It is unusual to appear on Judge Napolitano’s channel two days in a row but recent developments made it necessary. The Judge was unfamiliar with Gonzalo Lira and asked me to explain who he is and what is his current status. I told the Judge that Gonzalo hosted a very popular round table/podcast the specialized in interviewing guest experts and offering up his own analysis. I told the Judge that he is just like Gonzalo, only better looking. That got a big laugh from the Judge.
There has been a lot of uninformed commentary about Gonzalo, with some declaring him as some sort of intelligence asset. That is utter nonsense. No CIA case officer in their right mind would sign up someone like Gonzalo for several reasons. First, he is an American citizen. CIA is prohibited from recruiting U.S. citizens as intelligence assets. Second, Gonzalo’s commentary, analysis and hosted round tables did not in any way advance a U.S. Government position. Just the opposite — he was (and is) a strong critic.
One of my retired CIA buddies — an experienced, accomplished CIA Case Officer — provided me his evaluation of the videos:
The folks are irrationally polarized about Gonzalo. I had to chuckle at some of the conspiracy theories concerning Gonzalo and yourself. No self respecting case officer would handle someone as flamboyant as Gonzalo. The paperwork and ass chewings would be historic. The guy who said he did thousands of investigations reiterated the pitfall most police fall into; pick a suspect and make him guilty. There is a difference between a criminal investigation and a CI investigation. In a CI investigation you have to assume the guy on the other side of the mirror is just as smart as you are.
A few observations:
1. Yes, it looks like Gonzalo gained some weight. That is not unusual for people who are incarcerated. Metabolism slows down from lack of movement. I’ve seen it in others.
2. Gonzalo definitely had a “cave pallor” in the video, probably from not getting sun for three months or so.
3. His motorbike was loaded up, probably with everything he could take with him, indicating that he is bugging out.
4. His description of his beatings in jail were detailed. The bruised chest, the reaction of the cell boss and the apology from the perpetrator, seem too out of norm to be fabricated.
Although Gonzalo was released on bail on July 6, he did not acquire his passports and driver’s license until last week. That is why he did not make any attempt to escape until now. I am concerned now that Gonzalo’s attempt to cross into Hungary was thwarted. I am holding out hope that he discussed the Hungarian option as a diversion and has gone elsewhere. If he does not surface in the next day or two we must assume he was taken back into the custody of Ukrainian authorities.
The drama surrounding Gonzalo’s fate takes place against the growing desperation of Ukraine. Ukraine’s attack on Moscow on two consecutive days with drones had zero military benefit for Kiev. One likely motive for this weak effort is the West’s persistent delusional belief that Putin’s domestic support is wilting and that these types of attacks will galvanize hardliners to oust him. I also believe that Ukraine is hoping these attacks will provoke a Russian response that will compel NATO to intervene militarily on behalf of Ukraine.
This is a fool’s errand and underscores the panic that is taking hold in both Kiev and NATO. We learned from the classified documents leaked from Jack Teixeira’s Discord account that a total of 12 Brigades were trained for this offensive. Normally, a brigade consists of 5,000 soldiers. Just do the math. That means a maximum of 60,000 troops. Based on briefings from Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukraine has suffered at least 30,000 casualties since the start of the counter-offensive on June 4th. If true this means that 50% of Ukraine’s trained counter offensive soldiers have been eliminated from the battlefield. Minister of Defense Shoigu reported today that Ukraine’s casualties for July alone are 20,000. Those are horrific, catastrophic numbers and Ukraine does not have a ready supply of fresh, trained troops to throw into the battle.
Reuters just came out with a report about the fierce, deadly resistance the Ukrainian troops are encountering from the Russians:
They rode into a kill zone. The timing was off. Many men were lost. In the end, they recaptured the ruined village of Staromaiorske, claiming Ukraine’s biggest advance for weeks.
Troops at the spearhead of Ukraine’s counteroffensive say a battle last week along the front in the southeast proved to be tougher and bloodier than expected, with plans going awry and an enemy that was well-prepared.
“The Russians were waiting for us,” said a 29-year-old soldier using the call-sign Bulat, from a unit sent into battle in armoured vehicles during last week’s assault. . . .
Tales of the battle of Staromaiorske, recounted to Reuters near the frontline in southeastern Ukraine, give an indication of why Kyiv’s boldest counteroffensive of the war, soon entering its third month, has proven a slower and bloodier slog than anticipated. . . .
The Russians have had months to prepare their fortifications and sow minefields. The Ukrainian attackers lack the air superiority that their NATO allies normally expect in their training drills.
The Russian defenders had set up “pre-sighted zones” in anticipation of the attack, said a 24-year-old Ukrainian marine with the call-sign “Dub”.
“They methodically destroyed the roads. They made pits that prevented driving in and out of the village, even in dry weather. Even walking was quite hard. You can’t use flashlights at night, but you still have to advance.”
Why are reporters and Western politicians surprised by this outcome? Yes, Russia spent four months (starting last October) constructing defensive lines under the command of General Surovikin. There were several videos on Telegram reporting on this:
During the entire time these barriers were being erected Ukraine did not make any attempt to attack the construction crews or try to blow gaps in the Dragon’s teeth anti-tank obstacles. Why? Because Ukraine does not have the air assets or long range missiles capable of making a dent in these integrated redoubts, trenches and mine fields. I believe that Western leaders are guilty of war crimes for pressuring the Ukrainians to carry out what are nothing more than suicide missions. Any senior NATO commander with half-a-brain should know that a frontal assault on these defenses without combat air and mobile artillery is doomed from the start.
UPDATE — Still no news about Gonzalo. Probably not good news. I want to address the scurrilous accusation by some readers that Gonzalo is an intelligence asset of Ukraine. This is utterly ridiculous. There would be only two reasons to recruit Gonzalo as a SBU agent — 1) Spread Ukrainian propaganda, or 2) Use him as bait to attract anti-Ukrainian dissidents.
I challenge anyone to show me one instance where Gonzalo was dishing Ukrainian propaganda. He did the opposite. He exposed frauds, like the Ghost of Kiev and the false flag a Bucha, just to mention two. He hosted a large number of conversations with expert pundits that strongly criticized the Ukrainian activities and alleged achievements. So erase that as a possibility.
How about being bait for dissidents? Gonzalo’s audience was international, not targeted at Ukrainians living in Ukraine.
In short, any SBU intelligence officer who proposed recruiting Gonzalo would qualify as insane. I repeat my request — please provide one example of Gonzalo serving the interests of Ukraine.
I didn’t mention the diversion possibility in the hope he was doing that. My contrary though is that it’s not easy to leave a country quietly, let alone during a war, so crossing a border post may have been the only option. My more worrying thought is that it’s a set-up. The Ukraine State let him go, SBU is tracking him, and will have more ammo when prosecuting him.
Imagine if every MSM asked, off the cuff, their military expert to comment on that video showing Russian defences, and was challenged on what they stutter.
Now I’ll click ‘Play’ on the Round Table…
Re the Round Table:
Sanctions had effect on South Africa but took over 40 years. It wasn’t so much government sanctions that worked but foreign corporations disinvesting. Of course, the USA still got its minerals for its weapons, and Europe still took coal and gold. I add that considering the hypocrisy of sanctions against Russia. Of course, there were other factors contributing to Apartheid’s demise. Frustratingly, the ANC allowed the NP to take billions out of the country so ‘democracy’ was actually a financial transaction. Then reverse Apartheid began…
The German Chancellor is as interesting as a slice of processed cheese. In a world of personality as politics, he’s thus weak. The AfD, like other right-wing parties, needs someone to blame for people being poorer. For once, populism is correct in its finger-pointing.
There are South African emigres who have suggested to me that the Oppenheimer Family had much to do with de Klerk’s capitulation to the ANC……..they had the De Beers empire and enormous wealth and pressured de Klerk.
The Rupert Family had long ago moved their operations to Switzerland and diversified through Richemont into Dunhill and Montblanc and luxury businesses….
The Oligarchs capitulated and squeezed de Klerk before de-camping from South Africa
Operation Spear removed $30bn from the country, a lot back then. Think it went via Switzerland.
The Brenthurst Foundation/think tank/NGO is a supporter of the fake liberals here. The other day, they were complaining about an impoverished South African community being screwed over by a Russian mining oligarch and the ruling ANC. The people are being screwed but the scalpel is that the Brenthurst Foundation is the project of Oppenheimer’s sons, the family that got rich out of screwing South Africa through mining ventures.
Perhaps look up the “ex-” Royal Dutch Shell scenario expert, Pierre Wack (pronounced Vack) died in 1997 and his so called retired contribution to certain off-line scenario work in SA prior to the White regime’s capitulation.
Checkout “Mont Fleur” scenario exercises, undertaken in South Africa during 1991–92 — e.g., see,
https://reospartners.com/wp-content/uploads/old/Mont%20Fleur.pdf
Wack, a WW2 time student of G.I. Gurdjieff in Occupied France (Fontainebleau, south of Paris), used meditation to help develop ‘higher’ intuition and ‘prophetic’ foresight capacities and skills. He burned incense in his office at Royal Dutch Shell and holidayed in India & Japan meditating with gurus.
He also had “meditation” retreats in Saudi Arabia — as one does (wink, wink).
Perhaps some Arab ‘tea-boys’ overheard him sleep-talking his Shell Oil Embargo scenarios and the the rest is (market front-running risk) “Israeli” history. Lol, …
His foresight planning work across the nine (I think from memory) global Shell Divisions put a common coordinating script in the bottom-draw of each Director (just in case etc). It saw the company surge from 7th ranking to 2nd place globally. Great for shareholder benefits, eh? Cui bono? And who else was in The Club at the time?
They (Shell) had a 6-month head start effectively. I guess without the ‘internet’ we’ll never know the information trails … and Shell surely won’t be willing to assist. I understand the archives are protected in the Oxford university by various friends and colleagues — just coincidence, I assume. (/sarc)
He called his methodology “shooting the rapids.”
A couple of old links if of any interest.
Economist. (2008a, August 29). ‘Guru: Pierre Wack’. The Economist. See http://www.economist.com/node/12000502
________. (2008b, September 1). ‘Idea: Scenario planning’. The Economist. See http://www.economist.com/node/12000755
Btw, I forgot to include another aspect, although it is a long way back since I delved into this topic and my memory is fading. I think the contacts in this scenario process at the time, that helped convince various privileged elites in SA that change was inevitable, were initially facilitated through a private old-boy network connected with the Anglo-American mining company. But it may have been other similar parties such as the Oppenheimer Family? Someone knew Wack well and got him involved and that snowballed etc.
Thanks. I’ve copied and pasted into my To Do folder.
There’s no such thing as a “diversionary” tactic when you’re walking around with electronic devices. In addition, Passports & Drivers Licenses now also are chipped. So, no, carry any of that stuff and you’re tracked.
The whole “Gonzalo” story is BS.
You put your passport, DL and Cell Phone in a Metal Lined Bag and no more tracking…. 10 years old movie watchers know the trick !!
Also wrapped in aluminum is an option or so I was told.
Larry, on a sidenote, I only know of Iran’s Frame TV because you were on it. Gilbert Doctorow was on it yesterday, regarding the upcoming and “confusing” peace conference in Saudi Arabia – https://www.urmedium.net/c/presstv/125547
The Duran has a useful discusion on Gonzalo Lira earlier today. The clip is only 20 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnz6yV45WN0
Thanks.
I had the same thought regarding “The CIA is forbidden to do…” as proof it wouldn’t happen.
You do not know what you are talking about. Please explain the intelligence purpose you claim Gonzalo is doing for the CIA. You’re the one advancing an vacuous argument. What’s your evidence?
With respect Larry I for one have not, nor am I now asserting that Lira has been performing some role as an intelligence asset.
My contention is quite different in terms of what might be happening and which I hope was evident in what I have submitted on the subject.
I think Lira’s performance has shown that he totally unsuited to playing any role as an intelligence asset.
Regardless I hope Lira ends up safe and that he finds some peace of mind and is reunited with his children for whom he should have been showing much more consideration and care.
How about spreading black propaganda? How about, for example, getting pro Russian people in Kharkov, an overwhelming pro Russia city, to expose themselves by contacting him?
Either is more logical than the ludicrous claim that the CIA would never recruit American citizens as spies because it is legally forbidden to do so.
All the pro-Russians in Kharkov were long ago ‘deleted’ by the SBU and its ‘anti-terrorist’ methods inherited from The Shah’s SAVAK and Central American ‘democracy-loving dictators’. Just ask Larry.
There has been a lot of uninformed commentary about Gonzalo, with some declaring him as some sort of intelligence asset. That is utter nonsense
I think the problem is that many people, once they learn that their gov’t and media lies to them constantly, begin to believe that absolutely everything they are told is a lie. Unfortunately, that is an inaccurate generalization–you need to take everything you read and hear on a case-by-case basis, learn to apply analysis and discrimination, and just accept that you will be wrong very frequently and therefore be open to the uncertainty. Most people, though, just cannot handle ambiguity (and this has nothing to do with intelligence–most of the best STEM-related experts I know fall into that camp).
Gonzalo Lira may have been untruthful about some things in order to protect himself (e.g. which border he is crossing)–I do not know. And I was never in his position and hope to never be in his position, and I have no idea if he is making the correct choice, but I am guessing that he is releasing this information to make it difficult for others to disappear him.
I do wonder, though, if he would have been better off just running to the US embassy. The staff may not have welcomed him and would only help him reluctantly, but I don’t think they could just abandon him, even if just out of fear of the massive shit storm that would ensue if nothing else.
Thoughts?
Embassy did nothing to secure his release. Biden Administration could have insisted on him being released but did not.
So if he were to seek refuge in the embassy, are you saying the SBU would have stormed it to capture him?
Same way Assange did not try to sek refuge in the Australian High Commision in the UK.
That is an uncalled for comment and a snide remark to say the least. I would say callous. Let me illustrate why the comment is just so. Unless one has diplomatic immunity in the lex loci, a foreign national is subject to the laws (lex) of the country in which the alleged crime was committed (loci). Running into one’s national embassy of the loci does not protect one from the laws of that particular loci. This is just elementary.
A man once said, “A fool speaks because he wants to say something, a wise man speaks because he has something to say”. Do not make a fool of yourself.
You sound like you have never been in an embassy. Do you really think that people can just go in and demand stuff, and not be thrown out on the street?
You mean like the Brits did in London, after Ecuador was strong-armed by the IMF?
I mean an inividual (e.g. you) coming off the street into an embassy and starting demanding things. What would happen?
Once anyone finds their way onto the grounds of an embassy, then they’re on its national territory and if they ask for asylum, it’s up to the nation in question to grant it or not. Of course, if the nation has laws on the books re: asylum seekers, then they should, if well behaved, allow the seeker sanctuary until a court rules on their petition, but you know – that’s not how it works in western countries any more.
As a US citizen, he’d have had his ass booted into the street if he somehow managed to rush past the guards and onto US embassy territory. They might have ‘interrogated’ him first though. Those are givens.
Seems to me, US cooperation with Ukraine’s SBU is akin to US cooperation with the Iranian Shah’s SAVAK.
Gonzalo mentioned in one of those three videos, that Vicky Nuland ( who I call Jabba for Jabba the Hut) does know about him and despises him.
I was worried that his videos were announcing his plans and could put him in danger.
No self respecting case officer would handle someone as flamboyant as Gonzalo. The paperwork and ass chewings would be historic
I find this comment fascinating–I assumed that any case officer would take anybody, no matter how flamboyant or even eccentric, so long as they had access to solid information or contacts.
It never occurred to me that an intelligent asset needed to be “respectable”
You miss the point. An asset is recruited because he or she has access to information not available publicly. Please explain what information Gonzalo could obtain. I’m not holding my breath waiting for your response.
Lira was a money guy. He knew how the financial system worked. His patrons could access swiss and tax haven through his services.
I can only imagine people who facilitated international transactions through shell companies and tax havens were in high demand before the war.
I always thought he had lots of immovable assets and it was the reason why he didn’t want to leave Ukraine.
He does….
Wife and kids…
INDY
Awww. Because no one has ever divorced or become a deadbeat dad. And where are the wife and kids, by the way? Did he bring them into a war zone or leave them behind for months on end just so he can do a bit of propagandizing? And if they resided with him in UA, why weren’t they trying to escape together?
Pretty sure he said on a video ages ago (like at least pre May 1st) that his EX wife & the 2 kids were not in Ukraine – (they had gone to . . . he never said).
Here’s another thing about his trying to “disappear” himself – people are saying he’s all shit because he didn’t go to Russia . . . . GO TO RUSSIA ???!! . . . . Like WTActualF !?!!? Apart from dropping himself RIGHT in the poo if captured attempting to cross into Russia (he’s been charged with spreading pro Russian propaganda/being a Russian asset or whatever so getting apprehended attempting to flee TO Russia would seal his fate surely !!!) How does one ‘GET to Russia’ ?? Across the LoC ?? Without stepping on a mine, being caught by IR cameras/satellites/ getting shot by either side . . . . . madness !! Romania & Pooland would hand him straight back to Ukraine (or do whatever the US Deep State tells them. So Hungary did sound like he right idea, putting aside swimming to Turkey or Crimea.
Sorry, Larry–I cannot convey the correct tone in text, but I was not being sarcastic or rhetorical. I am still just new to learning *anything* about foreign affairs, intelligence, etc.
I thought you were implying that in general (not in Gonzalo Lira’s case specifically), the risks of running a flamboyant or eccentric informant, even if they had useful information, would be so painful that a case officer would not do so. If I interpreted that correctly, I just found that an interesting insight that I never considered before.
Nothing else was intended beyond this comment.
Larry, this is not my position, just trying to clarify what some people syaing:
He may not have access to informations, but he may plant some in the opposite camp. More of a grown to be trusted trojan horse than a pure spy. This can’t be ruled out so easily, there’s some bits of food for thoughts in the whole story.
*** THIS IS FROM WESTERN MSM , IF THEY ADMITTED THIS MUCH THEN THE REAL NUMBER OF AMPUTEE (THEY DONT COUNT AMPUTEE FROM MERCENARIES) IS A NIGHTMARE IN REALITY ***
Scale of amputations in Ukraine reaches WWI level – WSJ
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/08/1/7413800/
Since the beginning of the SMO, the number of Ukrainians left without one or more limbs has reached 20-50,000, which is comparable to the scale of amputations during the First World War.
Due to the length of time required to register patients following an operation, the actual number may be higher. In fact, after being injured, some people don’t have their limbs amputated for weeks or months.
The outlet, citing estimates by the Houp Foundation charity, notes that 200,000 people were seriously injured during the war, while amputations are frequently necessary in about 10% of major injuries.
The Wall Street Journal also indicates that the prostheses are not cheap, with some prices reaching EUR 50,000. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities pay the wounded up to 20,000 euros. Civilians who are injured find it difficult to afford treatment.
The publication recalls that during World War I, 41,000 Britons and 67,000 Germans required amputations.
Comparing the nuber of amputees with WWI can be misleading. Back then, people with lost limbs were more likely to die. Modern medicine transfered some from “dead” category to “amputee”.
What I find more interesting is “200,000 people were seriously injured during the war”. Dead to wounded ratio depends on many things, and can vary a lot. Dead to seriously injured, not so much. 200,000 seriously injured means that deaths are in six figures too. That’s something we all know, but MSM did not want to admit. Now they are coming out indirectly.
@LJ this is indian shill / NAFO troll who known by other people for spreading FUD and ‘puteeen is weeak’ propaganda constantly in MOA , SAKER , SMOOTHIEX12 and many more site..
His M.O always the same , pretend to have civil discussion at first then slowly push the ‘putin is coward / it is putin’s fault / putin is weak’ propaganda and also known for concern troll / FUD posting..
he was banned in multiple sites due to his obvious trolling
There is a lot happening around GL. The main thing here is that he is a human being and he should not be treated against human rights. Thats why I stick with this situation. He is not an CIA agent or a Russian spy, this is my opinion.
People know nothing about intelligence activities, thats why its so easy to create these strange suspicions on everything. The little I know about the intelligence world is that, I just leave it to the professionals, like Mr Larry C. Johnson, to give the final thoughts and evaluations on the matter. Also, I am not too curious to find out everything as I am not part of this “intelligence” world.
I am worried about Mr Lira as a human being. He is no doubt a caring father and he is not against the Ukrainian people. He doesn`t deserve to get torture and all this horrible treatment. It just shows the weakness of some people in charge trusting too much on infowar and them to get nervous about their propaganda to collapse in the MSM. Personally, I would estimate that infowar is part of the game but it is not the main strategy to win a military conflict.
Why should being a blogger and being openly critical of matters around you in a “democracy lauded by every G7 state” make you a CIA or SVR asset ?
This is Russiagate all over and shows you just how polluted American mindsets really are……
Exactly. It is amazing how Larry on the one hand most often accurately describes historic CIA malfeasance and their decades long history of denying all the rules they were pretending to be observing, but then on the other hand when it comes to supporting other narratives that he is convinced are accurate he will cite CIA as adhering to the rule book.
The real history is unequivocal. From its very inception CIA has been the real Deep State enforcer – it was birthed by Dulles et al and SS General Reinhard Gehlen and his genocidal Nazi cohorts (but of course that was all justified because they were anti-communist so they got the green light).
Sadly so many good believers like Larry were, during the years they served in CIA, completely blindsided in their devotion to flag and country as they toiled in the middle tiers of the organization convinced they were in a war, defending ‘freedom and democracy’.
Notwithstanding every single one if us who grew up in the Five Eyes crime syndicate nations during the same years as Larry were all similarly blindsided and deluded – not least myself, as in the early sixties I was fully onboard with the Domino Theory and was supporting the American genocide in Vietnam as being the necessary means of protecting us all from becoming communist slaves. What a freaking crock that was!!!
Re link to Duran commentary above – I listened to it in disbelief. It is astonishing the arguments Alexander Mercouris contrived and the amazing mental gymnastics he exercised in explaining the glaring irregularities with the Lira story and the ridiculously absurd reasons he conjectured as to the otherwise inexplicable behaviour of the SBU / Ukraine government in their dealings with Lira.
It is absurd to think SBU / Ukraine government returned Lira’s passport and other essential belongings in attempt to help prompt him over the border after having gone to such effort and such cost in detaining him twice and keeping him locked up for three months only to let him go and then providing Lira with all the means he needed to escape.
If my memory serves me then I think Alexander Mercouris even suggested possibility that SBU / Ukraine were setting Lira up so they could once again spend more effort and cost arresting home trying to cross the border which would give them more legal cause to punish him with maximum sentences (as is Ukraine government like CIA adheres to any lawful rules and regulations that might appear on the statute books?).
If SBU is as bad as many commentators claim (and I do not doubt they are) then they could just as easily have secretly scooped Lira up first time round and disappeared him without any trace of fuss, as it seems they have done with so many others – that would have been by far the simplest, least costs means of being rid of Lira. Or they could have otherwise so easily have simply expelled him at time of first arrest.
That they let him out and then allowed him to continue for several more months doing what they arrested him for in the first instance is so stupid and illogical it beggars belief that any person can fall for the story.
Furthermore, what this has shown beyond any doubt is the insane extent to which people on all the different sides adopt a position and then regardless of anything that might suggest something being out of whack with one of their ‘own team’ they steadfastly cheer the ‘group think narrative’ because to question one of their team is just too risky in terms of them being alienated and pilloried for daring to question the obvious glaring inconsistencies. You cannot dare criticize the group think home team.
Each to their own. Keep waving that flag and cheering the home team.
Allan,
I agree with you logically,
“It is absurd to think SBU / Ukraine government returned Lira’s passport and other essential belongings in attempt to help prompt him over the border after having gone to such effort and such cost in detaining him twice and keeping him locked up for three months only to let him go and then providing Lira with all the means he needed to escape.
However, authoritarian regimes have a “logic of their own”, which is why Lira said it had to be explained to him:
GET OUT: HOW AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES SELECT WHO EMIGRATES
“In response, autocracies simultaneously punish dissidents for attempting to emigrate, screening out all but the most determined opponents”… who they encourage to emigrate.
“In recent years, the Kremlin, for example, “appears to be betting that forcing
high-profile critics out of the country is less of a headache than imprisoning them.”
https://gripe.polisci.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2022/09/GRIPE_S06E01_MICHEL.pdf
This was how Ai Weiwei, inexplicably, was allowed to leave China in 2015 …they gave his passport back to him, with the tacit understanding that he would leave the country.
For an American to better understand this, think about what happens now at your Southern Border. People are detained and then released with a future court date, that all acknowledge will never be honored by the emigree.
Of course this could have been a trick to add more serious charges, so Gonzalo had to weigh that all out before deciding on a course of action.
You can’t compare Ai Weiwei and Lira.
Lira was entertaining but is known to a very small number of people his viewers are largely outside Ukraine not in it. The second time he was arrested there was no major hoo-ha and he was falling off radar.
The stupidity of being arrested then doing the same thing again, then being released to ‘run away’ then doing same thing again, is a sign something is off. It looks contrived.
People excuse his actions saying he is passionate about his reporting, married to a Ukrainian etc. It gave him some fame and money from a small circle. But neither are his countries. And his actions were stupid beyond belief or contrived.
Whether he is intelligence asset or not, there is something not right in all this. Only a complete moron would think his behavior makes sense.
Even if the SBU wanted to send a message to Western bloggers working in Ukraine this was a dumb way of doing it as it looks set up.
Great comment. Few will get it.
It’s almost as you have written it.
Wish I had.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. An internally coherent and well-substantiated analysis right there.
The thinking is that Lira is a lighting rod for Ukrainian SBU and American deep state types to find and monitor other dissidents. I’m not sold on the idea. However, the beef between Ritter and Lira was an indication that something isn’t right with Lira.
That is batshit crazy. Using Gonzalo to find/identify “dissidents?” They don’t need to fucking find me or MacGregor or McGovern, etc. Ditto for Martyanov.
Don’t be so kind to yourself, Larry. In Ukraine, for questioning the gov’t. status quo, you’d simply be labeled ‘a terrorist’.
We’re on a western-facing slippery slope and sliding fast.
You, MacGregor and the rest of your small group are too high-profile and for now untouchable. Lira’s purpose may be to smoke out the small fish to discourage dissent among the masses which, in the end, is a much wider campaign of intimidation.
Why are you so emotionally invested in defending Lira? Don’t remember any input from you on Adrien Bocquet, a French citizen who survived an assassination attempt and who had to ask for asylum in Russia after criticizing the Ukranian regime.
Not to mention Alina Lipp
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Alina_Lipp
“Alina Lipp is a German independent journalist and former Green Party politician living in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass area who has been labelled a Russian terrorist, harassed, and criminally charged by German authorities for her pro-Russian reporting.
Alina Lipp, born to a German mother and a Russian father, has lived in Donetsk for the past six months and has seen her bank account frozen and raided for €1,600 without further explanation. German authorities say that she may not defend herself in court as that may thwart the investigation.[1] ”
Or Graham Phillips
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Graham_Phillips
https://thesaker.is/the-persecution-of-graham-phillips-by-the-uk-government/
Or Patrick Lancaster:
https://www.youtube.com/c/PatrickLancasterNewsToday
Besides sitting in his comfy apartment pontificating about things we already know, what has Lira actually added to our knowledge of the situation?
Couldn’t leave Ukraine because his wife wanted to stay? What kind of excuse is that from Coach Redpill – the guy who’s going to show you how to get girls? What is he, pussy whipped? Wouldn’t that be ironic?
Also ironic, if he is indeed in the hands of the SBU, is that he’ll likely receive the same treatment as Chilean dissidents did under Pinochet, whom he so admires (as recently as 2022).
As I mentioned before, I met some of those people in the mid 70’s when I worked as a volunteer at my ex-wife’s employer, a human rights organization based in Toronto. There was a whole exile community of Chileans in Toronto at the time, many of whom had been severely mistreated by the regime, so pardon me if my sympathy for Lira doesn’t rise to the level of actually giving a shit.
Are you Sarah Asthton Cirilo?
You’re missing the most obvious conclusion, that ‘something’s not right with Ukraine’.
Can you explain why you removed my comment reposted below along with the responses to it, including mine to you answering your demand to me to explain what Lira, if he were a CIA asset, might be up to?
DITTO the message I posted several hours ago in reply to Biswapriya Purkayastha.
I wondered at temporary deletion of Biswapriya’s comment and reason for not publishing my own as below. I am so glad you reinstated Biswapriya comment. Thank you.
This is not personal in anyway Larry and I mean you no disrespect in comment I made below.
All I care about is discussion and making best effort to determine the truth.
Sorry I cannot reconcile Lira’s saga with what I know about how police and heavy duty fascist secret police forces behave and operate. The dissonance I perceive is deafening.
We all have our blind-spots – perhaps myself more than most – but I will never flinch from any and all justified questioning and criticism of myself on any matter knowing how over the years of my life I have gotten things wrong. Nor will I flinch from questioning others when I sense incongruities in their stories, regardless of who they are.
We all got so much wrong especially back in our early lives when we were immersed in all the fictions of our governments and their agencies that were tasked with misinforming and misleading us.
The quote attributed to Mark Twain expressed the reality best i.e. ‘It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.’
Larry on the one hand most often you accurately describe historic CIA malfeasance and their decades long history of denying all the rules they were pretending to be observing, but then on the other hand when it comes to supporting other narratives that you are convinced are accurate then you will cite CIA as adhering to the rule book.
The real history is unequivocal. From its very inception CIA has been the real Deep State enforcer – it was birthed by Allen Dulles et al and SS General Reinhard Gehlen and his genocidal Nazi cohorts (but of course that was all justified because they were anti-communist so they got the green light).
Sadly so many good and true believers like yourself Larry were, during the years they served in CIA, completely blindsided in their devotion to flag and country as they toiled in the middle tiers of the organization convinced they were in a war, defending ‘freedom and democracy’.
Notwithstanding every single one of us who grew up in the Five Eyes crime syndicate nations during the same years as you Larry, were all similarly blindsided and deluded – not least myself, as in the early sixties I was fully onboard with the Domino Theory and was supporting the American genocide in Vietnam as being the necessary means of protecting us all from becoming communist slaves. What a freaking crock that was!! Thankfully I eventually got informed and realized how badly I had been misled and deceived.
Re link to latest Duran commentary about Lira – I listened to it in disbelief. It is astonishing the arguments Alexander Mercouris contrived and the amazing mental gymnastics he exercised in explaining the glaring irregularities in Lira’s story and the ridiculously absurd reasons he conjectured as to the otherwise inexplicable behaviour of the SBU / Ukraine government in their dealings with Lira.
It is absurd to think SBU / Ukraine government returned Lira’s passport and other essential belongings in attempt to help prompt him over the border after having gone to such effort and such cost in detaining him twice and keeping him locked up for three months only to let him go and then providing Lira with all the means he needed to escape.
If my memory serves me then I think Alexander Mercouris even suggested possibility that SBU / Ukraine were setting Lira up so they could once again spend more effort and cost arresting him trying to cross the border – as if the SBU was setting up some Pink Panther cat and mouse game to heighten the fun of the comic theatre.
If SBU is as bad as many commentators claim (and I do not doubt that they are) then they could just as easily have secretly scooped Lira up first time round and disappeared him without any trace or fuss, as it seems they have done with so many others – that would have been by far the simplest, least costs means of being rid of Lira. Or they could have otherwise so easily have simply expelled him at time of first arrest.
That they let Lira out after first arrest and then allowed him to continue for several more months doing what they arrested him for in the first instance is so stupid and illogical it beggars belief that any person can fall for the story.
Furthermore, what this has shown beyond any doubt is the insane extent to which people on all the different sides adopt a position and then regardless of anything that might suggest something being out of whack with one of their ‘own team’ they steadfastly cheer the ‘group think narrative’ because to question one of their team is just too risky in terms of them being alienated and pilloried for daring to question the obvious glaring inconsistencies. You cannot dare criticize the group think home team.
Each to their own. Keep waving that flag and cheering the home team.
“That they let Lira out after first arrest and then allowed him to continue for several more months doing what they arrested him for in the first instance is so stupid and illogical it beggars belief that any person can fall for the story.”
That might be the point though. I’m not saying I believe this, but you have to consider all the possibilities, one of which is that the SBU turned him loose under an improbable scenario (passport returned, motorbike not confiscated etc.) knowing he would leave, but that his story wouldn’t be believed since it IS so absurd. That then discredits him and casts doubt on his future activities. I don’t buy it myself, I’m just examining all the possibilities.
The Hegemon Begins To Unravel – Simply put, The Thinker
“Momentous things are setting into motion geopolitically all over the globe, most notably in Africa. A coup took down the president of Niger, a country of critical importance to France and the NATO bloc. The Atlanticists are extremely worried now: ….
A wave of pro-Russian and anti-Western sentiment is sweeping across Africa just in time for the upcoming BRICS summit. Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki summarized things perfectly. Please watch: …
The entire world has already awakened to the fact that the war is not just about Ukraine, but that Russia is fighting for everyone, for the liberation of the entire disenfranchised and colonized world from the grips of the Western-led banking cabal octopus. This war is the final rebellion against the Atlanticist West’s hegemony and empery, and more specifically the financial cartel—to use G. Edward Griffin’s words—which controls the West. ….
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/sitrep-8123-the-hegemon-begins-to
Maybe people realise France sustains Islamic terror cells to maintain a colonial presence just as it briefed ISIS/Al Nusra in Idlib who informers were so they could be killed
Could be, Russia has inadvertently weaponized politics in the entire African continent.
When you combine that with China weaponizing economics in the entire African continent, you’ve got some serious weapons there.
That’s one hell of a blowback from the US just trying to weaponize Ukraine.
“Solidarität mit Präsident Putin!”: Südafrikanischer Parteichef ruft zu Boykott des BRICS-Gipfels auf
On Saturday, Julius Malema, the party leader and founder of the revolutionary Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), delivered a historic speech to mark the party’s tenth anniversary. He called for the struggle against the imperialist domination of the West and emphasized the increasing conflicts on the African continent. Peace and the empowerment of African peoples were at the heart of his address.
Malema also condemned the call for Russian President Vladimir Putin not to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa. He called South African President Cyril Ramaphosa a “coward” for not providing a guarantee of Putin’s safety. As a sign of solidarity with Putin, the politician called on the leaders of China, India and Brazil to boycott the summit on behalf of the EFF, the left-wing opposition party in South Africa.
https://t.me/uncut_news/56600
His reasoning is coherent.
The paradigm shift is really picking up speed and could
soon experience a momentum of its own, where it is to be hoped that the control elements keep the overview.
Panta rhei.
Regarding Gonzalo Mark Sleboda has posted on his Telegram
“I can affirm that Gonzalo Lira @GonzaloLira1968 wanted by the Kiev Putsch regime for the crime of criticizing it (aka as “free speech”), tried to escape across the Ukrainian border into Hungary where he intended to request political asylum.
He was stopped on the Ukrainian side of the border from crossing and has since disappeared, now for more than 24 hours. That is the last that anyone has heard from him.”
If this had come from another source I would be more sceptical but I have found Mark Slaboda to be reliable.
Let’s all hope for Gonzalo
Sorry if this is a duplicate posting the first didn’t appear to upload
Mark Slaboda posted the following on Telegram
“I can affirm that Gonzalo Lira @GonzaloLira1968 wanted by the Kiev Putsch regime for the crime of criticizing it (aka as “free speech”), tried to escape across the Ukrainian border into Hungary where he intended to request political asylum.
He was stopped on the Ukrainian side of the border from crossing and has since disappeared, now for more than 24 hours. That is the last that anyone has heard from him.”
I have found Mark Slaboda to be a reliable source regarding Ukraine
Hope and pray for Gonzalo’s safety
Oh so sensationally predictable. If Lira’s story is all above board then what else did or could Lira have expected?? None of this is making any sense.
Re Sleboda’s Telegram message
Refer:
https://en-volve.com/2023/08/02/gonzalo-lira-was-stopped-on-the-ukrainian-side-of-the-border-from-crossing-and-has-since-disappeared-friend-says/
Sleboda said he wouldn’t reveal his source but he and Lira have done multiple podcasts together in the past.
Once again as usual all we have is news from one of Lira’s circle of friends and online associates.
I respect Sleboda and his great online commentary.
I posted the following to Sleboda’s Telegram message:
Please Mark can you divulge your source relating to Gonzalo being captured by Ukraine border security? The only source so far for all this rather questionable series of events is Gonzalo himself. Can anyone fully substantiate the story from any source(s) that would satisfy an intelligent court jury or panel of objective judges? Sorry to be suspicious but film of Gonzalo’s second arrest is so ludicrous e.g. SBU filming such ‘civilized arrest’ and not even handcuffing him then allowing him to exit elevator way ahead of SBU giving two finger victory / sign – that is not usual customary procedure of heavy duty fascist secret police.
Are you alter ego of Biswapriya Purkayastha?
None of this is making any sense.
It makes perfect sense.
This Gonzalo Lira saga is a real head scratcher for me. No electronic monitoring even though it was a stipulation and they gave him back all his travel documents a week before he goes to trial? Ritter spent the first 25 minutes on his show talking about this:
https://rumble.com/v33p2uf-scott-ritter-extra-ep.-87-ask-the-inspector.html
The upshot of Ritter’s position is that he thinks Lira is working for/with the SBU as some sort of honeypot. My spidey sense tends to agree with him.
What bullshit. Working for the SBU how? What is he accomplishing from an intel standpoint for the SBU. Scott just has personal rancor with Gonzalo and is letting that cloud his judgment.
Larry, I really value your commentary, but you are surelyas naive about Lira as you are that someone in a cave in Afghanistan could outwit the entire US intelligence and defence apparatus and bring down three massive skyscrapers with two aircraft. Lira is self-evidently a fantasist and a fraud. What he is up to is anyone’s guess, but his story is as full of holes as Swiss cheese. Maybe his usefulness to the SBU has something to do with expertise in financial shenanigans essential to get money out of the country, but if he posed the least threat to the Ukrainian/global Establishment he would have been “disappeared” months ago.
I agree. Lira is suspect. Also, why stay in the Ukraine for so long if you clearly think the government is wrong, that Ze and co are corrupt as can be, and that voicing disagreement with the official narrative can lead to prison or worse??
BECAUSE HIS WIFE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE. ARE YOU REALLY THIS OBTUSE?
His wife left for Russia. What are you going on about? Are you Lira’s official advocate?
Scott has a good reason to point out Lira’s bs. Look over the case again before throwing mud at Scott.
A few days have passed and Ritter has written a piece on Substack today responding to your questions directly Larry.
https://www.scottritterextra.com/p/gonzalo-lira-the-sbu-and-information
You may disagree with it but it is certainly not “Bullshit” or “Batshit Crazy”. On the contrary it is a deep dive into intelligence collection methods like the “Hofstede Dimensions” and the reasons why Gonzalo may be a confidential Informant (CI). I find this position absolutely plausible and very persuasive. I did not detect any ad hominem attacks against Lira but instead I found a well balanced assessment of the current situation with Gonzalo LIra. If you have read the piece I would be interested in your take.
re: Gonzalo Lira, Hungary
While the pro-Government Media begun to pick up Mr Lira’s case, highlighting his torture as a journalist, there is no information about whether he crossed the Hungarian border or not.
I just sent this:
To International Court of Justice, to NATO Tribunal, To Finnish Parliament, To European Parliament, To U.S. senate, To UN Security Council
I want to make it clear to everyone that the case of Mr Gonzalo Lira, is a human rights case. He has been TORTURED and KEPT IN PRISON for critisizing the present situation in Ukraine. It seems that the same people like one transgender military person from US, see the article link down below, are politically persecuting Mr Lira. THIS IS A WAR CRIME!
https://en-volve.com/2023/08/02/gonzalo-lira-was-stopped-on-the-ukrainian-side-of-the-border-from-crossing-and-has-since-disappeared-friend-says/
Mr Gonzalo Lira is a civilian.
I have been tortured and mistreated multiple times in Norway and in Canada, as a Russian spy. This has happened after I refused to get trained and work for CIA. CIA came to persecute me in Finland!!!!! These people are crazy!!!!!
These US deep state games have to end!!!!! They have ruined my life!!!!! Now their target is Mr Gonzalo Lira!!!!!
I want compensation from CIA, Norway, Canada and US deep state for political persecution. I also think that is what Mr Gonzalo Lira has also the right to demand!
These intelligence service games are hurting civilians!!!!! It is unacceptable!!!! What kind of sickminded people are capable of doing this?
Well done!
Reposting:
Of course, I wish Gonzalo to be unharmed, safe and free.
However, and having watched many of his vlogs & roundtables, I simply don’t understand why he gets so much attention. Unlike Larry, Macgregor, Martyanov, McGovern, Bernhard (MoonOfA), Ritter, Baud and others, he has no professional background in anything relevant to the Ukraine conflict. Unlike, say, BigSerge & Simplicius, he has no apparent expertise in the military aspects. Unlike Eva Bartlett, Vanessa Beely and Patrick Lancaster, he does not report directly on the ground. Strangely, he makes videos highly critical of the (not so liberal) government of a country at war and, at the same time, in which he is a guest.
While I tend to agree with his views, they are (like mine) those of an amateur.
Can anyone explain his cachet?
He’s clearly a high IQ individual and interesting to follow just for that and then coupled with his being in Ukraine and criticizing it directly with charges that the west would rather remain hidden and while having certain talents to weave an online audience via interesting round tables and the fact that he’s a mercurial character probably with a bit of a death and legacy wish, always living on the edge and maybe wanting to be a character in one of his own film scripts (he was once a filmmaker)…..what can one say? He grabs your attention.
If he has been detained again it is a tragedy. But MIS DOS CENTAVOS brings up what I always thought about him.
“the fact that he’s a mercurial character probably with a bit of a death and legacy wish, always living on the edge and maybe wanting to be a character in one of his own film scripts”
After he started back on youtube, I left a comment asking him if he had a death wish. Not leaving Ukraine when the war started didn’t make sense. Criticizing the NAZI regime from Kharkov didn’t make sense. Continuing the same behavior after he was detained didn’t make sense.
Hearing Sleboda say he didn’t make it out is not good. I still need a few days before I’m convinced.
His analysis early on in the SMO was very insightful and revealing as he exposed Ukrainian propaganda. He also knew what he didn’t know and was smart enough to ask people with expertise to comment.
Oh jeezus ….you ARE a pest.
It’s all self-explanatory for those following nine years and more of this clusterfucked saga, if not 25 years of NATO machinations.
One lego block at a time over the years, until you’ve built…..the thing we see today.
> I simply don’t understand why he gets so much attention. Unlike Larry, Macgregor, Martyanov, McGovern, Bernhard (MoonOfA), Ritter, Baud and others
You answered your own question. Lira brought these people together in his round table discussions, people from all over the political aisle. Not just ‘Liberals’ and ‘Conservatives’ (a bs distinction if I ever saw one) but libertarians, socialists, and communists too. Similar to what Jimmy Dore does but with more people on at the same time.
Our so called Liberal Democracy is supposedly based on choice, only these choices the ruling class makes available to us decrease with every election cycle. Clearly there is a demand for view points outside the hegemony and Lira was a platform for that.
Strange take… My view is found in your comment. “Lira is in Ukraine”, what more can anyone else you mention say that goes beyond that as an “expert”? Besides, if the man wanted to make his opinions known, he has as much right as anyone else to make and post videos. But I would not say Lira was in the same boat as you and I (amateurs) As you’ve already mentioned, he’s in Ukraine. And that says a lot about his cachet.
A part of this that puzzles me is – “if the Ukies are being slaughtered on the senseless charges against well fortified and defended positions…….THEN WHY do the Ukie soldiers keep following the “charge orders” of their commanders????????
Ukie recruits are not completely stupid. A frag would easily deal with a gung-do officer demanding everyone will die for Ze.
If it is all just death for nothing, then why are there not mass surrenders at the front?????
The continued Ukie push along the front lines is defying base human instinct/logic for survival??
If it is all just death for nothing, then why are there not mass surrenders at the front?????
When you control all TV stations and feed constant propaganda to your people for over ten years, at a rate multiple times what western audiences are fed and coupling that with extraordinary measures to purge dissent and cow mentally and physically your people into submission while appealing to their sense of patriotism and righteousness by pointing to unwavering western support, that’s what you can achieve. How do you think they did it in Nazi Germany?
I understand that there are surrenders happening and many of them would rather be captured than fight. Saw videos of these surrenders on Jacab Dreizin’s blog and on Jackson Hinckle’s YouTube. The Russians drop flyers to them indicating how to connect via a radio code, if they want to surrender where the Russians halt their fire temporarily to allow the surrender. There are also reports of outright revolts on the Ukronazi’s front lines. I forget where I read that one. The morale of the Ukraine military is low from what I have read.
Simplicius is posting multiple videos of captured or surrendering AFU every day and their stories are gruesome tales of poorly trained cannon fodder thrown into trenches or into ill prepared attacks by commanders phoning them orders from 5 km behind the front. They all seem to be waking up day by day to the most vile corruption using them as expendable pawns.
If this so-called army doesn’t collapse by winter, I will be astonished. Kiev’s newest plans to saturate Russian cities with drone attacks in hopes of terrorizing them into throwing in the towel is only a further sign of extreme desperation, a hail mary pass by lame gamers, both domestic and foreign. I pity all those involved on either side in this nightmare but save my condemnation for only one. The world will be living with its consequences for generations.
Keep in mind that prisoners say whatever will get them in a better position. There is a joke that everyone in Ukro army is either a driver or a cook, because all the POWs say that they are one of those.
There is a recent video of a guy saying same ol’ stuff, and then Russians showed him his TikTok videos where he threatens Katsaps (one of the slurs for Russians), and says that he is coming for them (then “Curb Your Enthusiasm” music starts, as per common meme format).
That being said, all those videos just confirm what we already know. Even before this slaugher started, people were saying that USA will fight Russia ’till the last Ukrainian. No surprises there.
you are talking about pushes of a hundred men at most. Bear in mind that those men have been trained and brainwashed in west europe as part of a Steel Punch Offensive. By the time they understand their fate they have the nazi political units ready to run their gun dry on them if they retreat.
UA’s government is now touting a tempting role to the West to be a ‘training ground’ for new weapons development. It will make them all richer, esp those like Reznikov and Zaluzhny et. al. who need to play catch up in filling their coffers. What it also exposes, to those who purposely left their rose colored glasses in the drawer, is how utterly uninterested in Ukraine’s population they are. Meat to the grinder to them is a ching ching to their cash registers, in every way they can figure – and for a Ukrainian, it’s many, many ways.
In short, it’s generally a despicable leadership of crooks and grifters, turned ever more despicable by its ‘western interactions’ into a lucrative military machine for western hire.
“A frag would easily deal with a gung-do officer demanding everyone will die for Ze.”
In Banderistan, officers frag soldiers not willing to go into their death, and film it. On the other hand, there is a video of battalion commander shot in the face, for trying to send soldiers into certain death. Those two are extreme cases, because officers tend to be few kilometers behind front lines. Good luck fragging those.
“If it is all just death for nothing, then why are there not mass surrenders at the front?????”
Those that try to surrender are being targeted by Ukro artillery (those retreating are shot with lower calibers). Every unit has a Nazi commissar or two. You should go there and explain them how to mass surrender without dying in the process.
“The continued Ukie push along the front lines is defying base human instinct/logic for survival??”
Those people tend to have families back home. Would you deny sucide charge orders, if that would put your children in danger?
In addition to all this, USA brainwashing machine has been doing
rinsing of Ukro brains for decades. Large number of them still believe in CNN BS.
I must digress for a moment. I voted for Trump twice. And while I could expound on various disappointments? One really grated my ass. He cheerlead the J6 protestors. Walked them up to the Capitol. And then walked away and left them in the Gulag of the Washington DC jails with never a look back. Never spent a dime of his 100’s of Millions of donations on their legal defense. Used them. And betrayed them.
I do not judge my fellow man. Why I never respond here to any criticisms or attacks. I feel any man has his right to express himself. I only have one measuring bar. Loyalty. I will either be surrounded by complete loyalty which I will return. Or I will live in solitude. And either is fine. And that is why J6 was the final break for me with Trump.
And now the recent Trump indictment has been assigned to Judge Tanya Chutkan. An Obama creature. That has been brutal on the J6 political prisoners.
Karma. Justice. Enjoy it Trump. You shall reap what you have sowed. You started the “Lock her up” chant. You “opened” the door. And now the chasm opens.
Only this article what i was found in the Hungairian media today about Gonzalo Lira :
https://www.vadhajtasok.hu/2023/08/02/magyarorszagon-szeretne-menedeket-talalni-az-a-chilei-amerikai-haditudosito-aki-ukrajnabol-menekul
I was translated it with Google :
” The Chilean-American war correspondent fleeing Ukraine wants to find refuge in Hungary
He trusts the Hungarian authorities.
VIDEOS
AUGUST 02, 2023 – 10:49 AM
Chilean-American war correspondent Gonzalo Lira, who has been living in Kharkiv for years, was forced to flee Ukraine. He himself reported on this in a video uploaded to YouTube, Magyar Nemzet wrote.
In the video, Lira described her past three months. She reported that her court hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, August 2, after she was charged with “extremely serious charges.”
According to his account, he incurred the wrath of the authorities by making recordings in which he criticized the West and their proxy regime in Kiev, highlighting how they were destroying Ukraine.
He also suffered serious material damage
Among other things, Lira gave news about what happened on her Twitter community page. He wrote that the people of the Security Service of Ukraine shorted him by a total of 70 thousand dollars, which they divided among themselves. In addition, another 9,000 dollars were taken from him at the time of his arrest, in addition to the bail amount of 11,000 dollars. Along with his confiscated computer and phone, he suffered a loss of 100,000 dollars, the paper listed.
Since it is foreseeable that you will not get anything back from the money mentioned above,
Lira decided to leave before her court hearing scheduled for August 2.
Regarding the trial, the war correspondent revealed that he was told in advance that he would be found guilty and face five to eight years in prison, which he would have to serve in a penal labor camp.
He headed for Hungary
The reporter also mentioned that after he got his passport back, he got on a motorcycle and crossed Ukraine. He traveled 1,400 kilometers in two days and
He headed for Hungary to apply for political asylum.
He noted that if he does not appear at the trial, an international arrest warrant will likely be issued against him.
Lira also said that she trusts that the Hungarian authorities, after reading the accusations brought against her, will say that there are “inaccuracies” in her and will not send her back to Ukraine, according to the compilation of Magyar Nemzet. “
The least you could have done was to spend a minute and correct his gender in the translation.
You can’t be serious.
I certainly am. The robotransmorpher assumed Lira was female because it ended with an a. Why not correct it?
1. In order to trigger woke people
2. Because it doesn’t matter
3. So people understand that translation is automatic/bad, and take it with a grain of salt
4. Why not correct more important errors first
5. Why not correct all the errors
6. Our Hungarian comrade probably have more important things to do, than worry about misgendering, until it becomes illegal there
It is amusing, but confounding to see certain posts, possibly by hollyweird screenwriters testing plot outlines for their next, big hit!
Sure, everything done by ukronazis and their agents is coordinated to the most minute detail! They all are tied brain-to-brain to the control and command center in pocine vikkie’s pigsty secret hq under mt. neocon! Everyone, everywhere acts in unison. That most certainly explains their glaring successes!
After all, as one poster, whose tag I forget, mentioned: the supreme ukronazi wreich (paraphrasing)’continues to drive the enemy into a series of forward retreats, while gloriously advancing further and further to the rear!’
Yes, the coordinated and never deviating from the secret winning protocols shows not the human disorganization, falibility, incompetance, greed, evil, that are parts of the world, always have been, and always will be until the end. They are a masterful plan, an evil cat and mouse game to play with an obvious intel agent wrecking havoc by blogging with “The Narrative!”
Yeah, right. You know who you are.
I think @Eukranium’s comment is spot on. There’s the people who believe everything coming out of the mainstream media machine. And there’s people who don’t believe and construct their conspiracy theories around everything now. Even when these theories don’t add up at all, as Mr. Johnson pointed out.
I dare say that even *if* Gonzalo Lira is a (double)-agent – which I do not believe – he ought to be released nonetheless. Brian Berletic from the New Atlas published a very well video on the matter just a few hours ago: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eGHasLebooY
So, just sent e-mail to Amnesty and HRW demanding action from them today. Took me 10 minutes. And you can too!
As Gonzalo correctly says in his last video, it’s indifference of the good people that makes evil triumph. Don’t let it happen.
Is the EU about to begin disintegrating?
Does Orban know something we don’t?
Perhaps Viktor Orban dared make that speech because he knows something that’s not yet in the public domain, but is widely expected by many observers: that Russia will ‘liberate’ Ukraine’s port city of Odessa and take full control of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast where the Danube could in the future connect central and Eastern Europe to Russia’s NSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) opening trade with Russia, Turkey, Caspian Basin, Iran and India.
Danube River connects Europe’s largest basin, connecting many nations of central and Eastern Europe with the Black Sea. This factor alone could enable an avalanche of defections including not only Hungary, but also Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, and even Austria.
https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/is-the-eu-about-to-begin-disintegrating
Cut Putin off West from raw materials and global logistics chains with asymmetric programs?
China restricts export of rare earths.
A slow economic demise of the West.
Gonzalo receives a lot of support globally.
The West’s double standards are becoming more and more obvious internationally.
Orban does not want to be a participant here.
I remember Larry some time back explaining Prigozhin’s alleged giving away of Russian positions to the Ukrainians as “fool’s gold” to lure them into trusting him, ie telling them what they already knew from satellites etc. I wonder whether Lira’s role vis a vis all the genuine commentators _ Larry , Martynov, the Duran etc – with whom he interracted, is not something similar? Again, as Larry and others, have pointed out there’s nothing to beat having an asset on the inside. I bet the highly propagandists in the West would give a great deal to find some chinks in the armour of those who are shredding their narrative. Lira is evidently highly credible with a record as a conman, – look at his previous incarnations. We’ve all been taken in by someone or other in the past. I certainly have and am a born-again sceptic as a result. Who knows what Lira’s handlers – if he has them – might want him to wheedle out? Certainly his “arrest” and supposed mistreatment might be thought to add to his credibility. Maybe he’s playing a double game and got burnt. However, all in all, I think Scott Ritter has it right and would give the man a wide berth. I hope and pray he emerges from all this unscathed – he’s certainly playing with fire whatever he’s up to, but I’d sooner believe there are fairies at the bottom of my garden than give credence to anything he says about himself.
I think it was Larry some time back, explaining Prigozhin’s alleged giving away of Russian positions to the Ukrainians as “fool’s gold” to lure them into trusting him, ie telling them what they already knew from satellites etc. I wonder whether Lira’s role vis a vis all the genuine commentators _ Larry , Martynov, the Duran etc – with whom he interracted, is not something similar? Again, as Larry and others, have pointed out there’s nothing to beat having an asset on the inside. I bet the highly propagandists in the West would give a great deal to find some chinks in the armour of those who are shredding their narrative. Lira is evidently highly credible with a record as a conman, – look at his previous incarnations. We’ve all been taken in by someone or other in the past. I certainly have and am a born-again sceptic as a result. Who knows what Lira’s handlers – if he has them – might want him to wheedle out? Certainly his “arrest” and supposed mistreatment might be thought to add to his credibility. Maybe he’s playing a double game and got burnt. However, all in all, I think Scott Ritter has it right and would give the man a wide berth. I hope and pray he emerges from all this unscathed – he’s certainly playing with fire whatever he’s up to, but I’d sooner believe there are fairies at the bottom of my garden than give credence to anything he says about himself.
“There has been a lot of uninformed commentary about Gonzalo, with some declaring him as some sort of intelligence asset. That is utter nonsense.”
Larry, could you and Scott Ritter arrange to have a public debate about this? Most people (including me) are frustrated by our inability to get to the truth, even though we try to access all kinds of reports by various commentators. Until now, you and Ritter have been in agreement while being among the most respected commentators one could rely on. And yet now, you both disagree quite dramatically. So what’s going on, what could be done?
Thank you for this comment and I agree. We need more debates or respectful conversations on a variety of topic from those educated & experienced in those areas.
Thanks Larry for all your dedication & works creating this blog & allowing a place for commentary 👍
I hope Gonzalo is ok. I’m not sure why he wouldn’t just head to Russia vs a NATO/EU country. I’m also not sure why he released his videos when he did explaining his next moves but then again I’ve never been in such a horrific position.
I pray for all who have been harmed & had their rights violated 🙏
“I’m not sure why he wouldn’t just head to Russia vs a NATO/EU country.”
Because there is a war going on. One does not “just head to Russia”. People going from one side to the other get shot first, and asked questions later. He explained it all in the videos.
“I’m also not sure why he released his videos when he did explaining his next moves but then again I’ve never been in such a horrific position.”
He released videos with time delay (to explain his previous moves), in case something bad happens to him. He explained that in the videos too.
Whatever game is going on with Lira, it’s not all that different than any of the other horrors being perpetrated. Nor do any of us really know much.
Niger is where the world is changing, nothing to do with Gonzalo Lira. That and the now-becoming-recognized fact tha there will be no 2024 election in the US. (Oh, you’ll be able to go to the polling station, sure, but why bother?) Even Gonzalo pointed that out in a video maybe six months back.
“There has been a lot of uninformed commentary about Gonzalo, with some declaring him as some sort of intelligence asset. That is utter nonsense. No CIA case officer in their right mind would sign up someone like Gonzalo for several reasons.”
It is not the CIA that he is suspected of working with, but the Ukrainian SBU. There is concern in some circles that he is being dangled as a way to attract anti-neo-Nazis into Gonzalo’s communication circle for entrapment purposes.
RE: Gonzalo Lira
Nobody seems to have looked at the three video of Lira. Or forgot the part of corruption.
It’s seems that he was set up by corrupt people at SBU. Listen to his explanation of how he had to pay money and more than the caution demanded by the judge.
The whole Lira saga is bizarre. He appears on YT with his Rev’It jacket and BMW GS motorcycle, and announces he’s headed to the border. OK, sounds like a plan but surely the Ukrainians are aware of his movements. And I find it odd that after several months in SBU custody, Lira still has that nice GS. When all manner of imported small arms and weapons never see the front lines, being sold to the highest bidder on the black market by the AFU, a high-end German motorcycle somehow remains in his possession? It’s possible, I suppose, but in Ukraine where everything is for sale… Something isn’t right.
He was a few kilometers from the border. I just hope and pray that the SBU didn’t use that as a preplanned opportunity to shoot him dead and claim he was escaping from an order to stop. Who’d there be to say different?
Nice clean bike too. I wish my bike looked that clean after a 1400 km trip. Guess he must have washed it at the gas station he reported from, which would be easy to identify from the video.
Found it. OKKO station on the E573, just north of Chop, about 4 km from the Hungarian border.
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4418241,22.1924109,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdasPmAWa3CdDEmwh1peMZA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
“CIA is prohibited from recruiting U.S. citizens as intelligence assets.”
Capitalism’s Invisible Army does what it wants, when it wants, where it wants. Just like the US “rules based order”, laws are irrelevant.
And they no doubt monitor Larry’s blog and the posts here.
@Winchcombe:
It’s called “burning it.”
No professional intelligence agency would touch him anymore.
He is no longer of any use.
Media might still “cannibalize” him.
Let him enjoy his retirement if he can find a state to do so.
I wish him that with all my heart.
Intelligence agencies are constantly at war.
Looks like no one noticed the 2 or 3 strange things about the video GL posted…
But before telling’em, let’s get started with some basics and a reflection:
– GL is on the run (left home confinement, etc) from SBU
– have to/want to cross ‘legally’ the border (nearby the recordering scene)
– for his safety and the success of his whole plan, SBU have to be unaware of the plan and the run
These points and the fact that the videos where recordered and uploaded: should imply that he left his home unoticed.
And unoticed stands for that SBU: did not knew exactly when he left, nor if he left by foot, by car, by bike (neither model or plate), nor where he is headed to.
But, strange unoticed things, when and where he shoots his videos:
– he shoots too: the means of transport he used and is using
– he shoots too: some structures in the landscape nearby (guess a gas station or/and something else similar).
– he then, somewhere still in Ukraine, uploaded the videos on a his own YT Channel
I’m sure he was in an upset state of mind and under deep stress, so clean thinking may be lost a bit (well, more than a bit, but at the same time clean thinking should be of great helps in such a running situation), but…
– Why inform everybody (SBU) that you are travelling on a bike (model , color, etc shown) ?
– Why give everybody (SBU) the opportunity of geo-locating where you recordered those videos ?
– Why uploading those videos online before crossing, so making all IP bells ring on the SBU servers ?
Any thoughts anybody ?
That was the mind boggling part from the get go for me. Get out first. Nothing else.
But also you look at the lack of phone discipline in this was and could count the phone casualties in the thousands or tens of. Guys in the trenches would make fires to keep warm knowing full well the heat signature was deadly. Phone use is not the same because it is so unnecessary and how many called in their own deaths because the phone addiction is stronger than common sense.
– Why inform everybody (SBU) that you are travelling on a bike (model , color, etc shown) ?
– Why give everybody (SBU) the opportunity of geo-locating where you recordered those videos ?
– Why uploading those videos online before crossing, so making all IP bells ring on the SBU servers ?
Any thoughts anybody ?
Here are some thoughts. Videos were released with an obvious time delay. They were published after midnight, and filmed at daytime. At the time of release he would already be arrested or in Hungary, and all that info would not matter much to SBU. It would matter to everybody else, and help them understand what’s going on.
It will also be used against him in court now he is caught and can’t say stuff like was just in the area and thought it was ok to see my friend in Hungary.
British soldiers had to bribe Ukrainian border guards to get across before the war. The border service in Ukraine is corrupt to the core. Most guards there can be bribed.
He has lived in Ukraine he knows this and it may be a factor in his assessment of chances.
So if he was stopped at border they already knew where he was and immigration officers were told – not him.
Also even if a video is on time release if you upload it to a monitored platform they will see it. It’s like parking your car. The attendant can see you even if people on the street can’t.
And they don’t need to track with a tag. They can just track the phone which was clearly turned on and geo locating so a ping that close to the border would show up like red lights saying I’m here mama.
Sweet Jesus. If you are on the run and you upload stuff or turn on your phone you are now fully found and located and locked down. Did he seriously not know that?
No one sane wants harm to others (my first boss excluded) but damn…! What was he thinking. That they would just say “I can’t see you…’
Maybe they wanted him to run. So give him a passport, tell the little piggy maybe we want you to go, then poof off he goes and you laugh all the way to the border to arrest him. BECAUSE journalism not really a crime but escaping after arrest and skipping on bail is.
So now they have a real crime that shuts up all those free speech human rights guys, they can say ok, we drop the other charges, just the absconding one now….
https://sonar21.com/a-walk-down-memory-lane-on-the-day-after-9-11/#comment-145229
You have too much free time.
Hi Larry,
Looks like Gonzalo was detained at the border…
Smell test – the German BND is well known to be a CIA subsidiary – ever hear of SS Nazi Gehlen?
The Kiev SBU is a CIA subsidiary (leave open the question of a double master MI6).
Easy.
Scott Ritter did originally support GZ, not anymore.
So an ALERT warning to Hungary, the ONE NATO country calling for diplomacy for peace, look out – your people will end up on the infamous myrotvorets (Peacemaker) kill list that actually the CIA hosts : Langley, VA, USA Warszawa, Polska is actually openly at the banner. And then :
“The Myrotvorets Center is an independent non-governmental organization created by a group of scientists, journalists and specialists in the study of signs of crimes against the national security of Ukraine, peace, human security and international law and order, engaged in creative scientific and journalistic activities. With the information support of the Myrotvorets Center, a website of the same name was created, which is also an independent non-state media (mass media).”
And there is linked there : https://neuro.identigraf.center/ where :
Each average user has the ability to make only 5 (five) recognition attempts per day using one mobile device.
This is total surveillance, a ham-fisted version of what NATOstan is already doing. Looks like a prototype. From Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).
Acting head of CCD, Shapovalov, charged that people who deliberately spread disinformation are “information terrorists,” subject to be tried as “war criminals.”
https://archive.ph/50otS from https://cpd.gov.ua/reports/
WARNING – 18+ :
https://myrotvorets.center/
Just like Iran’s SAVAK was a CIA subsidiary.
The port of Izmail is reduced to ashes, the crews of Turkish, Israeli, Greek grain carriers pray to God to survive
Danube on fire. Russian “Geraniums” proved to the West that it is too early to celebrate the breakthrough of our blockade in the Black Sea
https://svpressa-ru.translate.goog/war21/article/382091/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=de&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Marcon dovrebbe quindi considerare di pagare il 20% per l’uranio estratto in Niger.
Grain silos do burn nicely. If half empty, they explode well too.
https://youtu.be/5OetGMX9Lus
That’s how thermobaric weapons came into existence.
Handlers/overseers inside the mainstream media outlets are a case in point. Is this not effectively recruiting?
i just read this . guess time will tell.
https://en-volve.com/2023/08/02/gonzalo-lira-was-stopped-on-the-ukrainian-side-of-the-border-from-crossing-and-has-since-disappeared-friend-says/
“So for the first 6–12 months, the Pinochet dictatorship cracked down hard on the Communists—the MIR, the GAP, all those fucking bastards. After the coup, lists came out of people the Allende regime had targeted for assassination.
Again, Leftists deny-deny-deny. ”
2:29 PM · Jun 30, 2022
https://twitter.com/GonzaloLira1968/status/1542621455648788481
They also cracked down hard on a young lady I met in Toronto in 1975 through my ex-wife’s human rights agency. Her crime? Organizing a labour union in her work place – basically handing out pamphlets and talking to people. Nothing more.
I was a volunteer worker doing interpretation and translation work for that organization. For example, I translated documents the Nicaraguan govt. prepared for the PCFFA https://pcffa.org/ to replace fishing equipment that had been lost due to the mining of Nicaraguan ports.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/04/07/cia-helped-to-mine-ports-in-nicaragua/762f775f-6733-4dd4-b692-8f03c8a0aef8/
Back to her story. I didn’t take her deposition, my wife did, but I have no doubts as to its veracity. Here’s what happened to her. Taken in the middle of the night, no information given to her family as to where she was held for the next two years, after which she was released and advised to leave the country. On arrival they raped her, then tortured her with electricity until she passed out. Then for the next two years she was raped on a daily basis with the threat of torture held over her if she resisted in any way. I guess they eventually grew tired of her as new prisoners arrived, maybe they needed to free up space? I don’t why they released her but they did. I met her several times. She was completely broken, could not have children due to severe internal damage, and I doubt she had any desire to be with a man after that anyway. This is just one example of the people who came through the agency, there were many others I met.
She was 20 years old when this happened. Same age as me at the time. Gonzalo Lira was 7, and in those “…first 6–12 months…” he would have only been 5, so no direct experience. I don’t know what sort of nonsense Lira was fed growing up, but he has no right to comment on what went on at that time, or to make excuses for anyone involved.
I suppose it would be poetic justice if Lira had received a fraction of the treatment that young lady got, but I doubt it even happened. As for the present drama, it smacks of self-promotion, just like his Red Pill nonsense. Arguing over whether or not he’s an intelligence asset entirely misses the point. He’s a film maker and a writer. I don’t know if he patterns himself after Micheal Moore, but the similarities are striking, right down to the iconic ball cap. He even mentioned a book he’s planning to write, you know, because that’s an important point to raise when you’re on the run from the authorities.
He’ll resurface with another dramatic tale is my guess, but even if he doesn’t, why waste time worrying about him? He knew the risks he was taking, and as far as I can tell, unlike Lancaster, Bartlett, Graham and others, took very few physical risks and added little to the debate that couldn’t be found elsewhere from more authoritative sources. I’m more concerned about the people imprisoned in Ukraine under similar circumstances as the young lady I mentioned. Who speaks for them?
War brings out the best and the worst in people. As an example, I met the members of a Nicaraguan band, supposedly exiled in Canada, under what exact circumstances I don’t know. From what I could tell they didn’t seem to care much about the revolution, being more interested in the “Sandalistas” who turned up for their performances. The cafe clique revolutionaries. All talk. I met quite a few people like that back in the day, attaching themselves to a movement they had no understanding of simply to feel important or to make connections. I place Lira in that category.
For the record, I’m not a Marxist, and never have been. I believe in human rights as a fundamental principle, so I don’t care what flag you’re flying as long as you respect human rights. After my Latin American work I ended up supporting Polish dissidents during the Solidarity movement, and more recently the Freedom Convoy, so I don’t let politics obscure my judgment.
I do find it ironic however that the people allegedly persecuting Lira are cut from the exact same cloth as those he admired in Chile. If true, that’s a classic case of poetic justice, is it not?
You make a compelling argument.
Best post today. And the take a way? The entire human race is fucking cruel savages. And if they are not raping you or torturing you, they are not in power at the moment. And will the minute they can.
Someone here mentioned Pinochet , and sure enough here is GZ :https://t.me/realCRP/1701
. “As a Chilean, I can say unequivocally that Gen. Augusto Pinochet is the best president our country ever had. He broke the communists, who were heavily armed and trying to start a civil war; he rebuilt an economy destroyed by the Leninist-Maoist Salvador Allende; he grew the middle class until it became the majority of the country, and eradicated extreme poverty; he built a health care system that was affordable, efficient, and available to all; he created a private retirement account system that gave individuals free choice while at the same time amassing a huge pool of capital that could be invested in the growth of the country; expunged corruption at all levels, most especially among the oligarchs, whom he broke on in 1980-82; and created a legal and constitutional framework that gave Chile peace, order and prosperity for 30 years AFTER he had peacefully left power. He was a great man, and it’s only obvious in retrospect—now that Chile is once again sliding into communism and chaos. ¡Viva Chile Pinochet!”
Pinochet put in by a CIA coup, see Sir Henry Kissinger’s KCMG “dear Bill letter”, supported Britain’s war on the Falklands, ran murder Operation Condor, hosted for tea at Thatcher’s Society. In other words exactly the type that Zelensky has moved to change the Kiev economy to a complete neo-con version of Chile under the fog of war.
Except this is not Chile, BlackRock and Monsanto are loosing it.
Hungary beware, I am sure their services are primed.
Yeah, he also drugged dissidents and threw them out of helicopters.
Mighty fine fellow. There was a rancher in Bolivia named Alejandro Sosa that did things like that, I think.
Gonzalo Lira, in case he was arrested again, has been in court in Ukraine. In case there is a journalist, its possible to ask, when the court makes the decision about the case, or did they give it already.
In case you want to write an article about this, contact the court system in Ukraine.
A sign of self-awareness is realizing the size of your bubble chamber. As a test today, I interacted with 7 acquaintances. I brought up Gonzalo Lira. Not a single one had the foggiest idea of what the fuck I was talking about. Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Can they find Norman on a map, I wonder?
Top Andrei!!!
A Controversy…
… but conveniently put into the documentary. DISCLAIMER: China Observer where this video originates from is HIGHLY likely some anti-Chinese propaganda outlet and I am keenly aware of that. But it doesn’t mean that in this case they don’t have a point. After all, recall what I wrote for years. Such as this piece and one can hardly accuse me of being “anti-Chinese”, but I am on record and I continue to defend this point–COMAC 919 IS NOT a competitor to Airbus, Boeing or MC-21. And the point which very many make, even if it is from, like in this case, CNN is valid.
https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/
For me, China is still a soft-egg or a coward.
Militarily a hole??
The Iranians have acted and passed. Under very difficult conditions and can “us-cap.”
The Russians appreciate that.
I think if Russia has clarity in Ukraine, China with its current economic overreach moves into second place.
Xi can’t even solve Taiwan without Russia.
It hard to understand why people don’t like Gonzola. He’s a real character and an entertaining conversationalist – apparently thats how he makes his living…
His best work was early in the war when he posted a number of youtube videos dissecting videos posted from Ukraine, carefully showing how they were fakes produced at a single location. He also evaluated a guy he claimed to be a CIA asset (a glowie as he called him) who was behind the video productions.
Hi work on those were very revealing and really got you to think critically about all videos you see posted and how effectively they can be faked.
>i>really got you to think critically about all videos you see posted and how effectively they can be faked.
Didn’t we already learn that from Syria?
“Didn’t we already learn that from Syria?”
Some learned that from Syria, some learned it long before Syria, and some still have not learned anything.
All of this reminds me of the movie Salvador where the journalist tries to cross the border to leave, he’s stopped and they beat the crap out of him until the US Embassy saves him. However, in this case, the US Embassy are a bunch of sorry ass shits. I’m of the belief that the CIA gave the SBU the go ahead to arrest Gonzalo for pretrial detention, since the SBU is the Company’s lapdog. I don’t know why Gonzalo chose the Hungarian border. I would have headed for Transnistria or made my way to the Chilean Embassy in Kiev. Anyway, that is all academic arm chair speculation on my part. Pray for Gonzo.
That was a great flick. Too bad James Wood was blackballed by Hollywood for ‘political incorrectness’. His Albanian sidekick Belushi? Couldn’t care less.
Abright’s favorite ‘great democratic hope’ Thaqi, up for war crimes charges at the Hague. Color me surprised.
Larry, Why not speak directly with Scott Ritter about Gonzalo? You are both ex-CIA and both terrific and highly accomplished and experienced.
Scott Ritter is not ex-CIA (at least not openly). He is a Marine and ex-UN.
Paedo. (Him not you).
Like that wouldn’t have been planted on him.
Per a video I have now seen, the American tranny that is now a spokesperson for the SBU/Ukraine/whatever has stated Lira has been apprehended.
I suspect that Lira and Russian servicemen, will be used as a bargaining chip as the UR side falls apart and they must negotiate. Let’s hope for Lira’s sake that is the case and he is traded for a handfull of UR servicemen.
That tranny became famous for “publicly orgasming” while celebrating his death, after first dissapearance last year. No one knew who she/he/it was before that. This is as good as a life of a trans-Banderite can get.
That just a good ol’ American POS. Trailer trash with a twist.
I really like Gonzalo and I am extremely happy he was released. However, I personally feel it’s a set up. I am not certain Gonzalo has the skills to loose a tail? Talking from personal experiences being detained and tortured like he was ensures he may not be thinking straight in relation to his option of crossing the border legally. For sure they are waiting for him to show up. So again Larry you nailed it with the hope that he just needed to send the dogs down the garden path. If not then I am afraid his chances are zero crossing the border. I can only pray for his safety.
Lost a lotta respect for Ritter kicking Lira when he was down and out. He waited and watched for Lira to be vulnerable and then struck. Clearly a guy who holds a grudge. Always figured him for a guy with a nasty streak, too, behind the “dumb marine who can’t count”, shpiel; and personally wouldn’t trust him for a New York Minute. Never have. Gimme Lira, warts and all, any day.
Another thing Ritter does is lie over and over again that the USMC “never lost a battle”, when anyone who knows anything can read about the brutal ass kicking and routing they received in both Korea and Vietnam.
Caveat emptor when it comes to your internet guy of choice, I guess– and Larry here was one of the few who spoke out about Lira on a regular basis.
>> USMC “never lost a battle”
Yea, they hold Guinness World Record for most wars lost without losing a battle.
I do not think much of Ritter for various reasons, though he is often has a very good take on the Ukraine SMO. As to tossing Lira under the bus…I have to disagree. Ritter was asked what he thought and Ritter gave his opinion. That is the first time I have heard Ritter say anything about Lira that could be taken as a thrashing of Lira.
The Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), funded and organized by D.C, has many foreign writers including US Citizens, listed “as terrorists” online.
The even worse the Myrotvorets kill list had just for example, Dugina, listed, now as ‘eliminated’ .
So for journalists who for sure check these online lists, the danger is much worse for naive foreigners who might do an interview.
The sheer possibility of ending up on these lists must be taken extremely seriously – we do not all have mil. protection, or a clue about that.
And as Meyssan noted there are thousands of Ukrainian displaced and for sure some are SBU – I do not think any will talk openly, being monitored. And vast amounts of weaponry has vanished. France found Javelins last year.
Javelins barely count as weapons.
There are rumors that the Ukies have recaptured Gonzalo Lira when he tried to cross into Hungary. I wonder if there is any truth into them.
First prisoners in Ukrainian prisons will not be cared for, gaining weight even while being sedentary for 9 weeks is unrealistic.
“Cave pallor”, well he was in his apartment or hotel room for many months before his second detention. Zero videos of him outside in Kharkov, or during any round table interviews.
CIA asset? Why is it always CIA? Why not SBU? Well anyway irrelevant.
Foreign national, criminal charges, enemy of the state, flight risk, impending criminal trial, return of travel documents. Totally unreasonable and frankly naive to expect or believe this person would be freed even with a secured bond.
By the way he is not your friend so the emotional investment you have in him is also, and definitely should be to you, very disturbing.
Finally your retired CIA “buddy” missed all of these details, like yourself. It is as if trying to see what is not there by not seeing what is there.
At the very best, this man is a grifter and fraudster. A very good one clearly, as both of you are fooled by this nonsense. James Vasquez and Matt Van Dyke gang of thieves. Keep your credit card in your pocket when his book comes out
re the war: i wish medvedev would stop saying things like, if we lose, we”ll nuke you. it plays right into the corpse media telling the west that russia is losing and hands them a false flag opportunity on a platter. putin knows this–he said, the more we talk about it, the more real it becomes (and he didn’t want to talk about it). god i wish i had medvedev’s ear.
You should understand that Russia, always, always, gives warnings or suggestions as to the repercussions of the actions of others. Medvedev is simply advising the world of what o expect if other nations decide to enter Ukraine with soldiers or airmen.
Russia has never stated an interest in western Ukraine so it would not hurt Russian feelings to use tactical nukes in an area they do not intend to manage in the future. Russia however, does have a profound interest in Transnistria and eastward along the southern border. If Poland does enter Ukraine, it will be with the blessings of Russia and with the clear understanding that Poland stays out of Transnistira and the south.
“to use tactical nukes” – Medvedev “advises” notwithstanding, I doubt that the russians will start with nukes right away. Why use tactical nuke, when a thermobaric weapon, like KAB-500-OD for example, would have a similar effect on the battlefield, minus the radiation?
I don’t like Gonzalo any more than I like Trump… which is to say… very little. But to “announce” online ones intentions, or diversions, is only to provide some manner of insurance and at least some testimony that, should the all too real possibility of being murdered occurs, there’s a record. I wouldn’t wish that on him no matter how much he irritates the shit out of me.
I never heard Ritter say much about Lira, either. And never equated the two; completely different animals. Sure they had a handbag swinging fight months and months ago but for me that was it.
It’s only recently that Ritter unleashed on Lira on a very popular show he co-hosts, as did the very popular host, and he, Ritter, did it a second time on another popular show hosted by some other goofball who I’d never listen to, if it wasn’t for the fact that I was curious about Lira and trawling a bit for an update.
I thought it was OTT, low down and unnecessary. And they made a few completely unfounded allegations about Lira, too. I just thought it was pretty bad overall. And suspiciously pointed.
But that could be all moot now, so who knows.
Larry, what you your thoughts on Gonzalo Lira working for the Ukrainian SBU (voluntarily or involuntarily)? This is the view of Scott Ritter, Eva Bartlett and Andrei Martyanov.
https://sonar21.com/round-table-ukrainian-war-update-with-judge-napolitano-and-ray-mcgovern-and-a-gonzalo-lira-update/#comment-145135
Only “some” can detail the background of Gonzalo Lira. For me he’s just another “youtuber” with some narcissistic traits.
What really bugs me is why, before crossing into Hungary, he is being traceable using comms and why he is on a road and not on some forest or river border… not using is brains for sure…
Free Gonzalo Lira.
Even if he did work for the SBU, his children and ex lived in Ukraine. The SBU could easily put him under some kind of compulsion and prevent him leaving the country.
Whatever his other mistakes, he has not deviated in his stance against a misconceived war that is killing and injuring hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. That still puts us on the same side of opposing this waste.
Free Gonzalo Lira.
“That still puts us on the same side of opposing this waste.”
Obviously not, considering all the on-line gloating.
By “us” I mean those that take a principled approach to ending this war. I would include people like McGovern, Ritter, Johnson, Martyanov, Raevsky and Sleboda in that number.
But one could take the view that war is all about picking sides, our country, right or wrong. Some would say that all these guys are in favour of Russia, and they have no principles. But McGovern opposes torture, Ritter doesn’t gloat about the deaths and injuries of many hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, Johnson participated in many Lira round tables no matter what people think of him, Martyanov the same, Raevsky published Lira no matter what the price, personal or public, Sleboda participated and presented his Moscow expat perspective from a principled and troubled standpoint against this war.
But Zelensky spends all his time promoting one side in this war, everything tuned to increasing the polarization in support of this war.
But it is hard to say that the SBU did not consider Lira an asset, or that they did not extend Lira some rope to play with, maybe to discover where some people live, as an asset, and maybe his handler and the SBU didn’t like some of the things he said but they were willing to tolerate it to to get some leverage on discovering their enemies sources, methods and where they lived.
But perspective says one little guy appearing at the Ukraine/Hungarian border hardly matters in the grand scheme of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian dead on the battlefield.
It is a war. It is about picking sides, and us, my side, oppose this war and want to see an end of it, but the gloaters are on the other side. Those that gloat about the death and torture of any agent in this mess are not on my side on that one issue. They may oppose the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers forced onto the battlefield but it reminds me of the movie, Paths of Glory.
Paths of Glory (11/11) Movie CLIP – The Faithful Hussar (1957) HD
https://youtu.be/dGmuICb8a7Y
Whose side are we on?
I was mostly referencing “smartass” commenters on and off this site.
I don’t think Gonzalo worked for anyone. He is an adventurist that got lost in a jungle. It happens. All those gloaters are basment dwellers, that feel smart because they never get outside, and hence could never get lost in jungle. They can’t help themselves in repeatedly writing that jungle is dangerous, and that Gonzalo is dumb for getting into one. In their minds, they all know how to survive, and get out of the jungle safely. In reality, they would be sucking off the whole cell block for a pack of smokes.
What SBU is doing, not even SBU knows. They kill their own occasionally for being Russian agents. If Gonzalo was local, he would be long gone. Being US citizen, they did not know what to do with him, so it dragged for so long.
“Whose side are we on?”
If I was younger, I would have been thinking of moving to Russia, but that’s just me.
Larry, I am surprised that you won’t go on Scott Ritter’s Ask the Inspector? Why do you refuse to debate him on his Gonzalo Lira’s SBU accusation? He just called you on this. I don’t always agree with him but I do agree that things of importance have to be properly debated by the professionals that have disagreements.
His article today on “Gonzalo Lira, the SBU, and Information Operations” on ScottRitterExtra.com outlines his arguments in detail and he calls on you to read and react in a polite professional debate. Why don’t you? I think some of us NEED it. Thank you.
Larry: Somewhat seconding Galina’s post above, I think you really need to read the following article from Scott Ritter. It addresses your arguments here and a great many other factors relevant to Gonzalo Lira’s situation. While I have no fixed opinion on Gonzalo’s plight one way or another, Scott includes some remarkably salient observations well worth your review:
Gonzalo Lira, the SBU, and Information Operations
https://www.scottritterextra.com/p/gonzalo-lira-the-sbu-and-information?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web
Scott Ritter was on the Judge’s show today and the Gonzalo Lira saga was discussed. The probability of him being a CI for the SBU was examined and your name came up as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zLDkSq0FxQ
I am disappointed that the only substance I have heard you offer in response to this is “That’s Crazy, what can the SBU gain from Gonzalo?” Ritter answers this powerfully and lays out a very compelling case that I find hard to refute.