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To the Editor

If we strategize to attack Houthi targets in Yemen on a certain date at a certain time with ship-based Tomahawk cruise missiles and MQ-9 armed drones, followed by F-18 Bombers we are not composing an invitation to an ice cream social. It’s a war plan! Such a plan may not be stamped “CLASSIFIED,” but even the dullest of the dull should know that such a plan must be kept absolutely secure in the highest “TOP SECRET” category.

Unfortunately, the approval process for each of the involved high-ranking officials made it obvious every one of them possessed a singular, overwhelming qualification – absolute fealty to President Donald J. Trump. They are Yes Men. But the main problem with Yes Men (and Yes Women too) is they don’t know when to say “NO!” Some of these individuals are so beaten into submission that they have even lost their will to say “NO.”

So, it was no surprise when not even one of the top administrators on that encrypted, but commercial and readily available Signal Message app said, “Maybe we shouldn’t be planning this on an unsecure app. Let’s go to a totally secure SKIF.”

Jeffrey Greenberg, Editor-In-Chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to this Signal thread. He didn’t ask to be added. He just was. But none of the Yes Men had the intellectual curiosity or temerity to ask, “Who does that number belong to?” Once Jeffery Greenberg realized this war plan thread was real and how supersensitive it was, he pulled his number out. But none of the officials on the thread asked, “Who was that who just pulled out?”
Repeated, extremely forceful denials that this war plan really was a war plan combined with personal attacks on Jeffery Greenberg yielded an undesirable result. Even though he was extremely reluctant to do so, Jeffery Greenberg was forced to defend himself by publishing every detail of the thread. Now everyone can see that it’s a war plan.

We were lucky though. Our enemies were not following on Signal. I’m sure they thought nobody would be stupid enough to put a war plan on a Signal app. They misjudged us.

Then we crowed with delight that their main missile guy was spotted going into his girlfriend’s building and that building had been destroyed. Why in the world would we let our enemies know we have that level of spy craft?

During World War II enemy spies were lurking. Sailors going on shore leave were forcefully cautioned, “LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS!”

That lesson from history is lost on this crowd.

John Chiles

Southern Shores

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