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alp227

(31,961 posts)
Sun Sep 23, 2012, 11:06 PM Sep 2012

Deadly Attack in Libya Was Major Blow to C.I.A. Efforts

Source: NYT

The attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans has dealt the Central Intelligence Agency a major setback in its intelligence-gathering efforts at a time of increasing instability in the North African nation.

Among the more than two dozen American personnel evacuated from the city after the assault on the American mission and a nearby annex were about a dozen C.I.A. operatives and contractors, who played a crucial role in conducting surveillance and collecting information on an array of militant armed groups in and around the city.

“It’s a catastrophic intelligence loss,” said one American official who has served in Libya and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the F.B.I. is still investigating the attack. “We got our eyes poked out.”

The C.I.A.’s surveillance targets in Benghazi and eastern Libya include Ansar al-Sharia, a militia that some have blamed for the attack, as well as suspected members of Al Qaeda’s affiliate in North Africa, known as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/world/africa/attack-in-libya-was-major-blow-to-cia-efforts.html?pagewanted=all

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Deadly Attack in Libya Was Major Blow to C.I.A. Efforts (Original Post) alp227 Sep 2012 OP
Wow... dkf Sep 2012 #1
They were there also to coordinate Jihadi groups going to fight in Syria. leveymg Sep 2012 #2
Unsubstantiated. joshcryer Sep 2012 #3
Completely obvious. leveymg Sep 2012 #4
Doesn't fit the DU meme that these are all pure grassroots, Arab Spring "revolutionaries" nt riderinthestorm Sep 2012 #5
Blackwater's also mixed up in this Libyan fighters to Syria regime change operation: leveymg Sep 2012 #6
It certainly fits the xenophobic, paternalistic meme that they needed coercion... joshcryer Sep 2012 #14
What it fits, is a pattern established by a history of interventions in the region. ronnie624 Sep 2012 #15
Are you deliberately obtuse? There are many, many substantiated accounts of western involvement riderinthestorm Sep 2012 #26
Yes, Gaddafi was actually loved by most Libyans. UnrepentantLiberal Sep 2012 #24
Most DUers realized that the Libyan 'revolution' was in no way similar to the sabrina 1 Sep 2012 #29
Yeah, that's the thing about covert operations. Comrade Grumpy Sep 2012 #7
Or maybe the truth is even worse. harmonicon Sep 2012 #10
Could you explain the logic behind what could be gained by that? joshcryer Sep 2012 #13
No. They don't think that far ahead. harmonicon Sep 2012 #17
So you don't actually have a logical reason behind such an approach, then? joshcryer Sep 2012 #21
It's an illogical approach, but one that the US has used many times over. harmonicon Sep 2012 #22
I know you can't accept it but Libya was an internal uprising. joshcryer Sep 2012 #23
An internal uprising that wouldn't have succeeded without support from the US. harmonicon Sep 2012 #25
Debatable. joshcryer Sep 2012 #31
Yes, it's debatable, but a moot point now. harmonicon Sep 2012 #33
It's gone quite well. joshcryer Sep 2012 #34
It's also the only country... harmonicon Sep 2012 #35
That's false. There have been many attacks before. joshcryer Sep 2012 #37
Thanks for the clarification. harmonicon Sep 2012 #38
"the civil war there is not over yet" joshcryer Sep 2012 #39
I wish you wouldn't use such a broad brush. harmonicon Sep 2012 #40
Thousands of Libyan people are "some Libyan people"? joshcryer Sep 2012 #41
Let me give you a comparison: harmonicon Sep 2012 #42
Are you contending that the Libyan elections... joshcryer Sep 2012 #43
You're reading too much into the point I'm trying to make. harmonicon Sep 2012 #44
Libyan fighters have admitted to going to Syria. There's no connection with the CIA. joshcryer Sep 2012 #12
BS - What do you think the Administration means by "technical assistance" to the Syrian opposition? leveymg Sep 2012 #28
"helping allies decide" "could provide support" joshcryer Sep 2012 #32
Blowback is the one thing the CIA does really, really well. nt bemildred Sep 2012 #8
"The attack has raised questions ronnie624 Sep 2012 #9
The computer tech, Sean Smith, died destroying files. Ash_F Sep 2012 #11
No truer punchline ever existed: ronnie624 Sep 2012 #16
He probably had extensive information on all US covert ops in Libya, amandabeech Sep 2012 #18
Does the Administration's hesitancy to fill us in make sense then? dkf Sep 2012 #20
A think that there is a little of both. amandabeech Sep 2012 #30
Another hero. dkf Sep 2012 #19
Why were that many CIA and contractors in Benghazi? They weren't just counting noses. leveymg Sep 2012 #27
I think we can finally start putting this as some random occurence to bed. wutang77 Sep 2012 #36
So does anyone still think this whole charade was *really* just about some bad movie? Blue_Tires Sep 2012 #45
 

dkf

(37,305 posts)
1. Wow...
Sun Sep 23, 2012, 11:13 PM
Sep 2012

"Though the agency has been cooperating with the new post-Qaddafi Libyan intelligence service, the size of the C.I.A.’s presence in Benghazi apparently surprised some Libyan leaders. The deputy prime minister, Mustafa Abushagour, was quoted in The Wall Street Journal last week saying that he learned about some of the delicate American operations in Benghazi only after the attack on the mission, in large part because a surprisingly large number of Americans showed up at the Benghazi airport to be evacuated."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/world/africa/attack-in-libya-was-major-blow-to-cia-efforts.html?pagewanted=all

leveymg

(36,418 posts)
2. They were there also to coordinate Jihadi groups going to fight in Syria.
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 08:32 AM
Sep 2012

Ironically, a major reason Eastern Libya became an al-Qaeda safe area is because of these operations. See, http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021343355

But, this is not new. US intelligence has had a covert relationship with Libyan terrorists going back to the Edwin Wilson days. See, comment at http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/edwin-wilson-former-cia-operative-convicted-of-selling-arms-to-libya-dies-at-84/2012/09/22/3f97da2e-04f1-11e2-9132-f2750cd65f97_story.html

The attack and death of the American Ambassador has drawn unwanted attention to these facts.

Cross-posted as comment in NYT article thread. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/world/africa/attack-in-libya-was-major-blow-to-cia-efforts.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www#comments

leveymg

(36,418 posts)
4. Completely obvious.
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 09:30 AM
Sep 2012

It's been acknowledged that CIA is coordinating foreign fighters going into Syria. Are you denying that some of them come from Libya or that the CIA has not worked with Libyans?

Start here (I'll give you some more, if you're still in denial):

Tripoli Files Show CIA Working With Libya - WSJ.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903895904576547101159155100.html
Sep 3, 2011 – The Central Intelligence Agency and Libyan intelligence services developed such a tight relationship during the George W. Bush administration ...

CIA activities in Libya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Libya
[edit] Libya 1969. Focused on the next six months after the coup that overthrew the monarchy, conclusions estimated: "likely developments in Libyan policy, ...


leveymg

(36,418 posts)
6. Blackwater's also mixed up in this Libyan fighters to Syria regime change operation:
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 09:41 AM
Sep 2012

Note that Blackwater has its contracts with the State Dept, and State seems to be the driving force behind the regime change program.

LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS:
The US Government Sent Blackwater Veteran To Fight With Rebels In Libya And Syria

Michael Kelley|March 20, 2012|
4,255|0


The former director of the security firm Blackwater aided the Libyan opposition and was subsequently sent to contact Syrian rebels in Turkey at the request of a U.S. Government committee, according to leaked Stratfor emails reported on by Al-Akhbar English.

Jamie F. Smith, former director of Blackwater, is currently the chief executive of the security firm SCG International.

In an email sent to Stratfor on February 11, 2011, Smith praised the company's intelligence gathering and said his "background is CIA and our company is comprised of former DOD [i.e. Department of Defense], CIA and former law enforcement personnel. We provide services for those same groups in the form of training, security and information collection."

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-20/news/31212864_1_stratfor-provides-syrian-opposition-regime-change#ixzz27OWCEP1I


joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
14. It certainly fits the xenophobic, paternalistic meme that they needed coercion...
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 09:13 PM
Sep 2012

...to actually overthrow a tyrant.

ronnie624

(5,764 posts)
15. What it fits, is a pattern established by a history of interventions in the region.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 12:29 AM
Sep 2012

And it's kind of hard for the people to overthrow a dictator, when he is receiving crowd control weapons from Western powers.

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
26. Are you deliberately obtuse? There are many, many substantiated accounts of western involvement
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 01:56 PM
Sep 2012

Here's France:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/19/warplane-shot-down-libya_n_837911.html

Here's Italy:
http://en.rian.ru/world/20110427/163739878.html

Leveymg's already provided stories of Blackwater and the CIA, and the well known US military air support as well. There are more links to the many foreign elements in Libya - all with their own agendas.

I'm completely sick about western intervention in these regions. There's no good end to them so I pay attention when it happens (and happens and happens and happens and.... ad nauseum).

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
29. Most DUers realized that the Libyan 'revolution' was in no way similar to the
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 02:29 PM
Sep 2012

Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions early on. They were slammed and insulted for pointing out obvious facts demonstrating that even if the initial UNARMED protests were legitimate, they were quickly taken over and used as cover for the NATO regime change which has pretty much destroyed that country and caused untold numbers of deaths.

The excuse for NATO's 'air support' was supposed to be to 'protect civilians'. But on the day of the Gadaffi killing, when atrocities were being carried out against civilians, NATO ended its 'air protection of civilians' leaving thousands to the brutality of those they had armed and supported.



 

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)
7. Yeah, that's the thing about covert operations.
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 11:54 AM
Sep 2012

I'm not willing to say that's what the spooks were up to, but one has to wonder.

There are reportedly lots of Libyan fighters in Syria.

US wants to overthrow Assad.

The Benghazi area is/was jihadi turf.

Big CIA operation in Benghazi.

Maybe the CIA was just there to keep an eye on the jihadis. If so, they did a pretty crappy job of it.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
10. Or maybe the truth is even worse.
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 01:59 PM
Sep 2012

Did they do a bad job of keeping an eye on them, or did they do a good enough job training and arming them that they were able to overrun a US embassy and kill the ambassador?

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
13. Could you explain the logic behind what could be gained by that?
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 09:12 PM
Sep 2012

A false flag in order to get the Libyan people to move away from jihadis? Because that is clearly the result of said actions.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
17. No. They don't think that far ahead.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 02:38 AM
Sep 2012

What did we do in Afghanistan in the 80's? What was the result?

Never forget that NATO's mission is to support capitalism over communism. We helped these same rebels overthrow a dictatorial communist regime with little regard for what would take its place.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
22. It's an illogical approach, but one that the US has used many times over.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 03:13 AM
Sep 2012

We're doing it again in Syria - I imagine that that's what a number of those CIA operatives were doing in Libya.

Their plan behind it seems to be this:

1. Remove governments we don't agree with at any cost, even if it means training and arming religious extremists who hate us.
2. ???
3. Profit

Iran... Afghanistan... Iraq... Libya...

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
23. I know you can't accept it but Libya was an internal uprising.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 04:59 AM
Sep 2012

The CIA (and US intelligence in general) isn't stupid, they know that the Syrian rebels aren't able to overthrow the government. The US hasn't even recognized the Syrian National Council as the sole authority (they have recognized the SNC for "dialog" but that is immaterial). The goal of US intelligence in those two countries is to track arms and follow whatever jihadist groups are indeed there not "overthrow" the "governments we don't agree with."

In Libya the oil was flowing, Gaddafi was doing rendition for the US, we had opened up trade, whole nine yards. He wasn't a threat to us.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
25. An internal uprising that wouldn't have succeeded without support from the US.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 01:45 PM
Sep 2012

Just like Afghanistan.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
33. Yes, it's debatable, but a moot point now.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 09:42 PM
Sep 2012

The fact is, we interfered in their civil war. This isn't the first time we've done this, and it usually hasn't gone well in the past, so I don't know why we'd expect it to in this case.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
34. It's gone quite well.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 10:07 PM
Sep 2012

Libya is the only country in the Arab Spring to vote against the Muslim Brotherhood and to oust islamists!

Are you kidding me?

They may be the only thing stopping a resurgence of islamism in the middle east.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
35. It's also the only country...
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 11:15 PM
Sep 2012

in the region to launch a successful terrorist attack against a US embassy in their country, which, as you know, is an attack against the US, and on US soil.

You can turn the Muslim Brotherhood into a boogeyman if you want to, but them being elected in other countries is only a sign of working democracy in those countries - those countries in which regime change did not involve civil war sponsored by NATO, but rather a peaceful transition.

I wouldn't consider that as going "quite well" unless you also think Vietnam, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iraq went quite well.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
37. That's false. There have been many attacks before.
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 12:07 AM
Sep 2012

I don't know why you think you can successfully revise history here.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/09/12/f-embassy-attacks.html

Also, it wasn't the official state embassy, it was a consulate which was attacked, which is decidedly not "US soil."

So let's get the facts straight, shall we?

The Muslim Brotherhood is obviously not a big a threat as the more radical islamists, it is merely meant to show that even in Libya, a moderate Muslim country, the Muslim Brotherhood didn't gain control. Showing how anti-islamist in the end they really are, disproving the racist xenophobic commentary that the Libyan people had to endure for a year.

It is going exceedingly well. Some others have tried to use the Libyan consulate attack to demean not only the President but the Libyan people. The Libyan people took to the streets and protested the attack and proved those demeaning people wrong in every way.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
38. Thanks for the clarification.
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 02:38 AM
Sep 2012

I've certainly heard it reported that it was an embassy, but you're right. It wasn't like the AQ embassy attacks in Africa if it wasn't an embassy, but US government officials were killed either way.

I think there are just basic differences between how you and I see this, based on the link you give. I see that as evidence for my point:

Our embassy in Iran was attacked after we helped overthrow their government and install one we supported. The bombings in Africa I see as a direct result of our support for Bin Laden & co during the Afghan civil war and general support for Saudi extremists. Saudi Arabia... 'nuff said. Afghanistan - my point exactly. Having our embassy attacked there is a great example of the loads of "freedom" we brought them.

I think this latest attack in Libya and its aftermath really shows that the civil war there is not over yet. Iraq was relatively quiet for quite awhile after we overthrew their government and installed our own.

I don't want to make any generalizations about "the Libyan people," because I wouldn't do that in any country. There are Libyans who want functioning liberal democracy. There are Libyans who are royalists, there are Libyans who are xenophobic and Islamist. All of them were fighting for different reasons. Just remember, there were also Libyan people who loved the government they had before and considered it worth fighting and dying for - a lot of them.

I think this is far from over, and for our sake and the sake of Libya, I hope you're right and that our country did the right thing in that war. I'm just afraid that we didn't and that we're seeing evidence of that already.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
39. "the civil war there is not over yet"
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 02:50 AM
Sep 2012

I think it is more a result of the civil war and the lack of security that followed. This is what happens when all countries undergo a civil war, the victors need time to establish security again.

edit: to be sure the fact that 40+ Americans were mostly unguarded in Libya does indicate that their guard was down, indicating at least to me that they thought they were in a safer place than they were. The attackers used that void and trust against them. Of course we saw even here on DU the calls for more security and so on and so forth. Which is precisely what the attackers want in any case. It's one reason the Libyan people protested the attack because they want to keep dialog open and relations on good standing.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
40. I wish you wouldn't use such a broad brush.
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 03:06 AM
Sep 2012

This is what gets us into so many arguments.

It wasn't "the Libyan people" who protested the attack, but some Libyan people. If you want to make that claim, a counter claim can be made that "the Libyan people" attacked and killed US government officials. Doing this gets us nowhere; there's just too much nuance in the situation.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
41. Thousands of Libyan people are "some Libyan people"?
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 03:08 AM
Sep 2012

Are you contending that most Libyans would've been supportive of the attack?

The Libyan people who protested are in line with the majority of Libyan people who voted in a moderate government. I would like to understand how the Libyans who protested were in fact sharing views incompatible with the people who voted.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
42. Let me give you a comparison:
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 03:14 AM
Sep 2012

Last election, teabaggers sweep into congress with a pretty sizable majority. Would you like to be characterized along with them as "the American people" because one election gave them an edge?

I know that I'm on the fringe of society culturally and politically. I'm still an American. I reject any characterization of "the (country) people," for any place.

I don't doubt that there are many wonderful human beings in Libya, but I also know there are terrible people there - just like in the US.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
43. Are you contending that the Libyan elections...
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 03:42 AM
Sep 2012

...were an anomaly?

Because the teabagger elections certainly were (MSM propaganda + disillusioned lefists).

I do not think it is unfair to say the vast majority of Libyans are anti-radical islamists. I think it would be more accurate to say that the vast majority of Libyans, including the majority of those who protested to oust Gaddafi and including those who had revolutionary agency in lieu of his ouster, the vast majority of those Libyans are moderate Muslims who reject extremism.

The composition of the fighters (not all revolutionaries were fighters, not all protesters were fighters; to expect all to be fighters is BS) was 1/3rd Berbers, 1/3 Misratians, 1/3 Benghazi and the east (which had within it a relatively large composition of islamist leaning individuals). Because at most (being generous given how Benghazi reacted to the islamist attacks) 1/3rd of the fighters (fighters, not protesters, again the distinction must be made) were potentially "islamist" does not in any way change the character of the revolution nor does it indicate where Libyans stand. One must look at all the demographics and all the groups and then understand it from that point of view.

And when you do that it's damn impossible for a rational person to stand back and pretend that Libya is anything but the best achievement from the Arab Spring.

harmonicon

(12,008 posts)
44. You're reading too much into the point I'm trying to make.
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 01:22 PM
Sep 2012

I'm saying that when discussing almost any topic, we do ourselves no service by mentioning "the (country) people," because we're not homogenous groups - not Libya, not the US, not anywhere.

I didn't want to continue this argument, but I must be irrational or have achieved the impossible, because I don't see Libya as the best of anything, unless you'd characterize something as a "best" unmitigated disaster.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
12. Libyan fighters have admitted to going to Syria. There's no connection with the CIA.
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 09:07 PM
Sep 2012

They don't need the CIA to go to Libya just as the Syrian fighters in Libya didn't need the CIA to go to Libya. It's simple. The connection between the CIA and these fighters is simply not there, it's a conspiracy theory.

I am fully open to evidence to those ends but I simply don't see it.

I think they were there to keep an eye on the relative minority of jihadis. The report admits as much. But I don't think they were there trying to coerce things into being as is implied. It simple makes no sense for them to try to do that as they gain nothing.

The CIA was burned by the Taliban and I simply don't see them being friendly toward them. I know it goes against the meme that the US was helping jihadis during the civil war, but we saw how the Libyan people voted and we see how the Libyan people protest. The US is not going to be stupid and coddle jihadis.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)
28. BS - What do you think the Administration means by "technical assistance" to the Syrian opposition?
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 02:22 PM
Sep 2012

Last edited Tue Sep 25, 2012, 04:07 PM - Edit history (4)

Do you think Reuters, the NYT, and the CSM and the VOA are engaging in "conspiracy theory"?

C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian ... - The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/.../cia-said-to-aid-in-steering-arms-to-syrian-rebels...
Jun 21, 2012 – WASHINGTON — A small number of C.I.A. officers are operating secretly in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which Syrian opposition ...

Exclusive: Obama authorizes secret U.S. support for Syrian rebels ...
www.reuters.com/.../us-usa-syria-obama-order-idUSBRE8701OK201...
Aug 1, 2012 – WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has signed a ... Syrian rebel fighters pose for a picture in Hama July 20, 2012. ... the CIA and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust Assad.

Tripoli Files Show CIA Working With Libya - WSJ.com
online.wsj.com/.../SB1000142405311190389590457654710115915...
Sep 3, 2011 – The Central Intelligence Agency and Libyan intelligence services developed such a tight relationship during the George W. Bush administration ...

CIA Secretly at Work Inside Libya
www.voanews.com/content/article/137541.html
Apr 4, 2011 – But just what they are doing not clear and, in keeping with practice, CIA would not comment on reports.

David Bromwich: The CIA, the Libyan Rebellion, and the President
www.huffingtonpost.com/david.../cia-libya-obama-_b_843166.html
Mar 31, 2011 – The appeal against armed violence, by the leader of a superpower who either has just approved or is about to approve the shipment of arms to ...


No sooner was Gadhaffi gone, and the US-backed regime in place in Tripoli, did the new "President" of Libya dispatch the top militant commander to Turkey for a meeting with the Syrian opposition.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8919057/Leading-Libyan-Islamist-met-Free-Syrian-Army-opposition-group.html


Leading Libyan Islamist met Free Syrian Army opposition group


Libyan authorities this week dispatched the country's most renowned Islamist militia leader to meet senior figures of the Free Syrian Army, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

By Ruth Sherlock in Tripoli

9:00PM GMT 27 Nov 2011

Comments44 Comments

Abdulhakim Belhadj, head of the Tripoli Military Council and the former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, "met with Free Syrian Army leaders in Istanbul and on the border with Turkey," said a military official working with Mr Belhadj. "Mustafa Abdul Jalil (the interim Libyan president) sent him there."

The "covert operation" was immediately laid bare when a rival Libyan rebel brigade detained Belhaj at Tripoli airport, accused him of travelling on a fake passport, and declared they would jail the senior military leader.

Only a letter from the country's interim president was enough to persuade them to let him leave the country.

The meetings came as a sign of a growing ties between Libya's fledgling government and the Syrian opposition. The Daily Telegraph on Saturday revealed that the new Libyan authorities had offered money and weapons to the growing insurgency against Bashar al-Assad.

Mr Belhaj also discussed sending Libyan fighters to train troops, the source said. Having ousted one dictator, triumphant young men, still filled with revolutionary fervour, are keen to topple the next. The commanders of armed gangs still roaming Tripoli's streets said yesterday that "hundreds" of fighters wanted to wage war against the Assad regime.

Related Articles

Libya’s offers weapons to Syrian rebels
25 Nov 2011

Libyan Islamist leader detained as tensions grow between rival factions
25 Nov 2011

SNIP

Newspapers reported on Saturday that four Libyan men had been caught on the Turkish border trying to infiltrate into the country. The grand design envisioned by Mr Belhaj and the Libyan authorities is still in its nascent stage.



The US and UK have actually been bankrolling the Syrian opposition a lot longer than that, way before this article was printed as the active phase of the Sunni uprising was ignited in April, 2011: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/04/18/syria-united-states-backing-wikileaks.html


U.S. admits funding Syrian opposition
CBC News

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 3:14 AM ET


The U.S. State Department acknowledged Monday it has been funding opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, following the release of secret diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks that document the funding.

The files show that up to $6.3 million US was funnelled to the Movement for Justice and Development, a London-based dissident organization that operates the Barada TV satellite channel, which broadcasts anti-government news into Syria. Another $6 million went to support a variety of initiatives, including training for journalists and activists, between 2006 and 2010.

Asked point-blank by reporters whether the United States is funding Syrian opposition groups, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news conference Monday, "We are — we're working with a variety of civil society actors in Syria with the goal here of strengthening freedom of expression."

Then pressed to specify whether the U.S. provides satellite bandwidth for Barada TV's broadcasts, Toner said: "I'd have to get details of what exactly technical assistance we're providing them."

Toner insisted the financing is not aimed at overthrowing Assad's rule. "We are not working to undermine that government."

However, an April 2009 diplomatic cable from the U.S. mission in Damascus recognizes the risky optics of the funding.

"Some programs may be perceived, were they made public, as an attempt to undermine the Assad regime.… The Syrian Arab Republic government would undoubtedly view any U.S. funds going to illegal political groups as tantamount to supporting regime change."

Whistleblower website WikiLeaks provided the cables to the Washington Post newspaper, which first reported on them. The files are part of a haul of 251,000 secret U.S. diplomatic documents the website says it has obtained. It began disclosing them in November through partner media outlets and so far has released nearly 7,000.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
32. "helping allies decide" "could provide support"
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 09:16 PM
Sep 2012

Fucking satellite communication is not the kind of support you're talking about.

Next you'll be using Cuban-esque propaganda-style language calling communication equipment tools of mercenaries.

It's intel based at this point, and it's not what you say it is. And then you, like everyone else, group the various aspects of the opposition into one subgroup. Dirty filthy islamists.

It's classic stuff.

That's why I stay out of the Syrian debates because it's just the same shit that was done over Libya (which was proven wrong).

ronnie624

(5,764 posts)
9. "The attack has raised questions
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 01:29 PM
Sep 2012

about the adequacy of security preparations at the two American compounds in Benghazi"

But never about the moral legitimacy of intervening and stoking violence in other countries for completely self-serving reasons.

Ash_F

(5,861 posts)
11. The computer tech, Sean Smith, died destroying files.
Mon Sep 24, 2012, 02:07 PM
Sep 2012

He had to stay behind and make sure all the computer equipment was destroyed. At the time of the report, I wondered what material could be so sensitive that he had to stay and risk his life to get rid of.





I guess we know now. Libya is definitely not a fairy-tale. I bet once the media veil lifts, we will see that the majority of the country was disenfranchised under this new government.

ronnie624

(5,764 posts)
16. No truer punchline ever existed:
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 01:30 AM
Sep 2012

Why has there never been a coup d'etat in the U.S.?

Because there is no U.S. embassy there.

 

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)
18. He probably had extensive information on all US covert ops in Libya,
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 02:49 AM
Sep 2012

including every Libyan who was supporting or working with the US.

I keep expecting to hear of the deaths of many Libyans in the eastern part of that country.

This whole thing is just such a complete mess. No one who has touched this will end up looking very good, and that includes Sec. Clinton. If she decides to run in 2016, you can bet that her primary opponents and the pugs will take her to task for this FUBAR situation.

 

dkf

(37,305 posts)
20. Does the Administration's hesitancy to fill us in make sense then?
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 03:03 AM
Sep 2012

Or is it the political fallout that was behind it?

 

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)
30. A think that there is a little of both.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 03:16 PM
Sep 2012

Obama and his team are really sticking to a game plan for re-election, and it seems that they are not allowing current events to upset every day.

With that kind of plan, I would think that the team would try to downplay any disrupting event, if possible.

On the other hand, they might have thought that they could give cover for important things going on that could not be made public at that time.

I tend to go with the former, though. But then, I have been told repeatedly that I'm quite cynical.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)
27. Why were that many CIA and contractors in Benghazi? They weren't just counting noses.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 01:59 PM
Sep 2012

Please see today's post on this, Libya Attack Casts Unwanted Spotlight on CIA and Blackwater in Syria, http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021410954

 

wutang77

(31 posts)
36. I think we can finally start putting this as some random occurence to bed.
Tue Sep 25, 2012, 11:51 PM
Sep 2012

Between this and Camp Chapman, it is begining to look like Al Qaeda offshoots are getting good intel. Also, people need to learn to stfu up about operations, and their aftermath.

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)
45. So does anyone still think this whole charade was *really* just about some bad movie?
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 01:29 PM
Sep 2012

Yeah, there were some mindless idiots on the bottom believing whatever they were told, but the ringleaders of the demonstrations have kept well out of sight...

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