https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240811/reagans-1984-joke-about-bombing-russia-should-never-have-been-made-at-all-ex-cia-analysts-say-1067810423.html
Reagan's 1984 Joke About Bombing Russia 'Should Never Have Been Made at All', Ex-CIA Analysts Say
Reagan's 1984 Joke About Bombing Russia 'Should Never Have Been Made at All', Ex-CIA Analysts Say
Sputnik Africa
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Ronald Reagan's recorded comments to National Public Radio (NPR) engineers that he would order the bombing of Russia, made... 11.08.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-08-11T12:38+0200
2024-08-11T12:38+0200
2024-08-12T13:14+0200
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NEED TO BE CAREFUL "It was never meant to be anything but a joke: But politicians are better to be careful as anything they say is likely to be somewhat incoherent and will inevitably be misinterpreted no matter what the intention was," former CIA senior analyst and station chief Philip Giraldi, founder and chair of the Council for the National Interest, said. Giraldi agreed with reports that Reagan had not realized the microphone was still recording his comments at the time, although they were never broadcast. Giraldi confirmed that there was no sense in the US intelligence community or the Reagan administration at the time that any such attack was being contemplated at all. However, the old story had important lessons for political leaders today, Giraldi advised. PRIVATE JOKE Former senior CIA analyst Raymond McGovern, who personally briefed four US presidents — including Reagan — on the Soviet Union and Russia, is skeptical about Reagan having any intention for the story to circulate at all for any reason. There was no evidence anywhere that Reagan at the time knew the microphone was live or that he ever intended his remarks to circulate at all, McGovern pointed out. Reagan made his comment, "We begin bombing in five minutes," as the last sentence of a controversial, off-the-record joke that he gave while preparing for a scheduled radio address from his vacation home in California. The Soviet Union criticized the joke, as did Reagan's opponent in the 1984 presidential election, former Vice President Walter Mondale. Mondale was defeated by Reagan in a landslide.
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russia, united states (us), soviet union (ussr), cia, war, bombings, politics, political scandal, geopolitics, political views, international
russia, united states (us), soviet union (ussr), cia, war, bombings, politics, political scandal, geopolitics, political views, international
Reagan's 1984 Joke About Bombing Russia 'Should Never Have Been Made at All', Ex-CIA Analysts Say
12:38 11.08.2024 (Updated: 13:14 12.08.2024) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Ronald Reagan's recorded comments to National Public Radio (NPR) engineers that he would order the bombing of Russia, made 40 years ago, this Sunday, were never meant to be taken seriously but should have never been made at all, two former veteran CIA senior analysts told Sputnik.
"
It was never meant to be anything but a joke: But politicians are better to be careful as anything they say is likely to be somewhat incoherent and will inevitably be misinterpreted no matter what the intention was," former CIA senior analyst and station chief Philip Giraldi, founder and chair of the Council for the National Interest, said.
Giraldi agreed with reports that Reagan had not realized the microphone was still recording his comments at the time, although they were never broadcast.
"I think it was actually a joke, and the mic was believed to be turned off," he said.
Giraldi confirmed that there was no sense in the US intelligence community or the Reagan
administration at the time that any such attack was being contemplated at all.
"I was in Istanbul at the time and don't recall any particular chatter about it in either the embassy or station," he said.
However, the old story had important
lessons for political leaders today, Giraldi advised.
"I guess the lesson to be learned in the current context is that we would be a lot better off if our so-called leaders would just keep their mouths shut, as anything they say is likely to be somewhat incoherent and will inevitably be misinterpreted no matter what the intention was," he said.
Former senior CIA analyst Raymond McGovern, who personally briefed four US presidents — including Reagan — on the Soviet Union and Russia, is skeptical about Reagan having any intention for the story to circulate at all for any reason.
"Did he really mean it to go out live? I don't think so," he said.
There was no evidence anywhere that Reagan at the time knew the microphone was live or that he ever intended his remarks to circulate at all, McGovern pointed out.
Reagan made his comment, "We begin
bombing in five minutes," as the last sentence of a controversial, off-the-record joke that he gave while preparing for a scheduled radio address from his vacation home in California.
The Soviet Union criticized the joke, as did Reagan's opponent in the 1984 presidential election, former Vice President Walter Mondale. Mondale was defeated by Reagan in a landslide.
![President Ronald Reagan poses for photographers after his address to the nation from the Oval Office on Oct. 15, 1987. [AP file / Barry Thumma] - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 11.08.2024](https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/101839/88/1018398849_0:86:2000:1211_1920x0_80_0_0_0b59f18087bc73b146160ea8a1023e0a.jpg "President Ronald Reagan poses for photographers after his address to the nation from the Oval Office on Oct. 15, 1987. [AP file / Barry Thumma]")
