Untitled Document
Ray McGovern’s Irish eyes were smiling the moment he joined the CIA as a
young, principled and energetic analyst during the Kennedy administration.
The Fordham College graduate, born in the Bronx, went on to have an illustrious
career, spanning seven Presidents and dealing with top Russian intelligence
issues, saying he always "told it straight," an integrity trait he
claims sorely missing under the dogmatic Bush administration.
But McGovern is a man blessed with integrity, a man born with the luck of the
Irish and a four leaf clover in his pocket, considering he survived numerous
one-on-one daily Presidential briefings and even toe-to-toe battles with Henry
Kissinger.
That, however, was back in the ‘old days’ when he said CIA analysts
still were allowed to present the truth, live up to the U.S. Constitution and
not be sent packing if they did. That, he adds, was back in the days when a
man was still able to go home after a long day’s work, look at himself
in the mirror and even crack a smile.
But after 27 years of distinguished service ending right after the cold war,
the retired and highly decorated senior analyst isn’t smiling anymore.
He hasn’t been smiling since the "crazies", as he calls them,
returned to Washington.
In fact, he hasn’t cracked a wide open Irish smile at all since the return
of the neo-cons, returning like a bad B movie and putting a strange evangelical
stranglehold on the two things he cherishes most: the CIA and the Constitution.
With the neo con invasion of political animals void of dignity and truth, the
highly articulate and analytical thinker probably can’t help himself from
searching for that special four leaf clover in his pocket or wondering if the
luck of the Irish finally has run out on America.
And he probably can’t help himself from saying an extra prayer to St.
Patrick at night, asking him to block the fascist path taken by the neo cons
and to restore some semblance of honor, dignity and truth to the agency and
country he loves dearly.
But at a time when emotions are running high and patience low, talking to McGovern
is like talking to a breadth of fresh air and steady voice of reason, a calm
and patient voice who insists on gathering all the facts but nevertheless demanding
nothing less than the truth.
He is a man who analyzes first, talks later and never bends reality to fit
a political policy, calling that "the cardinal sin’ in the intelligence
gathering community, a sin the Bush administration recently committed when assessing
WMD intelligence concerning the Iraqi invasion.
Recently, McGovern has helped lead the charge, along with a number of Democratic
Congressmen and other high-powered civic leaders, demanding an open and honest
investigation into allegations President Bush doctored WMD intelligence reports
to justify war and essentially lied to the American people and Congress.
The serious allegations, which could send our gun-slinging President down the
lonely path of impeachment, are coming on the heels of authenticated - official
documentation - from the chief of British intelligence, Sir Richard Deerlove,
claiming Bush "fixed the intelligence reports (WMD) around the (Iraqi war)
policy."
The controversy has created an uproar among millions of Americans seeking truth
and at least 122 Congressmen seeking to open an official investigation with
subpoena power, asking Bush, Condaleeza Rice, Dick Cheney, former CIA chief
George Tenet and others to come clean about the allegations of doctored WMD
intelligence data.
"Wouldn’t it be better if rather than making $30,000 speeches, George
Tenet came before Congress and the American people and told us about the conversation
he had, or didn’t have, with the head of British intelligence regarding
the WMD issue," said McGovern this week in a lengthy telephone conversation
regarding a wide variety of subjects, including the infamous Downing Street
Memo, a document which has even been authenticated by Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"Other people ask me, well, maybe President Bush wasn’t aware of
Iraqi intelligence. What a question! To those critics I simply ask: What’s
worse, I ask you? A President who lied to the American people about what he
knew or a President who made a decision to send innocent Americans to war without
knowing or even bothering to uncover the truth? This is why we need to know
the truth and set the record straight and nothing less is acceptable."
And when it comes to the war in Iraq, the Downing Street Memo, doctored WMD
intelligence gathering, political compromising within the CIA, stolen elections,
9/11, the fall of the Fourth Estate and other assorted neo con scandals, McGovern
really demands only two things: let the truth be told and those who don’t
be damned.
"It’ a cardinal sin in the intelligence community to cook the books
for a recipe of political power," said McGovern. "And that’s
what these highly sensitive documents are telling us. Thank god for the whistleblower
that came forward and leaked the documents otherwise we may have never known
the real truth.
Besides taking an active role in alerting America about a breach of ethics
within the CIA and an abuse of Presidential power, McGovern never has changed
course regarding his respect for the law and the importance of a President living
up to the cherished words written buy our Founding fathers.
"I supported the impeachment of Nixon and took heat from my liberal friends
for supporting Clinton’s impeachment," said McGovern. "The allegations
against President Bush are, in comparison, far more serious since they go to
the heart of Article 1 of the Constitution and to the heart of what the Founding
Fathers wanted to protect against. And, that being, a King or ruler, like existed
in England at the time revolution, ever be allowed in America to declare war
on a whim or by his own choosing.
"But if these highly credible documents prove true, this is exactly what
President Bush decided to do when he lied to Congress and the American people,
leading us into a war based on his own political agenda.
"It appeared he tried to use all agencies of government to trick Congress
into declaring war. So, regarding impeachment, let the American people and Congress
be the judge after an honest investigation is held."
Turning to the subject he holds most dear, McGovern offered his criticism and
recommendations for cleaning up the CIA and protecting against organizational
changes in the intelligence gathering community, claiming both problems need
immediate attention.
"We are now left with people at CIA who now trim their sails with only
what the administration wants to hear," said McGovern, adding the cream
no longer rises to the top at the CIA, being replaced with government hacks
intending to bend the department’s will and integrity into to nothing
but a political sounding board.
"And this type of politicking is dangerous, dangerous for our country
and dangerous for the world. In my day, I would go toe-to toe with the likes
of Kissinger before the end of the cold war. When I got back to the office,
my boss would say, ‘Did you win, Ray?’ And I would tell him no,
but then he would ask, ‘Did you tell the truth, Ray?’ And I would
say of course I did and then he would smile and say, ‘Good job, Ray. Give
‘em hell!
McGovern then paused a moment, adding:
"This type of independent thinking, vital for the health of our nation,
is gone. Now we have individuals bubbling to the top of the CIA who are being
pressured right in the halls of the CIA with the likes of Cheney standing over
their shoulders and, of course, bending to that political pressure and passing
it down.
"In the 27 years I worked at CIA I never saw a sitting Vice President
walk through our offices. But since the Bush administration, I personally know
of at least seven trips made by Cheney to CIA obviously with the intent of pushing
around his political muscle.
Regarding the recent 9/11 Commission’s drastic recommendations for intelligence
gathering methods adopted by the administration now bundling domestic and foreign
services under one department head, McGovern claims the so-called reforms have
made the situation worse.
"What you have is a body of former somebody’s who know nothing about
intelligence gathering now making recommendations about improving it,"
said McGovern, referring to the members of the 9/11 Commission.
Taking an enormous subject and condensing it down to its basic elements as
only a true CIA analyst could do, McGovern said the words of retired Army Gen.
William Odom, once head of Army intelligence, explains the flawed intelligence
gathering design under Bush in a single sentence.
"No organizational design will compensate for incompetent encumbrance."
Bringing up 9/11 only since Bush referred to it repeatedly in his recent speech
to the nation justifying the continuance of the unpopular Iraqi war, McGovern
said it’s the last policy strategy the administration has left in its
political arsenal since the WMD threat looms as Bush’s "Achilles
Heel."
"This is really all they have left but even 9/11 presents another serious
case of many unanswered questions," said McGovern. "Why are there
so many unanswered questions that George W. Bush will not answer?
"When you have so many loose ends and unanswered questions, it creates
nothing but suspicion. In fact, I applaud all the serious people trying to get
to the bottom of the truth about 9/11, despite the media blackout, which is
another serious issue facing the American people."
Besides delving into the obvious inconsistencies in the government’s
official story about the manner in which the WTC fell and the breakdown of air
traffic defense systems,. McGovern turned to the actions of the President on
the morning of 9/11 when he sat before a group of school children in a Florida
elementary school.
"Why is it he remained for 25 minutes after being alerted about the attack,"
questioned McGovern, adding when in the background at first Secret Service agents
could be heard saying ‘let’s get out of here.’ "Obviously,
they were overruled by somebody, somebody who knew something.
"Now, think about it, America is under attack and they have to be thinking,
‘we need to get the President out for his own protection.’ Why would
they let him remain unless they knew he was safe and actually knew what was
going on?
Asked if this also put a group of school children and an entire elementary
school also in danger, McGovern added:
"I never thought of that. But it’s true. Why would he jeopardize
the lives of innocent children unless someone knew something?"
Presently, McGovern is putting the finishing touches on a book titled "Neo-Conned
published by Light in the Darkness Publishers. He recently released in advance
a chapter prior to the book’s August 2005 release date, regarding the
Downing Street Memo called "Sham Dunk: Cooking Intelligence for the President.
In January 2003, he also formed a group called Veteran Intelligence Professionals
for Sanity (VIPS) after realizing the CIA was being corrupted by political pressure.
VIPS now has more than 50 members, including former professionals from the
CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of States Bureau of Intelligence
and Research, Army Intelligence, the FBI, the National Security Agency as well
as other U.S. intelligence agencies, all who have become extremely dissatisfied
with the corruption now existing in the intelligence community.
McGovern now works at ‘Tell the Word,’ a publishing ministry of
the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC. He writes and speaks
for the arm of Tell the Word called ‘Speaking Truth to Power’ and
many of his articles on intelligence issues have appeared regularly in national
publications.
Reminding everyone what he stands for and what the CIA should embody, a statement
in his biography provides an excellent clue:
"The ethos of intelligence analysis in those days (the days McGovern worked
in the CIA) was reflected in the scripture passage chiseled into the marble
entrance to CIA headquarters. ‘You will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.’