Another SIGINT compromise ...

 

"Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter.

Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico, the current and former officials said.

It is unclear if any of those countries acted on the discussions, but Kushner’s contacts with certain foreign government officials have raised concerns inside the White House and are a reason he has been unable to obtain a permanent security clearance, the officials said.

Kushner’s interim security clearance was downgraded last week from the top-secret to the secret level, which should restrict the regular access he has had to highly classified information, according to administration officials.  Washpost

------------------

 Most people will probably be struck by the fall from grace of Kushner and other WH staff dilettantes.  I am not terribly interested in that.  What strikes me is that this is the third major compromise of US SIGINT products in the last year.  The first was the felonious disclosure to the press of US intelligence penetration of Russian diplomatic communications.  the second was the disclosure to the press of penetration of GRU communications.  In this one the oral or written  discussions among the officials of several foreign countries are revealed.  These conversations were probably encrypted. 

Is Jeff Sessions still alive?  Why are there no prosecutions for these felonies?  pl  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kushners-overseas-contacts-raise-concerns-as-foreign-officials-seek-leverage/2018/02/27/16bbc052-18c3-11e8-942d-16a950029788_story.html?utm_term=.e3639623e918

Comments

[b]

There is some law in borg world:
"No crime is committed in any case that helps to dismantle the Trump regime and its threat to our projects."

[TV]

Jeff Sessions is busy napping and don't count on the "career" lawyers (mostly Democrat and Trump-haters) to do anything;the same bunch that passed on prosecuting Lois Lerner and contributed heavily to Clinton's campaign.
"Secret" has become just another meaningless word in the swamp.

[paul]

Democracy only works when the losers relinquish the reigns of the state, i think that's over, the base of both parties are alienated and the elites of both parties drunk on power.

they are harming america they are harming "trump's america"

i think this will be our new status quo for the foreseeable future.

[LeaNder]

Do I understand you correctly, Colonel, none of these three incidences should have ever been made public?

It's surely peculiar that any of this ends up in the media. ...

[Leaky Ranger]

Maybe there is a clear and present danger in the White House?

Kushner’s Business Got Loans From Companies After White House Meetings

Apollo, the private equity firm, and Citigroup made large loans last year to the family real estate business of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s senior adviser.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/business/jared-kushner-apollo-citigroup-loans.html

[raven]

But, but . . her emails!

[Duck1]

Apparently certain souls are being soothed?

[The Twisted Genius]

Compared to Mueller's investigative team, the whole government is leaking like a sieve. However, I do wonder how much of this is a compromise of active SIGINT capability. I think the Russian were well aware something was up when Obama confronted Putin and Brennan did the same to his Russian counterpart after the election. If this capability included a variation of the SS7 exploit, that's know to all, including hackers. It's continued effectiveness relies on human nature. Everybody continues to carry their smart phones around and seemingly can no longer live without them. I thought the release of the Dutch cyber-espionage capability was a massive security breach even though the specific penetration of the COZY BEAR hackers ended long ago. The dueling HPSCI memos are another example of leaking classified information. It's all casualties of war (soft war, but war nonetheless), both internal and external.

For Kushner's vulnerability to foreign manipulation, there seems to be a lot out there beyond this one WAPO story. This month old article lays out the problems existence over the last year with China.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/29/jared-kushner-is-chinas-trump-card

[catherine]

Sessions is alive but Trump is beating him to investigate the FISA abuse.
Sessions may not be around much longer.

Donald J. Trump
(@realDonaldTrump)

Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!

14 hours ago · Twitter

[Marko]

Could you please refer to articles which discuss US intelligence penetration of Russian diplomatic and GRU communications?

[flamingo]

Sessions is barely able to pull off a Mr Magoo performance unlike his two predecessors who are now appearing like over achievers when compared to Magoo. Those two achieved nothing so it isn't hard for Magoo to beat that record. Lets get some action and appoint Trey Gowdy. While Trump is at it he might tar and feather the saboteur that put Sessions up for appointment.

[TomV]

"Is Jeff Sessions still alive? " ...Great 'punch line" It says it all!

[pantaraxia]

According to Sessions there are presently 27 open investigations of classified leaks whereas the previous two years had three each.

JEFF SESSIONS FULL ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW WITH MARIA BARTIROMO (at 7:17 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1A0eKeL9v0

[turcopolier]

Marko

In re Russian diplomatic comms.

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=.da68508d2a8e

pl

[turcopolier]

Marko

In re GRU communications penetration

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/06/06/did-the-intercept-bungle-nsa-leak/?utm_term=.d279daaeb5a5

pl

[jsn]

Unless and until Sessions starts arresting people, I'll continue to assume what we are witnessing is a poker match of competing corruptions, private and public, where all the players, because of their personal rot, have weak hands. They are all so corrupt they can't hold any of the face cards that real honor or morality could deal and they're too personally opportunistic to hold the aces of integrity or ethics. So they're all playing the numbers and suits and since ante was called in a smoke filled room, who knows what the wild cards are? No doubt they're many so chance will play a big part. That is where Trumps core talent figures in. Trump performs very well in chaotic environments because he can read other peoples reactions to the risks and opportunities they perceive and position himself to dominate and benefit from path dependent outcome featuring other peoples attempts at self preservation. As long as it doesn't start WW3, I'm enjoying the show.

[turcopolier]

LeaNder

Yes, none of the compromises of US penetrations of encrypted Russian government communications should ever have been made public. The penetration of such systems is an enormous enterprise and is vital to our (NATO) knowledge of Russian intentions on the world scene. I worked for three years in an activity that policed the security of our successes. The penalty for a US official or government contractor for breaching that security is 20 years in prison and IMO that penalty is richly justified. pl

[jonst]

as far as I'm concerned watching these compromises is akin to being worried about an active burglary ring in your neighborhood......while in the mean time your house is being taken away--unscrupulously-by your new mortgage company. It is not unreasonable to worry about the ring...but the main threat is an 'elite', bi-partisan, ruling class that is selling out the Nation because the profits are better overseas. And has been since the Soviet Union fell and that threat of ideological betrayal lost its meaning.

This is the manure that the DC 'Consulting' Class has been grown with....to its Olympian Heights.

[Terry]

Partisan politics is trumping the welfare of the Sovereign state.

[plantman]

I think the attacks on Kushner are particularly evil and calculating.... And they could pose a real danger to the country!

Look: The reason Trump's enemies want Kushner gone is because Trump does not have a wide circle of friends he can trust, so his enemies want to further isolate him so he can be controlled BY THEM.

The danger is that he will get increasingly embattled, erratic and paranoid.

Then what??
Maybe they think that's a reliable way to control someone like Bill Clinton or Richard Nixon, but Trump???

No way.

Trump has shown time and again that he does not respond to situations like other people.

I think that creates a potentially grave situation for the country, the country these deep-state vermin never think about. They only think about themselves.

[turcopolier]

TTG

"I do wonder how much of this is a compromise of active SIGINT capability. I think the Russian were well aware something was up when Obama confronted Putin and Brennan did the same to his Russian counterpart after the election." Unless you had access to the products under discussion and saw a major drop in the productivity of these operations, you are guessing. pl

[The Twisted Genius]

pl,

Yes, I am guessing. I have no idea if or when there was a major drop in the productivity of those operations. If i knew for sure, I wouldn't be saying so on the open internet. If anybody here does know of any drop in major productivity, they ought not to confirm or deny it either. But I would assume the Russians would reevaluate their security after the President and CIA Director personally told them that we knew exactly what they were doing as early as September 2016 at the G20 Summit. IMO Obama should have quietly taken actions through IC and CYBERCOM capabilities and not say anything to anybody. Stuff has been going on in the shadows for many years. That's where it can be most effective and that's where it should stay.

[Green Zone Café]

I think what TTG is alluding to is that the source may be from another SIGINT establishment, not the USA. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Given the vague nature of the allegations against Kushner, for all we know, it's Turkey, Brazil, or the UK leaking.

The reason why Jeff Sessions isn't prosecuting anyone is because he has no evidence against an American who is leaking.

[egl]

The leaks could have come from inside the White House. There's no shortage of insiders and wanna-be insiders who don't like Javanka's access to Trump.

[Sid Finster]

I do hope that this is a rhetorical question - nothing will be done because the Deep State, the Borg, whatever you want to call it, does not particularly want Kushner involved in policy.

I do not want Kushner involved in policy either, but I am not leaking anything to get him forced to the side.