'The Scandal of Our Age'.

• Author: Handley, John

"THE SCANDAL OF OUR AGE"

By Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution

http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/the-scandal-of-our-age/

Reviewed by Dr. John Handley, Colonel, US Army, Ret.

Writing for PJ Media, a political blog created in 2005 "to shed light on topics and issues that are important to Americans through their reporting, commentary and analysis," Victor Davis Hanson, a former professor of classics at California State University and an authority on military history, begins his essay with a brief sketch of recent scandals, beginning with Watergate andgoing on to the Iran-Contra fiasco

The heart of his argument, however, is Securitygate--the apparent declassification and release of sensitive intelligence purportedly for the purpose of making President Obama appear strong when confronting America's real and potential enemies--whose the long-term results Hanson believes could deliver sizeable down-sides. For example, disclosures could adversely affect America's national interest by including details about the cyber war against Iran, the revelations of a Yemeni double agent, details on the Osama bin Laden raid, the information gained from that raid, and the drone assassination program along with the president's methodology for selecting targets.

As a result, the Iranians no longer suspect U.S. involvement in cyber warfare; thanks to David Sanger's writings, they (and the entire world) know for certain; so much for plausible denial. Other revelations include: The publication of specific efforts undertaken by the U.S. to subvert both Iran and Pakistan, along with the targeted assassination program and the in-depth description of the complex U.S.-Israeli relationship, which cannot be helpful in reducing anti-Americanism within the region. The U.S. has rallied many states within the international community against Russia's support for Syria and Iran's support for Hezbollah, but may find itself under equally intense criticism from the...