As was already mentioned, the NYT published an investigation of CIA involvement in Ukraine on Saturday, which could have contributed to my understanding for this piece, but also would have got in the way of me finishing, having to retool for it etc.
Anyway, here is the summary I wrote for Twitter, which is a good supplement to all of this:
Excellent opinion, a touch of sanity in our fog of war.
The New York Times article from yesterday, 'The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin', makes for an interesting follow-on. I just posted the following excerpts:
“A C.I.A.-supported network of spy bases has been constructed in the past eight years that includes 12 secret locations along the Russian border…
…coming together in fits and starts under three very different U.S. presidents, pushed forward by key individuals who often took daring risks.
It has transformed Ukraine, whose intelligence agencies were long seen as thoroughly compromised by Russia, into one of Washington’s most important intelligence partners against the Kremlin today…
The C.I.A. also helped train a new generation of Ukrainian spies who operated inside Russia, across Europe, and in Cuba and other places where the Russians have a large presence…
…Beyond the base, the C.I.A. also oversaw a training program, carried out in two European cities, to teach Ukrainian intelligence officers how to convincingly assume fake personas and steal secrets in Russia and other countries…
…Unit 2245, the commando force that received specialized military training from the C.I.A.’s elite paramilitary group, known as the Ground Department. The intent of the training was to teach defensive techniques, but C.I.A. officers understood that without their knowledge the Ukrainians could use the same techniques in offensive lethal operations…
…a mysterious explosion in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, ripped through an elevator carrying a senior Russian separatist commander named Arsen Pavlov, known by his nom de guerre, Motorola.
The C.I.A. soon learned that the assassins were members of the Fifth Directorate, the spy group that received C.I.A. training. Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency had even handed out commemorative patches to those involved, each one stitched with the word “Lift,” the British term for an elevator…
…representatives from the C.I.A., Britain’s MI6, the HUR, the Dutch service (a critical intelligence ally) and other agencies agreed to start pooling together more of their intelligence on Russia. The result was a secret coalition against Russia - and the Ukrainians were vital members of it.”
That’s the important parts of this seemingly CIA propaganda piece aimed at breaking obstacles to sending more money to Ukraine i.e. U.S. weapons manufacturers. Or it could be part of an effort to disentangle the USA from the war.
What they done is prove that Putin’s fear of the USA on his doorstep was valid, and given him an honest propaganda weapon to use: “My fellow Russians, I told you so, we are under attack by the Americans.”
Michael Detsch wrote a piece in Harpers IIRC titled something along the lines of "The Tragedy of Volodymir Zelensky" Its a great read, Harpers has published at least two contrarian foreign policy pieces which drove people crazy. The pieces were long form, not shallow and authors from the academy, the first of which drove the rest of the academy insane, which was good fun to watch. The second didn't break out I don't think. I never read Harpers until those two pieces I don't think. I always assumed it was a fashion magazine, so odd choice to publish foreign policy. Anyway, point being made is the Detsch piece is quite critical of Zelensky and paints him as a fraud masquerading as a Churchillian figure.
As was already mentioned, the NYT published an investigation of CIA involvement in Ukraine on Saturday, which could have contributed to my understanding for this piece, but also would have got in the way of me finishing, having to retool for it etc.
Anyway, here is the summary I wrote for Twitter, which is a good supplement to all of this:
https://twitter.com/WaywardRabbler/status/1762195200427032608?t=dd_WFjT45a11UThZVouwkg&s=19
Excellent opinion, a touch of sanity in our fog of war.
The New York Times article from yesterday, 'The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin', makes for an interesting follow-on. I just posted the following excerpts:
“A C.I.A.-supported network of spy bases has been constructed in the past eight years that includes 12 secret locations along the Russian border…
…coming together in fits and starts under three very different U.S. presidents, pushed forward by key individuals who often took daring risks.
It has transformed Ukraine, whose intelligence agencies were long seen as thoroughly compromised by Russia, into one of Washington’s most important intelligence partners against the Kremlin today…
The C.I.A. also helped train a new generation of Ukrainian spies who operated inside Russia, across Europe, and in Cuba and other places where the Russians have a large presence…
…Beyond the base, the C.I.A. also oversaw a training program, carried out in two European cities, to teach Ukrainian intelligence officers how to convincingly assume fake personas and steal secrets in Russia and other countries…
…Unit 2245, the commando force that received specialized military training from the C.I.A.’s elite paramilitary group, known as the Ground Department. The intent of the training was to teach defensive techniques, but C.I.A. officers understood that without their knowledge the Ukrainians could use the same techniques in offensive lethal operations…
…a mysterious explosion in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, ripped through an elevator carrying a senior Russian separatist commander named Arsen Pavlov, known by his nom de guerre, Motorola.
The C.I.A. soon learned that the assassins were members of the Fifth Directorate, the spy group that received C.I.A. training. Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency had even handed out commemorative patches to those involved, each one stitched with the word “Lift,” the British term for an elevator…
…representatives from the C.I.A., Britain’s MI6, the HUR, the Dutch service (a critical intelligence ally) and other agencies agreed to start pooling together more of their intelligence on Russia. The result was a secret coalition against Russia - and the Ukrainians were vital members of it.”
That’s the important parts of this seemingly CIA propaganda piece aimed at breaking obstacles to sending more money to Ukraine i.e. U.S. weapons manufacturers. Or it could be part of an effort to disentangle the USA from the war.
What they done is prove that Putin’s fear of the USA on his doorstep was valid, and given him an honest propaganda weapon to use: “My fellow Russians, I told you so, we are under attack by the Americans.”
A magnificent, epic piece.
Michael Detsch wrote a piece in Harpers IIRC titled something along the lines of "The Tragedy of Volodymir Zelensky" Its a great read, Harpers has published at least two contrarian foreign policy pieces which drove people crazy. The pieces were long form, not shallow and authors from the academy, the first of which drove the rest of the academy insane, which was good fun to watch. The second didn't break out I don't think. I never read Harpers until those two pieces I don't think. I always assumed it was a fashion magazine, so odd choice to publish foreign policy. Anyway, point being made is the Detsch piece is quite critical of Zelensky and paints him as a fraud masquerading as a Churchillian figure.