Ray McGovern, a career U.S. intelligence officer, believes President Bush and his administration have no intention of leaving Iraq and are preparing to attack Iran in the next few months.
Ray McGovern, a career U.S. intelligence officer, believes President Bush and his administration have no intention of leaving Iraq and are preparing to attack Iran in the next few months.
"I believe George Bush and Dick Cheney plan to take care of Iran before they leave office. But what will happen then, if Iran cuts supplies coming to Iraq through Kuwait? That could threaten tens of thousands of our soldiers," McGovern said during a Tuesday interview with the Gazette.
McGovern will speak at West Virginia State University this evening and at Grace Baptist Church in Charleston on Thursday morning.
In January 2003, McGovern helped create Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, a group that has 67 former professionals from the Central Intelligence Agency, State Department and military intelligence agencies.
McGovern said he believes the Iraq war had several causes, including giving a "rebuke" to Saddam Hussein, supporting the Israeli government, controlling oil reserves and expanding permanent U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
During Tuesday's interview, McGovern singled out former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former CIA Director George Tenet for failing to counter false intelligence information Bush used to justify his Iraq invasion.
"They used forgeries and half truths, creating intelligence for war," McGovern said.
Powell went to CIA headquarters for three days to prepare for his critical Feb. 5, 2003, speech to the United Nations justifying the war, McGovern said, but failed to consult critics like Tom Fingar, who once chaired the committee that prepared national intelligence estimates.
"Colin Powell and George Tenet were the only two who could have stopped this juggernaut," McGovern said. "I don't think that ever occurred to either of them."
McGovern said Powell and Tenet should have told Bush, "We strongly advise you to broaden your circle of advisers beyond those clearly intent on launching a war for which we see no compelling reason and from which we see unintended consequences that will be catastrophic."
McGovern had high praise for Richard A. Clarke and his 2004 book, "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror." After working for the National Security Council for more than 10 years under both Presidents Bush and Bill Clinton, Clarke, frustrated, left early in the current Bush administration.
McGovern also praised Sen. Robert C. Byrd, an early and consistent critic of the war: "He has my admiration and immense respect."
McGovern was a CIA analyst for 27 years from the administrations of John F. Kennedy to George H.W. Bush.
During the Ronald Reagan administration, McGovern prepared daily security briefs for Reagan and his top officials. Under President George H.W. Bush, McGovern was a senior CIA analyst who prepared daily presidential security briefs.
Ray McGovern, a career U.S. intelligence officer, believes President Bush and his administration have no intention of leaving Iraq and are preparing to attack Iran in the next few months.
"I believe George Bush and Dick Cheney plan to take care of Iran before they leave office. But what will happen then, if Iran cuts supplies coming to Iraq through Kuwait? That could threaten tens of thousands of our soldiers," McGovern said during a Tuesday interview with the Gazette.
McGovern will speak at West Virginia State University this evening and at Grace Baptist Church in Charleston on Thursday morning.
In January 2003, McGovern helped create Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, a group that has 67 former professionals from the Central Intelligence Agency, State Department and military intelligence agencies.
McGovern said he believes the Iraq war had several causes, including giving a "rebuke" to Saddam Hussein, supporting the Israeli government, controlling oil reserves and expanding permanent U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
During Tuesday's interview, McGovern singled out former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former CIA Director George Tenet for failing to counter false intelligence information Bush used to justify his Iraq invasion.
"They used forgeries and half truths, creating intelligence for war," McGovern said.
Powell went to CIA headquarters for three days to prepare for his critical Feb. 5, 2003, speech to the United Nations justifying the war, McGovern said, but failed to consult critics like Tom Fingar, who once chaired the committee that prepared national intelligence estimates.
"Colin Powell and George Tenet were the only two who could have stopped this juggernaut," McGovern said. "I don't think that ever occurred to either of them."
McGovern said Powell and Tenet should have told Bush, "We strongly advise you to broaden your circle of advisers beyond those clearly intent on launching a war for which we see no compelling reason and from which we see unintended consequences that will be catastrophic."
McGovern had high praise for Richard A. Clarke and his 2004 book, "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror." After working for the National Security Council for more than 10 years under both Presidents Bush and Bill Clinton, Clarke, frustrated, left early in the current Bush administration.
McGovern also praised Sen. Robert C. Byrd, an early and consistent critic of the war: "He has my admiration and immense respect."
McGovern was a CIA analyst for 27 years from the administrations of John F. Kennedy to George H.W. Bush.
During the Ronald Reagan administration, McGovern prepared daily security briefs for Reagan and his top officials. Under President George H.W. Bush, McGovern was a senior CIA analyst who prepared daily presidential security briefs.
McGovern is particularly critical of the use of torture to question war prisoners and of the open disdain George W. Bush and Dick Cheney express toward the Geneva Convention agreements.
McGovern singled out a Feb. 7, 2002, White House document about "humane treatment of al-Qaida and Taliban detainees."
The document, signed by Bush, states, "Detainees shall be treated humanely ... to the extent appropriate and consistent with military principles."
McGovern said, "Torture gives our country a bad name, endangers our own troops and just doesn't work."
But torture, he added, can produce "really useful inaccurate information that can be used to scare the hell out of the populace and increase its level of fear. Unreliable information may be exactly what you want."
McGovern believes there is a strong likelihood Bush will attack Iran before leaving office.
He also praised Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of the U.S. Central Command between March 2007 and March 2008, when Bush replaced him with Gen. David Petraeus.
Fallon was forced out shortly after Esquire magazine published a profile of his career that highlighted his strong opposition to any war with Iraq and his desire to reduce troop levels in Iraq.
"Fallon was our last hope," McGovern said.
McGovern will speak in the student union at West Virginia State in Institute tonight at 7 o'clock, co-sponsored by the Seneca 2 Forum and WVSU's Political Science Department.
Sponsored by the West Virginia Council of Churches, McGovern will speak at Grace Baptist Church at 600 Kanawha Blvd. on Charleston's West Side at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Both events are free and open to the public. Free parking will be available.
To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164.
Post a comment