Another felonious disclosure.

"Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s accounts of two conversations with Sessions — then a top foreign policy adviser to Republican candidate Donald Trump — were intercepted by U.S. spy agencies, which monitor the communications of senior Russian officials both in the United States and in Russia. "  Washpost

******

"A former U.S. official who read the Kislyak reports said that the Russian ambassador reported speaking with Sessions about issues that were central to the campaign, including Trump’s positions on key policy matters of significance to Moscow."  Washpost

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The present or former official (or officials) who read these intercepts because of his or her clearance for hyper-sensitive compartmented information and have discussed them with the Washington Post have in IMO committed a felony for which they should be prosecuted.  

I know a lot of you are uninterested in protection of US SIGINT products but IMO that is an altogether irresponsible position.  pl  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-discussed-trump-campaign-related-matters-with-russian-ambassador-us-intelligence-intercepts-show/2017/07/21/3e704692-6e44-11e7-9c15-177740635e83_story.html?utm_term=.dc6f6599dac1

Comments

[Jack]

Sir

Where do you think all this leads? I don't see any investigations of the leaks and the "US officials" who are leakers of highly classified information.

Clapper didn't get prosecuted for perjury. Of course, he was on the Obama team and Holder wasn't gonna prosecute. But why can't Sessions get an investigation going? Maybe he has but it's not public but where is the public counter-offensive, other than Trump's tweets?

I suppose this leak is a prelude to Sessions resignation and the appointment of someone who will use this opportunity to go after some of the high ranking members of the Borg.

[The Twisted Genius]

pl,

I agree. This constant leaking of classified intelligence reports by those within the system or recently out of the system is illegal or at least in violation of their classified information nondisclosure agreements. Sometimes there are things I'd like to say here or to others, but I can't and I won't. I know you can't and won't. I guess we're just a couple of foolish old dinosaurs who just don't know how the game is played anymore. Well, screw those bastards. They have no honor whatsoever.

[sid_finster]

To the extent that trump is frustrating the Deep State in its efforts, we can expect such leaks on a daily basis.

[Jack]

All

Why should we believe someone who lied under oath in sworn testimony to Congress?

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/21/spy-chiefs-rip-trump-240828

"Two former top U.S. intelligence officials tore into President Donald Trump on Friday, saying in sometimes personal terms that Trump has shown disrespect for intelligence officials and a distasteful affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and warning he may be endangering U.S. national security."

[ToivoS]

I have to consider myself in that group that is not only not interested in protecting US SIGINT but would be happy to see it blown up completely. My interest is selfish. Those technologies that have been developed to protect the US from foreign enemies seemed quite reasonable. However, once those technologies are developed they are then used against the US population. As we have seen over and over again, those forces inside the US bureaucracy that control SIGINT will use those powers against their political enemies. Surely, you must see how that is being used against Trump, of course you do. The example given here is being used against Trump.

As long as political appointees or electeds control these powers they will be used against their political opponents.

[zk]

Since one part of the government is actively trying to overthrow an elected president, these things are to be expected.
All is fair in love and war, they say. These are pretty dangerous times.

[Dante Alighieri]

Colonel, you are a noble defender of constitutional idealism, but IMO that is unfortunately a lost cause. Hasn’t the leaking game always been part and parcel of the intel business? The interesting questions are cui bono and why now. The current US situation looks a political civil war in which anything goes. Some are suggesting that it was Trump who leaked this.

BTW, I think it’s really a great country where Dante’s works can be picked up for a few cents in a barber shop!

[turcopolier]

Dante Alighieri

I suppose that our present political dilemma looks amusing from Switzerland, the land of secret bank accounts, chocolate, and watches built as toys for the useless rich. "Constitutional idealism?" How dismissive and contemptuous. You Swiss sat on your asses and made money through two world wars while my country went out of its way to fight for "constitutional idealism" in Europe. What would you know of the value of "constitutional idealism?" pl

[turcopolier]

ZK
"these things are to be expected" A political game played by those who were entrusted with these state secrets? OK, then part of the game is to punish those who violated their oaths. pl

[BillWade]

It seems pretty simple to me, there are laws in place to protect the American people from attack by enemies, both foreign and domestic, when the law is broken. punish the law-breaker(s) to the satisfaction of the American people.

[turcopolier]

ToivoS

My vision of you is of an immigrant from Scandinavia living the left coast life in the Bay area where the "deplorables" seem a troglodyte race arrived from an HG Well futurist novel of the degeneracy of mankind. You have been commenting here for a long time and seem invincibly ignorant. You actually don't know much of anything about the usefulness of things like SIGINT in protecting the life you have led. What you focus on s the abuse of power that has occurred since 9/11. There HAS been abuse but you are filled with self righteous nonsense and as TTG says I cannot disabuse you of your ignorance of the utility of such things as SIGINT because to do so would be to violate my oath like the swine from on high who have done so with the press. pl

[turcopolier]

sid_finster

How do you define "deep state" as the neologism applies to the US? pl

[turcopolier]

Jack

At this moment I would estimate that Trump has a 50% chance of making it through his first term of office. The uniformity of the incessant media agitprop campaign against him may eventually frighten enough Republican members of the House to cause them to sign off on a bill of impeachment. Once such a bill goes to the senate for trial the result is incalculable. That can be seen in the inability of McConnell to control his caucus in the health care fiasco. The media (increasingly including Foxnews line reporters) are convinced that they are a co-equal branch of government and are quite obviously determined to drive Trump from office as evidence of their contribution to blocking what they see as counter-revolution. You can expect to see a continuing series of violations of the law in unauthorized disclosures of state secrets to the agitprop press. These leaks are IMO coming from political figures whether within or without the IC. They must be or have been very high up or they would not have had access to the material. I do not believe that the career work force of the IC is leaking this stuff. Such people are too afraid of prosecution or career ruin to do that. pl

[LondonBob]

A positive spin on it would be Sessions has very few of his people in, most are tied up in the Senate and haven't been appointed yet. Also this a big, highly sensitive case, it will take time to build and do it right.

Pleased to see the odious Powers is now being looked into in regards to the whole spying/unmasking thing.

[Marcus]

I am for "protection of US SIGINT products" but I am also for protection of Constitutional rights of all Americans.

It seems these agencies violated the Fourth Amendment rights of nearly every American and then attempted to hide that fact from their duly elected representatives. Violators of their oath to protect SIGNIT products are about our only window into the Constitutional violations of these agencies. Which is the greater evil?

[bks]

It is widely assumed that Trump released this intelligence himself to get rid of Sessions. If my boss publicly ripped me, I would have quit already.

[turcopolier]

bks

It is widely assumed by whom, your fellow leftists? you have no proof for that at all. According to the Post former officials gave them this information. Now who would that be? pl

[zk]

Yes all is fair, but who will do the punishing ?
When the sides are being chosen, oaths can be a peculiar thing.
To someone who strongly believes that the current president is a grave threat to the survival of the country, breaking one oath is actually honoring another.
Is there such a thing as a greater, more important oath ? You have been abroad and experienced war. You have perspective most US citizens don't.
To many americans, especially the newer generations, oaths are in the same category as worrying about their facebook page.
They are not aware how badly this situation can spin out of control. And what the consequences would be.

[Blayne]

QUOTE: "At this moment I would estimate that Trump has a 50% chance of making it through his first term of office."
The establishment has always let it be known that they desired Pence over Trump. Because Pence has the campaign personality of a wet walnut, the establishment were compelled to purposely elevate him on the coat-tails of Trump's 'populism'. Israel and the Christian Armageddon folks absolutely adore Pence.
I suspect that Trump's presidential days are numbered ... before 2018 election cycle. The Republicans are loathe to have Trump front-an'-center for 2018.

[Kooshy]

Colonel, IMO these guys focus from get go was, is to run the legally elected president of US out of office, in course of their action this plan, they care less what happens to this country or it's long term security, somehow these salami sliding leakers are assured they will not be prosecuted.

[turcopolier]

Marcus

I see that you are someone who has lurked here a long time and now use a different name. Don't use Marcus. Your argument is sophist BS. The intercepts involved in these leaks are all from foreign intelligence operations. Using the existence of the abusive presidentially ordered internal intercept operations you deny the validity of federal law that protects foreign intelligence operations. You are either incredibly ignorant or incredibly partisan. You should remember that law protects people just like you. pl

[turcopolier]

ZK

The trigger will be that for people like me and my brethren here oaths are absolute. pl

[Outrage Beyond]

Re: "uniformity of the incessant media agitprop campaign against him"

This article may be of interest to readers of this site: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/21/media-war-trump-destined-fail

In brief, Thomas Frank cites the unanimity of media groupthink as a reason for the likely failure of their agitprop campaign against him.

Re: "These leaks are IMO coming from political figures whether within or without the IC. They must be or have been very high up or they would not have had access to the material. I do not believe that the career work force of the IC is leaking this stuff. Such people are too afraid of prosecution or career ruin to do that."

As everyone reading this site surely knows, there are two legal systems: one for those who are wealthy and well-connected, another for the peons. One wonders whether Jeff Sessions has the will and the means to pursue prosecutions against such members of the favored class. As a member of that class himself, and someone who appears to have a rather retrograde sensibility, I doubt he has the gumption to go after members of his own club.

Connect the dots: Sessions just announced that he plans to ramp up civil forfeiture. He's all about going after the peons.

[Tinky]

Colonel Lang,

Please correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't evidence surfaced relating to the use, at times, of foreign intelligence intercepts in order to circumvent internal intercept restrictions?

Thank you.

[turcopolier]

Tinky

Yes. It has been claimed that GCHQ was asked to find material in its files that could be used against Trump. IMO that would not protect the leakers from the disclosure laws. pl