© Unknown
On May 23, 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) trade show in Tampa, Florida to share her vision of "
smart power" and to explain the State Department's crucial role in extending the reach and efficacy of America's growing "international counterterrorism network."
First, there is such a thing as a "Special Operations Forces Industry Conference trade show." Without some keen reporting by
David Axe of Wired, that peculiar get-together might've flown completely under the radar - much like the shadowy "industry" it both supports and feeds off of like a sleek, camouflaged lamprey attached to
a taxpayer-fattened shark.
Second, "special operations" have officially metastasized into a full-fledged industry. United States Special Operations Command (
USSOCOM) is located at
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and, therefore, conveniently located near the special operations trade show, which
happened again this year at the
Tampa Convention Center. The theme was "
Strengthening the Global SOF Network" and the 600,000-square-foot facility was
filled with targets of opportunity for well-connected and well-heeled defense contractors.
According to the SOFIC website, this year's conference afforded attendees "the opportunity to engage with USSOCOM Program Executive Officers, Science and Technology Managers, Office of Small Business Programs and Technology & Industry Liaison Office representatives, and other acquisition experts who will identify top priorities, business opportunities, and interests as they relate to USSOCOM acquisition programs."
Third, Hillary's
widely-ignored speech marked a radical departure from the widely-held perception that the State Department's diplomatic mission endures as an institutional alternative to the Pentagon's military planning. Instead, Secretary Clinton celebrated the transformation of Foggy Bottom into
a full partner with the
Pentagon's ever-widening efforts around the globe, touting both the role of diplomats in paving the way for shadowy special ops in so-called "hot spots" and the State Department's "hand-in-glove" coordination with Special Forces in places like
Pakistan and
Yemen.
Finally, with little fanfare or coverage, America's lead diplomat stood before the shadow war industry and itemized the integration of the State Department's planning and personnel with the Pentagon's global counter-terrorism campaign which,
she told the special operations industry, happen "in one form or another in more than 100 countries around the world."
Comment: So is this the work of Timoshenko, the gas queen? She did threaten with a third revolution if she didn't get elected as president: Psychopathic Timoshenko eyes third revolution in Ukraine if she loses
And there is this about the voting in Vinnitsa, which happens to be the place where Poroshenko grew up: