Tag Archives: Iran

by Barry Kelly | May 27, 2015 · 7:48 am

INSIGHTS 208 — THE ADVISOR CORRECTS A FALSE NARRATIVE

During one of the long intervals between presidential visits to The Advisor’s underground office, the Advisor thought to himself: if no one else will get history right and correct the false narratives circulating from the White House and the liberal press, my journals and my Facebook account will contain a clear report of what was happening during my term as the Advisor.

The Bush regime won the war but paved the way for a failed Iraqi government when they destroyed the Iraqi army and the Bath party of Saddam Hussein. None of the existing infrastructure every government needs was left. To make matters worse, the Advisor thought, shaking his head, the Bush administration failed to understand a Shiite/al-Maliki government would never be a check to the Shiite nation of Iran. Instead, the Iranians ended up owning Maliki who preceded to further weaken the Sunnis and the Kurds. For all the American blood and treasure the Bush administration spent in Iraq, little was left for Obama to work with, especially given his primary motive to get out of Iraq as quickly as possible. I doubt President Obama, or either of his inept secretaries of state, ever saw the real geo-political problem a Maliki government would cause. You would think that President Obama, who leans hard in the direction of supporting Sunni Muslims, would have recognized the growth and consequences of Shiite power in Iraq. “Some would argue that he didn’t care about Iraq, his sights were set on using Iran to transform the traditional world order in the Middle East,” he said aloud to no one. “And I am one of them.”

The Advisor sat down at his desk and continued musing. You didn’t need timely intelligence, which Obama claims he never received, to see the Sunni Islamic radicals that joined the rebellion against Syrian Shiite President Assad could easily cross the border into Sunni areas of Iraq. The Sunni tribes alienated by Maliki were ready to provide support in the form of manpower, logistics, weapons, and money. Borders mean nothing if they are not defended.

The result of the ISIS invasion of Iraq is that tribal and religious areas no longer follow the lines drawn by western diplomats after World War I. All remnants of the Shiite/Maliki government are being forced to fall back into Shiite populated areas, primarily south of Baghdad. A realistic map of Iraq will soon show Sunniland, Kurdistan and Shiiteland. The Sunnis and the Kurds will never go back into a centralized Shiite-run government. That failed experiment is over. Only more American blood and treasure could delay the collapse of Iraq, and for what? Our government needs to stop believing an Iraqi centralized government is possible. It is not.

Our policy should be to support the Kurds with modern weapons and monetary aid until their own fighters get properly equipped and to persuade the outside Sunni world to help bring the ISIS under some restraint. In the meantime, use unfettered air power and required boots-on-the-ground to break the advance of ISIS and stop their atrocities against the Christians and other religious groups ISIS is now slaughtering. Some massive evacuations of endangered refugees may be necessary. All because two administrations failed to see the Middle East as it is. Hawks and doves are equally to blame.

With this president’s commitment to Iran. I don’t believe he will allow his administration to support the Kurds or Sunnis in Iraq. They certainly have not sent needed supplies to the Kurds despite their statements to the contrary.

The Advisor sat in silence for a few moments before picking up his pen and putting his thoughts down on a fresh page in his journal.

The above is a fictional account of the writing of a legendary but fictional Advisor.

“ISIS: Quiet Justice,” a new Jack Brandon novel dealing with ISIS in America, is now available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in print form and nook and Kindle formats.This is the fifth novel in the “Justice”series. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80.

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Filed under Conservative views, Eight Decades of Insights, foreign policy, Intelligence & Politics, Iran, ISIS, Kurds, Obama, Shiite, Sunni

Tagged as bush administration, Iran, iraq, Middle East, muslims, Obama, politics, Shiite

by Barry Kelly | May 22, 2015 · 7:04 am

INSIGHTS 207 – THE ADVISOR EXPOSES A FALSE NARRATIVE

For months, the Advisor had been requesting the INSIGHT COUNCIL to approve his application to establish a Facebook page. The approval was finally granted but the Facebook page would be established and controlled by the Council. They reminded him that the only reason they were allowing this breech of protocol is because they are convinced he is facing a unique problem due to the very real conflict between the traditional mission to advise the president and the overriding need to protect and defend the nation and its unique Constitution.

The Advisor thought, the first thing I want to take on are the false narratives that flourish in people addicted to ‘sound bites’ and the last thing they heard from anyone. False narratives are a danger because with the constant bombardment of information that might improve rating numbers, media outlets will knowingly or unknowingly accept the false narrative and use it over and over. Used very much like past and present totalitarian regimes employed and employ the big lie. Repeat it enough and people will begin to believe the false narrative is the true story.

One of the Advisor’s pleasures was to sit down at his keyboard and let his fingers convert thoughts into text. There was a kind of beauty in the process that he couldn’t see when using his fountain pen to write in his journals.

The false narrative now sweeping the country, especially when interviewing presidential candidates is, “If you knew what we know now, would you have sent troops into Iraq during the second Bush presidency?”

The first candidate to respond to this query gave an incredibly stupid answer. No one could have known or even guessed that Americans would elect a man with Barack Obama’s ideology and transforming American program to the White House. Under a normal president, either Republican or Democrat, we would not have totally abandoned the fledging government in Iraq. In the vacuum Obama created, the Iraqis turned to their Shiite neighbor, Iran. It all went downhill from there. We were once the dominant power in the Middle East. No more. We have abandoned Israel and our Sunni allies in favor of Iran. In the years to come, historians will wonder how one man could have caused so many deaths and so much chaos in six years and he isn’t done yet.

And that is not the end of the false narrative. The truth is that getting rid of Saddam Hussein with his genocide policies against Iraqis of different political and religious beliefs was a good thing. Did we forget his invasion of Kuwait? Did we forget that he had used poison gas against the Kurds and the Shiites and our troops found tens of thousands of chemical protection suits and gas masks for Iraqi soldiers? Isn’t poison gas a “weapon of mass destruction?” Did we forget he was funding research into the development of biological weapons and nuclear weapons? The number one terrorist in the world, Abu Nadal, was living in Iraq. A terrorist training site with the shell of a large jet for trainees to practice hijackings with an adjoining military barracks was discovered during the invasion.

Did the Bush Administration make several serious mistakes? Yes! And so did Obama. Did those mistakes cost American and Iraqi lives. Yes! Is this a subject for national debate. Yes and Yes! If Iraq was today a struggling infant democracy with conflicts among the Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites held in check by an American presence and power, would such a question have been asked? I don’t think so.

CIA Headquarters has the words, “THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE” inscribed on their wall. The other side of that inscription is “ACCEPTING FALSE NARRATIVES WILL MAKE YOU SLAVES.”

The above is a fictional account of the writing of a legendary but fictional Advisor.

“ISIS: Quiet Justice,” a new Jack Brandon novel by Barry Kelly dealing with ISIS in America, is now available from your book store, This is the fifth novel in the “Justice”series. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80.

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Filed under Conservative views, Intelligence & Politics, Shiite, Sunni, totalitarianism

Tagged as Iran, iraq, Middle East

by Barry Kelly | May 5, 2015 · 7:57 am

INSIGHTS 203 — The President Tells the Advisor the Truth about Iran

The president was making his way down the tunnel for another meeting with his Advisor. He shook his head at himself as he thought, I must be nuts going to talk to an old man who lives down here in these tunnels. Good thing only Chris, my go-to Secret Service guy, knows where I am. My staff would never understand. This old man is so damn smart, but they wouldn’t care. He sees right through me but never lets it show. I almost believe him that presidents since the Civil War have been meeting with the advisors who came before him. His secret is safe with me. I’ll never talk about these strange discussions with anyone. When I accepted the presidency I swore I would not answer to another person or another branch of government. I cannot transform this nation and this world by listening to the traditional sources of wisdom that are deeply tangled in America’s distorted history. And this certainly isn’t traditional.

The president put his right palm on the old, rusted door. It immediately swung open. The Advisor greeted him with his deep modulated voice. “Please come in. I’m anxious to listen to your plans and policies on Iran.”

The Advisor and the president took their usual places at the small conference table in the Advisor’s office. The president tossed his nicotine gum in the waste basket and lit up a cigarette. He sighed with content after taking his first inhale. “You don’t know how good that feels and that no one is nagging me.”

“On the contrary, Mr. President, I was a heavy smoker for more than thirty years. And I still want one now. But I know one smoke and I’m lost.”

The President smiled a knowing smile, then said, “You know about my plans to transform America into a much fairer society where all citizens and those waiting for citizenship can have an equal stake in American prosperity. Where everyone is in the middle class. Well, I have made great progress domestically. It will be up to my progressive successors to continue the drive to destroy capitalism and the folly of inherited wealth. America’s military and economic prowess has been weakened on my watch. Now I want to begin the transformation of the existing world order where the role played by America and its traditional allies is vastly diminished.

“Iran is the tool I’m using to do that. I don’t give a damn whether or not Iran develops nuclear weapons. What’s the problem? Israel, Russia, China, North Korea, Britain, France, Pakistan, and India have nukes. In a decade or so, many more nations will have them. If the theory about ‘mutual assured destruction’ has any validity, the spread of nuclear capability among the world’s nations will lead to stability. But I don’t worry about that. That is someone else’s problem. When the smoke clears from my Iranian initiative, either the Sunnis or the Shiites will control the Middle East and most of Africa. The ruling Muslim power will be able to fend off the imperialistic and capitalistic policies of the West and their lackeys. There will be no more of the colonialism that has kept my ancestors and the Muslim world from their deserved roles in the world. Now what do you think of that?” The president ground out his cigarette in a dish on the table.

The Advisor laced his fingers together and set them on the table in front of him. “I’m surprised by your remarkable candor but not about your desire to change the world order. It will take another eight years of a leader with your philosophy and motivation. But you are closer than anyone knows. Only the loss of the Senate has delayed your progress.”

“Yes. That was a mistake. I should not have let that happen. I’m going now. Chris will call you sometime in the next week. I want to talk to you about the future of the Middle East and Islam.” Then the president stood up and left without another word.

As soon as the door shut behind the president, the Advisor poured himself three fingers of Glenlivet single-malt scotch and sat down to think before making entries in his journal.

The above is a fictional account of a president meeting with a legendary but fictional advisor.

“ISIS Quiet Justice,” a new Jack Brandon novel dealing with ISIS in America, is now available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in print form and nook and kindle formats. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80.

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Tagged as Iran, nuclear weapons, nukes, world order

by Barry Kelly | May 3, 2015 · 7:04 am

INSIGHTS 202 — THE ADVISOR AND WHAT’S WITH THE IRAN THING?

The Advisor had worked all week in getting ready for tonight’s discussions with the president. There was a lot to cover.

The entire negotiation process with Iran was filled with false starts, new beginnings, and endless private discussions by various participants.This was going to be a hard session. The Advisor had serious reservations about negotiating with Iran, but he knew the president was dead set on doing some kind of a deal with Iran. But the president had told him he wanted to hear his candid appraisal of the Iran initiative.

A soft bell rang and the Advisor glanced at his hall monitor screen. Sure enough the President and Chris were on their way to the old iron door to his chambers and only 25 minutes late. The president gave his usual murmured greeting and sat down at the conference table in his usual seat. The Advisor poured him a cup of fresh cup of dark roast while the president was lighting a cigarette.

“I know I’m not going to like what you’re going to tell me, but you’re the smartest person I get advice from and you don’t have an agenda. Of all the things I’ve told you over the years, nothing has leaked. You and I have opposing political beliefs but no one hears them except me.”

The Advisor thought, No one hears them but my successors for as long as this nation endures will be able to read them. The president nodded and said, I’ve got 45 minutes, so let’s get started.”

“Mr. President, the Iranians or Persians are a great and proud people. They’ve slipped over the centuries from the pinnacle of being a dominant world power. They want to reclaim their heritage. They don’t have the population or the economic base to be even a regional power. They have correctly analyzed their position and have concluded that becoming a nuclear power is the quickest way to improve their status. Under their religious leadership they will not be redirected. No matter the price, they will pay it. Keeping economic sanctions on will only delay their journey to nuclear status.

“Nothing they say or promise will change their push for nuclear weapons. So you cannot trust them to keep their word. Short of changing the Iranian leadership or very heavy military strikes at their nuclear facilities and military centers nothing you or others can do will stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

“Now for the downside of negotiating with the Iranian leadership. You know better than your White House staff, the political ramifications of the Sunni/Shiite division. Our traditional Middle Eastern allies have been the Sunnis. Our dealings with the Iranians have driven a stake of mistrust between us and the Sunnis that may never be removed. In addition, the Israelis believe America has deceived them. Their trust in America has been seriously eroded.

“The other downside of a deal with the Iranians is that until now we have successfully kept the Russians out of the Middle East. You have already seen the Russians move to sell first line air defense hardware to Iran. More weapon sales will follow. Your European friends will not agree to reimpose economic sanctions. They want Iranian treasure for their goods more than they worry about Iran becoming a nuclear power. They have always been appeasers when faced with a choice between future dangers and the promise of prosperity now.

“One last point. when Iranians get the bomb, they will use it. My time is up.”

“Good. I’ll tell you now, while I agree to some of your analysis, I do not agree with your overall conclusions. My plan is to use Iran to change the world order in a way that will ensure a more peaceful world based on a partnership between nations in a playing field I have leveled. At our next meeting, it will be my turn to talk.”

The president ground out his last cigarette and left.

The above is a fictional account of a president meeting with a legendary but fictional advisor.

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Filed under Eight Decades of Insights, Intelligence & Politics, Iran, Israel, political solutions, Russia, Shiite, Sunni

Tagged as advisor, America, Barack Obama, Iran, negotiations, President Obama

by Barry Kelly | April 1, 2015 · 7:16 am

INSIGHTS 196 — CONSISTENTLY DESTRUCTIVE

If it is consistency you value in a president, Obama is your man. He hasn’t changed his goals or his policies to reach those goals since he was elected twice by an electorate desperately wanting change.

We got change. Only, it was change the left-wing progressives wanted, a very vocal group. A very high percentage of journalists, editors, and publishers welcome Obama’s transformation of America. When you add the Teachers’ Union, university professors, and Hollywood’s entertainers to the power of the press, it is no wonder so many Americans wonder what is happening. What is actually happening is so far outside the American experience that those of us who try to explain the goals of radical progressivism seem like right-wing conspiracy nuts.

How is it possible that a president who handily won two national elections is dedicated to destroying the America he took an oath to protect? By any of my standards, the nation is weaker economically and militarily and more divided than it was before anyone ever heard of Barack Obama. None of the problems that need fixing have been addressed by President Obama. They are not part of his agenda. He uses the issues of immigration, health care, welfare reform, taxation, military strategy, education, racism, jobs, energy development, and international affairs to destroy domestic or foreign opposition, increase government control of all aspects of our economy and way of life. He doesn’t seek to problem-solve. He only wants to move forward with the development of socialism in America under the control of a progressive elite.

There is no other way to explain his actions. It is clear to me that he has corrupted the civil service of all government agencies to support his socialist agenda. Energy is a perfect example. He has done and is doing everything he can to hamper the development of natural gas and oil production in the United States. He mouths the words of national self-sufficiency in energy but uses the EPA and other agencies to block and delay efforts by the private sector (capitalism) to produce and export energy.

The Keystone Pipeline gave him a chance to create jobs, improve national self-sufficiency in energy, help our Canadian neighbors, reduce China’s control and stockpiling of energy, and improve the safety of transporting oil by ships, trains, and trucks. Even most radical environmentalists admit pipelines are safer than ships, trains, or trucks in the transportation of oil. The truth, I believe, is that our president does not want America to be energy self-sufficient. He wants to weaken our economy and our military by reducing our forces to pre-WWII levels and forcing us to rely on the United Nations to establish a new world order. You need to look no further than look at the president’s Iranian policy.

He has no intentions of bringing Congress into the agreement he is begging Iran to sign. President Obama will ignore the Senate’s Constitutional right to ratify an Iranian nuclear agreement. Instead, he will display his one-world ideology by taking any agreement to the UN. By the way, what the president is calling an agreement is, in fact, a treaty that must be ratified by the Senate. Whatever is good for the pre-Obama America, either domestically or internationally, he will remain consistent in his drive to move the country toward socialism and the traditional one-party rule. There will be no problem solving. But he will continue to befuddle Republican leaders. That is also a consistent part of his imperial presidency.

Written by the author of the Jack Brandon thriller/suspense novels and “Insights: Transforming America — Is This What We Fought For?” available now as an e-book, in paperback or hardcover on Amazon.com or BN.com. Another analytical book on the transforming process, “Insights: Stepping Stones to Tyranny,” is now published and available in paperback at $9.95 and on nook and kindle at $3.99. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80. “ISIS: Quiet Justice,” a new Jack Brandon novel dealing with ISIS in America, will be out in early April.