CIA Whistleblower, Missouri-born, In Prison

I hadn't heard this story but one CIA whistleblower, Jeffrey Sterling, "...an American lawyer and former CIA employee who was arrested, charged, and convicted of violating the Espionage Act for revealing details about Operation Merlin to journalist James Risen."  

Mr. Risen you may remember:

,,,is the author of the book State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration (January 2006). The book conducted important investigations into Central Intelligence Agency activities. It states that the CIA carried out an operation in 2000 (Operation Merlin) intended to delay Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program by feeding it flawed blueprints for key missing components—which backfired and may actually have aided Iran, as the flaw was likely detected and corrected by a former Soviet nuclear scientist the operation used to make the delivery. In early 2003, the New York Times refrained from publication of the story after an intervention by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice with the NYT Executive Editor Howell Raines.

So Mr. Sterling "blew the whistle" on the CIA over their own illegal activities and now he's in jail. 

He's originally from our own Cape Girardeau. He also got his Juris Doctor degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Jeffrey Alexander Sterling was being investigated during the Bush administration. In 2010 he was indicted under the Espionage Act of 1917, one of the few people in US history whose alleged contact with a journalist was punished under espionage law.

In May 2015, Sterling was sentenced to 3½ years in prison.

So one more time, our government is found doing things illegal---against our own laws---as with Edward Snowden, it seems, someone blows the whistle, so to speak, and they end up in jail, no one else.

And check this out. According to the Wikipedia entry on Mr. Sterling:

Sterling was convicted of espionage charges on January 26, 2015. Sentencing was originally scheduled for April 24, but after learning of the sentence of no more than two years’ probation plus a fine given one day earlier to David Petraeus for the felony of providing classified information to an unauthorized person, Sterling's lawyers submitted a plea that Sterling "not receive a different form of justice" than Petraeus, asking for a similarly lenient sentence instead of the 19 to 24 years imprisonment sought by the federal prosecutors.

So the white General "provides classified information to an unauthorized person" and gets probation. 

The black guy in the CIA gets 3-1/2 years?

Really?

That's what passes for justice in America?

Link:  How Jeffrey Sterling Took on the CIA — and Lost Everything

It's Looks To Be A Busy, Even Great September

Just glimpsing into what this September is going to bring us, besides Autumn and cooler temperatures, which is always welcome, it seems there's not just a lot of things that are going to take place but a lot of good to great things. Some examples:

--The Iran Deal. Agree or disagree, like it, love it, hate it, whatever, we're very likely now going to get the negotiated Iran deal which we--everyone--need so badly. Sure, disagree if you wish but scientists, military advisers actually in the military and experienced in the region as well as hundreds of Rabbis all came to the same conclusion, that this is a good and smart move. It's good for Iran, good for the region, good for the US, heck, good for the world. (see links, below).

--On a lot lighter side, we get Stephen Colbert back. This has, all of a sudden, become Stephen Colbert's week and even month, what with his Late Night talk show beginning this Tuesday. I don't know anyone brighter or any funnier than Mr. Colbert nor full of more energy and what appears to be downright, welcomed intelligence.

--Also lighter on subject, football. The NFL. And normally I wouldn't mention this but this year, especially the first game of the year, is especially poignant since the New England Patriots and their quarterback/leader Tom Brady will be highlighted. Coming off that rather auspicious win, what with his/their/our "deflategate" seeming scandal and the belief on so many people's part that the game looked rather shady, at least, if not out and out stolen, it should be interesting. Then there was all the courtroom drama this Summer and not that long ago---weeks---when a judge threw out the case of the NFL and commissioner Tom Goodell against Mr. Brady and his Patriots. Heck, the commentary alone on that opening football night and game should be interesting. Fun, even.

--On a far more local, Kansas City note, there's always the Fall art shows--Westport Art Festival next weekend and the Plaza Art Fair--and the UnPlaza Art Fair, of course--the 3rd week.

And that's just a short list. Heaven knows it will be a busy month. Enjoy, y'all.

Links:  Dozens of retired generals, admirals back Iran nuclear deal

29 US Scientists Praise Iran Nuclear Deal

340 rabbis urge Congress to support Iran nuclear deal

This is an astoundingly good Iran deal

Quote of the Day -- On the Iran Deal

These Are the Days, My Friends

It's actually a pretty incredible time to be alive.

Millions more Americans recently came much closer to having full equality here in their own nation.

Greece just got yet one more cash bailout from it's Eurozone members yesterday.

It was announced today, Tuesday, that a nuclear agreement between Iran and 6 other nations to keep them from getting nuclear weapons was reached, taking off economic sanctions.

And there's a flyby of our satellite near Pluto today.

Big times. These are incredible times, indeed.

We take things so for granted.

Huge, Breaking National and International News

This came today, this afternoon, over at Daily Kos:

Report: Iran Nuclear Deal REACHED - 

to be Announced Tomorrow

A likely sign that a deal has been reached, according to news reports, is that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov just touched down in Vienna, and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to arrive later today.

If the two unnamed envoys' accounts are accurate, it has been a historic couple of weeks for the Obama Administration, and, I daresay, for the entire planet Earth. w00t!

It's also reassuring to know that Israeli PM Netanyahu and his Goposaur pals in Congress will be powerless to thwart any agreement.

If true and if a good, strong, verifiable deal to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons, this is not just huge but great news for Iran, for the United States, for the entire Middle East and even, of course, the world. And yes, like it or not, it would be excellent, fantastic, even events for the Obama administration.

Now wait for every Republican in Congress want to shoot it down.

More of the same from Republicans

And as soon as it was announced that this president reached the framework of an agreement to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons, the Republicans responded:

GOP rips Iran nuclear deal

Forget that they haven't seen the deal.

Forget that they haven't read it.

Forget that they then have no idea whatever what's in it.

They're merely continuing their same Republican platform regarding this president and anything he is for or represents:



So tiresome.

Meanwhile the rest of us Americans--you know, the ones attached to logic, calm, intelligent thought, peace and reality--are celebrating the possibility of a breakthrough. Even Iranians are celebrating and want this.

Iranians celebrate nuclear deal by taking 

selfies with Obama

They understand how they'd benefit from getting the economic sanctions lifted.

The Daily Kos got it right last evening:

Top Republicans pretty sure they don't 

like Iran deal

Yes, the rest of us understand what this could mean and "get it."

Not so, the Republicans.

If it's good for President Obama, even if it's good for America, they're against it.

The fact is, this is no time and this is certainly no issue for demagoguery.

President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize?

Just announced this afternoon:

Iran Agrees to Framework of Nuclear Deal 

Now, if the Republicans put their political party before the nation and negotiations and some little fragment of world peace and try to squirrel this...

Republican Party Priorities

By now, most of the nation has, I think, heard about the 47 Republicans who got together and signed a letter to the Iranian hard liners, saying they--the Republicans--support them and not our own president when it comes to negotiating for peace and keeping Iran from building a nuclear reactor.

It was fairly disgusting.

Moving on from that, local news station KY3, in Springfield, covered a story yesterday that bears some additional notoriety:

MoDOT lacks funding needed to fix bridges in 'critical condition'

This is another story I think most of us are familiar with. I know CBS "60 Minutes" did a story on it, telling of the lack of maintenance and upkeep our nation's roads, bridges, streets and other essential infrastructure have gotten and how they need work and investment. From this story yesterday:

74 Southwest Missouri bridges are currently listed in "critical condition" according to MoDOT, but department officials say the state doesn't have the money to repair those bridges...

And that's just Southwest Missouri bridges, not the entire state. If it were the entire state, that would have been concern enough.

Right now there are 600 bridges in Missouri listed in poor or critical condition, and officials estimate in 2024 there will 1,500 bridges in those categories. Without repairs, MoDOT says many bridges will have to be given weight restrictions or even be shut down completely.

And the great things about a solution to the nation's infrastructure would be that it would give more Americans jobs--good jobs, and for years---and secondly, also importantly, it would give the economy a boost.

Those are some huge benefits.

But instead of doing the nation's business and writing, proposing, voting on and passing an infrastructure bill, what do the Republicans give their time and attention to?

A letter to our enemies, saying they support them. instead of supporting peace negotiations and yes, our president.

The nerve, the stupidity the selfishness is fairly stunning.

We've all known we need to get money to our Highway Fund, too, but it's also neglected. This Congress and our representatives just simply aren't giving their jobs and our country, our nation, the people, the attention it all deserves.

Once again, they've put their political party ahead of the nation and the nation's needs, ahead of the people.

How long are we going to tolerate this nonsense?

How we got to now

Facts

Quote of the day---from a very unexpected source

"In a country whose legitimacy is rooted in its people, then there is no fear from free media."

--Newly elected President-elect Hassan Rouhani of Iran


Link:  President-Elect of Iran Says He Will Engage With the West

The Iran we never see

It seems we always demonize enemies and supposed enemies. While clearly this video is created by a source with an agenda, they make a good point. I think when most of us Americans think of the nation Iran, we think desert and blown up buildings and their leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We don't think of beautiful trains going through what looks like green forests. I think it's important to both point this out and see what more of this country and people are like so maybe, maybe, hopefully we don't do something paramountly stupid like attacking one more country.

Great play by Iran right now---and terrific irony

How's this for irony? (Which I've said here before, I love so much.) If it's real and sincere, it's as ironic as it gets: 'It's a sin': Iran calls on treaty to ban nuclear weapons What's great about this is, first, that Iran would be saying there needs to be a ban on nuclear weapons, just as the US is insisting they're trying to build them. Oh, and that we want to go in, "blow them up real good" (with thanks to SCTV) and keep them from building nuclear weapons because, well, you know, they're trying to. Secondly, the reason this is so grea--and ironic--is that they're not only saying there should be a ban on nuclear weapons but that--this is great, wait for it--"it's a sin"! They're using religion to say it's bad, too. Sure, it's that Muslim religion the Christians villify and look down their noses on but hey, it's still religion. It's still saying it goes against--ulp--God. They couldn't have come up with a better idea right now nor a better way to call us out on this if they tried. You have to hand it to them for this move. It's a beauty, and on at least 2 levels. They're obviously trying to beat us at our own game. Make that games. Link: http://rt.com/news/iran-nuclear-iaea-sin-421/

Fascinating quote and supposition

Quote of the day

"...I believe what we should try to bring about is the general conviction that the first thing you have to abolish is war at all costs, and every other point of view must be of secondary importance." ---Albert Einstein

A video from 1955 on nuclear war

Here's hoping anyone and everyone who would contemplate such a thing would think first--long and hard. We really are all in this together.

3rd time: US Navy saves Iranians

True. Here it is: Iranian Fishermen Rescued By U.S. Navy, Again And these are the people that hate us. These are the people that want to go to war with us. And yes, I understand the flip side, too, just as I understand why the North Koreans are lined up against us the way they are. But if you're either starving--as so many North Koreans are and have been for years--or so desperately poor, as so many Iranians are, wouldn't it be nice if we could all see each other half way and just get along? And just cooperate? Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/us-navy-rescues-iranian-fishermen_n_1215097.html?1326949106&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Possilbe war with Iran, like the war with Iraq

Here's hoping they'll listen this time.

Sec. of Defense: Iran not developing nukes

From Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta himself: So if our own Secretary of Defense is certain Iran is not developing nuclear weapons, could we please not have any further talk of possible war with same said nation. Please? And while we're at it, would you get those 1,000 American soldiers--or CIA agents or whatever they are--out of Israel? Link: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/01/09/secretary-of-defense-leon-panetta-says-iran-is-not-developing-nuclear-weapons-video/

Brief primer on Iraq and Iran

If someone showed you these pictures singularly, would you think any of them from Iraq or Iran? We so love to demonize our "enemies" and not think of them as humans or their countries, for that matter, as habitable. We humans still have a long way to go, don't we?

One more reason we shouldn't go to war with Iran

Look at this map. Besides the fact that we're already in too many wars internationally and that we've lost far too many American soldiers, this is how many bases we have, surrounding Iran.

Each red star represents a military base. Enough, you think?