Trump slams U.S. intelligence chiefs as 'passive and naive' on Iran

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

Perhaps they should ask the Saudis how to make terrorism acceptable to Trump.

murder some people in their embassies ?

[bristolboy]

32 minutes ago, jamesy9368 said:

As a brit our so called security men were up to our neck with the yanks which lead to Iraq and what has lead to a million dead, Europe drowning in child raping and murdering muslims. Europe has been changed forever on a LIE by the people Trump is not trusting. Perhaps someone can tell me one good thing which has come out of the middle east wars of the last 20 years. Unless you make bombs or tanks I cant see any.

As far as Iran being a centre for terror :-

On Monday, Berlin announced a complete ban against Mahan Air, a “civilian” airline that doubles as an adjunct to the Iranian regime’s nefarious activities across the Middle East. The decision came, reportedly, after months of US efforts to persuade the Germans that Mahan is no ordinary carrier.

As the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, told me in an email, “Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups,” including Syria’s murderous Assad regime. He thanked Germany for imposing the ban.

Denying American pressure, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told Reuters: “It cannot be ruled out that this airline could also transport cargo to Germany that threatens our security. This is based on knowledge of past terrorist activities by Iran in Europe.”

I've rarely read a post where ignorance and illogic run so close a competition.

Yes the intelligence services and Bush administration claimed all sorts of things about Iraq before the war. And you know who the lead liar was? John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser. He actually threatened  José Bustani, the former head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This is the official organization created to deal with enforcementof the Chemical Weapons Ban Treathy. Before the Iraw War they were negotiating with Saddam Hussein to gain access to his alleged chemical weapons sites. Bolton put a stop to that with his threats. 

He also claimed in the run-up to the war that Cuba was developing biological weapons.

And Bolton still defends the Iraq War!

And now of course he's claiming that Iran is violating the nuclear arms agreement even though the IAEE has found no evidence to support that.

And if you're so fired up about Iran, I guess you oppose Trump's withdrawal from Syria where Iran had a very large and powerful presence?

As for Iran being a center of terror, their terrorist activity is miniscule compared to what the Salafists get up to. And it has nothing at all to do with nuclear weapons.

[rudi49jr]

OMG, here we go again: the stable genius, the all-knowing and all-seeing oracle of dunceville, all by himself, knows better than all of his intelligence services combined. It's exactly like when 13 of his own government agencies came out with a rather alarming report about climate change and the impact it could have on the US economy, and he simply said: 'I don't believe it'. And his base gobble it all up and think he is the savior himself. What a travesty!

[Mavideol]

5 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

OMG, here we go again: the stable genius, the all-knowing and all-seeing oracle of dunceville, all by himself, knows better than all of his intelligence services combined. It's exactly like when 13 of his own government agencies came out with a rather alarming report about climate change and the impact it could have on the US economy, and he simply said: 'I don't believe it'. And his base gobble it all up and think he is the savior himself. What a travesty!

you should know the guy has an EGO bigger than all the 51 states combined

[roquefort]

11 hours ago, Tug said:

Is he really that stupid?or is he having another tantrum because all the intelligence agency’s disagree with him?

Yes.....................and yes.

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Gallagher was one of a group of Republican and Democratic House of Representatives members who announced bills on Wednesday to set strict conditions before the United States could withdraw troops from Syria or the Korean Peninsula.

Unless they have enough votes, Trump just doesn't have to sign them for them to be null and void.

The US should never have been in Syria anyway, and they should leave the Korean defence to the Koreans since they became a rich country. The US shouldn't have to be the free world's sole defender- why isn't Britain there as well? They also fought the Korean war.

Trump is right on Iran. Under Obama, Iran got away with a lot of stuff they shouldn't have, and the US gave them a lot of money they shouldn't have.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 hours ago, jamesy9368 said:

Europe has been changed forever on a LIE by the people Trump is not trusting.

To be fair, the agencies told Bush that there was no threat of Iraq developing nuclear weapons with yellowcake from an African country, I think it was Niger, and he over ruled them, according to a doco I saw on Al Jazeera. IMO Bush was the liar, not the agencies. He just really wanted that war, and invented the evidence. I'll never forget Colin Powell telling the UN all those lies about weapons of mass destruction. No wonder he's disappeared since. 

[car720]

21 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Key words there being alternate reality. How it is possible for any person to know better then the intelligence agencies, precisely what is and isn't going on, is truly amazing. Rather than risking peoples lives to get information, maybe the intelligence agencies should sit back, chill out and get all they need to know simply by watching Fox news, Breitbart and other such conspiracy theory offerings. Most countries whose leader belittled everything such as Mr. Trump has been doing, would be removed from office as being mentally deranged.

Children with guns = dangerous buggers.

[Scott]

Posts removed for trolling, messed up quotes and other reasons as well as replies.  

 

[observer90210]

"Intelligence" has never been a matter of intelligence, but rather of politics....

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Unless they have enough votes, Trump just doesn't have to sign them for them to be null and void.

The US should never have been in Syria anyway, and they should leave the Korean defence to the Koreans since they became a rich country. The US shouldn't have to be the free world's sole defender- why isn't Britain there as well? They also fought the Korean war.

Trump is right on Iran. Under Obama, Iran got away with a lot of stuff they shouldn't have, and the US gave them a lot of money they shouldn't have.

Again that nonsense, the US didn't give Iran any money.

Agree with you about Korea, they should move away.

[thaibeachlovers]

15 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Again that nonsense, the US didn't give Iran any money.

Agree with you about Korea, they should move away.

Up to me I wouldn't have given them the money, regardless they  said it was theirs.

[bristolboy]

26 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Up to me I wouldn't have given them the money, regardless they  said it was theirs.

They said it was theirs? It was theirs. No one whose thinking is reality-based says otherwise.

[bristolboy]

Anyway, it turns out that Trump doesn't disagree with his intelligence chiefs at all.

Intelligence officials were ‘misquoted’ after public hearing, Trump claims

 

A day after ridiculing his top intelligence officials as “passive and naive” and claiming they were ignorant about world affairs, President Trump on Thursday said the media had fabricated a conflict and that the officials were “misquoted” by the press after a public congressional hearing that was carried live on television.

The directors of the FBI and the CIA, the director of national intelligence and other officials testified Tuesday about worldwide threats to U.S. national security, revealing significant differences between what the intelligence community has concluded and what the president claims about Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, the prospect for nuclear talks with North Korea, the strength of the Islamic State and other security issues.

Trump lashed out at the intelligence chiefs on Twitter, calling their assessments “wrong” and suggesting that “Intelligence should go back to school!”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-officials-were-misquoted-after-public-hearing-trump-claims/2019/01/31/339952ce-25a7-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html?utm_term=.2d1e87d8f523

 

He's so ignorant he may actually believe this.

[Berkshire]

38 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Anyway, it turns out that Trump doesn't disagree with his intelligence chiefs at all.

Intelligence officials were ‘misquoted’ after public hearing, Trump claims

 

A day after ridiculing his top intelligence officials as “passive and naive” and claiming they were ignorant about world affairs, President Trump on Thursday said the media had fabricated a conflict and that the officials were “misquoted” by the press after a public congressional hearing that was carried live on television.

The directors of the FBI and the CIA, the director of national intelligence and other officials testified Tuesday about worldwide threats to U.S. national security, revealing significant differences between what the intelligence community has concluded and what the president claims about Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, the prospect for nuclear talks with North Korea, the strength of the Islamic State and other security issues.

Trump lashed out at the intelligence chiefs on Twitter, calling their assessments “wrong” and suggesting that “Intelligence should go back to school!”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-officials-were-misquoted-after-public-hearing-trump-claims/2019/01/31/339952ce-25a7-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html?utm_term=.2d1e87d8f523

 

He's so ignorant he may actually believe this.

More Trump lies.  The media didn't fabricate or misquote anything.  They simply aired the comments of the intel chiefs which was pretty clear to everyone except the most braindead Trump stooge.  Trump is just trying to save face.  Geez, and we in Thailand criticize the Thais about "face."  Trump is way worse. 

[Chomper Higgot]

20 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Yes, Trump is wrong to publicly cast doubt over  the intelligence agencies, but he isn't necessarily wrong on their abilities. I find it rather shocking that the very same people who were once condemning the  foreign policy excesses of the USA, are now defending the  "experts" who made those excesses possible and who facilitated past wrong doings.

 

I suggests all those who are arguing against the Trump position on the  assumption that the intelligence agencies are right, step back and consider some of the very  serious  blunders of those agencies. Let's refresh your memory;

 

1. 9-11 - Every US intelligence agency failed to act or to speak up to prevent this incident. They  were asleep on the job and it cost the USA. They did the same thing prior to Pearl Harbor.

 

2. Iraq WMD debacle: It was these very same agencies who insisted that  Iraq had nuclear capability. Although there were  biological toxins, chemical weapons, yellow cake uranium and missiles upon which to deliver  nuclear weapons, there were no nuclear warheads. These agencies insisted that there were.

 

3. The Iranian Revolution of 1979: These agencies completely miscalled and badly managed the  Iranian revolution despite Israeli and British intelligence service warnings.

 

4. Syrian's civil war and the use of chemical weapons: They bungled the file

They also were caught unaware by the deployment of  Russian personnel and assets.

 

5. Russia - Turkey reconciliation: Missed the call on this very important change in international dynamics.

 

6. Iranian-Hizbollah activities in Lebanon:  Almost always late in  learning of activities. Hizbollah is a major ally of Syria, and an Iranian proxy army. they have clashed multiple times with  Kurds, who  have been unable to rely on the USA for warnings of attack.

 

I get it: It's fun to bash Trump. I don't like the guy either, but believe it or not, he has a point on Iran.

Curiously you are missing what is undoubtedly the biggest ‘miss’ by the US intelligence services:

 

The Russian interference and corruption of the 2016 US election to successfully install a Russian puppet in the White House.

 

They have however woken up and are in the business of identifying all those involved.

[spidermike007]

21 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Yes, Trump is wrong to publicly cast doubt over  the intelligence agencies, but he isn't necessarily wrong on their abilities. I find it rather shocking that the very same people who were once condemning the  foreign policy excesses of the USA, are now defending the  "experts" who made those excesses possible and who facilitated past wrong doings.

 

I suggests all those who are arguing against the Trump position on the  assumption that the intelligence agencies are right, step back and consider some of the very  serious  blunders of those agencies. Let's refresh your memory;

 

1. 9-11 - Every US intelligence agency failed to act or to speak up to prevent this incident. They  were asleep on the job and it cost the USA. They did the same thing prior to Pearl Harbor.

 

2. Iraq WMD debacle: It was these very same agencies who insisted that  Iraq had nuclear capability. Although there were  biological toxins, chemical weapons, yellow cake uranium and missiles upon which to deliver  nuclear weapons, there were no nuclear warheads. These agencies insisted that there were.

 

3. The Iranian Revolution of 1979: These agencies completely miscalled and badly managed the  Iranian revolution despite Israeli and British intelligence service warnings.

 

4. Syrian's civil war and the use of chemical weapons: They bungled the file

They also were caught unaware by the deployment of  Russian personnel and assets.

 

5. Russia - Turkey reconciliation: Missed the call on this very important change in international dynamics.

 

6. Iranian-Hizbollah activities in Lebanon:  Almost always late in  learning of activities. Hizbollah is a major ally of Syria, and an Iranian proxy army. they have clashed multiple times with  Kurds, who  have been unable to rely on the USA for warnings of attack.

 

I get it: It's fun to bash Trump. I don't like the guy either, but believe it or not, he has a point on Iran.

 

As you may recall, Joe Wilson, traveled to Nigeria for the CIA, in 2002, to determine if Iraq was purchasing yellow cake, and concluded that they were not, and therefore they more than likely did not possess WMD's. When he reported it, Cheney went ballistic, and committed treason, by outing Valerie Plame, Wilson's wife, as a CIA operative, out of spite. That was not a failure of intelligence, but quite the opposite. It was a failure of the Bush administration, and demonstrative of the hubris involved in the Iraqi invasion.

 

In late February 2002, Wilson traveled to Niger at the CIA's request to investigate the possibility that Saddam Hussein had purchased enriched yellowcake uranium. Wilson met with the current US Ambassador to Niger, Barbro Owens-Kirkpatrick (1999–2002) at the embassy and then interviewed dozens of officials who had been in the Niger government at the time of the supposed deal. He ultimately concluded: "it was highly doubtful that any such transaction had ever taken place." Wilson learned that the Iraqis had in fact requested a meeting to discuss "expanding commercial relations" but that Niger's Prime Minister Mayaki had declined, due to concern about U.N. sanctions against Iraq.

 

Though Trump may be right that Iran is up to no good, other than sanctions, not much can be done about it. An invasion of any sort would potentially be a disaster of mythic proportions, and could cripple the US financially.  

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Though Trump may be right that Iran is up to no good, other than sanctions, not much can be done about it.

and the Europeans are busily trying to circumvent any sanctions that the US has imposed. There is another thread about that. With allies like the Europeans, we might as well give up and "learn to love the bomb".

[bristolboy]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and the Europeans are busily trying to circumvent any sanctions that the US has imposed. There is another thread about that. With allies like the Europeans, we might as well give up and "learn to love the bomb".

Right. It's the Europeans' fault that Trump decided to pull out of the agreement. Even though his intelligence chiefs say Iran was observing it. But John Bolton, Trump's National Security adviser and the guy who repeatedly lied to help smooth the US's launching of the Iraq War, and still defends it, says Iran is lying. Who you gonna believe?

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Right. It's the Europeans' fault that Trump decided to pull out of the agreement. Even though his intelligence chiefs say Iran was observing it. But John Bolton, Trump's National Security adviser and the guy who repeatedly lied to help smooth the US's launching of the Iraq War, and still defends it, says Iran is lying. Who you gonna believe?

I couldn't care what Bolton says, as he's just another Cheyne far as I can see, but I wouldn't trust the Iranian government as far as I could kick the entire bunch of them. What I do believe is that they hate all of the west and want to harm us as much as possible. 

[Chippy151]

What percentage of Americans who support Trump when he states that Iran is a terrorist country and is dangerous to the stability of the middle east actually know anything about Iran?

Less than 1%. Just a guess.

[bristolboy]

50 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I couldn't care what Bolton says, as he's just another Cheyne far as I can see, but I wouldn't trust the Iranian government as far as I could kick the entire bunch of them. What I do believe is that they hate all of the west and want to harm us as much as possible. 

Right. It's all about you. In this case the "you" being the West. Self-centered much?

[Bundooman]

On 1/31/2019 at 9:48 AM, Becker said:

One can only hope the end is nigh....

 

 

Love the sketch. Totally agree.

 

So Trump is near to achieving russia's objectives. Mexico has been alienated, along with Europe. He is giving free rein to ISIS and Syria. He has divided and demoralised the US Armed forces with his personal Gender problem. Trump has destroyed the tariffs with China and created huge problems in Asia. He has decided to tear up the Nuclear Arms Treaty with Russia, crapped all over Canada and France, Showed the world that he is nothing but a fat, blabber-mouthed inneffective, would-be-dictator, Backed the home grown neo Nazis now recreated as 'White Nationalists", Downtrodden all Immigrants including, whether he realises it or not, his own wife and family; Treated the American black community and womanhood with distain and given the rich and powerful, huge tax breaks. Now, he denounces his Intelligence Agencies and deploys the Armed Forces to become his 'visionery wall' which will be paid for by the American Taxpayer!

 

Therefore, the ginger vermin has dutifully wagged his tail for for his dominant Russian Master, achieving all Putin's aims and leaving the Western world and Asia in disarray and chaos.

 

Well done and RIP, Republican Party! You will soon be parading in Moscow Square - to be decorated by Putin personally for your fine work in bringing down the USA! Russia can now escalate it's Nuclear weaponry at will.

[Opl]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 2:55 AM, Tug said:

Is he really that stupid?or is he having another tantrum because all the intelligence agency’s disagree with him?

Fox News is - according to Trump - much better informed than all the US intelligence agencies with their big ears and their little spies.

In addition, Fox News is much easier to understand, and there is no need to read two-page reports. So Trump made his choice.

[keemapoot]

27 minutes ago, Opl said:

Fox News is - according to Trump - much better informed than all the US intelligence agencies with their big ears and their little spies.

In addition, Fox News is much easier to understand, and there is no need to read two-page reports. So Trump made his choice.

Yes, and Fox has no need for global foreign correspondents in major capitals around the globe such as CNN, Aljazeera and BBC because the entire knowledge base needed is conveniently located at the News Corp. Bldg. in New York, which is a really, really big skyscraper, and Fox and Friends has really big windows on their ground floor studio so you can see the intelligence chiefs at work in the morning, 

 

Very reassuring that these mavens of foreign policy and intelligence, like Steve Doocey and Brian Kilmeade are the voices in Trump's ear feeding him global intelligence policy every morning to the exclusion of those at intelligence agencies.

[spidermike007]

22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and the Europeans are busily trying to circumvent any sanctions that the US has imposed. There is another thread about that. With allies like the Europeans, we might as well give up and "learn to love the bomb".

 

And I give the Europeans much credit for doing this. Pulling out of the treaty was just another in a string of isolationist and bone headed decisions. Iran was cooperating. This misbehavior was probably encouraged by Bolton. Now, Trump has completely isolated himself from his entire intelligence community. It is Trump and Bolton sitting in a room making decisions that impact the entire world. Neither is competent.

 

They are no doubt two of the most dangerous men in the world right now. Be scared. Be very scared.

[Morch]

On 1/31/2019 at 9:21 AM, darksidedog said:

Key words there being alternate reality. How it is possible for any person to know better then the intelligence agencies, precisely what is and isn't going on, is truly amazing. Rather than risking peoples lives to get information, maybe the intelligence agencies should sit back, chill out and get all they need to know simply by watching Fox news, Breitbart and other such conspiracy theory offerings. Most countries whose leader belittled everything such as Mr. Trump has been doing, would be removed from office as being mentally deranged.

 

I think it is not all that uncommon for some politicians to expect that the views of appointed officials comply with their own - regardless of facts. Especially if these uncomfortable views clash with political necessities and interests. In Trump's case, add a fragile ego to the mix.

 

The same thing, by the way, may apply within intelligence services as well.

[Morch]

 

@geriatrickid

 

Not going to enter into a debate over each and every example raised, regardless of the inaccuracies exhibited (several other post, perhaps too many, address some of these).

 

It's quite easy to fault intelligence services' failures. After all, these get more publicity and notice than their counterparts. There's no implication that such organizations are infallible. The same assertion cannot be made with regard to how Trump and his supporters treat his unseasoned nonsense comments.

 

[Mavideol]

51 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

And I give the Europeans much credit for doing this. Pulling out of the treaty was just another in a string of isolationist and bone headed decisions. Iran was cooperating. This misbehavior was probably encouraged by Bolton. Now, Trump has completely isolated himself from his entire intelligence community. It is Trump and Bolton sitting in a room making decisions that impact the entire world. Neither is competent.

 

They are no doubt two of the most dangerous men in the world right now. Be scared. Be very scared.

friends and allies are hard to come by, save the ones you have, treat them with respect and you may get some (good) surprises...he completely forgot friendship/allies basics I want to go at it all alone EGOtist is a dangerous sickness

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎2‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 9:41 PM, Bundooman said:

Love the sketch. Totally agree.

 

So Trump is near to achieving russia's objectives. Mexico has been alienated, along with Europe. He is giving free rein to ISIS and Syria. He has divided and demoralised the US Armed forces with his personal Gender problem. Trump has destroyed the tariffs with China and created huge problems in Asia. He has decided to tear up the Nuclear Arms Treaty with Russia, crapped all over Canada and France, Showed the world that he is nothing but a fat, blabber-mouthed inneffective, would-be-dictator, Backed the home grown neo Nazis now recreated as 'White Nationalists", Downtrodden all Immigrants including, whether he realises it or not, his own wife and family; Treated the American black community and womanhood with distain and given the rich and powerful, huge tax breaks. Now, he denounces his Intelligence Agencies and deploys the Armed Forces to become his 'visionery wall' which will be paid for by the American Taxpayer!

 

Therefore, the ginger vermin has dutifully wagged his tail for for his dominant Russian Master, achieving all Putin's aims and leaving the Western world and Asia in disarray and chaos.

 

Well done and RIP, Republican Party! You will soon be parading in Moscow Square - to be decorated by Putin personally for your fine work in bringing down the USA! Russia can now escalate it's Nuclear weaponry at will.

Why don't you tell us what you really think about Trump.

 

He has divided and demoralised the US Armed forces with his personal Gender problem.

Source or are you just making it up?