More Questions Are Being Raised On The Conduct Of The CIA's "Global Response Staff" (GRS).

Missteps By CIA's Shadowy Military Wing Highlight The Agency's Troubling Shift To Militancy -- Business Insider

In the years since the Afghanistan invasion, the CIA, long a covert intelligence gathering body, entered a phase of growing militancy that has rendered headline after headline in U.S. mainstream media — and that's due in no small part to its relationship with military operators.

On December 26th, Greg Miller and Julie Tate of the Washington Post published an article about something called the "Global Response Staff" (GRS).

From their post:

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Previous Post: The CIA’s Global Response Staff Emerges From The Shadows

My Comment: As I had commented in my previous post on this subject .... this work is incredibly dangerous .... and vitally essential. 'Screw-ups' and disasters are going to occur .... it is the nature of the work and the environment that many of these men work in. Pakistan, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan .... and God knows where else .... problems and threats are always going to be present when you work in these regions, and because of the nature of international terrorism and the reach of Al Qaeda ... going home is not an option .... someone has to go there and stay there to assist the intelligence and diplomatic officials who are there and who are trying their best to stop the next terror attack and/or threat.

The CIA’s Global Response Staff Emerges From The Shadows

CIA’s Global Response Staff Emerging From Shadows After Incidents In Libya And Pakistan -- Washington Post

The rapid collapse of a U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya exposed the vulnerabilities of State Department facilities overseas. But the CIA’s ability to fend off a second attack that same night provided a glimpse of a key element in the agency’s defensive arsenal: a secret security force created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Two of the Americans killed in Libya were members of the CIA’s Global Response Staff, an innocuously named organization that has recruited hundreds of former U.S. Special Forces operatives to serve as armed guards for the agency’s spies.

The GRS, as it is known, is designed to stay in the shadows, training teams to work undercover and provide an unobtrusive layer of security for CIA officers in high-risk outposts.

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My Comment: This is very dangerous work .... and in today's world absolutely essential. The fact that the contractors employed to do this work are sometimes not covered by insurance and other benefits is something that is surprising and maybe should be changed .... especially in view of the work that they do. On a side note .... Blackwater was criticized for doing this type of work (and more) when it was in business .... considering how incredibly dangerous that "business" was/is .... and that the CIA's GRS teams are facing the same problems .... maybe a more thorough discussion and debate is warranted on what role should contractors and their companies play when it comes to doing this type of work.

Acting CIA Head Is No Fan Of 'Zero Dark Thirty' (Updated)

CIA: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Not A Realistic Portrayal Of Hunt For Osama bin Laden -- Christian Science Monitor

The CIA says scenes of torture in the new film 'Zero Dark Thirty' are not an accurate portrayal of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. This follows similar criticism from three senior US Senators who say the film is 'grossly inaccurate and misleading'.

In an unusual letter to CIA employees, the agency’s acting director Michael Morrell says the controversial Hollywood film “Zero Dark Thirty” takes “significant artistic license” with the years-long hunt that led to Navy SEALs killing terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and is “not a realistic portrayal of the facts.”

It’s not the first official complaint about the movie.

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More News On The CIA's Criticism Of The New Film 'Zero Dark Thirty'

Acting C.I.A. Chief Critical of Film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ -- New York Times
Acting CIA director shoots down 'Zero Dark Thirty' accuracy -- NBC
Morell calls 'Zero Dark Thirty' not realistic in rare CIA public statement -- FOX News
CIA chief sends out extraordinary email to entire staff complaining about agency's portrayal in Zero Dark Thirty -- Daily Mail
CIA challenges accuracy of 'Zero Dark Thirty' -- CNN
CIA head: bin Laden film not 'realistic' -- UPI
Acting CIA chief blasts “Zero Dark Thirty” -- Salon
CIA Disputes 'Zero Dark Thirty' Accuracy: Acting CIA Director Issues Public Statement -- Huffington Post
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Controversy Continues: C.I.A. Director Weighs In -- Hollywood
CIA: 'Zero Dark Thirty' is 'not a documentary' -- The Hill
The CIA Is Not Too Happy with 'Zero Dark Thirty' -- Atlantic Wire

My Comment: This is just a Hollywood movie not a dicumentary .... but as I have mentioned in a previous post .... they (Washington pols and bureaucrats) are making it clear that if a movie does not conform to their idea of what is right and/or their policies .... expect the criticisms to follow.

Who Exactly Is The CIA Operative Behind The Main Character In "Zero Dark Thirty,"

WNU Editor: I suspect that we will learn who she is one day .... but not today.

CIA Complains About Depictions In ‘Zero Dark Thirty’

CIA Complains About Depictions In Osama Bin Laden Movie ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ -- Washington Post

The CIA on Friday said that a Hollywood movie portraying the hunt for Osama bin Laden “departs from reality” in significant ways, and emphasized that despite assistance it provided to the filmmakers, the agency had no control over the final product.

In an unusual letter to CIA employees, acting Director Michael Morell said that the highly anticipated film, “Zero Dark Thirty,” leads viewers to believe that a “few individuals” were behind the hunt for the al-Qaeda leader, instead of the “hundreds of officers” who were involved over the course of a decade. He also rejected the film’s depiction of the CIA’s interrogation program — and the implication that it helped extract valuable information from detainees.

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My Comment: This is unusual .... an acting CIA Director responding to a movie in a letter. But I guess this is what Washington is today ....if Hollywood portrays your point of view positively .... everything is OK. If a movie contradicts your message .... expect complaints and negative publicity. As to what is my take .... I would think that the acting CIA Director has more important things to do.

The Real Women Of The CIA

 

A Feminist Film Epic And The Real Women Of The CIA -- Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst 

(CNN) -- The star of the new film "Zero Dark Thirty" is a flame-haired female CIA analyst Maya (played by Jessica Chastain) who is obsessed with finding Osama bin Laden. Maya sits in on brutal interrogations of al Qaeda detainees without a qualm and is constantly berating her male bosses to do more to find the leader of al Qaeda. And Maya is there at the end of the movie, identifying bin Laden's body shortly after a Navy SEAL team has killed him in Abbottabad in northern Pakistan. Maya doesn't have a significant other or even much of a social life to speak of. The only friend she has is another female CIA analyst, Jessica, a CIA official of a slightly older generation who is almost as obsessed as Maya is about hunting down the leaders of al Qaeda.

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My Comment: When a President appoints a women CIA Director .... that is when I know that the CIA has changed from an "old boys network" into something else.

A Collection Of Essays And Opinions On The CIA From The New York Times

A New Director Or A New Direction? -- New York Times

As the president considers a replacement for Gen. David Petraeus at the Central Intelligence Agency, is it time to consider not just a new leader for the agency but a new direction? Since 9/11 the C.I.A. has taken a more active paramilitary role with little public discussion. And it has continued to be embarrassed by intelligence shortcomings, like its failure to recognize the strength of the Arab Spring. Should changes be made in the way the agency is run and the way intelligence is gathered and used?

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CIA Begins LGBT Recruiting

Mission Diversify: CIA Begins LGBT Recruiting -- NPR

As part of the CIA's efforts to diversify its workforce, the spy agency is reaching out to a group that once was unable to get security clearance — lesbians and gay men.

Earlier this week, CIA officials held a networking event for the Miami gay community sponsored by the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the CIA.

"This is the first time we've done a networking event of this type with any of the gay and lesbian chamber of commerces in the United States," says Michael Barber, a self-identified "straight ally" and the spy agency's LGBT Community Outreach and Liaison program manager.

Over the past year, Barber and others at the agency have worked to get the word out that the CIA has changed.

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My Comment: Is there a quota?

CIA Ordered To Close Down It's Center On Climate Change And National Security

Obama Orders CIA To Close Down Multi-Billion Dollar Unit -- Examiner

More than three years later, and after spending billions of taxpayer dollars, an Inside-the-Beltway watchdog group reported on Tuesday that President Barack Obama ordered the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to quietly shutdown its example of government waste and duplication: the Center on Climate Change and National Security.

The scandal-plagued government agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior U.S. policymakers, the military, homeland security officials and law enforcement operated an insignificant special unit that focused on global warming, according to a watchdog group that's proudly been a thorn in the side of the Obama White House.

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More News On The CIA Being Ordered To Close Down It's Center On Climate Change And National Security

The CIA Has Closed Its Climate Change Research Office -- Business Insider
CIA closes dedicated climate change unit -- Phys.org
CIA climate-change unit closes its doors -- The Hill
CIA Closes It's Climate Change Office -- New York Times

My Comment: Missed this story last week .... so here it is now.

10 CIA-Backed Investments

Spy Tech: 10 CIA-Backed Investments -- Information Week

Check out some of the latest technologies to win funding from In-Q-Tel, the venture investment arm of the CIA and other intelligence agencies. That's the first step toward use by agents and analysts.

From DNA Analysis To Wearable Videocams


Remember the Semi-Submersible, the Digital X-Ray Detector Panel, or the Dragonfly Insectothopter? They're artifacts in the CIA museum, a collection of spy gadgets, weapons, and memorabilia that goes back 100 years.

U.S. intelligence agencies have long depended on research and development in new technologies to support their surveillance work and analysis. Today's spy gear in many cases is surprisingly accessible. In-Q-Tel, the venture investment arm of the CIA and other intelligence agencies, regularly backs companies whose products are commercially available, including some consumer technologies.

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My Comment: A very impressive list.

Intellience Gathering Is Missing In The CIA

Charting A Post-Petraeus Era -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

So it turns out that the top brass at the CIA had an inbox of secrets of the all-too-human, sexual variety. Titillating, unquestionably. But what about the other secrets — the intelligence secrets that are the agency’s reason for existence? How are they doing on this score?

When the uproar passes over the personal misjudgments of David Petraeus, the country will be left with this question of intelligence goals and missions. And here’s where an overlooked problem of the Petraeus era should be fixed.

Petraeus was picked for the job, and eager to take it, partly because the White House believed that in an era of counterterrorism, the CIA’s traditional mission of stealing secrets was morphing into a wider role that increasingly stressed paramilitary covert action. The retired general, with his matchless experience in running wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was seen as well-suited to run an agency that combined the trench coat and the flak jacket.

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My Comment: David Ignatius wants the CIA to capture and interrogate suspects for their intelligence .... it's a good idea but .... hasn't this President made it very clear that the era of enhanced interrogations and secret prisons is not going to happen in his administrations.

Don’t Mess With The CIA

You Don’t Mess With The CIA -- Joseph Curl, Washington Times

You know who doesn’t like getting thrown under the bus? The CIA. You know what the CIA does when you try to throw it under the bus? They get even — quickly, quietly, and with fatal consequences.

That seems the most logical explanation for the torrent of information pouring out this week (unless Hillary Rodham Clinton — also thrown under the bus by President Obama — is scrapping any chance of ever running for president again and is simply setting the whole administration on fire, along with her legacy as secretary of state).

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My Comment: Unlike Joseph Curl, I do not believe there is a cover-up by this administration. Being unfocused, uncertain, and disorganized yes .... cover-up no. But having said that, there is no question that the torrent of information that has been leaked in the past three weeks on the Benghazi debacle has been truly overwhelming at times .... and I suspect from multiple sources. There are clearly a number of individuals in sensitive positions with access to critical information who do not share this administration's position on Benghazi, and with only a week left before the election have been doing their best to discredit this administration. Yup .... blaming the intelligence community for something that they do not feel they deserve responsibility for is not a good policy .... especially when they have all the info and intel to make their case.

CIA Denies Reports That They Are Responsible For Calling Off Backup During The Benghazi Attack

CIA Denies Calling Off Backup in Benghazi -- The Atlantic

Update (5:31 p.m.): In response to a Fox News story claiming CIA operatives in Benghazi were prevented from aiding U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens during his time of need, the CIA says it never instructed any of its personnel from helping the four Americans who died on Sept. 11. In an e-mailed statement, CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood says "no one at any level in the CIA" told operatives at a local CIA annex in Benghazi not to help Amb. Stevens:

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My Comment: The CIA statement that has been issued is very careful .... they are essentially denying all reports that the CIA did not call off the backup and support that was requested during the Benghazi attack. But someone did .... so the question that needs to be answered is .... who did? Some opponents of the administration are now pointing fingers in this direction.

What's my take .... the current election has hyper-politicized this issue. We are (unfortunately) not going to know the true details until long after the election .... and even then. But someone(s) is leaking tons of info and intel on what had happened that night that has in turn become very damaging to the administration .... and the administrations response to these claims have been terrible. If I was in the White House .... as I have been saying for the past month .... they should have come out on this story a week or two after the attack. By then they had all of their info .... and could have killed the story right there. But .... for reasons that are completely unknown to me .... they choose not to.

CIA Denies Reports That They Are Responsible For Calling Off Backup During The Benghazi Attack

CIA Denies Calling Off Backup in Benghazi -- The Atlantic

Update (5:31 p.m.): In response to a Fox News story claiming CIA operatives in Benghazi were prevented from aiding U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens during his time of need, the CIA says it never instructed any of its personnel from helping the four Americans who died on Sept. 11. In an e-mailed statement, CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood says "no one at any level in the CIA" told operatives at a local CIA annex in Benghazi not to help Amb. Stevens:

Read more ....

My Comment: The CIA statement that has been issued is very careful .... they are essentially denying all reports that the CIA did not call off the backup and support that was requested during the Benghazi attack. But someone did .... so the question that needs to be answered is .... who did? Some opponents of the administration are now pointing fingers in this direction.

What's my take .... the current election has hyper-politicized this issue. We are (unfortunately) not going to know the true details until long after the election .... and even then. But someone(s) is leaking tons of info and intel on what had happened that night that has in turn become very damaging to the administration .... and the administrations response to these claims have been terrible. If I was in the White House .... as I have been saying for the past month .... they should have come out on this story a week or two after the attack. By then they had all of their info .... and could have killed the story right there. But .... for reasons that are completely unknown to me .... they choose not to.

CIA Denies Reports That They Are Responsible For Calling Off Backup During The Benghazi Attack

CIA Denies Calling Off Backup in Benghazi -- The Atlantic

Update (5:31 p.m.): In response to a Fox News story claiming CIA operatives in Benghazi were prevented from aiding U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens during his time of need, the CIA says it never instructed any of its personnel from helping the four Americans who died on Sept. 11. In an e-mailed statement, CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood says "no one at any level in the CIA" told operatives at a local CIA annex in Benghazi not to help Amb. Stevens:

Read more ....

My Comment: The CIA statement that has been issued is very careful .... they are essentially denying all reports that the CIA did not call off the backup and support that was requested during the Benghazi attack. But someone did .... so the question that needs to be answered is .... who did? Some opponents of the administration are now pointing fingers in this direction.

What's my take .... the current election has hyper-politicized this issue. We are (unfortunately) not going to know the true details until long after the election .... and even then. But someone(s) is leaking tons of info and intel on what had happened that night that has in turn become very damaging to the administration .... and the administrations response to these claims have been terrible. If I was in the White House .... as I have been saying for the past month .... they should have come out on this story a week or two after the attack. By then they had all of their info .... and could have killed the story right there. But .... for reasons that are completely unknown to me .... they choose not to.

CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack, Sources Say -- FOX News

Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. Consulate and subsequent attack several hours later was denied by U.S. officials -- who also told the CIA operators twice to "stand down" rather than help the ambassador's team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

Former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods was part of a small team who was at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. Consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When he and others heard the shots fired, they informed their higher-ups at the annex to tell them what they were hearing and requested permission to go to the consulate and help out. They were told to "stand down," according to sources familiar with the exchange. Soon after, they were again told to "stand down."

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My Comment: I sincerely hope that this report is not true .... because if it is .... I cannot even begin to point out on how angry this is going to make many in the intelligence/State/military community. This will also destroy yesterday`s Pentagon explanation on not having enough intel to respond to the attack when it was ongoing.

CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack, Sources Say -- FOX News

Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. Consulate and subsequent attack several hours later was denied by U.S. officials -- who also told the CIA operators twice to "stand down" rather than help the ambassador's team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

Former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods was part of a small team who was at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. Consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When he and others heard the shots fired, they informed their higher-ups at the annex to tell them what they were hearing and requested permission to go to the consulate and help out. They were told to "stand down," according to sources familiar with the exchange. Soon after, they were again told to "stand down."

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My Comment: I sincerely hope that this report is not true .... because if it is .... I cannot even begin to point out on how angry this is going to make many in the intelligence/State/military community. This will also destroy yesterday`s Pentagon explanation on not having enough intel to respond to the attack when it was ongoing.

CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Operators Were Denied Request For Help During Benghazi Attack, Sources Say -- FOX News

Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. Consulate and subsequent attack several hours later was denied by U.S. officials -- who also told the CIA operators twice to "stand down" rather than help the ambassador's team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

Former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods was part of a small team who was at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. Consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When he and others heard the shots fired, they informed their higher-ups at the annex to tell them what they were hearing and requested permission to go to the consulate and help out. They were told to "stand down," according to sources familiar with the exchange. Soon after, they were again told to "stand down."

Read more ....

My Comment: I sincerely hope that this report is not true .... because if it is .... I cannot even begin to point out on how angry this is going to make many in the intelligence/State/military community. This will also destroy yesterday`s Pentagon explanation on not having enough intel to respond to the attack when it was ongoing.

Second Building Attacked During The U.S. Consulate Terror Attack Was A CIA Post

Revealed: Second U.S. Building Attacked In Libya Terror Raid Was CIA Base . . . As It Emerges American Drones Were Circling Above But Were 'Too Slow' To Act -- Daily Mail

* Second building in Benghazi had previously been described as an 'annexe'
* Two SEALs died while defending base a mile away from U.S. consulate
* American drones were in the sky above city during deadly September 11 raid

The 'annexe' to the U.S. consulate in Benghazi which was attacked by militants last month was a CIA building, it has been revealed.

The intelligence base, which has previously been described only as a 'safe house', was the building which two Navy SEALs were defending when they died in the terrorist raid.

It was around a mile from the consulate where ambassador Chris Stevens and diplomat Sean Smith were killed on the night of September 11.

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Update: 'Annex' hit in Libya terror attack was CIA post, officials say -- FOX News

My Comment: The Daily Mail and FOX News are behind the curve on this one .... this story was reported on 10 days ago.

The CIA Wants To Expand Their Drone Fleet

(Click to Expand)

CIA Seeks To Expand Drone Fleet, Officials Say -- Washington Post

The CIA is urging the White House to approve a significant expansion of the agency’s fleet of armed drones, a move that would extend the spy service’s decade-long transformation into a paramilitary force, U.S. officials said.

The proposal by CIA Director David H. Petraeus would bolster the agency’s ability to sustain its campaigns of lethal strikes in Pakistan and Yemen and enable it, if directed, to shift aircraft to emerging al-Qaeda threats in North Africa or other trouble spots, officials said.

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Update #1: White House urged to boost CIA drone fleet -- UPI
Update #2: CIA seeks to expand its drone fleet: report -- Al Arabiya

My Comment: The above graphic from the Washington Post is an excellent one. Click on it and it will enlarge for easy viewing..