Source of data Secretary Kerry quoted for Syria case, fired for lying.

* I didn't see this posted. Move if needed or duplicated.

Some of you may have seen recently where John Kerry cited a Media report when asked by Congress about his stance on Syria. It was an indirect reference, but all he offered at that moment. It was an odd thing to choose as a source for a U.S. Official and a Cabinet Member, at that. Today? I'm sure he AND the reporter he cited...wish he'd kept his pie hole SHUT. I'd guess she lost her career over his choice to use her in public....given the high profile she suddenly took on, for this to then happen.

The Syria researcher whose Wall Street Journal op-piece was cited by Secretary of State John Kerry and Sen. John McCain during congressional hearings about the use of force has been fired from the Institute for the Study of War for lying about having a Ph.D., the group announced on Wednesday.

“The Institute for the Study of War has learned and confirmed that, contrary to her representations, Ms. Elizabeth O’Bagy does not in fact have a Ph.D. degree from Georgetown University,” the institute said in a statement. “ISW has accordingly terminated Ms. O’Bagy’s employment, effective immediately.”

Her lies were not about Syria directly, but her lies undermine her entire position of credibility to be speaking to the subject. Perhaps not in reality....as credentials do not make or break an expert. Integrity and Honesty sure as hell do though, and she has little to none of it.....and was fired for it.

But the piece had also come under fire for misrepresenting her affiliations. Originally the op-ed only listed O’Bagy, 26, as only “a senior analyst” at the ISW, later adding a clarification that disclosed her connection to a Syrian rebel advocacy group.

Source (Emphasis by me)

So the person Kerry amd McCain cite as backup and support, to Congress no less, wasn't simply on shaky ground for professional credentials? She was also an literal advocate for the Syrian rebel movement. Oh Brother.... Ya think that may have had any relation to her position for her analysis? Hmmm....

Someone remind me...why is it we're supposed to ever give these guys the benefit of the doubt for being honest??

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


This is just breaking on Drudge, the creditability of the Media and the US government is now in negative numbers.

I feel their losing grip of WE THE PEOPLE, should be interesting.
Just add Benghazi, IRS Scandal, NSA snooping etc. the list is endless.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


haha, I would put Kerry's reliance on questionable sources on par with me citing my best friend as a source on my grade school paper. Not that i did that

I thought they taught better research practices at themz ivy league schoolz?? Looks like Kerry needs to better research his sources or learn to find one that are fabricated better.

Thanks for the post sir!

This is very interesting.

It makes me wonder why we are spending so much for our "intelligence" agencies when we are relying on these outside groups for information.

Sad...really sad.

reply to post by MDDoxs


You mean to say you wouldn't take my word on an event I said was happening across our solar system? You wouldn't trust my vast experience and wisdom without a source, based on all my learning and research??

I'm crushed...

...I wouldn't believe me without a source either. It's pretty bad when even the sources our Government Officials are coming to use are ...well, like this? I really DO feel a bit for the reporter too... If you read the other stories about this citation? She had openly asked WHY they cited her in the first place. She hadn't asked for it..and they singled her out. Cost her a career, as it looks to have happened. That's kinda harsh, even if she did do things to cause this to happen, herself.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I honestly wish I could say I was surprised. You think they would actually use "intelligence" rather than any report that suited their stance and agenda.

What a bunch of idiotic children we have running our countries.

Edit: How come just her is being fired though? Shouldn't Kerry and McCain be fired as well? I hope the kid down the street from them never convinces the two idiots that Canada is a threat to them!

These idiots quoted it because it was likely propaganda proffered to her as the official mouthpiece to government. Someone investigated and whoops, cats out the bag.

I suppose I never gave Bush the respect he deserved. He was much better at this game. Serves him right for being over aggressive with the leakers. Only caused more leaks. Don't make enemies in your house.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000
good find it just goes to show not all facts are facts and truths are not always the truth.

reply to post by superman2012


It was a propaganda piece that is what it was, she lied about her credentials of being a Dr. and lied about the info in her piece to support her cause for getting rid of Assad, thankfully Mr. Putin stepped in and stopped the US war machine at least temporarily

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

You mean to say you wouldn't take my word on an event I said was happening across our solar system? You wouldn't trust my vast experience and wisdom without a source, based on all my learning and research??

Perhaps, but only if it was you Wrabbit At least I could expect in-depth arguments and conclusions from you that would probably have more validity than anything Kerry is saying currently.

Plagiarism/fabrication has always been dealt with quite harshly from what I have seen.

Did anyone read the article?
People are making it out that she is some huge phony liar.
She already graduated!
"O’Bagy told POLITICO in an interview Monday that she had submitted and defended her dissertation and was waiting for Georgetown University to confer her degree. O’Bagy said she was in a dual master’s and doctorate program at Georgetown."

It's been horribly obvious that Kerry et al...have been desperately grabbing at any and all 'straws' in this most recent Obama foreign policy debacle.

Sad...just very, very, sad. This administration is beyond pathetic.
Who would've thought that ANY U.S. President could make Vlad Putin look like a true and savvy leader...by comparison.

reply to post by SexNinja


I think the real issues is why is Kerry, the secretary of state, referencing a OP-ED from the WSJ and using it as supposed proof and justification for a strike??

Seems silly to me. I thought primary research was always the best, well it was the case for my time at University. Things must have changed?

It seems like Kerry is basing the entire US position on anecdotal evidence and 3rd/4th hand accounts to justify action to congress and to the people of the world. I would give him a C- at best.

Can we now then fire Obama and Kerry for lying?

Can we draft Putin to be our President as well?

HUMBLEONE
Can we draft Putin to be our President as well?

That might be going a little far

My vote is still for Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

reply to post by MDDoxs


Ok can you explain why a sensational headline like this is plastered all over ats. Not one mention of this?

"GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. rights investigators have established that Syrian government forces were almost certainly responsible for two massacres last May in which up to 450 civilians were killed, a report published on Wednesday said."
mobile.reuters.com...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Source of data Secretary Kerry quoted for Syria case, fired for lying.

What difference does it make whether it's truth or lies? It's beyond politics; there are forces that want a global war and they will damned well have it.
How can ordinary citizens have any impact on these forces? March in the streets, Write letters and emails; only to be abused by the hired thugs that answer only to their elite bosses or just be ignored.
The feelings of powerlessness and impotence is almost overwhelming.
Is it any wonder the youth are so cynical. They have grown up with the lies and hypocrisy. In an obscene way their nihilistic self absorption actually makes perfect sense.


www.abovetopsecret.com...

I just finished reading O'Bagy's wjs article. It's an opinion piece (emphasis mine). It's eloquent, rich with references to actual events - eyewitness accounts, but still only her opinion.

Wouldn't Congress be at fault here if they'd accept that as gospel instead of 'solid intel'?


Kerry and Mccain could also have quoted from this op-ed, Hersh is a pulitzer prize winner.

Hersh 2007

To undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran. The U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda.


....


This time, the U.S. government consultant told me, Bandar and other Saudis have assured the White House that “they will keep a very close eye on the religious fundamentalists. Their message to us was ‘We’ve created this movement, and we can control it.’ It’s not that we don’t want the Salafis to throw bombs; it’s who they throw them at—Hezbollah, Moqtada al-Sadr, Iran, and at the Syrians, if they continue to work with Hezbollah and Iran.”

.....


There is evidence that the Administration’s redirection strategy has already benefitted the Brotherhood. The Syrian National Salvation Front is a coalition of opposition groups whose principal members are a faction led by Abdul Halim Khaddam, a former Syrian Vice-President who defected in 2005, and the Brotherhood. A former high-ranking C.I.A. officer told me, “The Americans have provided both political and financial support.

I'm sure Congress members wouldn't be able to tell any differences between Bush's and Obama's foreign policy, after reading both articles, only funny ones.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


The Institute may have fired her. But they still stand by her findings.

Kimberly Kagan, who founded the ISW in 2007, said in an interview that while she was “deeply saddened” by the situation, she stands by O’Bagy’s work on Syria. ”Everything I’ve looked at is rock solid,” Kagan told POLITICO. “Every thread that we have pulled upon has been verified through multiple sources.” Read more: www.politico.com...

And now Reuters....

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. rights investigators have established that Syrian government forces were almost certainly responsible for two massacres last May in which up to 450 civilians were killed, a report published on Wednesday said. The report documents nine mass killings in all, attributing all but one to government forces, but said both government and rebel fighters had committed war crimes including murder, hostage-taking and shelling of civilians.

Syrian forces responsible for Banias massacres: U.N. report