“Former” CIA analyst Larry Johnson tells the world that F-35s can’t do deep strikes against Iran, then F-35s do deep strikes against Iran. Is Larry Johnson controlled opposition? Maybe not, but I have never seen anyone so un-bothered by being always wrong.
While doom-scrolling on Quora last night I came across a post quoting Larry Johnson’s proclamations that F-35s don’t have the range for deep strikes against Iran. I wrote a quick comment pointing out that there is a carrier (the Abraham Lincoln) positioned nearby then went to sleep. Just hours later, F-35s, as well as F-22s and other, older air frames, struck Iran. Derp.
Just to be sure that I wasn’t being unfair, I searched for the original LJ statements to make sure what he said wasn’t being misrepresented. Not only did he make the F-35s can’t deep strike Iran assertion, he made it repeatedly.
My first encounter with the diligent work of LJ was back in 2023 after the Pentagon leak of Ukraine-related documents. I determined they were most likely real, and urged people to take them seriously. But this was a completely uphill battle because LJ had, within hours of the leak being publicized, already convinced about 80-90% of the “pro-BRICS community” that the leaked documents were fake. And his entire basis for beieving that was that a junior airman could not possibly have access to highly classified documents. Okay sure, junior servicemen have so famously never ever leaked strategic documents before, but how did the Federal government frame Jack Teixeira for such a preposterous (and, according to LJ, an impossible) crime, and eat a 15 year prison sentence without complaint? Did they point a gun at his head? Threaten to murder his family? Mind control?
I just don’t get how the anti-CIA movement is literally under the thumb of a guy from the CIA. And why does this anti-CIA CIA guy amplify every single narrative that turns out to be beneficial to the CIA? Even in that LJ video I linked above, he poo-poos the Ford aircraft carrier because of the poo situation. While I would agree that it would be annoying to serve aboard a ship with many non-functioning toilets, that doesn’t make it less dangerous as a weapon platform. I also have to ask how the Ford’s poo situation even became known to the media unless someone told them. Very convenient. If nothing else, these debacles discredit all voices speaking out against US interventions, and makes us collectively look stupid.
Ultimately, there was a massive information campaign to downplay the effectiveness of the US task force around Iran, and it completely worked. and it worked so well in large part because certain “dissidents” bought into and amplified it.
Ian Kummer
I now have a new YouTube channel that I will use to upload videos from my travels around Russia. Expect new content there soon. Please give me a follow here.
Also feel free to connect with me on Quora (I sometimes share unique articles there).
He gets carried away by certain talking points and marshals a lot of faux facts. The question of range is difficult (stealth mode or not; with or without weapons; refueling after take-off when loaded with weapons, flying after releasing the weapons, firing JASSMs with 1900 km range from outside the air borders — it's complicated material and he is entirely too dogmatic). But he only worked inside the CIA for a short phase, long ago. Don't think he is controlled opposition. But he talks incessantly about many matters about which he is not knowledgeable, and has a weak educational background, as do most Americans.
Webej, I am frustrated by how he always pushes the "Us military is a paper tiger" trope, and always does this right before major US successes.