The latest revelations following the release of the FISA application on Saturday, 21 July 2016, requires an update to a piece I wrote last December on the so-called Steele Dossier devoted to Donald Trump. There now is no doubt that FBI and DOJ officials were collaborating with the Intelligence Community, under the direction of Jim Clapper, in misleading members of Congress and feeding the media about alleged collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and the Russians. At least we now know for certain that the FISA judges were informed that the information came from a source hired by the Democrats to go after Donald Trump. How those judges could acquiesce to such blatant partisan bullshit is grist for another day.
We already knew, thanks to Washington Post reporting in October that the dossier was commissioned by Clinton attorneys and compiled and prepared by a retired foreign intelligence officer, Christopher Steele:
Marc Elias, a lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Fusion GPS, a Washington, D.C., firm, to conduct the research. Fusion GPS hired dossier author Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer with ties to the FBI and the U.S. intelligence community.
Elias and his law firm, Seattle-based Perkins Coie, retained the firm in April 2016 on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC. Before that agreement, Fusion GPS’ research into Trump was funded by a still unknown Republican client during the GOP primary.
The Clinton campaign and the DNC, through the law firm, continued to fund Fusion GPS’ research through the end of October 2016, days before Election Day.
And, as I noted in my previous piece, we also know that the wife of a senior DOJ official, with ties to the CIA, was working with Fusion GPS on Russian matters related to Trump during this same time frame.
I think it is important for everyone to take a look at the actual dossier, which is summarized by the date of each report (see below). There are two salient points deserving your focus:
- Hillary Clinton's law firm ended the contract with Fusion GPS in October 2016. So who commissioned/paid for the 16th report in the dossier that is dated 13 December?
- CIA, DNI and FBI were presenting information contained in at least 9 of the reports in the "dossier" (between 20 June and 14 September) to key members of Congress without disclosing that the Clinton Campaign was the actual source of this information.
This is a very important point now that we know that FBI Agent Strzok, who was in regular contact with the CIA and handled counter intelligence operations, was a likely source, along with John Brennan, for the breathless media reports that fed the meme of Russian/Trump collusion.
One of the first articles pushing the Russians "are coming" propaganda was courtesy of the Washington Post's
U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are investigating what they see as a broad covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the upcoming presidential election and in U.S. political institutions, intelligence and congressional officials said. . . .
The effort to better understand Russia’s covert influence operations is being coordinated by James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. . . .
“We’ve seen an unprecedented intrusion and an attempt to influence or disrupt our political process,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, speaking about the DNC hack and the WikiLeaks release on the eve of the Democratic convention. The disclosures, which included a number of embarrassing internal emails, forced the resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
U.S. intelligence officials are seeking to determine whether an American businessman identified by Donald Trump as one of his foreign policy advisers has opened up private communications with senior Russian officials — including talks about the possible lifting of economic sanctions if the Republican nominee becomes president, according to multiple sources who have been briefed on the issue.
The activities of Trump adviser Carter Page, who has extensive business interests in Russia, have been discussed with senior members of Congress during recent briefings about suspected efforts by Moscow to influence the presidential election, the sources said. After one of those briefings, Senate minority leader Harry Reid wrote FBI Director James Comey, citing reports of meetings between a Trump adviser (a reference to Page) and “high ranking sanctioned individuals” in Moscow over the summer as evidence of “significant and disturbing ties” between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin that needed to be investigated by the bureau.
This is a huge story that most of the press and the American people are, for the time being, ignoring. This is not just a corruption of the political process. It is a shameful and dangerous betrayal of our system of law by intelligence operatives and law enforcement professionals.
Here is comprehensive summary of the dossier for your reading pleasure:
2016/80--20 June 2016— US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP'S ACTIVITIES IN RUSSIA AND COMPROMISING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KREMLIN
2016/86--26 July 2015 (sic)-- RUSSIA/CYBER CRIME: A SYNOPSIS OF RUSSIAN STATE SPONSORED AND OTHER CYBER OFFENSIVE (CRIMINAL) OPERATIONS
2016/94--19 July 2016-- RUSSIA: SECRET KREMLIN MEETINGS ATTENDED BY TRUMP ADVISOR, CARTER PAGE IN MOSCOW
2016/95--(UNDATED)-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: FURTHER INDICATIONS OF EXTENSIVE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN TEAM AND THE KREMLIN
2016/97--30 July 2016-- RUSSIA-US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: KREMLIN CONCERN THAT POLITICAL FALLOUT FROM DNC E-MAIL HACKING AFFAIR SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL
2016/100--5 August 2016-- RUSSIA/USA: GROWING BACKLASH IN KREMLIN TO DNC HACKING AND TRUMP SUPPORT OPERATIONS
2016/101--10 August 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: SENIOR KREMLIN FIGURE OUTLlNES EVOLVING RUSSIAN TACTICS IN PRO-TRUMP, ANTI-CLINTON OPERATION
2016/102--10 August 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: REACTION IN TRUMP CAMP TO RECENT NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE AND LIKELY RESULTING TACTICS GOING FORWARD
2016/105--22 AUGUST 2016-- RUSSIA/UKRAINE: THE DEMISE OF TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER PAUL MANAFORT
2016/111--14 September 2016-- RUSSIA/ US: KREMLIN FALLOUT FROM MEDIA EXPOSURE OF MOSCOW'S INTERFERENCE IN THE US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
2016/112--14 September 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: KREMLIN-ALPHA GROUP COOPERATION
2016/113--14 September 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE TRUMP'S PRIOR ACTIVITIES IN ST PETERSBURG
2016/130--12 October 2016-- RUSSIA: KREMLIN ASSESSMENT OF TRUMP AND RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
2016/134--18 October 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: FURTHER DETAILS OF KREMLIN LIAISON WITH TRUMP CAMPAIGN
2016/135--19 October 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF TRUMP LAWYER, COHEN IN CAMPAIGN'S SECRET LIAISON WITH THE KREMLIN
2016/136--19 October 2016--US/RUSSIA: FURTHER DETAILS OF SECRET DIALOGUE BETWEEN TRUMP CAMPAIGN TEAM, KREMLIN AND ASSOCIATED HACKERS IN PRAGUE
2016/166--13 December 2016-- US/RUSSIA: FURTHER DETAILS OF SECRET DIALOGUE BETWEEN TRUMP CAMPAIGN TEAM, KREMLIN AND ASSOCIATED HACKERS IN PRAGUE
THE DETAILS
2016/80--20 June 2016— US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP'S ACTIVITIES IN RUSSIA AND COMPROMISING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KREMLIN
Source A a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure,
Source B a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin,
Source C senior Russian financial official,
Source D a close associate of TRUMP who had organized and managed his recent trips to Moscow,
Source E (unknown),
Source F Female staffer at the Ritz,
Source "8" (sic),
Source G a senior Kremlin official
Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by PUTIN, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance.
So far TRUMP has declined various business deals offered him in Russia in order to further the Kremlin's cultivation of him. However he and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals
Former top Russian intelligence officer claims FSB has compromised TRUMP through his activities in Moscow sufficiently to be able to blackmail him.
A dossier of compromising material on Hillary CLINTON has been collated by the Russian Intelligence Services but no embarrassing conduct. The dossier is controlled by Kremlin spokesman, PESKOV, directly on PUTIN's orders. However it has not as yet been distributed abroad, including to TRUMP.
2016/86--26 July 2015 (sic)-- RUSSIA/CYBER CRIME: A SYNOPSIS OF RUSSIAN STATE SPONSORED AND OTHER CYBER OFFENSIVE (CRIMINAL) OPERATIONS
Source A former senior intelligence officer,
Source B a Russian IT specialist with direct knowledge
Russia has extensive programme of state-sponsored offensive cyber operations . External targets include foreign governments and big corporations, especially banks. FSB leads on cyber within Russian apparatus. Limited success in attacking top foreign targets like G7 governments, security services and !Fis but much more on second tier ones through IT back doors, using corporate and other visitors to Russia
FSB often uses coercion and blackmail to recruit most capable cyber operatives in Russia into its state-sponsored programmes. Problems however for Russian authorities themselves in countering local hackers and cyber criminals, operating outside state control.
2016/94--19 July 2016-- RUSSIA: SECRET KREMLIN MEETINGS ATTENDED BY TRUMP ADVISOR, CARTER PAGE IN MOSCOW
(1) A Russian source close to Rosneft President Igor SECHIN,
(2) An official close to Presidential Administration Head S. IVANOV
TRUMP advisor Carter PAGE holds secret meetings in Moscow with SECHIN and senior Kremlin Internal Affairs official, DIVYEKIN
SECHIN raises issues of future bilateral US-Russia energy co-operation and associated lifting of western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. PAGE non-committal in response
DIVEYKIN discusses release of Russian dossier of 'kompromat' on TRUMP's opponent, Hillary CLINTON, but also hints at Kremlin possession of such material on TRUMP
2016/95--(UNDATED)-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: FURTHER INDICATIONS OF EXTENSIVE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN TEAM AND THE KREMLIN
Source E an ethnic Russian close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP
Further evidence of extensive conspiracy between TRUMP's campaign team and Kremlin, sanctioned at highest levels and involving Russian diplomatic staff based in the US
TRUMP associate admits Kremlin behind recent appearance of DNC e mails on WikiLeaks, as means of maintaining plausible deniability
Agreed exchange of information established in both directions . TRUMP's team using moles within DNC and hackers in the US as well as outside in Russia. PUTIN motivated by fear and hatred of Hillary CLINTON.
Russians receiving intel from TRUMP's team on Russian oligarchs and their families in US.
Mechanism for transmitting this intelligence involves "pension" disbursements to Russian emigres living in US as cover, using consular officials in New York, DC and Miami
Suggestion from source close to TRUMP and MANAFORT that Republican campaign team happy to have Russia as media bogeyman to mask more extensive corrupt business ties to China and other emerging countries
2016/97--30 July 2016-- RUSSIA-US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: KREMLIN CONCERN THAT POLITICAL FALLOUT FROM DNC E-MAIL HACKING AFFAIR SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL
SOURCE: (1) A Russian emigre figure close to the Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP's campaign team,
Kremlin concerned that political fallout from DNC e-mail hacking operation is spiralling out of control. Extreme nervousness among TRUMP's associates as result of negative media attention/accusations
Russians meanwhile keen to cool situation and maintain 'plausible deniability' of existing /ongoing pro-TRUMP and anti-CLINTON operations. Therefore unlikely to be any ratcheting up offensive plays in immediate future
Source close to TRUMP campaign however confirms regular exchange with Kremlin has existed for at least 8 years, including intelligence fed back to Russia on oligarchs' activities in US
Russians apparently have promised not to use 'kompromat' they hold on TRUMP as leverage, given high levels of voluntary co-operation forthcoming from his team
2016/100--5 August 2016-- RUSSIA/USA: GROWING BACKLASH IN KREMLIN TO DNC HACKING AND TRUMP SUPPORT OPERATIONS
SOURCE: (1) Two well-placed and established Kremlin sources,
(2) a second source, close to premier Dmitriy MEDVEDEV
Head of PA IVANOV laments Russian intervention in US presidential election and black PR against CLINTON and the DNC. Vows not to supply intelligence to Kremlin PR operatives again. Advocates now sitting tight and denying everything
Presidential spokesman PESKOV the main protagonist in Kremlin campaign to aid TRUMP and damage CLINTON . He is now scared and fears being made scapegoat by leadership for backlash in US. Problem compounded by his botched intervention in recent Turkish crisis
Premier MEDVEDEV's office furious over DNC hacking and associated anti-Russian publicity. Want good relations with US and ability to travel there. Refusing to support or help cover up after PESKOV
Talk now in Kremlin of TRUMP withdrawing from presidential race altogether, but this still largely wishful thinking by more liberal elements in Moscow
2016/101--10 August 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: SENIOR KREMLIN FIGURE OUTLlNES EVOLVING RUSSIAN TACTICS IN PRO-TRUMP, ANTI-CLINTON OPERATION
SOURCES: (1) An official close to Presidential Administration Head S. IVANOV,
(2) a Kremlin official involved in US relations
Head of PA, IVANOV assesses Kremlin intervention in US presidential election and outlines leadership thinking on operational way forward
No new leaks envisaged, as too politically risky, but rather further exploitation of (WikiLeaks) material already disseminated to exacerbate divisions
Educated US youth to be targeted as protest (against CUNTON) and swing vote in attempt to turn them over to TRUMP
Russian leadership, including PUTIN, celebrating perceived success to date in splitting US hawks and elite
Kremlin engaging with severa I high profile US players, including STEIN, PAGE and (former DIA Director Michael Flynn), and funding their recent visits to Moscow
2016/102--10 August 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: REACTION IN TRUMP CAMP TO RECENT NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE AND LIKELY RESULTING TACTICS GOING FORWARD
SOURCES: an ethnic Russian associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP
TRUMP campaign insider reports recent DNC e-maiI leaks were aimed at switching SANDERS (protest) voters away from CLINTON and over to TRUMP
Admits Republican campaign underestimated resulting negative reaction from US liberals, elite and media and forced to change course as result
Need now to turn tables on CLINTON’S use of PUTIN as bogeyman in election, although some resentment at Russian president's perceived attempt to undermine USG and system over and above swinging presidential election
2016/105--22 AUGUST 2016-- RUSSIA/UKRAINE: THE DEMISE OF TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER PAUL MANAFORT
SOURCES: (1) a well-placed Russian figure,
(2) an American political figure associated with Donald TRUMP
Ex-Ukrainian President YANUKOVYCH confides directly to PUTIN that he authorised kick-back payments to MANAFORT, as alleged in western media. Assures Russian President however there is no documentary evidence/trail
PUTIN and Russian leadership remain worried however and sceptical that YANUKOVYCH has fully covered the traces of these payments to TRUM P's former campaign manager
Close associate of TRUMP explains reasoning behind MANAFORT's recent resignation. Ukraine revelations played part but others wanted MANAFORT out for various reasons, especially LEWANDOWSKI who remains influential
2016/111--14 September 2016-- RUSSIA/ US: KREMLIN FALLOUT FROM MEDIA EXPOSURE OF MOSCOW'S INTERFERENCE IN THE US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
SOURCES: (1) a senior member of the Russian Presidential Administration, (2 a senior Russian MFA official)
Kremlin orders senior staff to remain silent in media and private on allegations of Russian interference in US presidential campaign
Senior figure however confirms gist of allegations and reports IVANOV
Sacked as Head of Administration on account of giving PUTIN poor advice on issue. VAINO selected as his replacement partly because he was not involved in pro-TRUMP, anti-CLINTON operation/s
Russians do have further 'kompromat' on CLINTON (e -mails) and considering disseminating it after Duma (legislative elections) in late September. Presidential spokesman PESKOV continues to lead on this
However, equally important is Kremlin objective to shift policy consensus favourably to Russia in US post-OBAMA whoever wins. Both presidential candidates' opposition to TPP and TTIP viewed as a result in this respect
Senior Russian diplomat withdrawn from Washington embassy on account of potential exposure in US presidential election operation/s
2016/112--14 Septembe 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: KREMLIN-ALPHA GROUP COOPERATION
SOURCES: (1) a top level Russian government official
Top level Russian official confirms current closeness of Alpha Group PUTIN relationship. Significant favours continue to be done in both directions and FRIDMAN and AVEN still giving informal advice to PUTIN, especially on the US
Key intermediary in PUTIN-Alpha relationship identified as Oleg GOVORUN, currently Head of a Presidential Administration department but throughout the 1990s, the Alpha executive who delivered illicit cash directly to PUTIN
PUTIN personally unbothered about Alpha's current lack of investment in Russia but under pressure from colleagues over this and able to exploit it as lever over Alpha interlocutors
2016/113--14 September 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE TRUMP'S PRIOR ACTIVITIES IN ST PETERSBURG
SOURCES: (1) a political/business elite and
(2) someone involved in the local services and tourist industry
Two knowledgeable St Petersburg sources claim Republican candidate TRUMP has paid bribes and engaged in sexual activities there but key witnesses silenced and evidence hard to obtain
Both believe Azeri business associate of TRUMP, Araz AGALAROV will know the details
2016/130--12 October 2016-- RUSSIA: KREMLIN ASSESSMENT OF TRUMP AND RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
SOURCES: A trusted compatriot talking to a Senior Russian Leadership figure and a Foreign Ministry official.
Buyer's remorse sets with Kremlin over TRUMP support operation in US presidential election . Russian leadership disappointed that. leaked e-malis on CLINTON have not had greater impact , campaign
Russians have injected further anti-CLINTON material into the plausibly deniable leaks pipeline, which wlll continue to surface, but best material already in public domain
Putin angry with senior officials who “overpromised” on Trump and further heads likely to roll as a result. Foreign Minister LAVRON may be next.
TRUMP supported by Kremlin because seen as divisive, antl-establishment candidate who would shake up current lnternational status quo in Russia's favor. Lead on TRUMP operation moving from Foreign Ministry to FSB and then to presidential administration where it now sits.
2016/134--18 October 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: FURTHER DETAILS OF KREMLIN LIAISON WITH TRUMP CAMPAIGN
SOURCES: A trusted compatriot talking to friend of Sechin and
(2) talking to a Kremlin insider
Close associate of SECHIN confirms his secret meeting in Moscow with Carter PAGE in July
Substance included offer of large stake in Rosneft in return for lifting sanctions on Russia. PAGE confirms this is TRUMP's intention
SECHIN continued to think TRUMP could win presidency up to 17 October. Now looking to reorientate his engagement with the US
Kremlin insider highlights importance of TRUMP's lawyer, Michael COHEN in covert relationship with Russia. COHEN's wife is of Russian descent and her father a leading property developer in Moscow
2016/135--19 October 2016-- RUSSIA/US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF TRUMP LAWYER, COHEN IN CAMPAIGN'S SECRET LIAISON WITH THE KREMLIN
SOURCES: A trusted compatriot talking to a Kremlin insider
Kremlin insider outlines important role played by TRUMP's lawyer COHEN in secret liaison with Russian leadership
COHEN engaged with Russians in trying to cover up scandal of MANAFORT and exposure of PAGE and meets Kremlin officials secretly in the EU in August in pursuit of this goal
These secret contacts continue but are now farmed out to trusted agents in Kremlin-linked institutes so as to remain "plausibly deniable" for Russian regime
Further confirmation that sacking of IVANOV and appointments of VAINO and KIRIYENKO linked to need to cover up Kremlin's TRUMP support operation
2016/166--13 December 2016-- US/RUSSIA: FURTHER DETAILS OF SECRET DIALOGUE BETWEEN TRUMP CAMPAIGN TEAM, KREMLIN AND ASSOCIATED HACKERS IN PRAGUE
SOURCES: Blacked out/Not Identified
TRUMP's representative COHEN accompanied to Prague in August/September 2016 by 3 colleagues for secret discussions with Kremlin representat ives and associated operators/hackers
Agenda included how to process deniable cash payments to operatives; contingency plans for covering up operations; and action in event of a CLINTON election victory
Some further details of Russian representatives/ operatives involved; Romanian hackers employed; and use of Bulgaria as bolt hole to "lie low»
Anti-CLINTON hackers and other operatives paid by both TRUMP team and Kremlin, but with ultimate loyalty to Head of PA, IVANOV and his successor/s
PT
Thanks.
There are a lot of similarities to the Benghazi Hearings. There is a cover-up of the facts on the ground. The difference is that the Steele Dossier was and is an attack on the Trump Presidency. It appears that it is in the best interest of the White House to let the truth out. But, this would release a huge case of worms. There must be incredible pressure to keep the facts hidden and continue the new Cold War with Russia.
Corporate media is being obtuse and very confusing to this oldster. This seems clear.
The Dossier was initiated by the right wing Washington Free Beacon. Clinton Campaign took it over. It was circulated to the media before the election but not published. Senator John McCain got a copy and gave it to the FBI. Buzzfeed released it in January 2017. To date, nothing significant in the dossier including the golden showers has been proven to be factual. Even so, FBI continued to fund it. Classified SIGINT on the Russian Ambassador was leaked to the media by a high level political appointee(s) in the intelligence community. General Michael Flynn is caught in a FBI perjury trap. The White House is now staffed by third-rate military and Goldman Sachs flunkies.
The only way out of this swamp is to stop the endless wars.
Posted by: VietnamVet | 15 December 2017 at 06:23 PM
VV,
You are wrong on one important point--"The Dossier was initiated by the right wing Washington Free Beacon."
No. The Dossier was not initiated by them. The WFB hired Fusion to do opposition research. If they had actually started the Dossier then there would have been a report prior to 1 April. Instead, as you can see above, the first report came out on 20 June.
Posted by: Publius Tacitus | 15 December 2017 at 06:32 PM
The mantra repeated that we live in a world order under the rule of law must surely, if it is to mean anything, mean that some of the people charged with upholding your Constitution as officeholders thereunder in the area of national security are going to have to be put on trial and jailed. Senior people.
A quis custodiet moment?
Posted by: Cortes | 15 December 2017 at 07:00 PM
VV
Fusion GPS was apparently initially hired by billionaire hedge fund manager and uber zionist Paul Singer to do oppo research on several GOP presidential candidates. The Clinton campaign and the DNC took over and paid Fusion GPS through the conduit of Clinton's lawyer Marc Elias. It was then that Christoper Steele was hired to create/fabricate the Trump Dossier.
PT
Sen. Johnson's committee is looking into the "investigation" by the FBI, CIA and DoJ into Hillary's mishandling of top secret information and allegations of Trump's collusion with Russia to steal the election.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-15/fbi-edits-clinton-exoneration-go-far-beyond-what-was-previously-known-comey-mccabe-s
PT, I have a question for you and others that know how the intelligence and law enforcement agencies work. Who could do an impartial investigation of those entrusted to enforce the law? Can there be such an investigation when it could uncover a conspiracy at the highest levels of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to subvert our constitution and the law?
Posted by: blue peacock | 15 December 2017 at 07:01 PM
What did Barack Obama know and when did he know it?
Posted by: Fred | 15 December 2017 at 08:41 PM
Near impossible. We're headed for a major crisis on this front. FBI and CIA cannot be trusted.
Posted by: Publius Tacitus | 15 December 2017 at 08:43 PM
SOURCES:
(1) a well-placed Russian figure,
(2) an American political figure associated with Donald TRUMP
Ex-Ukrainian President YANUKOVYCH confides directly to PUTIN that he authorised kick-back payments to MANAFORT, as alleged in western media. Assures Russian President however there is no documentary evidence/trail
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This alone makes me think someone made up some or a lot of theses reports.
A high placed Russian told them what Yanukovych admitted to Putin?
I don't see Putin relating this tidbit from his Yanukovych conversation to just anyone without except perhaps a person involved in the so called attempt to help Trump and if that was the case why would this Russian risk telling it?
And how would a US political figure close to Trump know of the kick back to Manafort....did Manafort himself tell it?
Did Manafort tell this other politician close to Trump he took a kick back.
If not Manafort to some one, then how did this bit of info get from Putin-Yanukovych-well placed Russia official to a US political figure close to Trump?
I did not vote in this last election as I did not like any of my choices so I have no interest in defending anyone but I am very skeptical of these reports.
Posted by: catherine | 15 December 2017 at 09:02 PM
Very well put together article, makes sequence clear. Thanks.
Posted by: catherine | 15 December 2017 at 09:06 PM
Publius Tacitus
There's no way that there will be an in-depth and transparent investigation. Too many skeletons in the closet. They'll go to the classic playbook of "classified information" and "we can't disclose sources and methods". In any case how do you investigate the enforcers of the law for lawbreaking?
At best we get a farce like the Owens inquiry in Britain that David Habakkuk has so well described to us here at SST. More likely it will all get swept under the rug and few people get slapped on the wrist. And the story will all be about a few bad apples.
The only scenario that I can see that could shine a spotlight is if some employee with integrity is willing to risk the benefits of their career and leaks more incriminating evidence of the conspiracy implicating Brennan and Clapper and Susan Rice and Loretta Lynch. Even then, the likelihood of the Republicans in Congress mounting any serious investigation are slim as they too are in thrall and even part of the elites that populate the highest levels of government.
Posted by: Jack | 15 December 2017 at 09:48 PM
VV,
....there must be incredible pressure to keep facts hidden...
one commenter said in a different thread, that this affair will be squashed because the can of worms is too big - too much of dirty laundry would have to be washed - it is likely that this will happen. IMHO this outcome will form within the "organs of security apparatus" (I use this phrasing in full realization that it resembles phrasing from the former SU) - a polarization among the ´apparatchiks´, who will anonymously keep leaking secret and ultra secret stuff. Maybe this is already happening. This will be (or is) undeclared bureaucratic guerrilla warfare - to detriment of quality of work. I would prefer that the can of worms would finally get opened and the culprits be tried and punished to preserve the rule of law. A lot depends what the Congress does.
Posted by: fanto | 15 December 2017 at 09:52 PM
PT
I'm afraid you are correct. It sure looks impossible for any far reaching investigation into FBI, DoJ, CIA and NSA manipulation of the American people.
An interesting analysis:
http://www.atimes.com/article/moscow-senses-trumps-travails-ending/
Posted by: blue peacock | 15 December 2017 at 10:55 PM
Very unique post.Thanks for share this informative post.
Posted by: Cinematographer in jaipur | 16 December 2017 at 05:36 AM
james
This is not a public forum. I post comments that I think are worthwhile. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 December 2017 at 07:39 AM
"I would prefer that the can of worms would finally get opened and the culprits be tried and punished to preserve the rule of law."
Lance the boil!
Who needs this hapless and totally incompetent bureaucracy that has been undermining the US national security? -- Where these "apparatchiks" have been when Clinton made the highly classified information widely available for all interested? Where the "apparatchiks" have been when Awan family had been surfing Congressional computers -- for years?! Why we still do not know who murdered Seth Rich? Why Morell is not in prison already for his anti-Constitutional, treasonous activities against POTUS?
Posted by: Anna | 16 December 2017 at 08:34 AM
Even a child could get this (for a starter):
"Let us pretend that the [Russian] strategy was to try and discredit Clinton...
The Russians would know all about the Uranium One matter where, as even the Clinton-friendly NYT admitted, "a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation". It would be very easy for them to package this as a case of Secretary of State Clinton selling US policy for personal profit. Russian intelligence organisations would have a great deal of true information and would find it easy to manufacture material to fill in any gaps in the story. Presented as a case of corruption and near treason, the story could have done a great deal of damage to her. And, given that it had happened six years earlier, all the details would have been known and ready to be used. It would have been a very powerful attack that even the complaint media would have had difficulty ignoring.
We know, and it's very likely that the Russians did too, that she ran a private e-mail server on which there were thousands and thousands of official communications. The server was very insecure and we can assume that Russia's signals intelligence (and everyone else's, for that matter) had penetrated it. Think of all the real material from that source that could be revealed or twisted to make a scandal. That would make quite a campaign. Further, it is a reasonable assumption that Russian intelligence would have some of the thousands of e-mails that were "bleached". There would be enough material for a months-long campaign of leaks."
Posted by: Anna | 16 December 2017 at 08:39 AM
PT,
VFB's Editor in Chief is the son-in-law of NEOCON Bill Kristol.
Posted by: J | 16 December 2017 at 09:37 AM
PT,
One theme that keeps rising in all of this, are their ties that bind, namely Agents of Influence of the Likud and Israeli Government.
Posted by: J | 16 December 2017 at 09:44 AM
I agree. I think the whole thing, Russian "highly placed" sources and all was completely made up out of whole cloth and a few bits and pieces of rumours. WE have only Steele's word for it about the sources and who would be naive enough to believe him on anything. The purpose was to get the FISA warrants to spy on the Trump campaign. In this respect it was like Watergate except these days, yo udon't need to physically break in. None of this was ever supposed to come out -- every single person in the conspiracy was completely confident that Clinton would be elected. Thus they could be careless confident that the complaisant media and she would cover for them.
Posted by: Patrick Armstrong | 16 December 2017 at 09:59 AM
Colonel, PT, TTG,
Adding to this mess, is now Chicago politicos are trying to bring in the U.N. Peacekeepers to operate on American soil. Give the U.N. an inch, and they'll take a mile.
Who the hell does Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin think he is directly addressing U.N. authorities to operate on U.S. soil?
Looks like a Logan Act violation by Boykin, that needs to put the Cook County Commissioner in jail.
Boykin asks United Nations for help fighting Chicago violence
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/boykin-to-ask-un-for-help-fighting-chicago-violence/2780474/
Commissioner Suggests U.N. Send Troops To Fight ‘Quiet Genocide’ Of Gun Violence In Chicago
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/12/14/richard-boykin-united-nations-gun-violence/
Posted by: J | 16 December 2017 at 10:11 AM
Patrick Armstrong has an article dated 15 December entitled, "Deconstructing the Almighty Russian Hackers Myth", in which he discusses the issue of alleged "interference" (whatever that means) by Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He approaches the issue from the perspective of what Russia might have done if it really wanted to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign so that Trump would win--
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/12/15/deconstructing-almighty-russian-hackers-myth.html
Posted by: robt willmann | 16 December 2017 at 10:46 AM
J,
Why oh why is such a fine stronghold of Democratic Party leadership such a haven for crime. What the city really needs is a good community organizer. Or perhaps they should bear the unbearable and vote in some law-and-order Republicans for change they can believe in.
Posted by: Fred | 16 December 2017 at 11:11 AM
Even Steele has admitted that he reckons the dossier is 70 -90 % true though he hasn't yet pointed out which bits he thinks ware true. So, almost a third could be made up by the author. Why should anyone take seriously anything he says?
Christopher Steele believes his dossier on Trump-Russia is 70-90% accurate
The Guardian then goes on to explain how much reliance has been placed on his work in the past.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/15/christopher-steele-trump-russia-dossier-accurate
"Between 2014 and 2016, he authored more than a hundred reports on Russia and Ukraine, which were commissioned by private clients but shared widely within the state department and passed across the desks of the secretary of state, John Kerry, and the assistant secretary Victoria Nuland, who led the US response to the annexation of Crimea and the covert invasion of eastern Ukraine."
It's worth noting that The Guardian is fully on board with the Washington Borg, so fully that it should be regarded as one of its London outstations
Posted by: blowback | 16 December 2017 at 12:09 PM
I think we'd all love to know the answer to that.
Posted by: Frank | 16 December 2017 at 04:55 PM
re "Christopher Steele believes his dossier on Trump-Russia is 70-90% accurate"
So it was "70-90% accurately"? That's as embarassing as it is amusing. For one, that mysterious "70-90% accuracy" does mean 30-10% chance of 'wrongness', and apparently that didn't matter to Steele.
And then, it's like rolling a dice. Perhaps Steele has played to much AD&D? Perhaps he founded a ... D20 rolling dice intelligence unit? When you roll the D20 and get between 12 and 17 that's evidence that Russia (1), Putin (2), Kimmy (3), Saddam (4), Assad (5) or whoever else (6) was behind it. Then roll a D6 to pick who is guilty after the evidence.
Just to make that clear: That that "70-90% accuracy" was completely acceptable to Steele gives a hint in what sort of 'intelligence' he was engaging.
Apparently Steele wasn't doing any intelligence or analysis. He was hired to make a case and that is what he did. Decency or honour didn't obstruct that job, which is another thing that speaks for itself.
Posted by: confusedponderer | 16 December 2017 at 05:10 PM
David Habakkuk has amply shown in his dissection of the Litvinenko affair that Christopher Steele's function is literally to fabricate the tissue of the lies.
Posted by: Rhondda | 16 December 2017 at 06:09 PM