Larry Johnson, Daniel Ellsberg, Robert Parry, Ray McGovern, Colleen Rowley, and …
By SusanUnPC on September 29, 2007 at 2:46 PM in Bush/Cheney, Intelligence, Iraq
Last Thursday, Larry Johnson participated in a symposium at American University with Sam Provance, Dan Ellsberg, Ann Wright, Coleen Rowley, Bob Parry, Akbar Ahmed, Peter Kuznick, Edward Mortimer, Max Friedman, Ray McGovern, and David Swanson. The video and transcript (only of Ellsberg) are now available.
David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org described the impact of the powerful testimony of each participant — including several paragraphs on Larry’s comments (below the fold):
Sam Provance exposed the torture in Abu Ghraib and as thanks had his career ruined, was threatened with prison, has had his wife leave him, and is now barely scraping by. He said Thursday evening that on a personal level his choice to speak out was not worth it. “But,” he said, “this is not about me.” And everyone in the auditorium where he was speaking knew exactly what he meant, because we had just heard Dan Ellsberg, Ann Wright, Larry Johnson, Coleen Rowley, Bob Parry, Akbar Ahmed, Peter Kuznick, Max Friedman, and Ray McGovern lay out the gravity of the situation this nation and the world are now in. … READ ALL.
Here’s a bit more of Swanson’s report on the evening — including the section that describes Larry’s observations:
Thursday evening at American University in Washington, D.C., this group of outstanding academics and courageous truth tellers gathered on the stage of an auditorium packed to overflowing. People had to be turned away at the door.
The event was organized by Ray McGovern and the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity for the purpose of presenting an award. The nominating committee of Sam Adams Professionals for Integrity in Intelligence had chosen Sam Provance to receive this year’s award for Integrity in Intelligence
Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director, Nuclear Studies Institute, American University, moderated the first of two panels.
[...]
Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst and operations officer and deputy director of the State Department Office of Counterterrorism, and consultant with U.S. military on terrorism-related matters, said getting a hold of the insurgencies would take 550,000 troops or so, which would require a draft and a couple of years. Therefore there is no military solution.
Referring to Petraeus’ counterinsurgency manual, Johnson said he’s talked to an Army Major at Leavenworth who helped draft it. Petreaus didn’t write it or read it. It’s not his.
The insurgency in Iraq, Johnson said, is multiple insurgencies, and they will not be defeated. And it’s not al Qaeda. And Iran has supported a lot less violence in Iraq than Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or Pakistan. Yet, Johnson says, we are now preparing to attack Iran. At the CIA the Iran task force has been greatly increased in size – same at State Dept and Pentagon. Positioning of naval vessels is also part of preparation for moment when case can be made for attacking Iran. Johnson said he saw the same thing with Panama. The US tried endless provocations against Noriega, and he repeatedly refused to take the bait.
The tours of duty for US troops in Iraq of over 15 months is unprecedented, Johnson said. A unit in Iraq has 60% with Purple Hearts (meaning wounded in combat) – and presumably that’s 60% of those left alive. There are now 24 and 36 month periods of combat for troops. Those in the administration who are pushing to attack Iran believe they’ll crush Iran. Johnson calls this “faith-based war planning”. He challenged men and women in the military to stand up and resign their commissions. Iran, if attacked, could shut down the US supply line through the south of Iraq.
Bob Parry, an investigative journalist who broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for AP and Newsweek in the 1980s, and who manages and writes for Consortiumnews.com, said that for many years now the neocons have targeted the press corps and the intelligence agencies, … READ ALL.
Check out the video and transcript.

















