SoylentNews

"gewg_" writes:

from the national-security-as-religion dept.

AlterNet reports [alternet.org]

Wayne Simmons [...] identified as a CIA outside paramilitary special operations officer. He wasn't. He wrote a book claiming he worked in the CIA for 27 years. He didn't.

Fox News took him at his word. So did the U.S. government. Simmons worked as a subcontractor for the government multiple times, and was even invited to train at an Army facility. He ended up receiving security clearance and served as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel overseas. So much for background checks.

[...]A federal grand jury [washingtonpost.com] [indicted Simmons on October 15 for] numerous counts of fraud and making false statements.

[...]Simmons used his faux-authority to spread ludicrous and jingoist right-wing propaganda. For 13 years, Simmons ceaselessly spewed unsubstantiated opinions on Fox News, under the facade of being a CIA veteran and "national security and terrorism expert".

[...]Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald has pointed out that there are essentially no official standards in the U.S. media by which "counter-terrorism" pundits' purported "expertise" is measured; they must simply ignore facts, blame Muslims, and trumpet U.S. propaganda [democracynow.org]. Simmons fulfills each of these preconditions and more.

The question everyone should now be asking is how many more Wayne Simmons are out there?

The article includes 11 things that Simmons claimed as truth e.g. "at least 19 paramilitary Muslim training facilities in the United States" or advocated as actions e.g. assassinating democratically elected leaders.

Original Submission