by Eireann van Natta, The Daily Caller:
Over 700 members of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) signed a letter endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris last week, but many of the officials are aligned with defense contractors and organizations pushing for U.S. involvement in foreign conflict.
Some of the officials voted for the U.S. invasion of Iraq – including former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton – which amounted to a nearly $140 billion boon to private contractors, according to CNN. In addition to bureaucrats and veterans of the intelligence community, the list features numerous individuals affiliated with defense contractors, government-funded think tanks, and organizations partnered with arms manufacturers.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
The letter asserts Harris will defend democracy while former President Donald Trump will enable authoritarianism, touting her support for Ukraine. Harris recently toured a munitions factory in Pennsylvania with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The letter does not mention that Russia invaded Ukraine during the Biden-Harris administration. (RELATED: “Many People Died, And What For?”: Ukrainians Increasingly Willing To Make Peace With Russia As War Rages On)
“America’s national security requires a serious and capable Commander-in-Chief. That is why 741 National Security Leaders proudly endorse @KamalaHarris for President of the United States.” #nationalsecurity #Election2024 #HarrisWalz2024 #DefeatTrumphttps://t.co/ySwJYA29ZI pic.twitter.com/DiMUn0xqMF
— National Security Leaders for America (@NSLforAmerica) September 22, 2024
The NSL4A list includes officials that are formerly or presently involved with the arms industry. For example, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson serves on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, according to the company’s site.
NSL4A member Rear Admiral John D. Butler spent a decade at Lockheed Martin, including as Vice President for Naval Strategic Systems, according to his bio at University of Texas at Austin. Former Acting Secretary of the Navy, Buddie J. Penn, worked for Loral Federal Systems, which was acquired by Lockheed Martin in the late nineties, the Naval Historical Foundation states in his biography.
In a world of rising conflicts, we need a leader who stands up to dictators, not one who offers praise.
Read more of the op-ed written by Ambassador Gordon Gray (Ret) by clicking this link: https://t.co/P7tqgQ0mQT#nationalsecurity #LeadershipMatters #NSL4A #ukraine #Russia pic.twitter.com/eXwaUq6R3C
— National Security Leaders for America (@NSLforAmerica) September 20, 2024
Lockheed Martin, which has seen tens of billions of dollars in new orders since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, isn’t the only big name on the list – Raytheon and Northrop Grumman also have alumni.
Former CIA director and Deputy Secretary of Defense, John Deutch, served as director of Raytheon, according to the EFI Foundation. Former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director, Letitia A. Long, was elected to Raytheon’s Board of Directors in 2015, according to PR Newswire (although she is not presently listed on Raytheon’s site).
