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Save Your Money and Your Time

A new book, The Human Factor by “Ishmael Jones” claims to be an insiders story of the CIA who details its many dysfunctions. The first warning sign that this book is a joke is the fact that it is endorsed by neocon columnist, Max Boot. Boot, who has never worked with the CIA or held a Top Secret clearance, declares that person writing under the name, “Ishmael Jones,” does better than any previous spook in “peeling back layer upon layer of deception to show how dysfunctional the CIA is.” Oh, oh. Not only does Boot end a sentence with a preposition but he implies that he is in a great position to judge a CIA dysfunction. So I read the book and soon discovered that Boot, once again, really does not know what he is talking about. The book is ridiculous and I wasted my time reading it cover to cover.

Jones intimates that he was a NOC (a non-official cover officer like Valerie Plame). Unlike Plame he did not get permission to publish this book. He just went ahead and did it (so he says). Well, when you are reading a book written by a person who declines to give their true name and who provides no identifying information to speak of you are left to form your judgment based on things the author writes about where you do have first hand knowledge of the events. Mr. “Jones” account of Valerie Plame is complete horseshit. He clearly knew nothing about her or her career other than what he has read by critics of Valerie. What is absolutely pathetic is he did not even have the industry or curiosity to read what the current CIA Director in charge of human intelligence operations wrote to a Federal court in explaining why Valerie’s association at the CIA can not (I repeat NOT) be acknowledged prior to February of 2002.

A clown like Jones who misses and misstates facts about Valerie Plame and her work at CIA immediately calls into question everything else he claims to “know” about the CIA. Save your money and your time. Don’t buy this turd of a book. The only true dysfunction revealed in the book is the author. He has trouble with basic facts that a high school kid with a computer can easily verify.

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Comment by PewL | 2008-08-17 18:48:36

Sorry off Topic
Just caught the end of Lou Dobbs,and they were talking about how Clinton is only 13% behind Obama on role call..Sounded like a good show, mentioned how someone said Obama did a poor job,on the debates,and how Obama was supposed to be leading and making the party unified,,But seems out of reach…Mentioend Rangels name,but missed the good part..ANyone hear Lou Dobbs tonite,,Please report the story if you can..

tia

Comment by Yannie | 2008-08-17 18:52:08

Besides being off-topic, why is any of this is “new” or “news” to you?

 

Comment by PewL | 2008-08-17 20:02:36

Yes its news to me, I’m happy Clintons are doing well,hopefully more superdelegates will come thru..

It sounded like a positive show for Clintons

 
 

Comment by Yannie | 2008-08-17 18:50:36

Thank you for the advice Mr. Johnson.

I will save my $20 book money for Reverend Wright’s, which is coming out in October…

Comment by TeakwoodKite | 2008-08-17 19:08:35

Darn another book I will have to nick as Abby Hoffman sais to do.

Cold day in Hell if I will give that man a dime.

Comment by Clinton Fan | 2008-08-17 20:10:27

Head for the LIE-berry!! Read it for free!!!!

 

Comment by Yannie | 2008-08-17 22:13:01

The book will be good. The Rev. will get his revenge on the ungrateful, using brat.

I hear on the day of publishing Wright is going to appear together with Grandma, who will whip out the real Birth Certificate, and Scarlett Johanssen, who will reveal she kept the emails.

 

Comment by L. Sinclair | 2008-08-18 00:07:37

Does Mr. Jones discuss the ‘Whitey’ tape?

 
 
 

Comment by simanov | 2008-08-17 18:59:48

Comment by Tumby J | 2008-08-17 20:26:22

Obama’s up +3.3 in OH on Pollster, but this is still great news!

 
 

Comment by RevolutionNow | 2008-08-17 19:18:15

Author most likely a product of the dumb-downed public schools. Check out the Dallas Sunday edition about low, er, NO expectations for students in DISD. Too busy texting and hip-hopping around. And we think we have a snowball’s chance in hell vs. China and India. Think again O Great One.

 

Comment by lute | 2008-08-17 19:32:44

Save your money for the migration north.
This party and our government has gone to hell.

 

Comment by Mr.Murder | 2008-08-17 19:44:42

Who is the publisher?

 

Comment by StrawberrybitesBarky | 2008-08-17 19:53:29

How can someone claim to be a NOC without getting a visit from the real CIA?

 

Comment by hillaryfighter | 2008-08-17 19:55:31

Did you guys see the latest PPP Ohio poll? PPP is a democratic polling firm and gave Obama 10+ lead just one month ago in Ohio. Guess what’s happening?

Raleigh, N.C. – John McCain has pulled even with Barack Obama in Ohio, according to the newest survey from Public Policy Polling. Obama had led in PPP’s June and July polls of the state. It’s 45-45 with 10% undecided.

One factor causing Obama problems is that he’s not doing as good a job as McCain of getting folks in his party to vote for him. While McCain leads 89-7 among Republicans, Obama’s lead is a narrower 75-17 among Democrats. Obama has the 45-28 edge with independent voters.

The Democrats neglecting to choose Obama are disproportionately white, female, and middle aged, an indication that it could be former supporters of Hillary Clinton who are holding out.

“Ohio is one state, along with Pennsylvania and Michigan, where Barack Obama would probably be well served by some joint appearances with the Clintons,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Democrats have a party id advantage in Ohio but that won’t do much for them unless the voters in their party actually vote for their nominee.”
Obama leads with women and voters under 45 while McCain leads with men and older voters. McCain is up 49-38 with white voters and Obama is up 80-18 with blacks.

PPP surveyed 950 likely voters from August 12th to 14th. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.2%.

PUMA strike!! I got banned on mydd/dailykos. Can somebody post this poll on these blogs and pop obamabots’ bubble?

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_Ohio_818.pdf

 

Comment by Brian | 2008-08-17 20:14:54

Larry, I haven’t even heard of the book prior to reading your post.

However, just from:

1) reading the pages of the MSM to which to CIA has leaked,

2) looking at the public behavior of Plame & Wilson,

3) contemplating the fact the clearly unqualified Wilson was sent on his fact-finding mission to Niger, and

4) remembering the deliberately deceptive assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, released by the CIA

- all these factors, and others, indicate that the CIA has decided to break out of our democracy & set its own policy goals, subversive to those of our democratically elected branches.

There’s something screwed up about the CIA.

Comment by Larry Johnson | 2008-08-17 20:24:27

Public behavior of Plame and Wilson?

Wilson unqualified?

You are a certifiable nut. What would be the qualifications to send someone on a fact finding mission to Niger that involved the possible sale of uranium yellowcake to Iraq.

A sane, rational person would want:
1. someone who spoke arabic and knew the Iraqi nuke program
2. someone who spoke french and had diplomatic relations with senior nigerian officials
3. someone who had directed US policy towards Africa on behalf of the President.

Well, guess what genius? Joe Wilson meets all three criteria. Idiot!!

Comment by simanov | 2008-08-17 20:45:52

Larry, What do you know of this?

According to the report, a large stockpile of concentrated natural Uranium, known as “yellowcake,” reached a Canadian port to complete a top secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad, and a ship voyage crossing two oceans. The Uranium material had been housed at a former Iraqi nuclear complex 12 miles from Baghdad.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Security/Default.aspx?id=203686

Comment by HereComeThePUMAs | 2008-08-17 21:05:47

I’ve never heard of OneNewsNow.

Somehow, if that was remotely a possiblity, the MSM would report it. I could be wrong.

But if true… I just have to say WOW.

Comment by simanov | 2008-08-17 21:13:46

I have seen it somewhere else and they mentioned it is 550 tons, can’t exactly remember the site. I don’t trust the MSM to report or not report anything anymore.

Comment by jadwiga | 2008-08-17 21:34:11

I heard that it was possibly the old stuff that was accounted by Saddam to the UN.

Comment by simanov | 2008-08-17 22:05:10

Do you have any link to this information?

 
 
 

Comment by simanov | 2008-08-17 21:18:38

 
 

Comment by TeakwoodKite | 2008-08-17 22:05:05

For what it is worth UNSOM and UNMOVIC
and other intel orgs had this info.

Iraq Survey Group Final Report
“http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/report/2004/isg-final-report/isg-final-report_vol2_nuclear-03.htm”

What was never confirmed, that I have heard about, is if all known uranium dioxide stores have been accounted for and are secured. Nothing like arrows on a B52 out Minot but hey …

 
 
 

Comment by graywolf | 2008-08-17 20:26:24

Where was the CIA/DIA/NSA ad. nauseum when the Russians were staging armored divisions in the last month for the Georgia invasion?

SURPRISE!!!

How many billions are we pissing away on this dysfunctional mess?

Comment by jadwiga | 2008-08-17 21:36:56

I don’t know if the CIA is disfunctional or not, but the Bush administration damaged them by blaming the Iraq war on them.

I hope you don’t suggest that we don’t need an Intellingence Agency anymore.

 
 

Comment by Mandelay | 2008-08-17 21:00:03

Did you miss Valerie Plame’s testimony before Congress? She was the personification of what a public servant should be. Too bad this type of “public behavior” is no longer valued in this country.

 
 

Comment by TeakwoodKite | 2008-08-17 20:17:55

There’s something screwed up about the CIA.

Private contractors @ 70% staffing for one.

 

Comment by MrMike | 2008-08-17 20:33:29

Hmm this Ishmael Jones fella, sounds like he would be a good choice for Obama’s cabinet.

 

Comment by Philip Henika | 2008-08-17 21:28:02

I will be bold here and off the cuff so, please correct my interpretations if you have other information to the contrary.

The NeoCons appear to be up and running on several fronts with a comfort level that is unprecedented. Perhaps this effort is due to George Bush’s diminished Presidency.

Is this book by Boot is another example of NeoCon propaganda - propaganda designed to favor their New World Order which they intend to obtain by force; by favor of military intevention in any country where the opporunity arises?

The latest case is Georgia:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/13/EDCD129NI4.DTL

Georgia war is a neocon election ploy, Robert Scheer, Creators Syndicate, Inc. Wednesday, August 13, 2008.

What is not known, or perhaps I have not seen it, is the putative NeoCon manipulation of the international media e.g. the takeover of Radio Farda perhaps for help re: effort for a war with Iran?

Islamist intellectuals may also be the target such that they are deemed untrustworhy. In the article

http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/08/quilliam_responds.php

August 15, 2008, Quilliam Responds. By Michael Jacobson, Jacobson discusses what I have interpreted as a NeoCon misrepresentation of Egypt’s Mufti Ali Goma’s position on suicide bombers. Read the post for yourself please.

Republican Senator Tom Coburn has been crtical of both Radio Farda and, now, Ali Goma.

Comment by jadwiga | 2008-08-17 21:41:32

Dear Phillip,

If you don’t know from experience, what is Russian occupation of a country, please stay silent.

You are dusting off for re-application the BS. that was brought against Bill Clinton, namely that he made a war in Serbia/Kosovo to re-direct the media attention from the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

You seem to me as a certified conspiracy theorist.

Comment by Philip Henika | 2008-08-18 11:56:43

I am trying to understand why the NeoCons are major shit disturbers in the world and, yes, I am an armchair theorist. Various approaches to the NeoCons are possible - objective reporting, op/eds, blogging and perhaps a reasonable question - have you heard a NeoCon discuss methods re: peaceful resolution of conflict? Finally, thanks for the certification.

 
 
 

Comment by Mr.Murder | 2008-08-17 21:39:41

The blog ate my homework.

That publisher has a likely Opus Dei/AEI member on it also.

Look up the publisher on google, some of the main authort titles. It’s a real hoot. Right wingers, the lot of them.

National Review Trust Fund Babies, required reading list.

 

Comment by Undercover Black Man | 2008-08-17 21:55:05

“Is” is not a preposition.

Comment by AM | 2008-08-17 22:14:55

Thank you Undercover Black Man. I’ve been holding back. But please, don’t get me started on the preposition thing.

Comment by Undercover Black Man | 2008-08-17 22:39:55

We take that stuff seriously where I come from.

Comment by AM | 2008-08-17 22:48:34

 
 
 

Comment by judith weingarten | 2008-08-18 03:12:37

This is the sort of thing up with which I shall not put! (as Churchill said). Even if ‘is’ is not a preposition, poor sentence structure it certainly is.

 
 

Comment by Mr.Murder | 2008-08-17 23:26:32

Final word of a prepositional phrase, incorrect usage?

The point is that Ishmael isn’t with the Company as an NOC or he wouldn’t be cleared to state when he worked. If he was clandestine as claimed it would have been on payroll and the blog host would have been able to determine that.

The guy is an OSP cutout if he’s who he claims to be, as an asset handler. Maybe the former House Sgt. at Arms for Newt Gingrich is familiar with him. Suppose he’d appear before a Committee to deny or confirm?

Mike Ledeen’s gone from AEI. Would you think they are getting a bit nervous?

Comment by candymarl | 2008-08-18 04:33:24

Obviously incorrect usage of prepositions means that “Mr. Jones” is a NOC.

Funny how so-called progressives/liberals defended Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson at one time.

Now that they are insufficient in their worship of “The One” they are liars. This is the same argument that the RW Republicans used.

So preposition and Obama supporters have something in common. They now agree with Bush, his supporters, and the RW.

But they’re the real Democrats and we’re closet Republicans.

Okay.

 
 

Comment by Sassy | 2008-08-18 09:07:03

I watched the Congressional hearings with the C.I.A. agents, and later when she was allowed to speak, I saw Valerie’s testimony as well.
I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I prefer first-hand accounts to reports that are filtered by outsiders!
There is no doubt in my mind that the Wilson’s were truth-ful AND victimized!

 

Comment by Smilin' Jim | 2008-08-18 16:29:07

You cannot judge a book by it’s cover but you can do a reasonable job if you know it’s publisher.

Encounter is run by Richard Kimball

Jonsey could be the one-armed man for all you know.

 

Comment by Retired | 2008-08-18 18:27:42

A self-outing NOC is about as satisfying as a self-licking ice cream cone. However, I will reserve final judgement until I thumb through the book at the local library.

It’s my guess that this sucker won’t be on sale at the EAA (i.e., CIA employee’s) bookstore any time soom.

Comment by Retired | 2008-08-18 18:32:22

I would add that a “true NOC” writing a book that identifies him as an “insider” is a hiliarious irony. Good thing that he used an alias.

 
 

Comment by Kathy | 2008-08-18 21:13:39

Ok someone got this message and it is a set up to try and unity-grab Hillary supporters as to think that with Hillary’s speech that we all come together and support Obama.What or who does the democratic party think they are or who do they take us for fools! Well we all need to stand up and stand our grounds-Obama is not getting a free past.And there is nothing noone can say-Hillary can not say anything to get us to unity.Obama said”He will get Hillary Supporters”No he won’t-and now they are taking out Hillary’s delegates and replacing them with more for Obama so he won’t look so bad.This is just wrong!

We can not let the democratic party get away with this.If Hillary isn’t the presidential nominne then McCain I will fully support-McCain.The democratic party stole-cheated and took the will of the people who voted for Hillary not just FL/MI in all states who voted for Hillary-Nancy Polsio paid thandsands of dollar each to delegates in the ststaes that Hillary won to put thier support behind Obama-?Huh? WE saw it all from Donna Brazile-May 31,convention-Howard Dean-The stealing of sign in sheets-The stealing of votes-The media lies and the democrativ party lies-I am sick of it! And to think that Denver they think they will play with our feelings and sure they read the blogs as well as here-Sop they will know how and try to work us to fall in line. NODEAL!

DNC CAN KISS MY ASS!!!!!!!!!!!

Hilary for president 08
McCain for president 08

We saw it all-Why let then get away with this,Why.

NOOBAMA NEVER
I will not!

Following is a message I received from Gary Shay. It was nice of him to let me know. Let’s put our efforts where they belong.

Schirete

———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— —

She is going to have her name placed in nomination, and then release her delegates, and ask that they vote for Obama.
Garry S. Shay
Member, Democratic National Committee (CA) and
Lead Chair Rules Committee, California Democratic Party
Titles for identification purposes only
============ ========= ========= ========= ===
If you would like to join my list serve, send an email to:
DemocraticNewsGroup -subscribe@ yahoogroups. com
============ ========= ========= ========= ===
In a message dated 08/17/08 20:27:34 Pacific Daylight Time, schirete@adelphia. net writes:

 

Comment by Kathy | 2008-08-18 21:15:51

schirete@adelphia. net writes: on above post

Hello,

“It’s way above my pay grade,” “I’ll deal with Iran with a big stick and a big carrot,” those are just two of the multitde of pearls of wisdom coming from Obama.

We’ve just had 8 years of an idiot “dictator”. We can’t afford to have another one.

Obama’s change includes trying to change the presidential seal, changing the American flag on his jet to some kind of an Obama logo at a cost of %750,000 (think of all the poor people we could feed with this money), and wanting to tax the hell out of the middle class, the old, the young, the good, the bad, and the ugly - in short everybody.

He went on a worldwide tour and came back with NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE.

In Israel, he scared the Israelis with the dumbest Stick and Carrot speech.
In Germany, he was able to rally up tens of thousands of screaming rock n’ rollers with free concert, wurst and beer. Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel shook his hand very briefly and off she went to the Wagner Festival.

I just interviewed with the Japanese TV the equivalent of CNN, and the reporter told me off record that Japan is concerned about North Korea and Obama’s suggestion that he will talk to them and see what’s happening, is of great concern over there.

Please, stay with Hillary. We can’t afford to have a combination of an idiot and a dictator again.

 

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