The first blog post I did over four years ago at The Washington Note had to do with the subject of war profiteering and players in the national security establishment that were making money from defense contractors while also serving as so-called “objective” commentators on the war, weapons systems, and the like.
My target at the time was former Clinton administration CIA Director James Woolsey — or “Jihad Jim” as some of his friends call him — who was the first major national security voice on September 11, 2001 to try and tie the terrorist attacks that day in New York and Washington, D.C. to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Woolsey did not disclose that he was a lawyer representing the interests of Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress at the time.
Now, the New York Times raises questions about the one-man punditry, war consulting, strategic advisory services provided by General Barry McCaffrey. There are a long list of others that deserve similar scrutiny.
— Steve Clemons
Editor’s note: Thanks to Ben Rosengart for sending this our way.
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