Posted on 06/29/2023 8:48:17 AM PDT by Kazan
Got a big belly laugh out courtesy of Bojan Pancevski, a European based correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, who wrote the article, Wagner’s Prigozhin Planned to Capture Russian Military Leaders. He claims to have the inside scoop on how Western intelligence agencies knew in advance that Prigozhin was going full Benedict Arnold, but is so naive that he did not realize he was being fed a fairy tale. He wrote:
Western intelligence agencies also found out early about the plans by Prigozhin, Putin’s former confidant, by analyzing electronic communications intercepts and satellite imagery, according to a person familiar with the findings. Western officials said they believe the original plot had a good chance of success but failed after the conspiracy was leaked, forcing Prigozhin to improvise an alternative plan.
This is a pitiful cover story. It is an insult to your intelligence to ask you to believe that the West’s intel folks discovered that Prigozhin was going rogue by “analyzing electronic communications intercepts and satellite imagery.” Exactly how does “satellite imagery” tell some photo interpreter that a coup is about to happen? Did Prigozhin scribble out his intentions on a big sign and carry it around outside for all to read? Maybe he was trying to recruit some muscle for the trip to Moscow. “Hey, I’m Going to Moscow to Grab Shoigu. Join Me!”
In my experience, coup plotters are careful not to put their plans in writing or to talk openly about them on phones or radios. A genuine coup starts with the assumption by the plotters that they could die if the plan does not succeed. That sobering thought tends to be accompanied by cautious, subdued activity, not reckless bragging or boasting. That includes shying away from the prolific use of texts or emails.
Do you remember the first rule of Fight Club? You don’t talk about Fight Club. Well, the first rule of espionage is that YOU DO NOT REVEAL YOUR SOURCES. Come to think of it, that used to be the cardinal rule of journalism as well. The “official” who fed Pancevski the “secret” account of how intrepid Western intelligence analysts solved the Prigozhin putsch puzzle broke that rule. Looks to me like he was confident that he had a willing tool in Pancevski and could count on him to persuade a gullible public that the CIA is really good at eavesdropping.
The fact that the CIA briefed the Gang of Eight in Congress on Prigozhin’s planned uprising two days prior means that the CIA had information from a human source. It could have been a recruited CIA asset or someone recruited and controlled by a foreign intelligence organization. But someone close to Prigozhin was blabbing. Or maybe it was Prigozhin himself.
I find it noteworthy that the Biden Administration went to extraordinary lengths to insist it knew nothing about the coup and certainly did not encourage it or support it. Oh no. Biden, Blinken and Nuland do not want Putin overthrown by force. Perish the thought.
I think this leak to Pancevski provides additional confirmation that Prigozhin was acting in concert with Western intelligence operatives. What remains unknown is whether Prigozhin was genuinely cooperating with the West or pretending to spy for the West while actually being controlled by Russian authorities. I continue to believe it is the latter. If Prigozhin committed treason then Putin’s decision to go unscathed into exile in Belarus sends the message that you can go after Putin and live. That is not being magnanimous, that is madness.
My read of the Wall Street Journal article is that it is the latest iteration of the West’s covert action to shape public opinion as well as damage control. It is no coincidence that Pancevski is told that other Russian Generals are under a cloud of suspicion:
Made aware of the leak, Prigozhin was then forced to act sooner than planned on Friday and managed to capture the southern Russian city of Rostov, a key command point for the invasion of Ukraine. The ease with which Wagner’s troops took the city of one million that is home to a large military airport suggests that some regular forces commanders could have been part of the plot, according to Western intelligence.
Western officials said they believe Prigozhin had communicated his intentions to senior military officers, possibly including Gen. Sergei Surovikin, commander of the Russian aerospace force. It couldn’t be determined whether Surovikin passed this information on to the FSB, or how the agency found out about Prigozhin’s plans.
Yep, toss Surovikin under the suspicion bus. Why in the world would the CIA or MI6 want to cast doubts on Surovikin? That could weaken him and affect his ability to counter the Ukrainian offensive. Oh, I got it. Never mind. This article is a graphic example that the West is not going to let up in its campaign to destroy Russia regardless of setbacks on the ground in Ukraine. I wonder if Putin, Gerasimov and Shoigu understand that fact.
Too bad it didn’t work, but it’s definitely shaken the confidence in the Russian fuehrer.
If the CIA is working to overturn him, good for them.
Johnson has some good opinions, but his thesis here is based only on a comment from one journalist at the WSJ - an outlet known to often publish info from the US Deep State.
It would be an embarrassment for the CIA to say “we had no clue what was happening” and it benefits them to let the Russians fear that the CIA has players seeded throughout Russian government.
So in sum, Johnson doesn’t know exactly what happened, nor do we. We will never know what was happening in Russia, nor will we ever know what the CIA knew about it.
Johnson has no real knowledge, just his speculations, and not the most sophisticated either. But I am sure Putin is grateful.
Progozhin working and playing both sides against each other for his own interests? I wonder what was in it for him? Sounds mercenary-like.
So far he is still breathing.
Think about this people. Jan 6th grannys and flag waving normal folks are serving hard time behind bars and being abused by the DOJ and the Biden regime for walking through the Capitol bldg. Progozhin walks away. So why is that since Putin is so bad?
Actually it hasn’t unless you really believe US and UK media.
He did used to be CIA, so he probably knows more than the US media who only report Biden propaganda.
Yeah. Too bad they didn't succeed in their coup against Trump in 2016. Oh well, its what they do.
Sooo all this drama being played via news sources, videos etc. really can't explain the realities apart from it's war....and it's continuation.
I doubt this surprises even Zee people
It’s the CIA’s Ukraine formula. You know, when Obama’s CIA and NSC took over and freed Ukraine from the Ukrainians?
I don’t have to believe any media to recognize that if a general has the nerve to turn his guns on his own country it signals a shattering of discipline and an undercutting of central authority.
If our gov. knew you can bet Putin knew. But it was Putins drama to manage however he determined. ....and I don’t think the Prigozhin thing is over yet.
Well. You are just brilliant for a big ole n00b. Problem is, you don’t know sheit.
He lies unconvincingly....
I have a feeling that the Puppet Master was the Soros Crime Family.
“He did used to be CIA,”
Lots of people “worked for the CIA” which has many different parts unrelated to intelligence collection and analysis. He worked in training for special ops.
Also he makes far too much of the singular element of satellite image surveillance (pretending the CIA relied too much on it), ignoring it was/would be married to other intelligence and particularly electronic surveillance intelligence collected in the areas with miltary conflict going on.
He speculates, or maybe he was just looking for click bait.
Please stop posting Russian propaganda.
Noob? Guilty!
Since you’re so all-knowing, I’m sure that had the situation been reversed and Oleksandr Syrsky occupied Dnipro, marched on Kyiv, and then fled the country you’d say, No biggie! Ukraine’s doing just fine!
Wait, I thought that this was a head-fake orchestrated by Putin.
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