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.
"Yeah. Too bad they didn't succeed in their coup against Trump in 2016. Oh well, it's what they do. "
Well, it did work in 2020, which is okay by Miami.
All I know is that when I see that dude’s name, all I can think is, “Mmmmm. Pierogi.”
You’re tripping over yourself.
Ridding the world of Putin is a completely glorious prospect.
Not everything is about American elections.
Eight thousand battle hardened Wagners relocated to Belarus...maybe not a head fake by Putin, but definitely jujitsu.
You are assuming the CIA is actually engaged in dirty tricks to make the United States a better place? In reality, they are engaged in dirty tricks to make the Beltway a much wealthier place for unelected bureaucrats.
The FBI has taken on this role right here inside of America.
I’m not assuming anything about the CIA.
The proposition was stated (not by me but by the author of the original article) that the CIA was somehow entangled in the Wagner revolt. Since I approve of that rebellion I have no qualms with who aided and assisted it.
Oh brother. Can this idiot write anything less than a thousand words?
This is hilariously unconvincing.
Putin and Prighozin go way back, and Prighozin gets results.
Shiogu and Gerasimov came from the GRU, and retain authority because of their connections in the Soviet nostalgia factions within the Siloviki. Like Stremousov, he was considered expendable despite his competence, because he’s outside their direct control.
No way did the CIA turn Prighozin. It’s far more believable that Prighozin embarrassed the Siloviki, or they were caught between wanting Wagner much more tightly controlled from the Kremlin and needing Wagner to be operationally independent and “deniable”.
Putin has blown the game by admitting that Wagner was funded and directed by his regime.
So take your pick.
If that’s true then we can kiss goodbye to that bullshit excuse Putin had with Minsk agreements, when he denied directing Wagner PMC operations in Ukraine in order to avoid delivering on the ONE commitment Russia needed to honour: pull its Little Green Men and Wagner troops out of Ukraine..
Or maybe Putin lied, and Wagner was an independent operation. In which case, he can hardly complain that they flounced out of the combat arena last week and headed towards Moscow.
Lukashenko has himself said that the Kremlin establishment mishandled Wagner. He’s now got a private bodyguard that Moscow hasn’t absorbed into the RF. So if Lukashenko is paying them now, don’t expect them to be marching onto Kyiv any time soon.
Maybe the CIA know about all that. Maybe they have been fed dodgy intel. But the idea they flipped Wagner is ludicrous.
And you're outing yourself.
Ridding the world of Putin is a completely glorious prospect.
Could care less either way. a) Not our problem. b) The neocon-unists lack the dynamic analysis to have considered that an even more nasty russan-ultranationalist piece of crap could replace him. But good luck to anyone (not us) who does.
Not everything is about American elections.
For Americans it is. For foreigners, not so much.
“Necon-unists” is a curious term to use insofar as the Chi-coms and the Communist Party of Russia stand firmly behind V.V. Putin.
One of the social media influencing insertions from fedzilla. The openings in the logic are so big you could push Chris Christie through them.
The CIA involvement was officially confirmed when Biden officially said they weren’t.
I agree with your views on this subject. It was never our concern. Our concern should have been OUR border and not sending billion after billion of our dollars for this stupid war.
I don’t know what the heck happened in the supposed coup but the MSM narrative makes no sense. What may have happened that’s makes more sense to me is the following:
Step 1: The CIA with the UK SIS (MI6) courts Prigozhin about initiating a coup telling him that they have lined up some Russian Generals who are willing to support the coup and a lot of CIA money will provide to him up front and they will also fiancé the coup once it starts.
Step 2: Unfortunately for the CIA, Prigozhin tells Putin about the plan. Putin realizes that he can use the situation to identify the unfaithful Generals and a pretense to redeploy the Wagner Army to Belarus. This will add 55,000 Wagner troops to the 45,000 Russian troops already in Belarus to manning a new northern war front.
Step 3: The fake coup is initiated and follows Putin plan leaving the CIA trying to figure out what happened.
The fake coup ended with at least one unfaithful General identified (General Sergey Surovikin) and Prigozhin pardoned and in Belarus. Putin has stated that the Wagner troops involved in the fake coup (all 55,000 of them) are pardoned and must be move to Belarus. Belarus President Lukashenko announces that he is building a new training base for the Wagner Army in Belarus.
“Biden Administration went to extraordinary lengths to insist it knew nothing about the coup...”
Brandon always lies. This means Brandon junta was 100% behind it.
Yet another brainless n00b flying in from nowhere chimimg-in with the Uke harpies.
Uke harpies and their trash media are as derranged and dirt-stupid as the Biden admin... jerking yourselves during the “mutiny” (lol)... and believing your own bull$**t.
And neither china nor russia is actually communist, despite the labels. They are essentially more fascist. Private businesses exist but are controlled by a central government with little in the way of political freedom. You know this to be true.
The neocons, you, predictably, are firmly behind the same form of hybrid socialism/fascism.
The WEF/neocon/obama war against the chicoms and against russia isn't over a disagreement over implementing a complete, techno-tyrannical new world order based on the above principles of top down control over every aspect of our lives.
They are squabbling over who gets to sit at the top of that aforementioned fascist global power structure. Either way "You will own nothing. And that's all."
Notice how almost no one is talking about the failed Uke offensive and the pounding they’re taking, while continuing to throw their troops and equipment into Russian minefields and artillery?
According to the commie trash in charge, Putin = bad ‘cause he is hampering the usual money laundering and sex trafficking by Zelynsky and his thugs.
Same as if you were profiting by importing fentanyl and some crazy border guard insisted on enforcing US and International laws on invading another country.
It’s the bay of pigs. But the US role is better concealed.
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