Last week’s Senate briefings surrounding a challenge to the Yemen War were less about the limited testimonies of Mike Pompeo and James Mattis than about the conspicuous absence of CIA Director Gina Haspel. That, and reported admissions from the secretaries that she was forbidden from attending the closed door briefing, fueled a lot of anger in the Senate, and by extension growing resistance to the Yemen War.
In a sign that the White House fears losing the war vote outright, they’re now letting Haspel hold her own briefing Tuesday, for a very limited audience of what the administration believes are “key” senators, mostly committee leaders.
The focus of this briefing will be Saudi Arabia’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and the CIA’s assessment that the Saudi Crown Prince was involved. The murder is adding to pressure in Congress to stop supporting Saudi wars, and Yemen would be the obvious choice in that regard.
Letting Haspel testify is a concession to the Senate, but the big question will be what she says. Clearly the whole reason she wasn’t allowed in the first place was fear she’d back the CIA’s assessment and hurt the Saudis. If she still does that, it would be strange to think it would placate any senators.
According to Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the Yemen War debate is to begin sometime Thursday, with a vote happening thereafter, though likely sometime after next Monday. Those wishing to call their senators should do so in the next few days before the matter comes up for vote. You can do this by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 or by finding individual contact information here.
Who better than Bloody Gina to brief the senators! LOL.
Wonder what she’s going to tell them that they don’t already know, and this to only a select few, behind closed doors? Maybe CIA/Mossad has enough dirt on them to make their pathetic lives miserable and they’d better play along. Hard to really know as it all was all done in secret.
Possibly. That said, I’m more interested in seeing tapes/videos of Gina’s torture chambers.
You will never see them. They’ve been destroyed. Welcome to the post-9/11 21st Century, Solly.
Didn’t she help destroy them?
So true.
Sounds like they have to give up a few more of the facts or threats to keep the war going, but want to keep the circle small in hopes that it won’t leak, because if the public knew any more of the story then the whole elaborate plan would fall apart. That would give a lot of power to change things to whomever is in that room, and they would probably be a patriot for doing so.
Exactly.
For those skeptics “out there,”, Sibel Edmonds has a couple of posts on her web site which claims that the entire story is a hoax. I am skeptical of her skeptical posts but I have not had time to go through her twitter a/c and because I am awaiting her summary article;
I will say this: whenever cia/mossad/mi6 get together, a story is sure to be concocted which will be so far from the truth that the average person will not know what is true and what is not.
One of the “truths” which Ms Edmonds asserts is that the fiance’ is totally bogus-she is a plant, maybe a handler.
Meanwhile, waiting:
https://www.newsbud.com/2018/11/24/breaking-news-khashoggi-case-a-massive-psyop-concocted-by-cia-mi6-mossad/
There is a well know fact that the fiancé belonged to Gulen network. I have no idea why Gulen network has not been the topic of research as much as Soros. Both are US outfits, where civil society, professional associations, media and entertainmet are directed into suitable narrative. The line between such activism and intelligence is blurred. It is know rhat she was jailed at some point in Turkey for Gulen associated activities.
We do not have to know super secret details to know that Kashoggi entered the consulate, and killed. And it is more then known how Turkey had blow by blow information on the comings and goings at the consulate, as well as recordings inside. So far, that is all we know.
The rest is speculation. And if we are to speculate, let us start with thise that wanted MbS and his father, the King — either removed or degraded their rule through an imposition of people to control them. This is a long list. Before MbS was appointed Crown Prince, during the rule of Mb Nayef — the rumors in neoconese circles was that King Salman had dementia and or Alzheimers, as he smiled oddly in meetings. The push was afoot to remove King and have CIA darling appointed King, and a new crown orince would have been to their liking. But MbS took Saudi kingdom into radical directions, from war in Yemen, to trade spat with Egypt, funding Wahhabi clones to head chop their way to power. And in May 2017, attempt to overrun Qatar in the name iof counter terrorism. Qatar was supported, Turkey opened base, Iran supplied with anything needed. MbS role as defence minister was there to have someone to blame, and through him, hus father, the King. But Saudi family got together and sacked Nayaf in June 2017. Alegiance Council appointed MbS, with provision that after he becomes King he cannot appoint his son to position if Crown Prince. The authority reverts to Allegiance Council. Following the change, King — supposedly demented — took a karge delegatiin to a week long visit to Mioscow. In a little iver a year after his appointment MbS vidited Moscow five times. The number of deals, joint ventures, participation in Russian-Chinese investment funds, large support to Pakistan after US cut off of military funding, talk of accepting gold yuan alternative instead of dollars from China. China is Saudi largest customer.
As soeculations go — attempt to frame MbS for Kashoggi did not work. For one, Turkey knew too much. Almost as if someone’s intelligence got wind of it — and let it happen. From day one Turkish president made sure that a/ the event was kept in media by release of information and b/ that MbS was NOT responsible. But that it came from high ranks of Saudi establishment. Naturally, our media kept on twisting information as uf Erdogan fingered MbS. So — here we are. King got support from Aleggiance Council, MbS not only safe, but given power to clean up intelligence. My conclusion — King, Allegiance Council and MbS knew DAY ONE who did it, but were only gaming to see how will Washington play it. So, zig-zag — until it was time to let US know the hard facts. It happened apparently the day Saudi Foreign minister announced that King and Crown Prince are red lines. Considering that deposed MbN was so close to CIA that it is natural much of his network is still active. MbS treatment of his opponents in Ritz Carlton was only a warning and no hard purges were conducted. This event may yet trigger it — if the conspiracy goes high enough. Otherwise, the royal members understand the loyalty and there are no dissentions. The only weakness is the potential difference between King and Crown Prince. This is why MbNayef had to go. Now King is the father of Crown Prince — and communications are not impeded.
What will Gena Haskel have to say in such confidentiality? Possibly that an intelligence operation that she had information on — got busted. With an added anxiety that an important asset did not get inplicated. So far as speculation goes, snswering cui bono — is the key. Right before grand investment conference that MbS invested in a mint — looks like a plan to undermine him. And second big clue — all media had MbS accussed and convicted, as if he doing it was the only and clear cut answer.
The MbS- Putin high five in Argentina looked rather celebratory. The idea that Saudi Arabia really is going to attack Iran — with Russia defending it — looks ridiculous.
And Congress has marching orders. Get Saudi Arabia in trouble — whatever works. When it cones to Yemen — US wants to control end game. But it will not be easy. Just blaming Saudis — while US is enforcing blockade — will be tricky.
Why nit look at Houthis web site, Sabanet. The byline is — USA killing Yemeni people. Does not say Saudi Arabia. They know who is really behind the hunger.
So, what will Congress do? Start a pricess on Yemen? Doing what? Try to finger MbS for Kashoggi, risking Erdogan megaphone telling the world who is responsible, after Saudis reveal it? Or better be quiet — Trump style. But the prospect of losing Saudi Arabia in anti-Iran front, would be a calamity for Israel.
But it may be inevitable. Saudi Arabia needs to invest its trilion dollars sovereign fund, in irder to diversify economy. And the inly direction is investment in underdeveloped Asia, and keeping nice to Russia and China. Russia will build nuclear energy facility, and is managing energy market with Saudis. Russia sells grain to Saudis. China is the biggest customer of Saudi oil. At the monent — there is no investment opportunity in the West, suffering from overleveraged economy. Odds are — Yemen us the only Saudi vulnerability. Bab Al Mandeb, straits through which Saudis export oil to Asia. Straights of Hormuz, not any safer.
So, do not expect Congress to do anything to stop war — short of Saudis agreeing to US demands of all sorts.
Kashiggi or starving Yemeni kids is the LAST thing on their minds.
“There is a well know fact that the fiancé belonged to Gulen network.”
Interesting. I hadn’t heard that — what’s your source?
Dr. Ludmila Kropotkin has already briefed the Senators on this issue. This is old news.