I want to be clear from on the onset that I was livid at the news - and that was before I read Joe Kent's resignation letter. Though to me his resignation is nothing more than political grandstanding, that is not the purpose of this article. My intention is to provide nuance to the issue at large. Not contribute to the mudslinging between the Dissident Right and MAGA types. 

The latest episode of Right Wing infighting drama involves the sudden resignation of Joe Kent as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).

As of this writing, Joe is scheduled to appear on the Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens podcasts. These shows that have become openly critical of the Trump Administration.

His resignation letter, his confirmed appearances on [controversial] podcasts, and the speculation of a book deal only give Joe's critics the firepower they need to discard him as another raging, anti-Israel actor.

Be that as it may, when emotions are high, as they usually are when dealing with anything online nowadays, reason and rationality go out the window.

To understand why Joe Kent’s appointment to the position of NCTC Director was celebrated by those in the intel and GWOT community, I have to explain the terror assessments that have largely gone unnoticed by both the Biden and current Trump Administrations.

This is Sarah Adams and Dave “Boon” Benton. Some of you might recognize Sarah from her appearances on The Shawn Ryan Show. (Shawn’s company has since platformed her own show The Watch Floor which I highly recommend you follow on Rumble and YouTube.) She was a CIA Targeter best known for tracking down terrorists while stationed in Benghazi, Libya.

Boon is best known for his heroics as one of the six GRS operators that defended the CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya during the September 11-12, 2012, terror attacks.

Boon and Sarah and I got acquainted in 2022 when they prepared to release their book Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy: A Cold Case Investigation. This was not another “Benghazi” book. It was a detailed case file on numerous attackers responsible for the deaths of four Americans at both the U.S. Special Missions Compound and the CIA Annex Station. The book contained the last known whereabouts of the attackers and known aliases. The hope was for responsible members in the intelligence community to not only be on the lookout for these terror suspects but also working with our allies in the region to bring them to justice.

The Biden Administration largely ignored imminent threat assessments Boon and Sarah were able to uncover. During one occasion when Sarah did not use the proper channels to pass on timely intel to targeted installations, the Pentagon reprimanded her for doing so instead of taking her intel seriously enough to look into.

As a Trump supporter, I had hopes that things would be different under new management.

Things did change but for the worse.

Sebastian Gorka briefly served as Deputy Assistant to the President and a strategist on national security and foreign policy during Trump’s first term in 2017. He was appointed to the role again in the new Administration and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the White House National Security Council (NSC). Gorka has been accused of largely downplaying certain terror threats.

In Spring 2025, Sarah Adams had been given an appointment to brief members of the NSC on the terrorist plots against the Homeland. That briefing was canceled by Sebastian Gorka who went on to slander her character to people within the White House.

Well, the FBI deals with counterterrorism so there was some hope for a serious change when Kash Patel become director along with the new Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Nope. Instead, Patel's FBI opened an investigation to determine how Boon was getting his intel – instead of analyzing and reviewing the intel!

Is The New FBI The Same As The Old? - Watch On Locals.com

That same year, Sarah, along with a group of operators and investigators including Scott Mann published a book called The Gathering Storm. In it they address the critical gaps in our nation’s preparedness for emerging terror threats following the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. This includes awareness of Al-Qaeda’s plot against the Homeland.

Next to no one in positions of power and influence were aware of these reports or were writing them off as fearmongering alarmism.

Politically speaking, the Biden Administration, which was an extension of the Obama Administration, did not like any reports indicating Al-Qaeda was still around and growing in strength. Obama himself declared that Al-Qaeda was destroyed in 2012.

In similar fashion, the Trump Administration does not like reports indicating that ISIS is still around and also growing in strength though no where near as large as Al-Qaeda. If you’ll recall, Trump declared that ISIS was destroyed in 2018.

So what hope was there to help inform first responders and the public of awareness and preparedness to terror threats if both the Obama/Biden and Trump Administrations where not taking it seriously?

Enter Joe Kent, retired Green Beret combat veteran and Gold Star husband.

His confirmation as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center was celebrated by those in the intel space both active and retired. Joe Kent immediately took note of threat assessments Sarah Adams and Scott Mann detailed in The Gathering Storm. He made them actionable.

Joe Kent even testified before Congress about the 18,000 known Islamic Terrorists in our borders. All this while FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka either downplayed it or dismissed outright.

The role of Director of the National Counterterrorism Center is to integrate, analyze, and share terrorism-related intelligence; maintain the authoritative database of known and suspected terrorists; provide terrorism analysis; and drive whole-of-government action to counter terrorist threats against the United States. Joe Kent served as principal adviser to Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard. (It is worth noting that Tulsi is not supportive of the current operation against Iran.)

Joe Kent’s resignation comes at the worst time.

Since March 1^st, there have been four confirmed terror or attempted terror attacks on US soil:

• March 1 – Austin, Texas bar shooting
• March 7 – New York City attempted bombing
• March 12 – Old Dominion University shooting, Norfolk, Virginia
• March 12 – Temple Israel synagogue attack, West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

Sebestian Gorka serves as a principal advisor to the President and NSC leadership on counterterrorism matters, including threats, policy options, and response strategies. He's to coordinate interagency efforts across with the Department of Defense, State Department, DHS, FBI, CIA, ODNI/NCTC, and others to develop and implement counterterrorism policies. He’s someone that has proven untrustworthy and no one is really talking about that.

It is to that point why I am upset at Joe Kent's resignation. He was in position of influence and effectuating change. What good will he do now having resigned and relegated himself to cannon fodder for political pundits and critics? 

Will Joe have a moral conflict when, God forbid, more Americans are harmed in the Homeland because the other principal advisors did not take threat assessments serious?

We need people with the courage to dissent while in the fight, to be the change they want to see.

ADDITIONAL READING

Sarah Adams posted her frustration and counter points to Joe's resignation letter claims on this X.com Post.

Instagram users can find my summary of the AQ Homeland Plot 2.0 on my pinned Instagram Highlights.

We are all introduced to comics at some point in our lives.  (Who hasn’t read a Peanuts comic strip?)  Sadly, the comic book, or graphic novel (collection of comic books), is looked down as a children’s pastime or ruled out as non-compelling literature altogether.  On March 6, 2009, the highly anticipated film adaptation of the first graphic novel to be praised as a master work of literature made its big screen debut. 

There is no immediate consensus on public reaction to the film.  Depending on which group you fall under, you would either love it for its originality, or hate it for changing pivotal scenes from the source material after constant promises to stick as true to the book as possible.

This article appeals to both the educated and uneducated persons in the world of the WATCHMEN!

THE NOVEL

Before I can begin, you need to know the story of the Watchmen (assuming you haven’t seen the movie by this article date).

This synopsis from the publisher DC Comics:

“It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach.  But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder superheroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians?  On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet!  Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story — the story of The Watchmen.”

None of the heroes from the novel are recognized instantly in our culture.  None of the heroes ever got spinoff comics after the critical acclaim of the short series.   Watchmen is a murder mystery developed with the same hard work and care that goes into making a fiction novel.  Both author Alan Moore – famous for this and other works of fiction such as From Hell and V for Vendetta – and illustrator Dave Gibbons have painfully crafted a complex, multilayered, psychological anti-hero adventure that spanned a year in telling (1986-87).  The end result is the perennial and most influential “graphic novel” ever accomplished.  The humanity exuded by each character is strikingly real and relatable.  It is this main element along with the real-world scenario that inspired realistic retellings of future popular comic book superheroes. 

The story takes place in an alternate United States in 1985.  The world is in the middle of a Cold War, particularly between the two nuclear superpowers: the USA and the Soviet Union.  The setting nearly parallels our world except that masked vigilantes are part of the culture, the USA wins the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon is still President in 1985 and the “Superman does exist, and he is American.” 

The attention to detail in terms of the character development, political climate, public sentiment towards masked heroes, and government employment of heroes is all very real, very relatable, very, um, heartfelt.  It’s the realism of the plot that turns the story from a mere fiction to a piece of American History. 

For those that haven’t noticed, up until the debut of Watchmen, the only heroes mingling with citizens of real-world cities belonged to Marvel Comics.  DC Comics superheroes live in alternate versions of American cities. (e.g. the equivalent of New York City and Chicago in the DC Universe are Metropolis and Gotham City.)  Along comes Watchmen and thrusts heroes not only into our cities but into our cultural history.  It is this connection to the real world, the very real interaction between masked heroes, the average citizen, federal government, etc. that sets Watchmen on a league of its own.  Many have tired duplicating it but have never matched its complexity and success.

It is safe to say that the medium of comic books has never been the same since.  And with many popular comic books getting motion picture adaptations, the movie treatment for Watchmen was unavoidable.  It was just a matter of when a good script, the director with the right approach and visual style to bring the story to life would come along.  Twenty-three years later and after a surge of an ever-increasing number of comic books-turned-films hitting multiplexes, Watchmen finally made it to the big leagues with a nearly 3-hour epic theatrical release.

THE FILM

The Watchmen movie version moved around different studios with scripts written then rewritten over and over again without any true convincing concept to bring to the big screen.  Director Terry Gilliam used to be tied to directing the big screen adaptation in the late 90s.  He stated best the complications of making a 2 ½ hour version of the novel:

“Reducing [the novel] to a two or two-and-a-half-hour film … seemed to me to take away the essence of what Watchmen is about.” 

I, like Terry, agree that a miniseries would’ve been the best avenue with which to approach the story.  Though it felt like an eternity, it was inevitable that the graphic novel would get its major motion picture treatment.  Now is a good-a-time as any to do so since movies containing dark, mature subject matter are drawing more audiences to the theatres (e.g. The Dark Knight).

The difficulty in bringing about this book-to-screen adaptation is in how to keep the essence of the book intact while making the film a fascinating viewing experience.  Compromises had to be made, of course.  Whenever anyone is tackling the adaptation of a popular work, groups of purists, fans, and dissenters will always be nearby ready to level any criticism in attempts to impact the filmmaking process.

The great risk of Watchmen is that it is not really adaptable without first tossing out important elements of the book that make the story “the story,” and still keep it short enough to screen at a theatre near you.  Warner Bros realized this issue which is why they hired Director Zack Snyder to take the helm for the project.  They needed to stay as true to the source material as possible.  Zack Snyder promised to deliver the goods as he did with Frank Miller’s 300.

Ultimately, an all-important comic-within-the-comic – Tales of the Black Freighter – didn’t make the final cut, but it is getting its own film treatment as a direct-to-video.  However, the comic tale is such an integral part of the major story that Warner Bros is producing a special DVD release that will include deleted scenes and the Tales of the Black Freighter edited into the main film.

This is evidence that the filmmakers knew the importance of keeping integral parts of the novel in place and did their best to execute the film appropriately.  Comic book illustrator Dave Gibbons was brought on early on to supervise the filmmaking process to make sure they stayed true to the source.  

THE CONTROVERSIAL ENDING

A fan could sleep soundly knowing that such a talented team dedicated to preserving the essence of the novel is developing the movie, right?  Well, months before the initial release date, speculation about a major revamp to the climax grew amid attempts to keep it hush-hush.  After constant pressure from the press and fans director Zack Snyder dropped the bombshell confirmation that the most major element and integral part of the script was altered to suit a more general audience.

The squid in the novel is a byproduct of artistic design and genetic engineering developed under the guise of a movie special effect.  The actual purpose of the disgusting, giant squid was to fool the world into thinking it’s an alien from another dimension hell-bent on destroying all humanity.

The movie version of “the squid" is re-imagined as a supposed new energy research project intended to provide cleaner, more efficient means of energy to an ever-growing human population.  

The actual purpose is for the villain to reengineer these large mechanical devices, use them as psychic energy explosives each with the destructive power of an A-bomb, and frame one of the Watchmen for the attack.

The villain’s end game in both mediums is the same: unite the world by scaring them into believing they must ward off a common enemy.  In both cases he succeeds

The Original Ending

When Rorschach investigates the murder of Edward Blake – alias The Comedian – he believes there is a plot to kill off costumed heroes.  He sets off to warn other retired heroes of his findings.  While Rorschach is investigating the murder there is an entire other mystery being covered by the Press: the mysterious disappearance of yet another famous creative artist.  The artist is among a group of his peers that “vanishes” without a trace. He is working with scientists, engineers, and others on a secret project for an unknown “filmmaker” all along.   Rorschach’s wild theory about a mask killer is taken more seriously when another hero – Adrian Veidt – is gunned for, Dr. Manhattan flees the earth for Mars, and Rorschach is framed and imprisoned.  All this is occurring during a time of political tension between the two superpowers threatening to go to nuclear war and lay waste to the earth.

Illustrator Dave Gibbons was asked about the cutting of the squid during a Q&A session at the 4^th Annual New York Comic Convention back in February.  His initial response was:

“The outcome is exactly the same as the graphic novel, but the MacGuffin, the gimmick, is a little different.  I think you know what I mean; there's no squid.  I'd rather not say too much about it, but I certainly wasn't at all upset or disappointed or offended.  I think that's the most important thing about the movie adaptation is that it has to stand as a good movie.  The reality of it is that you have to make changes and you have to take things away, add things on, amalgamate things to make it work in a different medium."

After a follow-up question regarding the squid, he answered:

“Why is the squid so important?  In a sense, in the comic book, the squid is kind of a huge special effect that Adrian Veidt pulls, a practical joke, a trick, but if you have a movie that essentially is full of special effects, then the squid is just another special effect, if you see what I mean, so that I think that wouldn't have worked as well in the movie.  That's my personal feeling about it.  Sorry for all your cephalopod lovers out there.”

So, Dave isn't really a fan of the squid since he wasn’t disappointed by its omission from the film.  He didn't write it.  He drew it from concept ideas by author Alan Moore.  For Dave to come across with little regard for the original concept comes to show that even he doesn't understand what exactly Moore accomplished with the alien squid. 

Historically, anyone believing aliens exist is thought of as kind of crazy.  Whether there's evidence to support the existence of aliens isn't the issue here.  Imagine the disbelief at seeing a horrific scene such as a monstrous, alien squid appearing in the middle of Manhattan and killing millions an in instant.  The apparent “attack” by an alien being would more likely unite a world of differences against a common enemy. 

The idea of forging alliances amid a foreign invasion isn't farfetched.  It’s happened before.  When the Japanese invaded China, the Chinese Communists and Nationalists united albeit under a temporary truce to ward off the Japanese.  After the horrific events of September 11, 2001, America put aside its ideological differences albeit for a while to seek justice against a common enemy.

The Alternate Ending

The framing of Dr. Manhattan in the movie adaptation doesn’t make any sense unless you’re on the left side of the political spectrum.  See, the subliminal message I drew from the altered ending is that Dr. Manhattan is viewed as a walking A-bomb created and used by the United States government for the “greater good.”  When the psychic charges are detonated on major cities across the world, the world suddenly forgets about nuclear war and unites to defend itself against Dr. Manhattan; man’s own god-like power turns against man.  The film concludes with the world adopting clean energy alternatives and world peace. 

That’s it.

Well, why would Dr. Manhattan attack the world in the first place?  He was framed for giving his former loved ones cancer, felt terrible believing he was guilty of it, leaves the Earth for Mars, then returns to kill millions around the world?  Nonsense.  Also, the USA didn’t create Dr. Manhattan; he was an accident.  This only scratches the surface of why the ending doesn’t make sense.  You’d have to read the novel to understand The Comedian’s emotional breakdown, his murder, and the shock value of what ultimately convinced the USA and USSR to make peace.

WHICH IS THE BETTER ENDING?

The debate continues.  The novel’s ending always sparked debate about whether it was a great or lackluster ending to a great novel.  The movie ending caused a stir prior to the film’s debut quickly causing an outcry from purists and debates among the viewing public.

Yes, the outcome of the film's and novel's ending is the same, but the point missed here is that the means to that end are what intrigued the reader in the first place.  So many mysterious occurrences having seemingly nothing in common throughout the plot actually are tied at the end of the novel through the monstrosity of the squid.

CLOSING COMMENTS

At least the film’s lead up to the poorly constructed ending was very well done but could have been better without slow-motion.

Still, the ending should’ve remained intact instead of trying to appeal to a more general audience.  Fanboys are always a major draw at the box office (e.g. The Dark Knight).  The movie opened well below expectations and doesn’t seem likely to recoup its budget in the domestic market.

The book will always be superior to the film.

–Andres Segovia
Published 3/11/2009
Revised 7/1/2024

Toto-sai stared at the luscious green field and flower beds that was once a dark ruin.  Nature’s changing seasons eliminated all traces of Naraku’s destruction.  It’s been several of years since that final confrontation with the wicked demon.  Toto-sai reminisced of the life-changing event.  No one walked away the same.  He signaled to his trusty flying bull to carrying them to their destination.  After sometime, Toto-sai arrived at Lady Kaede’s village.  There children laughed and played.  Lady Kaede was much older and moved slower now, but she was happy to awake each morning knowing that her village, and the children at play will never have to worry about Naraku again.

              A teenage Kohaku practiced sword play out on the fields with a friend. Both of them were strengthening their skills as demon slayers.  Naraku, the worst demon of all, was gone, but demons remained on the land.  Lady Kaede’s village became a place desperate villagers turned to for help to exorcize demons.  This became good business for the village.  The head slayers were Miroku and Sango.  Miroku though was the main slayer.  Sango had other matters to tend to.

              Two toddler twin girls tugged at Lady Kaede’s skirt begging to come out of the porch to watch them run around outside.  Lady Kaede struggled to move at the little girls’ pace.  Sango came out of the house to help Lady Kaede.  She told the little girls to go play.  She told them that grandma Kaede would be there.  Lady Kaede braced herself on Sango’s arm, and placed another hand on Sango’s stomach unable to resist the urge to feel the child growing inside Sango.  The twin girls called out to Lady Kaede and their mother Sango as both of the girls ran in circles.  The women laughed at the little girls’ sport.

              A shadow appeared behind Sango and Lady Kaede.  The women turned to the approaching Sesshomaru followed by Jaken, Aun, and Kagura.  Sesshomaru came by to check up on Rin.  Lady Kaede pointed to the field where Rin was practicing sword play with Kohaku.  Sesshomaru cracked a smile.  He extended a small sack of silver for Lady Kaede.  Lady Kaede always refused his offer, but Sesshomaru likewise always insisted.  Sesshomaru took his leave with group and left to continue their travels helping others in need along the way.

              Sango and Lady Kaede sat on a wicker bench on the grass taking in the scenes of children playing.  For a moment, Sango thought of her husband Miroku.  She tried not to be so concerned about his safety.  After all, Miroku was exorcizing demons along with the aid of Shippo now a much more mature, and strong fox demon. 

There were times a large flying creature would pass over the village.  Members of the village rushed out each time hoping to catch a glimpse of a dragon and perhaps Raygan.  After the confrontation with Naraku, Raygan and Akemi parted ways hoping to one day return.  Sango only hoped to meet her friends again, but she also understood the responsibilities Raygan and Akemi had back on the mainland.  Right now, Sango truly missed more than anyone Kagome and Inuyasha.  Ever since Inuyasha transformed, the rest of the events that followed happened so quickly she never felt she properly said farewell to them.  She just hoped that they are well wherever it was they were.

*******

              Kagome looked at her watch.  Her class was only minutes from being excused.  She was in her last year of studies at Tokyo University.  Kagome would soon transfer to a medical school more focused on her field.  Becoming a doctor was a long road.  Finally, class was dismissed.  Some of the classmates wished her a good day.  She waved them goodbye and walked to the courtyard of the campus.  She proceeded to the adjacent public park to meet someone.  There on one of the picnic tables having lunch was a man intently pouring over papers trying to make sense of them.  Kagome approached him and asked if she can be of assistance.  He nodded and made space for her next to him.  Kagome looked over the papers.  It was an application to enter into law enforcement.  She looked at the black-haired, sharp-eyed man.  She smiled at him and kissed her fiancé.

              “You want to be a police officer?” she asked him.

              “What else can I do that will give me some action?  Traffic guards are boring.  Firefighters sit and wait.  I want to move!” he replied.

              “Oh, Inuyasha,” she laughed looking over the documents. “Ever the restless one.  I’ll help you fill this out.”

              The two lovers sat the picnic table in the beautiful, peaceful park in the middle of the one of the largest cities in world.  Here, no one worried so much about demons.  It was more civilized.  There was more to do and more to see, in a way.  Inuyasha took a couple of years to adjusting to life here especially as a human.  But he loved Kagome.  He wanted to be with her at all costs even if that meant leaving behind the only life he knew.  She was his world.  He choose to be human for her and returned with her to this industrialized world.  The well that connected both the old and new worlds collapsed shortly after they returned to Tokyo.  Though it was hard for both of them to be free from that past, they settled into their new life.  Kagome showed Inuyasha everything that needed to be known about the culture, engineering, science, and medicinal advances.  Of course she also showed him all sorts of foods.  Inuyasha learned to be at peace, and it was the food that he much preferred compared to the Feudal Era.  But in the midst of all this, it was Kagome.  She made it worth the choice, and he was glad he choose her.  His friends in the other time did not have to worry about the dangers of the jewel.  He wished them all well and a healthy life.  Especially for Koga.  He did end up marrying Ayame after all and became the new wolf clan leader.  Differences aside, they all made a great team when their support mattered most.

              Kagome pulled out an apple and took a bite out of it while looking over the application.  Inuyasha asked her if she was hungry.  Kagome told him she skipped lunch to finish up a paper.  Inuyasha took the application off her hands and put it in her backpack.  He got her backpack and books then said, “Let’s go eat.”  Kagome asked where.  “Let’s go to that ramen place!” Inuyasha responded excitedly.  He did not mind that he just finished a bowl of instant noodles.  He was always up for ramen.  Kagome got up and hugged his arm as they walked to the noodle restaurant.  “I’m craving a Coke too,” Inuyasha added.  Kagome laughed.  The paired walked away from the park enjoying each other’s company.