“America hasn’t had a civilian government since the end of World War II”. These were the words spoken to me as a journalist by a man who had served in Military Intelligence after years of intensive Russian language training at the Monterey Institute for International Studies.

For those who don’t know, Monterey has been the academic center for training future Intelligence workers using a pedagogical method developed by the U.S. military. It has been useful not only for providing translators and interpreters for the military, but also the CIA.

The CIA was initially known as the Office of Strategic Services and the OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Its function was to gather intelligence and generate propaganda. Since its origin, the CIA has operated with a black budget.

A small amount of its official budget comes from the American taxpayer, but it is mostly an independent agency with no oversight regarding its real financial dealings. It is strictly “off limits”. It is not a coincidence that the CIA was created around the same time as the Pentagon where American military strategy is planned and gamed. The two entities are intimately connected. But before we examine how this connection works, let’s return to the shocking quotation mentioned above. Killing the Deep State... Jerome R. Corsi Ph.D. Best Price: $3.14 Buy New $7.17 (as of 05:50 EST - Details)

According to my intelligence source, one L.G. Leighton, senior members of the American military at the end of World War II were planning a military coup d’etat to unseat the democratically elected president and replace him with a permanent government controlled by the military. The rationale behind this was that the civilian government was made up of people who did not know the way the real world operates and that only military officers with the knowledge and experience acquired through battle could be trusted to lead and protect the United States.

“Besides”, they reasoned, “the politicians sat at home while we put our asses on the line and won this war”. “We deserve it”. Thus was put into play a conspiracy that would alter the course of American history forever. It is called the “Palmer House Plot” because that was the location of the secret meeting whereby top military officers would plan and organize exactly how the military putsch would evolve.

Having caught wind of this bold and dangerous act, the decorated General Omar Bradley was dispatched by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to “deal with this situation”. He flew out to Chicago and took a taxi straight to the Palmer House Hotel – the iconic setting of the audacious plot.

When he arrived at the hotel he went straight to the room where the plotters were gathered and burst through the door screaming, “what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” The conspirators replied in a straight forward manner, “we are going to take control of the government, sir”. To which General Bradley replied, “you (expletive deleted) idiots…we already control the government. “

If this story is true – and I have no doubt my source was being 100% honest- it really explains a great deal about American politics and presidents over the past 70 years.

Against the State: An ... Rockwell Jr., Llewelly... Best Price: $5.02 Buy New $5.52 (as of 11:35 EST - Details) It means that since the end of World War II presidents have been allowed to influence domestic politics, but they are not in charge of our foreign affairs. Perhaps this is the reason JFK was assassinated – a man who was on the verge of dismantling the CIA and pulling out U.S troops from Vietnam.

Perhaps this is the reason Dwight D. Eisenhower gave that extraordinary speech at the end of his presidency warning of the grave dangers of the Military-Industrial Complex.

If what my source said is the truth, it also means that Donald Trump is not in control of American foreign policy. And if that is truly the case, his words about pulling out of foreign military engagements mean nothing.

It means we are all being held hostage by a rogue contingent of generals in the Pentagon secretly planning the next war with no regard for democratic institutions or values. And they in turn control the CIA – another rogue organization operating completely outside the rule of law.

This is a terrifying prospect.

This post first appeared on Russia Insider.