Article

2019-08-27 Arabia

(Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates finances the military leader trying to topple a United Nations-recognized government in Libya. It helps lead a coalition of nations imposing an economic blockade of Qatar, despite U.S. calls to resolve the dispute. It hired former staffers of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as elite hackers to spy in a program that included Americans as surveillance targets, a Reuters investigation found this year.
"Americans as surveillance targets"... you mean like the Orange Man ?
And yet, in a highly unusual practice, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) does not spy on the UAE’s government, three former CIA officials familiar with the matter told Reuters, creating what some critics call a dangerous blind spot in U.S. intelligence.
"Dangerous blind spot"....similar to the Magic kingdom and 9/11 possibly ?
The CIA’s posture isn’t new. What’s changed is the nature of the tiny but influential OPEC nation’s intervention across the Middle East and Africa - fighting wars, running covert operations and using its financial clout to reshape regional politics in ways that often run counter to U.S. interests, according to the sources and foreign policy experts.
Obviously the UAE cannot be trusted. They keep bills of lading, invoices, and receipts of financial transactions. For insurance purposes of course.
The CIA’s failure to adapt to the UAE’s growing military and political ambitions amounts to a "dereliction of duty," said a fourth former CIA official.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-08-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [10325 views ] Top

#1 What’s changed is the nature of the tiny but influential OPEC nation’s intervention across the Middle East and Africa - fighting wars, running covert operations and using its financial clout to reshape regional politics in ways that often run counter to U.S. interests, according to the sources and foreign policy experts.

We taught them very well. The "Counter to U.S. interests" piece..... could be a topic for in-depth discussion.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-08-27 00:09|| 2019-08-27 00:09|| Front Page Top

#2 Everybody needs a safehouse to wine and dine assets.

Posted by Skidmark 2019-08-27 00:35|| 2019-08-27 00:35|| Front Page Top

#3 I knew a former Marine that told me some tales about Switzerland during the 60's -- the Swiss "ignored" the Cloak n' Dagger stuff as long as all the bodies were tidied up before daylight and none of the tourists got a scare! Same thing with Qatar today... it is just too convenient to have a neutral place to do all of your clandestine meetings.

Posted by magpie 2019-08-27 02:54|| 2019-08-27 02:54|| Front Page Top

#4 Why? Isn't the intel from the Israelis good enough? You just need to verify their stuff.

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-08-27 06:54|| 2019-08-27 06:54|| Front Page Top

Posted by Omorong Black8889 2019-08-27 08:43|| 2019-08-27 08:43|| Front Page Top

#6 TheCIA’s failure to adapt to the UAE’s growing military and political ambitions amounts to a "dereliction of duty," said a fourth former CIA official.

Nothing in the article gives one any pause for comfort. Has the CIA taken to relying solely on electronic surveillance and ignored human intel? Are they relying on "five eyes" and the NSA to give them critical intelligence?

The CIA has been derelict in its duties in many instances. For example, two of the 911 hijackers were from the UAE. There are other examples of their missing the boat.

Recent derelictions of duty during the last administration might be due to a pre-occupation with domestic spying (against the law), for example, spying on the Senate and POTUS candidate and newly-elected Trump. I'm not confident this has all been cleaned up yet. It is not a surprise that people out here in "flyover land" are a bit jaundiced about justice being done.

Posted by JohnQC 2019-08-27 09:33|| 2019-08-27 09:33|| Front Page Top

#7 is Omorong Black8889 Herb's nom de guerre?

Posted by Mercutio 2019-08-27 11:28|| 2019-08-27 11:28|| Front Page Top

#8 He's our talk-to-text pottymouthed troll who seems fascinated by an@l subjects

Posted by Frank G 2019-08-27 11:37|| 2019-08-27 11:37|| Front Page Top

#9 Can't be. Unless Herb is bipolar. Both are complete opposites.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-08-27 11:37|| 2019-08-27 11:37|| Front Page Top

#10

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-08-27 14:04|| 2019-08-27 14:04|| Front Page Top

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