born Al Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki from solidifying his move to gain control of AQAP, a career counter-terrorism official explained.
The mission's objective is to eliminate Awlaki. The CIA had targeted him since shortly after Osama bin Laden was killed in the daring raid on his compound in Pakistan.
Yemeni military are also engaged in hunting Awlaki and other AQAP operatives, but sources say there are still concerns that the U.S. could lose "assets" and access in Yemen without Saleh, who is being treated in Saudi Arabia for serious wounds in the assassination attempt on him last Friday.
Concerns over whether the predator drones will be given permission to fly over Yemen in the future have not kept the U.S. from calling for Saleh to give up power so free elections can be held. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today Saleh has failed to keep his part of the bargain to allow the election to go forward.
"On several opportunities, President Saleh did not go forward with what we thought had been agreed to," Clinton said in Abu Dhabi at meetings on the future of Libya, another country like Yemen where The Arab Spring freedom movement has taken root.
"We don’t think that the instability can be fully addressed until those changes commence. And so we’re going to continue to consult closely with our friends in the region to determine the best way forward," Clinton said.
"I can’t speculate on what President Ali Abdullah Saleh will decide to do. That’s obviously up to him. But Yemen has a strong constitution, and we believe if their constitution were actually implemented, Yemen would be moving in the right direction," Clinton added.
U.S. drones and Yemeni military are "taking advatage of the power vacuum" created by the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to keep American-born Al Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki from solidifying his move to gain control of AQAP, a career counter-terrorism official explained.
The mission's objective is to eliminate Awlaki. The CIA had targeted him since shortly after Osama bin Laden was killed in the daring raid on his compound in Pakistan.
Yemeni military are also engaged in hunting Awlaki and other AQAP operatives, but sources say there are still concerns that the U.S. could lose "assets" and access in Yemen without Saleh, who is being treated in Saudi Arabia for serious wounds in the assassination attempt on him last Friday.
Concerns over whether the predator drones will be given permission to fly over Yemen in the future have not kept the U.S. from calling for Saleh to give up power so free elections can be held. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today Saleh has failed to keep his part of the bargain to allow the election to go forward.
"On several opportunities, President Saleh did not go forward with what we thought had been agreed to," Clinton said in Abu Dhabi at meetings on the future of Libya, another country like Yemen where The Arab Spring freedom movement has taken root.
"We don’t think that the instability can be fully addressed until those changes commence. And so we’re going to continue to consult closely with our friends in the region to determine the best way forward," Clinton said.
"I can’t speculate on what President Ali Abdullah Saleh will decide to do. That’s obviously up to him. But Yemen has a strong constitution, and we believe if their constitution were actually implemented, Yemen would be moving in the right direction," Clinton added.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Osama's Journal, Other Docs Show He Was Still Terror Kingpin
More evidence that Osama Bin Laden remained active atop the Al Qaeda terror syndicate is trickling out in what increasingly looks like a concerted effort to play mind games with the fractured Islamist militant group.
Bin Laden's handwritten journal and other documents show the deceased terror leader was in contact with Al Qaeda cells or individuals not only in Middle East, but as far away as London, calling on them to strike at U.S. railroads on key dates and add Los Angeles to their list of targets.
No specific plots have been discovered, according to reports, but there is still renewed concern.
"The latest trove of intelligence should be a wake-up call to Americans that this threat has always been real," Michael Downing, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's counter-terrorism and special operations bureau, told The Los Angeles Times.
Bin Laden saved his communications on small, easy-to-circulate flash drives that couriers would get in the hands of Al Qaeda members. The Navy Seals who raided his Abbottabad compound snatched handfuls of the thumb-sized drives. Arab language experts and intelligence officials are now combing over the information cache.
"In one particularly macabre bit of mathematics, bin Laden’s writings show him musing over just how many Americans he must kill to force the U.S. to withdraw from the Arab world," the Associated Press reported.
"He concludes that the smaller, scattered attacks since the 9/11 attacks had not been enough. He tells his disciples that only a body count of thousands, something on the scale of 9/11, would shift U.S. policy," AP reported.
The unprecedented leak of what routinely would be considered classified information is part of what has become an almost daily distribution of information meant to inform the free world of Bin Laden's thoughts and plans and the potential threats they posed.
There is also a degree of psychological warfare at play. The leaks might be getting into the heads of Al Qaeda operatives, some of whom have to be wondering if bin Laden included enough details in his records to put terrorist-hunters on their trail. Counterterrorism experts think it could cause Al Qaeda to slip up.
Bin Laden's handwritten journal and other documents show the deceased terror leader was in contact with Al Qaeda cells or individuals not only in Middle East, but as far away as London, calling on them to strike at U.S. railroads on key dates and add Los Angeles to their list of targets.
No specific plots have been discovered, according to reports, but there is still renewed concern.
"The latest trove of intelligence should be a wake-up call to Americans that this threat has always been real," Michael Downing, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's counter-terrorism and special operations bureau, told The Los Angeles Times.
Bin Laden saved his communications on small, easy-to-circulate flash drives that couriers would get in the hands of Al Qaeda members. The Navy Seals who raided his Abbottabad compound snatched handfuls of the thumb-sized drives. Arab language experts and intelligence officials are now combing over the information cache.
"In one particularly macabre bit of mathematics, bin Laden’s writings show him musing over just how many Americans he must kill to force the U.S. to withdraw from the Arab world," the Associated Press reported.
"He concludes that the smaller, scattered attacks since the 9/11 attacks had not been enough. He tells his disciples that only a body count of thousands, something on the scale of 9/11, would shift U.S. policy," AP reported.
The unprecedented leak of what routinely would be considered classified information is part of what has become an almost daily distribution of information meant to inform the free world of Bin Laden's thoughts and plans and the potential threats they posed.
There is also a degree of psychological warfare at play. The leaks might be getting into the heads of Al Qaeda operatives, some of whom have to be wondering if bin Laden included enough details in his records to put terrorist-hunters on their trail. Counterterrorism experts think it could cause Al Qaeda to slip up.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Pakistan Media Outs CIA's Top Agent in Islamabad
The White House declined to comment today specifically on a Pakistani TV station and newspaper identifying the CIA station chief for Islamabad, but in general said the U.S. intends to continue to pursue a working relationship with Pakistan.
The Pakistani spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate, is believed to be the culprit that leaked the name of the top U.S. CIA agent as payback for the U.S. hit on Osama bin Laden.
"The cooperation that we've had with Pakistan has been important for years now in our fight against terrorism and terrorists, and more terrorists have been killed on Pakistani soil, because of that cooperation, than anywhere else in the world. And that's important to note; which is not to say we don't have our differences, because we do. We obviously do. And those differences are frequently aired," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"But the fact of the matter is that that relationship important. The cooperation continues to be important for the United States in order to pursue Al Qaeda and other terrorists as the war continues after the death of bin Laden," Carney added.
It was the second time in five months that Pakistani authorities have outed the CIA station chief in Islamabad to Pakistani news media. The name was mention on Pakistani TV station ARY, and was then picked up by the right-wing newspaper, Nation, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied today that the ISI helped hide bin Laden or was incompetent in tracking him to the compound in Abbottabad where he lived for an estimated five years before Navy SEALS killed him a week ago yesterday.
The Pakistani spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate, is believed to be the culprit that leaked the name of the top U.S. CIA agent as payback for the U.S. hit on Osama bin Laden.
"The cooperation that we've had with Pakistan has been important for years now in our fight against terrorism and terrorists, and more terrorists have been killed on Pakistani soil, because of that cooperation, than anywhere else in the world. And that's important to note; which is not to say we don't have our differences, because we do. We obviously do. And those differences are frequently aired," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"But the fact of the matter is that that relationship important. The cooperation continues to be important for the United States in order to pursue Al Qaeda and other terrorists as the war continues after the death of bin Laden," Carney added.
It was the second time in five months that Pakistani authorities have outed the CIA station chief in Islamabad to Pakistani news media. The name was mention on Pakistani TV station ARY, and was then picked up by the right-wing newspaper, Nation, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied today that the ISI helped hide bin Laden or was incompetent in tracking him to the compound in Abbottabad where he lived for an estimated five years before Navy SEALS killed him a week ago yesterday.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Obama Opts for Name Brands at DOD & CIA
Updated 4 p.m. edt
Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, will replace Gen. David Petraeus as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, a U.S. official confirmed today.
Allen also commanded troops in Iraq. Here is his full biography from CENTCOM (scroll down to the middle of the page).
CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports at this hour that Petraeus will retire from the military and will run CIA as a civilian, beginning in September.
NBC, meanwhile, is reporting Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire June 30th.
end update
---[
President Obama is avoiding controversial and contentious choices to head the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, opting for spymaster Leon Panetta to head the Department of Defense, and one of America's most beloved commanders, Gen. David Petraeus, to run the CIA.
The formal announcements are expected tomorrow, and neither Panetta nor Petraeus are expected to have much of a problem clearing the Senate confirmation process.
CIA Director Panetta will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, while Petraeus would in turn fill the slot at the spy agency. Gates, who along with Hillary Clinton, became one of Obama's most trusted counselors, has long said he would bolt the administration sometime this year.
Panetta will likely preside over a DoD that will have to embrace an era austerity, cutting the fat out of a military-industrial complex that has preyed on fear since the Cold War to a create a corporate warfare system that has filled their treasuries in exchange for kickbacks to politicians in the form of campaign contributions and unsavory junkets.
Petraeus will have the task of rallying a CIA that, in order, has missed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 9/11 plot and attacks, and most recently, the Pan-Arab pro-democracy uprising that so far has toppled two (three, if the Yemen deal holds) dictators.
Some in the main stream media are already calling this a shakeup, but it really is more about continuity than a martini made the way James Bond likes it.
Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, will replace Gen. David Petraeus as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, a U.S. official confirmed today.
Allen also commanded troops in Iraq. Here is his full biography from CENTCOM (scroll down to the middle of the page).
CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports at this hour that Petraeus will retire from the military and will run CIA as a civilian, beginning in September.
NBC, meanwhile, is reporting Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire June 30th.
end update
---[
President Obama is avoiding controversial and contentious choices to head the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, opting for spymaster Leon Panetta to head the Department of Defense, and one of America's most beloved commanders, Gen. David Petraeus, to run the CIA.
The formal announcements are expected tomorrow, and neither Panetta nor Petraeus are expected to have much of a problem clearing the Senate confirmation process.
CIA Director Panetta will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, while Petraeus would in turn fill the slot at the spy agency. Gates, who along with Hillary Clinton, became one of Obama's most trusted counselors, has long said he would bolt the administration sometime this year.
Panetta will likely preside over a DoD that will have to embrace an era austerity, cutting the fat out of a military-industrial complex that has preyed on fear since the Cold War to a create a corporate warfare system that has filled their treasuries in exchange for kickbacks to politicians in the form of campaign contributions and unsavory junkets.
Petraeus will have the task of rallying a CIA that, in order, has missed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 9/11 plot and attacks, and most recently, the Pan-Arab pro-democracy uprising that so far has toppled two (three, if the Yemen deal holds) dictators.
Some in the main stream media are already calling this a shakeup, but it really is more about continuity than a martini made the way James Bond likes it.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
So What's The French Foreign Legion Up To?
The U.S. and Britain both have spies on the ground in Libya right now, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates vows it will be over his dead body before American troops are fighting against Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
"Not as long as I’m in this job,” Gates told the House Armed Services Committee today when asked if U.S. combat troops would be inserted into the Libyan revolution.
In arguing for the no-fly zone, President Obama has stressed the "unique capabilities" the U.S. had to unleash hell on Gadhafi at the outset of the air campaign, like Tomahawk cruise missiles and unmanned drones. Gates, however, was clear that combat troops are not unique to the U.S.
“That’s not a unique capability for the United States, and as far as I’m concerned, somebody else can do that,” Gates snapped.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen agreed.
“There are plenty of countries that have the abilities, the arms, the skill set, to be able to do this,” Mullen said.
Add Canada to the list of nations that refuses to send combat troops to Libya. Prime Minister Stephen Harper insisted he would not be "putting boots on the ground."
Hmmmmmm.
Beau Geste, s'il vous plait?
"Not as long as I’m in this job,” Gates told the House Armed Services Committee today when asked if U.S. combat troops would be inserted into the Libyan revolution.
In arguing for the no-fly zone, President Obama has stressed the "unique capabilities" the U.S. had to unleash hell on Gadhafi at the outset of the air campaign, like Tomahawk cruise missiles and unmanned drones. Gates, however, was clear that combat troops are not unique to the U.S.
“That’s not a unique capability for the United States, and as far as I’m concerned, somebody else can do that,” Gates snapped.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen agreed.
“There are plenty of countries that have the abilities, the arms, the skill set, to be able to do this,” Mullen said.
Add Canada to the list of nations that refuses to send combat troops to Libya. Prime Minister Stephen Harper insisted he would not be "putting boots on the ground."
Hmmmmmm.
Beau Geste, s'il vous plait?
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