I was under the impression Trump was using Gavin De Becker and Associates; they’re the gold standard personal security group.
Backwater doesn’t exist anymore, it’s now Academi, and is primarily in the military business. I know, details, details, but yes, he needs all the security he can get.
And to the very thorough itemization in the article, one may add that despite the $Trillions, Trillions of promises and lies and millions of deaths and casualties of America’s best, our rocket-science blatherers have not won a war, declared or not, since World War II (including the War on Poverty, the War on Illiteracy and the War on Drugs.
But they are all great at avoiding any useful purpose in life and juicing their pensions and benefits as rewards for their indolence and ineptitude.
Let he who has never found himself in a screaming match with a Cartagena prostitute over her payment cast the first stone.
NASA put men on the moon. Then NASA succumbed to quotas. We haven't been to the moon in a while. A demographic chart of the Secret Service over time would be interesting.
Did Trump's swamp draining involve cutting the CIA's budget? Add to the agency's greatest hits the Maidan Revolution, which has resulted in 1 million or more Ukraine casualties and perhaps 1/3 of the country scattered abroad. But at least Russia has exposed the Pentagon's wonder weapons as decades of graft. Maybe Trump will trim the "defense" budget in response.
Other journalist could do real work. But they are either lazy, incompetent, stupid or 100% narrative-driven/irretrievably biased (or some combination of all of these deficits). Ann does the damn research.
Another great column. Brings to mind the old saying, "good enough for government work," which apparently dates to World War II, though crony contracts and poor quality certainly existed in the Civil War and maybe for all time.
I often tell people that in my Army years I got to work around many "elite" Federal agencies, all of which were staffed with the same bureaucratic types you would see at Education, Commerce, Transportation, and of course the DoD. Many nice people, but no James Bonds (not even any Bruce Willis types)!
I think it was Cord Meyer who implied that his CIA colleagues were the ones that smoked his former wife in 1964 (romantically involved with JFK before his death) and said that he expected to see them all in hell.
My first real job was at an aerospace company that did a lot of business with the Shah's Iran. Many of the people I worked with had spent time in Iran months before the Shah was ousted and they all said it was obvious that the country was highly unstable and the Shah wasn't likely to be ruling for long. I guess the CIA just didn't notice the same things they did.
I remember not many years ago, 2 aliens (citizens of another country) from the mid East, had obtained HSI, (homeland security investigations) badges, id’s and some other paraphernalia and used this to engage in some interactions with some secret service agents. The agents were palling around with these fake people, even giving the SS agents gifts, until they got arrested for some reason, not related to hookers or such, and this interaction with the SS agents came to light. These foreign agents were never jailed despite the charges and the obvious fear they would flee. The Federal magistrate did not detain them. And that’s where the story appears to have ended. I never heard another thing about this These people were never prosecuted as far as I know. So the illegals were CLEARLY trying to infiltrate the SS having engaged them as ‘fellow’ agents, (‘bros’ if you will)without question. Why? And these foreign guys were not just ‘wanta be an agent’ either. So has the SS been penetrated? Hell every other US government agency has moles inside or just fellow countrymen who hate America. And I have to weigh in on the CIA. Fuckin’ incompetent and WORTHLESS. Who was the cia station chief in London when they wanted to set George Papadapholus (sp)?. Gina Haspell. That’s right she knew about the attempt to set Trump up.She was engaged in it. ! She returned from London and assumed the CIA directorship under Trump. Rewarded for treason and criminality. Why The esteemed Durham never interviewed her (He couldn’t find her I suppose.
Earlier in the week I happened to have Clay and Buck on in the car and they commented on the idea of private security. They said it isn't as easy as one would think. It has to go through, and be coordinated with, the Secret Service. Then you have on-site coordination and communication to be arranged between the agencies which, as we recall, went just swimmingly at Butler! A big issue is liability. Since private security is not "government law enforcement," if security opens fire and hits somebody there is the potential of a major liability issue--especially if they hit an innocent person. So, this is probably why Trump just goes with SS. -- Now, all that said, having a potential liability issue is probably the lesser of two evils when the other evil is being dead.
(This post not intended to refute Ann's article, only to share what I heard listening to Clay and Buck.)
I almost feel like you're letting the USSS off the hook for mere incompetence rather than conspiracy.
Ann, this is what I like about your columns.....light on platitudes and strong on specifics to make your case.
Been listening and reading for decades........thank you.
She is the best!
I was under the impression Trump was using Gavin De Becker and Associates; they’re the gold standard personal security group.
Backwater doesn’t exist anymore, it’s now Academi, and is primarily in the military business. I know, details, details, but yes, he needs all the security he can get.
It looks like he's no longer using them.
He might want to rethink that decision.
Alphabet soup agencies delenda est!
And to the very thorough itemization in the article, one may add that despite the $Trillions, Trillions of promises and lies and millions of deaths and casualties of America’s best, our rocket-science blatherers have not won a war, declared or not, since World War II (including the War on Poverty, the War on Illiteracy and the War on Drugs.
But they are all great at avoiding any useful purpose in life and juicing their pensions and benefits as rewards for their indolence and ineptitude.
Let he who has never found himself in a screaming match with a Cartagena prostitute over her payment cast the first stone.
NASA put men on the moon. Then NASA succumbed to quotas. We haven't been to the moon in a while. A demographic chart of the Secret Service over time would be interesting.
Did Trump's swamp draining involve cutting the CIA's budget? Add to the agency's greatest hits the Maidan Revolution, which has resulted in 1 million or more Ukraine casualties and perhaps 1/3 of the country scattered abroad. But at least Russia has exposed the Pentagon's wonder weapons as decades of graft. Maybe Trump will trim the "defense" budget in response.
Weapons of mass destruction??????
Other journalist could do real work. But they are either lazy, incompetent, stupid or 100% narrative-driven/irretrievably biased (or some combination of all of these deficits). Ann does the damn research.
Great summary and article!
I think the primary challenge in an article like this one, is knowing when to stop, otherwise you'd be listing these types of failures forever!
Another great column. Brings to mind the old saying, "good enough for government work," which apparently dates to World War II, though crony contracts and poor quality certainly existed in the Civil War and maybe for all time.
This is fantastic detailed reporting Ann, these were major events that impacted the history of our country and aboard.
I often tell people that in my Army years I got to work around many "elite" Federal agencies, all of which were staffed with the same bureaucratic types you would see at Education, Commerce, Transportation, and of course the DoD. Many nice people, but no James Bonds (not even any Bruce Willis types)!
The old claim you never hear about the successful OPS involving the CIA… perhaps they should publish a few😎.
Suckering the Soviets into Afghanistan (but then repeating the mistake ourselves)?
Right!?
Talk about "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!"
They can’t, because there aren’t any.
In sure they smoked some deserving dirtbag and kept it quiet.😎
I think it was Cord Meyer who implied that his CIA colleagues were the ones that smoked his former wife in 1964 (romantically involved with JFK before his death) and said that he expected to see them all in hell.
My first real job was at an aerospace company that did a lot of business with the Shah's Iran. Many of the people I worked with had spent time in Iran months before the Shah was ousted and they all said it was obvious that the country was highly unstable and the Shah wasn't likely to be ruling for long. I guess the CIA just didn't notice the same things they did.
Unreal
I remember not many years ago, 2 aliens (citizens of another country) from the mid East, had obtained HSI, (homeland security investigations) badges, id’s and some other paraphernalia and used this to engage in some interactions with some secret service agents. The agents were palling around with these fake people, even giving the SS agents gifts, until they got arrested for some reason, not related to hookers or such, and this interaction with the SS agents came to light. These foreign agents were never jailed despite the charges and the obvious fear they would flee. The Federal magistrate did not detain them. And that’s where the story appears to have ended. I never heard another thing about this These people were never prosecuted as far as I know. So the illegals were CLEARLY trying to infiltrate the SS having engaged them as ‘fellow’ agents, (‘bros’ if you will)without question. Why? And these foreign guys were not just ‘wanta be an agent’ either. So has the SS been penetrated? Hell every other US government agency has moles inside or just fellow countrymen who hate America. And I have to weigh in on the CIA. Fuckin’ incompetent and WORTHLESS. Who was the cia station chief in London when they wanted to set George Papadapholus (sp)?. Gina Haspell. That’s right she knew about the attempt to set Trump up.She was engaged in it. ! She returned from London and assumed the CIA directorship under Trump. Rewarded for treason and criminality. Why The esteemed Durham never interviewed her (He couldn’t find her I suppose.
The fake HSI agents case took place in DC.
Earlier in the week I happened to have Clay and Buck on in the car and they commented on the idea of private security. They said it isn't as easy as one would think. It has to go through, and be coordinated with, the Secret Service. Then you have on-site coordination and communication to be arranged between the agencies which, as we recall, went just swimmingly at Butler! A big issue is liability. Since private security is not "government law enforcement," if security opens fire and hits somebody there is the potential of a major liability issue--especially if they hit an innocent person. So, this is probably why Trump just goes with SS. -- Now, all that said, having a potential liability issue is probably the lesser of two evils when the other evil is being dead.
(This post not intended to refute Ann's article, only to share what I heard listening to Clay and Buck.)