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Thread: I stand with you Admiral

  1. #1
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    I stand with you Admiral

    This appeared yesterday in the Washington Post:

    By William H. McRaven
    August 16 at 2:44 PM

    William H. McRaven, a retired Navy admiral, was commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014. He oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

    Dear Mr. President:

    Former CIA director John Brennan, whose security clearance you revoked on Wednesday, is one of the finest public servants I have ever known. Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John. He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him.

    Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.

    Like most Americans, I had hoped that when you became president, you would rise to the occasion and become the leader this great nation needs.

    A good leader tries to embody the best qualities of his or her organization. A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself.

    Retired Navy admiral William H. McRaven called President Trump’s denunciation of the media a threat to democracy in a speech at UT-Austin. (The University of Texas at Austin)

    Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.

    If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken. The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  2. #2
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    Just another Anti- Trump person who has let politics slip into something, where he should have kept his mouth shut. Brennan is a fool, he fails to recognize that all of the Russian collusion and meddling he rants about, happened on his watch. He and his former admin were in the drivers seat during all of this BS, and he only makes himself look even more foolish by going on anti Trump shows and running his mouth.


    When you said UT AUstin, it became apparent that it was a farce anyway, that liberal haven is nothing that represents Texas as it used to be.

  3. #3
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    It will be no surprise that I stand with U.S. Army Brigadier (ret.) Gen. Anthony Tata, when he publicly stated, “John Brennan is a ‘clear and present danger’ to the United States and wants to ‘overthrow’ President Donald Trump on Fox News Thursday...He spied on American citizens and lied in front of Congress about that spying, Tata said on ‘Fox & Friends.’ Question 29 on the security clearance form says, you know, ‘have you ever supported overthrowing the U.S. Government?’ All of you got to look at Brennan’s tweets and he supports the removal of this president, and right there — that’s enough evidence to get rid of his clearance.”

    The guy has not been muzzled in any way, only removed from authorization to receive government secret information. He can blather away until the cows come home, just as he has done previously, but without the imprimatur of perceived special knowledge some think he now possesses.

    I would still like some brave journalist to ask him if besides admitting his communist connections if he, as prominently suspected, also preys on a mat pointed to Mecca.
    ...............
    “You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution


  4. #4
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    It all boils down to do we stand behind Trump or not how we feel about those bozos he is taking away there cookies.
    Old redneck hillbilly borned and raised on a redwood stump.

  5. #5
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    I kinda liked what Rob O'Neill told to Ben Rhodes when he started flapping his gums about it. Rob also said he respects his former commander but he disagrees with his political stance on this.
    Rhodes' high-flying rhetoric was shot down by someone who knows how to shoot: Robert O’Neill, the Navy Seal who is claimed to have fired the shots that actually killed bin Laden during the raid on his Abbottabad compound on May 2, 2011:


    Ben Rhodes on twitter.....
    John Brennan was the point person for the Obama WH on the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden. He knows a lot more about defending our nation than someone who uses security clearances to punish his political adversaries.


    Rob O'Neil replied...
    Actually 23 Conservatives went after UBL. No offense in case you were wondering.
    https://www.dailywire.com/news/34586...s-hank-berrien

    The Liberals simply can not help from sticking their feet into their mouth.

  6. #6
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    Seems like 60 more signed a similar letter.
    Fred

    "Everyday I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I've
    stayed alive."

    'Take care of yourself, and each other.'

  7. #7
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    I stand with the guys who were on the ground in Benghazi and differ in opinion from the Admiral.
    OPINION....a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

  8. #8
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    Guess who was running the CIA when Benghazi went down. Brennan also revoked the security clearances of the guys that saved all of the lives in Benghazi and made them sign NDA's, not once but 3 separate times, just to try and shut them up. The movie "13 Hours" showed that. That SOB is the biggest hypocrite that ever walked the face of the earth. He was a huge failure in that theater and the stunts he pulled to try and cover up the complete failure of the Obama admin, in getting a US Ambassador killed because he was to big of a pussy to help them, will go down in history as one of the biggest blunders of all time.


    Speaking of treason, he willfully left Americans to die and fend for themselves, when he had the resources to at the very least attempt something. Not a single person in the Obama admin should even have the audacity to accuse anybody of anything after what they did.

  9. #9
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    I'd like to see what Big O would have done if one of the bushes CIA guys accused him of treason. He might not have got out of Washington alive much less just losing his security clearance
    OPINION....a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

  10. #10
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    Twelve more signed a letter objecting to Trump's actions---including Robert Gates, saying in part:

    The letter alleges that Trump’s revoking of Brennan’s clearance “has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances — and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech.”

    “You don’t have to agree with what John Brennan says (and, again, not all of us do) to agree with his right to say it, subject to his obligation to protect classified information,” it continues.
    My hat is off to them all.

    Here is the complete statement:

    August 16, 2018

    STATEMENT FROM FORMER SENIOR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS

    As former senior intelligence officials, we feel compelled to respond in the wake of the ill-considered and unprecedented remarks and actions by the White House regarding the removal of John Brennan’s security clearances. We know John to be an enormously talented, capable, and patriotic individual who devoted his adult life to the service of this nation. Insinuations and allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Brennan while in office are baseless. Since leaving government service John has chosen to speak out sharply regarding what he sees as threats to our national security. Some of the undersigned have done so as well. Others among us have elected to take a different course and be more circumspect in our public pronouncements. Regardless, we all agree that the president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances – and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech. You don’t have to agree with what John Brennan says (and, again, not all of us do) to agree with his right to say it, subject to his obligation to protect classified information. We have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool, as was done in this case. Beyond that, this action is quite clearly a signal to other former and current officials. As individuals who have cherished and helped preserve the right of Americans to free speech – even when that right has been used to criticize us – that signal is inappropriate and deeply regrettable. Decisions on security clearances should be based on national security concerns and not political views.

    William H. Webster, former Director of Central Intelligence (1987-1991)

    George J. Tenet, former Director of Central Intelligence (1997-2004)

    Porter J. Goss, former Director of Central Intelligence, (2005-2006)

    General Michael V. Hayden, USAF, Ret., former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2006-2009)

    Leon E. Panetta, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2009-2011)

    General David H. Petraeus, USA, Ret., former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2011-2012)

    James R. Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence (2010-2017)

    John E. McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (2000-2004)

    Stephen R. Kappes, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2006-2010)

    Michael J. Morell, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2010-2013)

    Avril Haines, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2013-2015)

    David S. Cohen, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2015-2017)
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  11. #11
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    Question:

    Why should anyone who is no longer in government service need security clearances?
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  12. #12
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    How is it “Free Speech” to retain access to secret government material? To be speech, the people who are saying that must mean the recipient - the ultra-partisan hack, James Brennan - has the right to “speak” about what he learns. That is asinine.
    ...............
    “You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution


  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Question:

    Why should anyone who is no longer in government service need security clearances?
    Good question, other than to brief their replacement, I see no reason for them to have further access to info.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Question:

    Why should anyone who is no longer in government service need security clearances?
    Because they can be (and often are) consulted on current developments, especially in the intelligence fields.

    It is hard to argue this is anything but punitive in nature when you single out one person without "cause". This is king trump----and we are not a monarchy.

    If trump wants to end this practice then gain consensus after open public discussion and everyone becomes subject to the "new norm".
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by wacojoe View Post
    How is it “Free Speech” to retain access to secret government material? To be speech, the people who are saying that must mean the recipient - the ultra-partisan hack, James Brennan - has the right to “speak” about what he learns. That is asinine.
    The free speech issue is not based on anything classified, it is based on the obvious fact that this is "punishment" from Trump on speaking out against him.

    This brings back thoughts of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

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