The latest news about the FBI--e.g., they apparently lost 5 months of text messages between star FBI au lovers, Strzok-Page texts, perhaps 50,000--points to incompetence or malfeasance and coverup. I go with the latter.
The dates of the missing texts are the key tell--14 December 2016 thru 17 May 2017. Pay particular attention to the 14 December date in light of what we now know about the Dossier prepared/written by British spy Christopher Steele. Please reference my previous piece on the Dossier timeline:
18. 13 December 2016, Christopher Steele prepares, on his own, the 17th report in the dossier and sends it to Senator McCain via David Kramer.
Here are the key highlights of that report:
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
This information subsequently was used by FBI Director Comey, with the full knowledge of Strzok and Page, to obtain permission from a FISA court to "eavesdrop"/wiretap Donald Trump. The missing texts are likely to tell a story of FBI corruption and meddling that, if made public, will end the careers of several FBI agents and DOJ personnel. Stay tuned.
President Trump has agreed to be interviewed by special counsel Mueller under oath while reiterating that there was no collusion. Is this the set-up for the wind-up of the Mueller probe?
I am speculating on such an outcome for two reasons. One, if there was a shred of evidence on the alleged collusion it would have been leaked a long time ago. Second, it is getting too hot in the kitchen as more of the conspiracy gets uncovered and Mueller does not have clean hands due to his role in several investigations including UraniumOne and his close associations with a number of people including Comey who was his deputy at the FBI.
Posted by: blue peacock | 24 January 2018 at 08:09 PM
Amen, Sid Finster. Nailed it.
Posted by: Rich | 24 January 2018 at 08:28 PM
Col., et. al:
I recall Admiral Rogers' visit to Trump Tower during the transition period really chapped quite a few asses. If I remember correctly, Rogers was pilloried in the press afterwards--to include recommendations/claims by Brennan and Clapper he be fired.
It always struck me as odd. But the swiftness in which the hammer came down on him his "secret trip" definitely raised a few question marks. Logically, It seems that if there were any shenanigans going on that would have likely been the time T-money was apprised of the goings on. I actually went back and looked, and the very next day the whole Trump transition was moved from NYC to NJ. It seems more likely than not?
But I'm sure there are plenty of reasons DIRNSA would meet with the President-elect and there is also the issue of chain of command, but the anger directed at Rogers seemed disproportionate to his actions.
Anyone have a feel on this?
Posted by: The Porkchop Express | 24 January 2018 at 08:37 PM
Here is a brutal, and unfortunately truthful, description of the role of tribal membership in the ongoing American scandal: http://www.unz.com/article/its-time-to-drop-the-jew-taboo/
Posted by: Anna | 24 January 2018 at 09:50 PM
"McCabe is being allowed to hang on at the FBI on the taxpayer dime until March so that he can collect his pension."
Was not he involved in the conspiracy? Also, seems that dignity is sompletely outside McCabe' realm
Posted by: Anna | 24 January 2018 at 10:02 PM
Mark,
You are correct. It was an appropriate question and you did nothing untoward.Ma
Posted by: Publius Tacitus | 24 January 2018 at 10:24 PM
To paraphrase what blue peacock has written here and I strongly recommend you read his posts and the time line he put together.
Admiral Rogers discovered FISA violations and unauthorized access to raw data. He ordered a compliance review at the NSA. The result of this review showed many violations. He went personally to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and reported these violations. This happened October 2016. A week after the election, he went to Trump Tower without informing DNI Clapper and informed Trump about the surveillance and probably the violations that were uncovered by the compliance review at the NSA. The next day Trump moved his whole transition team to Bedminster.
Clapper and Brennan must have been furious because Admiral Rogers let the cat out of the bag and Trump knew what had happened and what was going on. That's why they wanted his head but Obama probably was too scared to pull the trigger and then have Admiral Rogers testify to Congress. Recall Trump's tweet that Obama had wiretapped him and how he was derided for that by the media and the establishment. Trump knew because of Admiral Rogers.
Posted by: Jack | 24 January 2018 at 10:28 PM
'60s cultural liberation movements
That's not what it reminds me of. Something more recent and completely unrelated on US ground.
I do not think the baby boomers brought evil over the world. But I am aware that I am in a minority with this position here.
Posted by: LeaNder | 25 January 2018 at 06:36 AM
LeaNder,
I agree that American boomers did not bring the brave new world to old Europe, that was done by Europeans. How's that working out for you?
Posted by: Fred | 25 January 2018 at 08:11 AM
By the way Col, did you happen to see Chuck Scarborough this AM (Jan 25th)on Morning Joe mocking Trey Gowdy's southern accent? I found this very interesting....can you imagine if someone had mocked an inner city accent? Or a Chinese accent? And so on......
Lets see if he called out on it.
Posted by: jonst | 25 January 2018 at 08:13 AM
Perhaps it is Nunes who needs super-protection right now.
Posted by: Anna | 25 January 2018 at 10:41 AM
John Kerry also part of the "secret society"? Reported that he told the Palestinians to not pay attention to Trump and that Trump would be gone within a year: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/25/john-kerry-reportedly-coaches-palestinians-not-to-yield-to-trump-in-peace-talks-spurring-backlash.html
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 25 January 2018 at 10:50 AM
Appreciated !
Posted by: The Porkchop Express | 25 January 2018 at 11:26 AM
jonst,
I saw that. [morning] Joe and Mika might as well just hang a sign around their necks reading, "I am Borg".
They have descended into full drunken clown mode; them and their brow beating guest talking heads. [according to them] it's so damaging to the image of the US to accuse the FBI of plotting to get rid of Trump. Such a crazy conspiracy theory! Inconceivable! Only a crazy idiot would buy into it! Contemptible! And then they turn around in the same breath and state that Trump was colluding with the monstrous Russians to undermine the democratic processes.
The lack of self-awareness is stunning.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 25 January 2018 at 12:57 PM
Some relevant news:
The missing text messages from a critical five-month period between Trump-bashing FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who both served on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, have been located by the Department of Justice.
In a letter sent to congressional committees, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said his office “succeeded in using forensic tools to recover text messages from FBI devices, including text messages between Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page that were sent or received between December 14, 2016 and May 17, 2017.”
Horowitz sent his letter confirming the discovery of texts to Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who had inquired about the messages.
“Our effort to recover any additional text messages is ongoing,” Horowitz added quoted by Fox News. “We will provide copies of the text messages that we recover from these devices to the Department so that the Department’s leadership can take any management action it deems appropriate.”
Posted by: Joe100 | 25 January 2018 at 03:56 PM
Walrus,
( reply to comment 8),
Since the NSA gathers EVERYthing communicated over electronic media . . . so far as I know . . . . then it stands to reason that the NSA intercepts stored at Fort Sweep-It-All-Up should contain this several month's bunch of FBI-related texts. So if they have been "erased" everywhere else, they should still exist in the NSA vaults.
Posted by: different clue | 25 January 2018 at 06:45 PM
Colonel,
On an off topic event, according to Robert David Steele the Hawaii alert incident was a real missile intercept.
Hawaii has 5 levels of fail-safe in their missile protection system. A tourist boat saw missile pieces falling into the sea.
The point of origin appears to be the Guam region which would be sea based launch.
Now the 64 dollar question, who did it and what type of inbound. What is interesting is that both the Clinton's and Obama's were in Hawaii at the time, which makes good alibis.
Some are hypothesizing that this has an Israeli involvement, say one of their subs. Would Israel do a USS Liberty part two? There's no doubt Israel would. If Israel thought it was in their interest, Israel would try and nuke U.S.
Posted by: J | 25 January 2018 at 08:26 PM
As I predicted (and believe me, I'm not doing a victory lap on this), it took all of a day for IG to get the records. They said they did it using "forensic" tools, which I'm guessing just means they retrieved a regularly archived version of the data.
I'm sorry, but this was not a story.
Posted by: shepherd | 26 January 2018 at 04:34 PM
Do they only work 9-5 or do they have the French 36 hour work week with extended holidays?
Ok, Fred, considering you are an old SST friend. One more note.
Do they only work 9-5 or do they have the French 36 hour work week with extended holidays?
Yes, strictly I wondered if forensic evidence based on, let's say, one factor like St. Petersburg work hours makes sense.
Posted by: LeaNder | 27 January 2018 at 10:53 AM
I like your analysis. I'm a person who grew up and became Democrat because of Kennedy. I disapproved of the Vietnam War and its effects on the young men of my generation.
I remained a Democrat despite the fact that I hated the sex, drugs, and rock and roll culture and the entire "flower power" movement, which seemed more in line with the Democrats.
It was a long time coming, but I finally gave up the Democratic Party because it was impossible to accept Obama and then Hillary.
It's been a long journey, one that causes me some embarrassment when I think of my past political beliefs.
What encourages me the most, however, are all the friends and family members now who have gone through the same metamorphosis. We sit around wondering how we could have been so wrong. So, our newer political beliefs are more tenuous. We think and re-think them.
Here is the one belief system that I believe allowed me finally to change my political belief system: my sincere and lifelong religious belief. My Sunday school training, confirmations school classes, my English studies, which all helped deepen my Christian beliefs.
When I was young and dumb, the Democrats seemed to be the people who were "more Christian." It took a long time and much piling up of evidence to see clearly that they use that veil of being "good" to trick and to cover their real beliefs.
I do not doubt that there are many Democrats who are people as I was in the past, good people who think their policies are good but who are unaware of how many of those policies are really harmful to people they want to help and are developed for the purpose not of helping people but for simply keeping them under the party's control.
Posted by: DianaLC | 28 January 2018 at 04:47 PM