SZ0dmL5x

1
2
3Some corrections:
4
5
6
7
8About Comey briefing Trump that the dossier was about to be leaked, I asked:
9
10https://pastebin.com/bqyWNzgi
11
12	how did you know for sure? why is a "defensive briefing" even necessary? and did you really have to talk about the blackmail material in detail?
13
14These questions aren't that good. A better question is: why brief people on the dossier at all?
15
16It looks like there is a Russian propaganda campaign to convince people the dossier is true (or trick people into thinking the whole thing is true):
17
18
19http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/donald-trump-russia-report-intelligence-community
20	by Abigail Tracy 
21
22	At the same time, the fact that the nation’s top intelligence officials chose to present a summary version of the dossier to both President Obama and President-elect Trump, as CNN reports they did last week, indicates that they may have had a relatively high degree of confidence that at least some of the claims therein were credible, or at least worth investigating further. “My general take is that the intelligence community and law enforcement seem to be taking these claims seriously. That itself is highly significant. But it is not the same as these allegations being verified,” Susan Hennessey a former lawyer for the National Security Administration, told Wired. “Even if this was an intelligence community document—which it isn’t—this kind of raw intelligence is still treated with skepticism.” Former N.S.A. analyst John Schindler made a similar argument on Twitter, writing that the intelligence community “would never touch an outside, private Intel report, much less briefed it to ‘the top,’ unless key parts could be corroborated.”
23
24https://www.reddit.com/r/russianpropaganda/comments/5tqnbz/john_schindlers_conduct_is_consistent_with_being/
25	John Schindler's conduct is consistent with being a Kremlin propagandist
26
27http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/06/donald-trump-nato-article-5
28	by Abigail Tracy 
29
30	Of course we believe in Article 5,” United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Sunday during an interview with CNN’s State of the Union. Secretary of Defense James Mattis argued that Trump’s mere appearance before NATO leaders indicated that he was dedicated to the alliance. “He was there to show our statement that we are standing with the NATO allies 100 percent,” Mattis said at a security conference in Singapore on Saturday. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster took his defense of Trump’s speech one step further. “I think it’s extraordinary that there would be an expectation that the president would have to say explicitly that he supports Article 5. Of course he does,” McMaster told reporters at the end of a Group of Seven summit in Sicily. “He did not make a decision not to say it. It was implicit in the speech. There was no decision to not put it in there.”
31
32(Article 5 is the whole point of NATO. Trump claims to understand and support NATO, at least for fighting terrorism: http://thehill.com/policy/international/330245-trump-didnt-know-much-about-nato-when-he-called-it-obsolete-report)
33
34http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/12/joe-biden-presidential-election-2020
35	Why Biden 2020 Isn’t As Crazy As It Sounds
36
37	by Abigail Tracy
38
39	...Biden harkens superficially back to an older, whiter time
40
41	...Sure, he’d be pushing 80 by the time he returned to lead the country.
42
43
44https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trump-intelligence-report-explainer.html
45	What We Know and Don’t Know About the Trump-Russia Dossier
46
47	By SCOTT SHANE
48
49	Last June, after evidence of Russian hacking of Democratic targets surfaced, Fusion GPS **hired a retired British intelligence officer**, Christopher Steele, to investigate Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia.
50
51	...Mr. Steele, who had long experience in Russia and a network of connections there, compiled **dozens of reports** detailing what he heard from his contacts. The memos he wrote, mostly one to three pages long, are dated from June to December.
52
53	...The memos contain **unsubstantiated claims that Russian officials tried to obtain influence over Mr. Trump** by preparing to blackmail him with sex tapes and bribe him with business deals.
54
55	...Fusion GPS and Mr. Steele shared the memos first with their clients, and later with the F.B.I. and multiple journalists at The New York Times and elsewhere.
56
57	The memos, totaling about 35 pages, also **reached a number of members of Congress.**
58
59 	Last week, when **the F.B.I., C.I.A. and National Security Agency gave a classified report** on the Russian hacking, leaking and efforts to influence the presidential election to Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump and congressional leaders, they attached a two-page summary of the unverified allegations in the memos.
60
61	...Whether any of the claims in the memos are true. American intelligence agencies have not confirmed them, and **Mr. Trump has said they are a complete fabrication.**
62
63	...Who concocted the information in the memos, if it is entirely false or partly so, and with what purpose. If all the information in the dossier is false, it **is a very sophisticated fabrication.**
64
65	What exactly prompted American intelligence officials to pass on a summary of the unvetted claims to Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump and Congress. Officials have said they felt the president-elect should be aware of the memos, which had circulated widely in Washington. But putting the summary in a report that went to multiple people in Congress and the executive branch made it **very likely that it would be leaked.**
66
67	...So what changed on Tuesday? Why is this now being reported?
68
69	CNN broke the news that a summary of the memos had been attached to the classified report by the F.B.I., C.I.A. and National Security Agency on the Russian hacking and leaking, and that it had been given to Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump and congressional leaders last week. That level of official attention prompted news organizations to decide to inform the public about the memos.
70
71http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/world/europe/29spy.html
72	In Ordinary Lives, U.S. Sees the Work of Russian Agents
73
74	By SCOTT SHANE and CHARLIE SAVAGE JUNE 28, 2010 
75
76	The alleged agents were directed to gather information on nuclear weapons, American policy toward Iran, C.I.A. leadership, Congressional politics and many other topics, prosecutors say. The Russian spies made contact with a former high-ranking American national security official and a nuclear weapons researcher, among others. But the charges did not include espionage, and it was unclear what secrets the suspected spy ring — which included five couples — actually managed to collect.
77
78	...“The magnitude, and the fact that so many illegals were involved, was a shock to me,” said Oleg D. Kalugin, a former K.G.B. general who was a Soviet spy in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s under “legal” cover as a diplomat and Radio Moscow correspondent. “It’s a return to the old days, but even in the worst years of the cold war, I think there were no more than 10 illegals in the U.S., probably fewer.”
79
80
81http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-intelligence-report-buzzfeed-cnn-coup-214623
82	The Coup Before the Inauguration
83
84	To hear Donald Trump tell it, BuzzFeed and CNN teamed up with a rogue intelligence community to slime him and destroy his presidency. But what other choice did they have?
85
86	By Jack Shafer January 11, 2017
87
88	...If you’re asking if I would have published the raw report if I had been sitting in the editor Ben Smith’s BuzzFeed cockpit, the answer is yes. No competent journalist publishes oppo research without confirming and placing it in context, so I stand with the major news organizations that did not publish during the campaign. But when such a report is flung about by people in power, as this one was, and its allegations are beginning to inform governance, more damage is done to trust in government and confidence in journalism by withholding it from public scrutiny.
89
90	...Perhaps the leading indicator that the dossier isn’t pure invention comes from Russia itself, which has officially announced that the report is “pulp fiction” and an “absolute fabrication.” A Kremlin spokesman said, “The Kremlin has no compromising information on Trump.” Oh, come on! The Kremlin must have some compromising information on everybody in the U.S. within reach of the tendrils of power, especially folks like Trump who have traveled there. The Russians are protesting a tad too much. Hell, the Kremlin probably has compromising information on your mother.
91
92http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/17/hr-mcmaster-trump-leak-russian-classified-intel-215149
93	H.R. McMaster Takes a Dive
94	The national security adviser’s fanboys are having a sad over his shilling for Baby Donald.
95	By Jack Shafer  May 17
96
97
98http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/03/dossier-looking-more-credible-all-time/
99	The Trump “Dossier” Is Looking More Credible All the Time
100	Kevin Drum
101	Mar. 30, 2017
102
103		...The most explosive allegation that the dossier says originally came from Millian is the claim that Trump had hired prostitutes at the Moscow Ritz-Carlton and that the Kremlin has kept evidence of the encounter.
104
105	Nobody knows for sure if Millian is genuinely plugged in at high levels, or if he’s just a fast-talking huckster. But put all this together and it’s easy to see why the Trump-Russia story won’t go away. The FBI believes Steele to be credible. In the cases where it’s been possible to check out the allegations in the dossier, they’ve turned out to be true. Other intelligence corroborates much of the alleged Russian activity. And Millian’s claims are genuinely explosive.
106
107http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/mcmaster-trumps-blabbing-was-totally-appropriate
108	McMaster: Trump's Blabbing Was "Wholly Appropriate"
109	Kevin Drum  May 16
110
111
112http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/politics/fbi-dossier-carter-page-donald-trump-russia-investigation/index.html
113	FBI used dossier allegations to bolster Trump-Russia investigation
114
115	By Evan Perez, Shimon Prokupecz and Manu Raju, CNN
116
117http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/10/politics/russia-dossier-update/index.html
118	US investigators corroborate some aspects of the Russia dossier
119
120	By Jim Sciutto and Evan Perez, CNN
121
122https://web.archive.org/web/20100704035145/http://blogs.wsj.com:80/washwire/2010/06/29/alleged-russian-spies-a-novel-idea/
123	Alleged Russian Spies: A Novel Idea?
124
125	By Evan Perez
126
127	The criminal complaints filed by U.S. prosecutors don’t portray any significant U.S. secrets that may have been compromised by the agents; in fact FBI wiretaps captured two of them discussing that they likely couldn’t pass vetting if they tried to get a U.S. government job. 
128
129
130http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/what-happened-donald-trumps-russia-scandal
131	What happened to Donald Trump’s Russia scandal?
132	02/10/17 04:15 PM
133	By Steve Benen
134
135	In the meantime, Russia is taking steps that make it seem as if some in Putin’s government believe the details in the now-infamous dossier may be true.
136
137http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-national-security-advisor-comes-the-wrong-defense
138	 Trump’s National Security Advisor comes up with the wrong defense
139	 By Steve Benen  May 16
140
141
142https://patribotics.blog/2017/02/26/planespotting-michael-cohens-amazing-journey-louise-mensch/
143	Planespotting: Michael Cohen’s Amazing Journey
144
145	When the Steele dossier was published by Buzzfeed, with an entirely appropriate amount of caveats, other journalistic outlets rushed to pour cold water on it, and wrongly so.
146
147	Chief among these was CNN. Acting as if Buzzfeed had not offered caveats alongside the publication, CNN blasted the news site as though they had irresponsibly published ‘fake news’.
148
149
150http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/17/media/fbi-raid-orrin-hatch-russian-election-meddling/index.html
151	How an FBI raid fed a rumor that Orrin Hatch was about to become president
152
153	For a moment last week, a part of the Internet thought Utah Senator Orrin Hatch was on the verge of becoming president of the United States.
154
155	On Thursday, in a pair of unproven reports on her website Patribotics, Mensch wrote that Hatch was "likely to become president" should President Trump be removed from office -- because, she said, Trump and the next two people in the Constitutional line of succession were likely swept up in the Russian plot to sway the US election and, thus, ineligible for the presidency. 
156
157
158http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-russia-dossier-fbi-investigation-2017-3
159	The FBI is reportedly using the explosive Trump-Russia dossier as a 'roadmap' for its investigation
160	Natasha Bertrand
161
162	The relationship was so "chummy" that the FBI offered to pay Steele to continue his work in October, The Washington Post reported last month.
163
164https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fbi-once-planned-to-pay-former-british-spy-who-authored-controversial-trump-dossier/2017/02/28/896ab470-facc-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html
165	...Ultimately, the FBI did not pay Steele.
166
167	...Those people say Steele’s frustration with the FBI peaked after an Oct. 31 New York Times story that cited law enforcement sources drawing conclusions that he considered premature. The article said that the FBI had not yet found any “conclusive or direct link” between Trump and the Russian government and that the Russian hacking was not intended to help Trump.
168
169	...“The [intelligence community] has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions,” then-Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said in a statement in January.
170
171http://www.businessinsider.com/carter-page-fbi-dossier-fisa-warrant-case-2017-4
172	We just got a huge sign that the US intelligence community believes the Trump dossier is legitimate
173    	Natasha Bertrand
174
175https://finance.yahoo.com/news/national-security-experts-trumps-sharing-135600288.html
176	National security experts: Trump's sharing classified info with Russia 'may breach his oath of office'
177	Natasha Bertrand
178
179	..."This story is nauseating," Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution, posted on Twitter along with a link to The Washington Post's bombshell story. "You might have to work with natsec," or national security, "people to understand how bad it is, but it's horrible. Really really bad."
180
181http://www.businessinsider.my/mcmaster-trump-russia-classified-information-2017-5/
182	Trump’s national security adviser: He ‘wasn’t even aware’ of where information he shared with Russians came from
183
184	Natasha Bertrand 
185
186	...McMaster did not confirm whether the information Trump disclosed was classified, or if it came from a US ally. But he suggested Trump did not intend to reveal classified information because he “did not even know where that information came from.” 
187
188https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/05/16/mcmaster_national_security_put_at_risk_by_leaks_like_washington_post_story.html
189	QUESTION: General, when you came out after the story broke, you said that the president did not disclose any sources or methods. He did not reveal anything about military operations. Why were you denying things that were not even reported? What the report said is that the president revealed classified information that had been shared by one of our allies in the Middle East. So the question is simply a yes or no question here. Did the president share classified information with the Russians in that meeting?
190
191	MCMASTER: As I mentioned already, we don't say what's classified, what's not classified. What I will tell you again is that what the president shared was wholly appropriate. The story -- the story combined what was leaked with other information and then -- and the insinuated about sources and methods. So I wanted to make clear to everybody that the president in no way compromised any sources or methods in the course of this conversation.
192
193
194But some major claims in the dossier don't hold up. A lot of the dossier is about a momentous secret meeting between Russian officials and Trump lawyer Micheal Cohen and that allegedly took place in August 2016 in Prague:
195
196
197https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
198	Speaking to a compatriot and friend on 19 October 2016, a Kremlin insider provided further details of reported clandestine meeting/ s between Republican presidential candidate, Donald TRUMP'S lawyer Michael COHEN and Kremlin representatives in August 2016. Although the communication between them had to be cryptic for security reasons, the Kremlin insider clearly indicated to his/her friend that the reported contact /s took place in Prague, Czech Republic.
199
200	...Rossotrudnichestvo was being used as cover for this relationship and its office in Prague may well have been used to host the COHEN / Russian Presidential Administration (PA) meeting /s. It was considered a "plausibly deniable" vehicle for this, whilst remaining entirely under Kremlin control. 
201
202	...KOSACHEV, also "plausibly deniable" being part of the Russian legislature rather than executive, had facilitated the contact in Prague and by implication, may have attended the meeting/ s with COHEN there in August.
203
204	...US/RUSSIA: FURTHER DETAILS OF SECRET DIALOGUE BETWEEN TRUMP CAMPAIGN TEAM, KREMLIN AND ASSOCIATED HACKERS IN PRAGUE 
205
206	- TRUMP’s representative COHEN accompanied to Prague in August/September 2016 by 3 colleagues for secret discussions with Kremlin representatives and associated operators/hackers 
207
208	1. We reported previously (2016/135 and /136) on secret meeting/s held in Prague, Czech Republic in August 2016 between then Republican presidential candidate Donald TRUMP's representative, Michael COHEN and his interlocutors from the Kremlin working under cover of Russian 'NGO' Rossotrudnichestvo. 
209
210	...COHEN had been accompanied to Prague by 3 colleagues and the timing of the visit was either in the last week of August or the first week of September. One of their main Russian interlocutors was Oleg SOLODUKHIN operating under Rossotrudnichestvo cover. According the agenda comprised questions on how deniable cash payments were to be made to hackers who had worked in Europe under Kremlin direction against the CLINTON campaign and various contingencies for covering up these operations and Moscow's secret liaison with the TRUMP team more generally. 
211
212	In Prague, COHEN agreed contingency plans for various scenarios to protect the operation
213
214	...We reported earlier that the involvement of political operatives Paul MANAFORT and Carter PAGE in the secret TRUMP- Kremlin liaison had been exposed in the media in the run-up to Prague and that damage limitation of these also was discussed by COHEN with the Kremlin representatives
215
216
217But Czech intelligence said they found no evidence Cohen travelled to Prague:
218
219
220https://www.rferl.org/a/czech-intelligence-trump-lawyer-prague-meeting/28226228.html
221	January 11, 2017 15:27 GMT 
222
223	PRAGUE -- A Czech investigative journal quotes local intelligence officers as saying they have no evidence that a lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump traveled to the Czech capital last year, potentially dealing a blow to a claim at the center of an unverified text suggesting Russia had compromising materials on the billionaire developer.
224
225	The lawyer, Michael Cohen, has already dismissed reports that he met in Prague with Russian agents over possible influence on the 2016 presidential election, and said he has never been to the city.
226
227	A Czech intelligence source told the Respekt magazine that there is no record of Cohen arriving in Prague by plane, although the news weekly pointed out he could have traveled by car or train from a nearby EU country, avoiding passport control under Schengen zone travel rules.
228
229	"If there was such a meeting, he [Cohen] didn’t arrive in the Czech Republic by plane," the source said.
230
231
232nor did the FBI:
233
234
235https://www.wsj.com/articles/spy-agencies-investigating-claims-trump-advisers-worked-with-russian-agents-1484101731
236	Spy Agencies Investigating Claims Trump Advisers Worked With Russian Agents
237
238	By Shane Harris, Devlin Barrett and Alan Cullison
239
240	U.S. intelligence agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have spent months trying to substantiate explosive claims, compiled by a former Western intelligence official, that Russian government operatives engaged in an extensive conspiracy with advisers to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and employees of his company, people familiar with the matter said.
241
242	...The FBI has found no evidence that he traveled to the Czech Republic, where the meeting allegedly took place in August of last year, officials said.
243
244
245and CNN reports that it was a different Micheal Cohen who went to Prague:
246
247
248https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/819187673961287681?lang=en
249	6:22 AM - 11 Jan 2017
250
251	In this uncorroborated report it talks about Micheal Cohen Trump's official corporate lawyer making a trip to the Czech Republic. My reporting suggests that people did try to run that down and they concluded that it was a different Micheal Cohen. It was a Micheal Cohen with a passport from another country; the same birth year, different birth date. So for Micheal Cohen to dispute that he was in the Czech Republic completely confirms and comports with our reporting, and its one of the reasons why the intelligence chiefs did not get specific with these allegations, and that's why I hope at the press conference today people are more general and don't get into the specifics because a lot of that stuff just has not been proven.
252
253
254A lot of the dossier's claims don't make sense:
255
256
257https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
258	The reason for using WikiLeaks was "plausible deniability” and the operation had been conducted with the full knowledge and support of TRUMP and senior members of his campaign team. In return the TRUMP team had agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue and to raise US/NATO defence commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe to deflect attention away from Ukraine, a priority for PUTIN who needed to cauterise the subject. 
259
260
261If this was Putin's plan, it wasn't a very good one. All Trump did was draw attention to Ukraine:
262
263
264https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/trump-campaign-guts-gops-anti-russia-stance-on-ukraine/2016/07/18/98adb3b0-4cf3-11e6-a7d8-13d06b37f256_story.html
265	Trump campaign guts GOP’s anti-Russia stance on Ukraine
266
267
268https://qz.com/650201/donald-trump-hired-an-advisor-to-ukraines-notorious-former-president-putin-buddy-viktor-yanukovych/
269	Donald Trump has hired an experienced political operative to help wrangle GOP delegates: Paul Manafort, a strategist with three decades of Republican conventions under his belt, who has also worked for some unsavory international clients.
270
271	That roster includes the pro-Russian former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed in a popular revolution in 2013.
272
273
274https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/06/ukraine-trump-presidency-russia-putin
275	'It's a pretty disturbing time for Ukraine': Trump's Russia ties unnerve Kiev 
276
277
278https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/760095370185674752
279	When I said in an interview that Putin is "not going into Ukraine, you can mark it down," I am saying if I am President. Already in Crimea!
280
281
282https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/831846101179314177
283	Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?
284
285
286https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/820789938887294977
287	much worse - just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?
288
289
290Trump doesn't sounds like someone who "agreed to sideline Ukraine" in some kind of deal. He comes off as an obsequious Putin fan who doesn't know what he's doing:
291
292
293https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862788002594127873/photo/1
294	Yesterday, on the same day- I had meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the FM of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin. #LetsMakePeace!
295
296
297https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/814919370711461890
298	Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!
299
300
301https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/347191326112112640
302	Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow - if so, will he become my new best friend?
303
304	8:17 PM - 18 Jun 2013
305
306
307And Trump has been convinced "other countries are ripping us off" for decades:
308
309
310http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/Trump-U-S-Should-Stop-Paying-To-Defend-Countries-that-Can-Protect-Selves/id-05133dbe63ace98766527ec7d16ede08
311	Sep. 1, 1987 
312
313	NEW YORK (AP) _ Real estate developer Donald J. Trump bought full-page ads in three major U.S. newspapers to say the United States should stop paying to defend countries that can afford to protect themselves.
314
315	The advertisements appeared in Wednesday's New York Times, Washington Post and Boston Globe at a total cost of $94,801, said Trump spokesman Daniel Klores.
316
317	The ads bore the headline, ''There's nothing wrong with America's Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone can't cure.''
318
319	''For decades, Japan and other nations have been taking advantage of the United States'' and that it has been costing this nation in terms of the economy, deficit and taxes, the ad said. ''The saga continues unabated as we defend the Persian Gulf.''
320
321	Trump described the Gulf as ''an area of only marginal significance to the United States for its oil supplies, but one upon which Japan and others are almost totally dependent.''
322
323	''Why are these nations not paying the United States for the human lives and billions of dollars we are losing to protect their interests? ... The world is laughing at America's politicians as we protect ships we don't own, carrying oil we don't need, destined for allies who won't help.''
324
325	Trump's name has been mentioned for various public offices, including mayor of New York City, governor and the presidency.
326
327	Asked if Trump's letter had anything to do with political aspirations, Klores said, ''Right now Donald Trump has no ambition to seek political office of any kind.'' 
328
329
330https://votesmart.org/public-statement/367/discusses-his-bid-for-the-reform-party-presidential-nomination-interview
331	Oct. 24, 1999
332
333	MR. TRUMP: Well, I mean, I think there is a certain controversy to me. And I am single. And I do go out with women. And I do respect and adore women. And some women love me and probably some women don’t. But I am certainly controversial. But I also am a great businessman. I’d make the greatest treaties that this country has seen in a long time. Other countries wouldn’t be ripping us off like they’re doing, when you look at what Japan has been doing to us for so many years and decades. I mean, they wouldn’t be ripping us like they are, and things would happen.
334
335
336http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/10/08/trump.transcript/
337	October 8, 1999
338
339	I am for whatever it takes. We have the money. The fact is, that the world is ripping off this country: Germany is ripping us off big league; Saudi Arabia is ripping us off big league; France, I mean, they’re the worst team player I’ve ever seen in my life. You look at what’s happened, Japan, for years, I mean, we’re like a whipping post for Japan.
340
341
342http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2011/04/15/exclusive-donald-trump-rips-into-president-obama-past/
343	Published April 15, 2011
344
345	HANNITY: And what have you come up with your investigators?
346
347	TRUMP: Well, I don’t want to say that now. But it is going to be very interesting. But I don’t want to say it now, Sean. But I will say this, I don’t love this issue. I’d much rather be talking about how China is ripping us off, how OPEC is — that’s what I’m really good at. I understand it. I can do such a great job.
348
349
350http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/27/americas-allies-are-ripping-us-off-says-donald-trump/
351	27 March 2016 • 8:52pm
352
353	America’s allies are “ripping us off” says Donald Trump
354
355
356And he has long held warm feelings toward the Russian government:
357
358
359http://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/03/nyregion/trump-wins-approval-for-3d-casino-in-jersey.html
360	July 3, 1987
361
362	Mr. Trump also said he would leave Friday for Moscow to pursue an invitation to build a hotel across from the Kremlin. 
363
364	...Of the Moscow project, Mr. Trump said he did not know how large the hotel would be. He plans to be in Moscow for six days as a guest of the Government to examine the site and look into details. He said it would be his first trip to the Soviet Union. Kremlin Wants a Trump Tower
365
366	The New York developer said the Soviet Government wanted a hotel ''with the feel of Trump Tower.'' 
367
368
369http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_spectator/2016/03/trump_s_nuclear_experience_advice_for_reagan_in_1987.html
370	So what is the deal Trump thinks can be done? What is the Trump Plan?
371
372	It’s a deal with the Soviets. We approach them on this basis: We both recognize the nonproliferation treaty’s not working, that half a dozen countries are on the brink of getting a bomb. Which can only cause trouble for the two of us. The deterrence of mutual assured destruction that prevents the United States and the USSR from nuking each other won’t work on the level of an India-Pakistan nuclear exchange. Or a madman dictator with a briefcase-bomb team. The only answer is for the Big Two to make a deal now to step in and prevent the next generation of nations about to go nuclear from doing so. By whatever means necessary.
373
374	“Most of those [pre-nuclear] countries are in one form or another dominated by the U.S. and the Soviet Union,” Trump says. “Between those two nations you have the power to dominate any of those countries. So we should use our power of economic retaliation and they use their powers of retaliation and between the two of us we will prevent the problem from happening.
375
376
377http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/russia-trump-political-conflict-zone/story?id=42263092
378	There is ample evidence in Russian media from that period in the 2000s that brokers mounted a significant effort to attract buyers to Trump properties in Florida, Toronto and New York. And Trump and his children participated in those campaigns.
379     
380	During the marketing of the Trump SoHo project, in which Trump licensed his name to a group that included Russian investors, the Trump family met with a group of Russian journalists at their New York offices to help boost interest in the project, according to Russian media reports. During the meeting, Trump was quoted telling the gathering of Russian journalists: “I really like Vladimir Putin. I respect him. He does his work well. Much better than our Bush.”
381
382
383Reading between the lines, it sounds like Trump's position on NATO being "obsolete" might have something to do with his feelings about Russia:
384
385
386http://ktla.com/2017/04/12/trump-reverses-position-says-nato-no-longer-obsolete/
387	Trump said Wednesday he’d changed views after NATO’s leaders assured him the group would turn its attention to combating groups like ISIS going forward.
388
389	“The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism,” Trump said. “I complained about that a long time ago, and they made a change and now they do fight terrorism.”
390
391
392(e.g. "the Warsaw pact dissolved, so NATO is obsolete!")
393
394
395In sum, Putin wouldn't need to make a deal with Trump to "raise US/NATO defence commitments." He'd do it on his own (or with some prodding by agents of influence close to him).
396
397(And you have to wonder where Trump got the idea that NATO is "obsolete" or "needs to pay up?"  I don't actually know, but this might be a start: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-cant-our-allies-defend-themselves-19880616).
398
399
400The dossier tries to make Trump sound like a witting spy for Russia:
401
402
403https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
404	...In terms of the intelligence flow from the TRUMP team to Russia, Source E reported that much of this concerned the activities of business oligarchs and their families’ activities and assets in the US, with which PUTIN and the Kremlin seemed preoccupied. 
405
406	...the emigre confirmed that an intelligence exchange had been running between them for at least 8 years. Within this context PUTIN'S priority requirement had been for intelligence on the activities, business and otherwise, in the US of leading Russian oligarchs and their families. TRUMP and his associates duly had obtained and supplied the Kremlin with this information.
407
408
409But that's not consistent with how Russia's influence operations have worked historically (e.g with Gore, Mao: https://pastebin.com/r5PHGSnz), and Trump has all the hallmarks of a "useful idiot" who actually believes what he's saying. Russia puts out their propaganda because it works--there are people who actually believe it. It looks like Donald Trump actually believes it: 
410
411
412http://www.politicususa.com/2017/06/03/nbc-news-refuses-report-trump-london-bridge-tweet-false-info.html
413	Donald Trump retweeted:
414
415		Fears of new terror attack after van 'mows down 20 people' on London Bridge…
416
417		— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) June 3, 2017
418
419	Trump then tweeted a plea for his travel ban as a tool to fight terrorism:
420
421	We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!
422
423		— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2017
424
425
426https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/527388136306143232
427	Just out - the POLAR ICE CAPS are at an all time high, the POLAR BEAR population has never been stronger. Where the hell is global warming?
428
429	2:15 AM - 29 Oct 2014
430
431
432https://www.infowars.com/penguins-polar-bears-glaciers-arctic-ice-all-thriving/
433	Global warming alarmists debunked yet again by reality
434
435	Even as climate alarmists amplify their call for a worldwide tax on carbon dioxide emissions in the name of preventing global warming – penguins, polar bears, Himalayan glaciers and Arctic sea ice are all thriving.
436
437
438https://www.infowars.com/polar-bear-numbers-still-on-the-rise-despite-global-warming/
439	Polar Bear Numbers Still On The Rise, Despite Global Warming
440
441
442http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/28/trump-weighs-in-on-vaccine-autism-controversy/
443	March 28th, 2014 
444
445	Trump weighs in on vaccine-autism controversy
446
447 	Donald Trump appears to be once again suggesting a link between vaccines and the rise in autism, a theory that's been debunked numerous times in recent years.
448
449	"If I were President I would push for proper vaccinations but would not allow one time massive shots that a small child cannot take – AUTISM," the business mogul and reality TV star wrote on Twitter Thursday evening.
450
451
452https://www.infowars.com/nearly-two-dozen-medical-studies-prove-that-vaccines-can-cause-autism/
453	Nearly two dozen medical studies prove that vaccines can cause autism
454
455
456https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-alex-jones-conspiracy-theorist-extraordinaire-got-donald-trumps-ear/2016/11/17/583dc190-ab3e-11e6-8b45-f8e493f06fcd_story.html
457	Last December, amid the jumbled Republican presidential nomination scrum, Donald Trump carved out a half an hour for a live video interview with a volcanic Austin radio and web-streaming host who broadcasts from a semi-secret location dubbed “The Central Texas Command Center and the Heart of the Resistance.”
458
459	Alex Jones, America’s foremost purveyor of outlandish conspiracy theories, was in a buoyant mood that day. He’d had Matt Drudge, the influential conservative news aggregator, on recently. But this was much bigger.
460
461	Trump wasted no time signaling that his mind-set aligned with the host’s. Trump said he wouldn’t apologize for asserting that large numbers of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the collapse of the twin towers in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a claim that fact-checkers have repeatedly refuted.
462
463	“People like you and I can’t do that so easily,” the New York developer, speaking from his office in Trump Tower, said. He would later call Jones “a nice guy.”
464
465	The December interview would reverberate into the general election as Hillary Clinton tried to use it to paint Trump as an irresponsible crackpot associating with an irresponsible crackpot. It also pushed Jones, who operates the websites Infowars.com and Prisonplanet.com, from the realm of niche showman into the mainstream national dialogue. The man who said that the Newtown, Conn., school shooting was a “hoax” involving child actors and claimed that elements of the U.S. government were responsible for bombing the Oklahoma City federal building and for the 9/11 attacks had been granted an enormous new audience.
466
467	“I think Alex Jones may be the single most important voice in the alternative conservative media,” says Roger Stone, the Nixon-era political trickster who orchestrated Trump’s appearance on the show.
468
469	...Now, another Anderson company, Genesis Communications Network, syndicates the Alex Jones program to 129 radio stations, many of them in small markets. It’s difficult to confirm Jones’s audience size, but the host has said he has 5 million daily radio listeners and recently topped 80 million video views in a single month. He claims to have a bigger audience than Rush Limbaugh.
470
471	Jones is able to multiply his audience by simulcasting his radio programming via his website and further spreading its reach on his YouTube channel. The costs are minuscule in comparison to running, say, a cable television network, and it’s conceivable he could be generating millions in profits. 
472
473
474The Russians wouldn't need to blackmail or pay Trump for him to revere Putin or support disastrous policies that favor them--that's already in their propaganda, and he believes it. Basically, they've already got his mind.
475
476
477There's a lot that's off with the dossier:
478
479
480https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
481	So far TRUMP has declined various sweetener real estate business deals offered him in Russia in order to further the Kremlin’s cultivation of him.
482
483	...The Kremlin’s cultivation operation on TRUMP also comprised offering him various lucrative real estate development business deals in Russia, especially in relation to the ongoing Cup soccer tournament However, so far, for reasons unknown, TRUMP had not taken up any of these
484
485	However, there were other aspects to TRUMP’s engagement with the Russian authorities. One which had borne fruit for them was to exploit TRUMP'S personal obsessions and sexual perversion
486
487	...Finally, regarding TRUMP’s claimed minimal investment profile in Russia, a separate source with direct knowledge said this had not been for want of trying. TRUMP's previous efforts had included exploring the real estate sector in St Petersburg as well as Moscow but in the end TRUMP had had to settle for the use of extensive sexual services there from local prostitutes rather than business success. 
488
489
490The dossier downplays Trump's business connections with Russia, saying Trump "opted for extensive sexual services" instead (how does that even work? "Sorry, we won't let you build a hotel here, but here's a complementary prostitute?"). But this is misleading--if Trump doesn't make "business deals" in Russia, he does make deals with Russians:
491
492
493http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/russian-mogul-pays-donald-trump-100-million-florida-mansion-article-1.294453
494    June 21, 2008
495     
496     A Russian billionaire paid Donald Trump a staggering $100 million for a beachfront Florida mansion — although the new digs don’t mean the new owner’s bidding dosvidaniya to his Moscow home.
497     
498     Dmitry Rybolovlev, 41, who made his fortune in fertilizer, said his big-bucks buy of the 6.5-acre Maison de l’Amitie property in Palm Beach was simply an investment.
499
500
501http://www.eturbonews.com/5008/executive-talk-donald-trump-jr-bullish-russia-and-few-emerging-ma
502	Sep 15, 2008
503
504	Executive Talk: Donald Trump Jr. bullish on Russia and few emerging markets
505
506	“And in terms of high-end product influx into the US, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets; say in Dubai, and certainly with our project in SoHo and anywhere in New York. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.
507
508
509"A pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets" doesn't sound like a "minimal investment profile."
510
511
512Reportedly, some of these deals show up on Trump's tax returns:
513
514
515http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/12/news/trump-tax-returns-russia/index.html
516	The letter also asserts that the returns show no debt owed to or interest paid to Russian lenders by Trump or his business entities.
517
518	In addition, the returns show no Russian investments in Trump's businesses or any investment by Trump or the entities he controls in Russian businesses, the lawyers said.
519
520	But the letter acknowledges that there are three exceptions. The first was income Trump received from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant held in Moscow. The second was income from the sale of a Florida estate in 2008 by Trump Properties LLC to a Russian billionaire. And the third is the "ordinary course sales of goods and services to Russians or Russian entities, such as sales/rentals/fees for condominiums, hotel rooms, rounds of golf, books or Trump-licensed products."
521
522	But in this third exception, the letter asserted, "the amounts are immaterial." 
523
524
525The dossier downplays the idea that Trump could be blackmailed for business deals with Russians, and plays-up that he could be blackmailed for perverted sexual acts. But it looks like it's the other way around (Trump asked the FBI to investigate the "Russian hookers" claim, even though he doesn't trust the intelligence community: http://www.businessinsider.com/comey-trump-russian-hookers-dossier-2017-6).
526
527
528The dossier makes some confusing claims about Putin's intent:
529
530
531https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
532	- 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 
533
534	PUTIN and Russian leadership remain worried however and sceptical that YANUKOVYCH has fully covered the traces of these payments to TRUMP’s former campaign manager 
535
536	...Speaking in confidence to a compatriot in late July 2016, Source E, and ethnic Russian close associate of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, admitted that there was a well-developed conspiracy of co-operation between then and Russian leadership. This was managed on the TRUMP side by the Republican candidate's campaign manager, Paul MANAFORT, who was using foreign policy advisor, Carter PAGE, and others as intermediaries. The two sides had a mutual interest in defeating Democratic presidential candidate Hillary CLINTON, whom President PUTIN apparently both hated and feared.
537
538	...We reported previously, in our Company Intelligence Report 2016/135 of 19 October 2016 from the same source, that COHEN met officials from the PA Legal Department clandestinely in an EU country in August 2016. This was in order to clean up the mess left behind by western media  revelations of TRUMP ex-campaign manager MANAFORT's corrupt relationship with the former pro-Russian YANUKOVYCH regime in Ukraine and TRUMP foreign policy advisor, Carter PAGE'S secret meetings in Moscow with senior regime figures in July 2016. According to the Kremlin advisor, these meeting/ s were originally scheduled for COHEN in Moscow but shifted to what was considered an operationally "soft" EU country when it was judged too compromising for him to travel to the Russian capital. 
539
540	...
541
542	1. Speaking in late August 2016, in the immediate aftermath of Paul MANAFORT’s resignation as campaign manager for US Republican presidential candidate Donald TRUMP, a well-placed Russian figure reported on a recent meeting between President PUTIN and ex-President YANUKOVYCH of Ukraine. This had been held in secret on 15 August near Volgograd, Russia and the western media revelations about MANAFORT and Ukraine had featured prominently on the agenda. YANUKOVYCH had confided in PUTIN that he did authorise and order substantial kick-back payments to MANAFORT as alleged but sought to reassure him that there was no documentary trail left behind which could provide clear evidence of this. 
543
544	2. Given YANUKOVYCH'S (unimpressive) record in covering up his own corrupt tracks in the past, PUTIN and others in the Russian leadership were sceptical about the ex-Ukrainian president’s reassurances on this as relating to MANAFORT. They therefore still feared the scandal had legs, especially as MANAFORT had been commercially active in Ukraine right up to the time (in March 2016) when he joined TRUMP's campaign team. For them it therefore remained a point of potential political vulnerability and embarrassment. 
545
546
547The dossier says Putin choose Manafort and Page to help him secretly collude with Trump, and that Putin was worried when news reports revealed Yankovych was paying Manafort under-the-table (e.g. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/us/politics/paul-manafort-resigns-donald-trump.html). But it was revealed years ago that Manafort was working for Yanukovych:
548
549
550http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/paul-manafort-ukraine-104263
551	Mystery man: Ukraine's U.S. fixer
552
553	By Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman
554
555	03/05/2014 05:01 AM EST 
556
557	...Today, Paul Manafort is more like The Invisible Man — a worldly political pro whose latest adventure, whispering in the ear of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, has handed him a supporting role in a bona fide international crisis. 
558
559	...Manafort’s firm had a set of international clients and produced an analysis of the Orange Revolution that Yanukovych found instructive, according to one operative involved in Yanukovych’s political rehabilitation. Manafort became, in effect, a general consultant to Yanukovych’s Party of Regions, shaping big-picture messaging, coaching Yanukovych to speak in punchy, American-style sound bites and managing teams of consultants and attorneys in both Ukraine and the United States ahead of an anticipated Yanukovych comeback. While it’s difficult to track payments in foreign elections, a former associate familiar with Manafort’s earnings say they ran into the seven figures over several years.
560
561	...A 2008 disclosure form filed by Edelman under the Foreign Agents Registration Act described the Yanukovych team’s determination to “share [Yanukovych’s] vision for Ukraine, his reform slated for 2008, his accomplishments in economic development as well as Ukraine’s business development.” The PR firm earned $35,000 a month for its services. 
562
563	...And one operative closely involved in Ukraine emphasized that what may have started as a straightforward business transaction between Davis Manafort and Yanukovych grew into a “real and close relationship” between Manafort and his candidate over the course of the election. 
564
565
566And Putin has openly admitted to colluding with him:
567
568
569http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29761799
570	Putin: Russia helped Yanukovych to flee Ukraine
571
572	..."I will say it openly - he asked to be driven away to Russia, which we did," the Russian president said.
573
574
575And if Putin wanted to avoid being tied to the Trump campaign, he would have known Page would be a bad choice of "intermediary":
576
577
578https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/us/politics/carter-page-trump-russia.html?mcubz=1
579	The businessman, Carter Page, met with one of three Russians who were eventually charged with being undeclared officers with Russia’s foreign intelligence service, known as the S.V.R. The F.B.I. interviewed Mr. Page in 2013 as part of an investigation into the spy ring, but decided that he had not known the man was a spy, and the bureau never accused Mr. Page of wrongdoing.
580
581	...According to the court documents filed in 2015, the F.B.I. secretly recorded Mr. Podobnyy and another Russian operative named Igor Sporyshev discussing efforts to recruit Mr. Page, who was then working in New York as a consultant.
582
583
584But according to the dossier, Putin thinks the recent scandals surrounding Manafort's ties to Yanukovych are a point of "political vulnerability" and "embarrassment" for him, and that Putin is "worried." Worried about what? The only difference between the 2014 and 2016 reports on Manafort's ties to Yanukovych is that the 2016 reports allege under-the-table payments. Is that what Putin is worried about? That Manafort looks more corrupt now?
585
586The dossier mostly paints a picture of Putin trying to avoid being exposed in the media for his meddling in the election and his ties to Trump:
587
588
589https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
590	...The two sides had a mutual interest in defeating Democratic presidential candidate Hillary CLINTON, whom President PUTIN apparently both hated and feared.
591
592	...The emigre said there was a high level of anxiety within the TRUMP team as a result of various accusations levelled against them and indications from the Kremlin that President PUTIN and others in the leadership thought things had gone too far now and risked spiralling out of control. 
593
594	Continuing on this theme, the emigre associate of TRUMP opined that the Kremlin wanted the situation to calm but for 'plausible deniability' to be maintained concerning its (extensive) pro-TRUMP and anti-CLINTON operations. S/he therefore judged that it was unlikely these would be ratcheted up, at least for the time being. 
595
596	...the ethnic Russian associate of Trump assessed that the problem was that the TRUMP campaign had underestimated the strength of the negative reaction from liberals and especially the conservative elite to Russian interference. This was forcing a rethink and a likely change of tactics. The main objective in the short term was to check Democratic candidate Hillary CLINTON's successful exploitation of the PUTIN as a bogeyman/Russian interference story to tarnish TRUMP and bolster her own (patriotic) credentials.
597
598	...1. Speaking in confidence to a trusted compatriot in mid-September 2016, a senior member of the Russian Presidential Administration (PA) commented on the political fallout from recent western media revelations about Moscow's intervention, in favour of Donald TRUMP and against Hillary CLINTON, in the US presidential election. The PA official reported that the issue had become incredibly sensitive and that President PUTIN had issued direct orders that Kremlin and government insiders should not discuss it in public or even in private. 
599
600	2. Despite this, the PA official confirmed, from direct knowledge, that the gist of the allegations was true. PUTIN had been receiving conflicting advice on interfering from three separate and expert groups. On one side had been the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergei K1SLYAK, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with an independent and informal network run by presidential foreign policy advisor, Yuri USHAKOV 
601
602	(KISLYAK’s predecessor in Washington) who had urged caution and the potential negative impact on Russia from the operation/s. On the other side was former PA Head, Sergei IVANOV, backed by Russian Foreign Intelligence (SVR), who had advised PUTIN that the pro-TRUMP, anti-CLINTON operation/s would be both effective and plausibly deniable with little blowback. The first group/s had been proven right and this had been the catalyst in PUTIN'S decision to sack IVANOV (unexpectedly) as PA Head in August. His successor, Anton VAINO, had been selected for the job partly because he had not been involved in the US presidential election operation/s. 
603
604	..According to the Kremlin insider, COHEN now was heavily engaged in a cover up and damage limitation operation in the attempt to prevent the full details of TRUMP’s relationship with Russia being exposed. In pursuit of this aim, COHEN had met secretly with several Russian Presidential Administration (PA) Legal Department officials in an EU country in August 2016. The immediate issues had been to contain further scandals involving MANNAFORT's commercial and political role in Russia/Ukraine and to limit the damage arising from exposure of former TRUMP foreign policy advisor, Carter PAGE’S secret meetings with Russian leadership figures in Moscow the previous month. The overall objective had been to “to sweep it all under the carpet and make sure no connections could be fully established or proven" 
605
606
607But it looks like a lot of the exposés on Putin's meddling come from his own spies (including the "Putin hates and fears Hillary" narrative), particularly those targeting the left:
608
609(context for Russian spies: https://pastebin.com/ar4GWrRT, https://pastebin.com/z49g6KKe, https://pastebin.com/r5PHGSnz, https://pastebin.com/bqyWNzgi)
610
611
612http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/russia-putin-hack-dnc-clinton-election-2016-cold-war-214532
613	Putin’s Revenge
614
615	By Michael Crowley 
616
617	...Today, as the U.S. grapples with a Russia with resurgent global ambitions, with a Kremlin that hacks our emails, manipulates our news—and, according to the CIA, actively worked to elect Donald Trump—it’s important to realize that for Putin, it’s not just a constant move for advantage. Yes, Putin is pressing Russia’s current interests. But in scheming to defeat Hillary Clinton, and by subjecting American democracy itself to Russian influence, he is also closing a loop opened in part by the Clintons 20 years ago. Putin can’t undo Russia’s Cold War defeat by America. But he can avenge it. And in Donald Trump—the man who defeated Hillary Clinton and seems ready to deal with Putin on terms that few other American politicians would countenance—he hopes he has found a willing partner.
618
619	...But it wasn’t until December 2011 that Putin came to see Hillary Clinton as a direct threat to his power. 
620
621	...In a March 2014 address shortly after claiming Crimea, Putin made clear that he was re-establishing Russia’s place in the global order. He said the world had to “accept the obvious fact: Russia is an independent, active participant in international affairs. Like other countries, it has its own national interests that need to be taken into account and respected.” Translation: Russia would no longer be seated at the kids’ table while Washington dictated world events.
622
623	Increasingly, it has become clear that another foreign nation where Russia has exercised its new influence is the United States itself, where Hillary Clinton’s campaign was beset for months by a steady flow of stolen emails—hacked, according to U.S. intelligence officials, by agents of the Kremlin, likely at Putin’s personal direction.
624
625	It’s impossible to measure the precise effect of the leaked emails on Clinton’s candidacy. But her defeat was unquestionably a win for Putin, who will soon greet an American president leading what could be the most Russia-friendly administration in U.S. history. Putin sent Donald Trump his congratulations within an hour of Clinton’s concession. And when word of Trump’s election reached the Russian Duma, spontaneous applause broke out in the room. 
626
627http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/16/mcmaster-truth-defense-secrets-238470
628	 McMaster tests truth-telling reputation in Trump defense
629	H.R. McMaster's strong defense of Trump on Russia leak brings credibility — and sharp criticism.
630	By Michael Crowley  May 16
631
632
633https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/dont-gamble-on-trump/506207/
634	The Conservative Case for Voting for Clinton
635
636	Why support a candidate who rejects your preferences and offends your opinions? Don’t do it for her—do it for the republic, and the Constitution.
637
638	David Frum
639
640https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/864440403117969408?lang=en
641	How does McMaster not resign today? That thing he said "did not happen" the president has just defended doing
642
643
644http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/neera-tanden-2016-election-227494
645	 Meet Hillary Clinton's anger translator
646
647	In an interview for POLITICO's 'Off Message' podcast, longtime Clinton confidante Neera Tanden sounds off on Bernie Sanders' attacks, the 2016 election coverage and Vladimir Putin.
648
649	By Glenn Thrush 
650
651	...“I think Putin is definitely not a fan of Hillary Clinton's, I mean, look at his own rhetoric,” she told me. “Hillary was very clear in her condemnation of his actions toward democracy protesters. She was very strong and he took that as a very strong affront.”
652
653	Tanden, like many other Clinton advisers, won’t go so far as to allege collusion between Putin and top officials Trump’s campaign — especially former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was a high-paid consultant for Putin allies in Ukraine. But she thinks the U.S. body politic is experiencing a foreign invasion unprecedented in history by a Russian interloper she describes as a “proto-fascist” strongman.
654
655http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/joe-biden-2016-thrush-off-message-215031
656	 5 takeaways from Biden's not-quite-campaign
657
658	In the words of a longtime ally, it became increasingly clear that the planning was more “fantasy football than football.”
659
660	By Glenn Thrush 
661
662	There was so, so much going for a Joe Biden presidential campaign — wasn’t there? His shaggy-dog “authenticity,” the tantalizing possibility of a Hillary Clinton face plant, the endless egging-on by a D.C. press corps that coveted a Joe-vs.-Hillary fight over a dreary, substance-y battle between Clinton and a Larry David doppelgänger.
663
664	The solitary item in the “no” column: reality.
665
666	Joe Biden was a bad presidential candidate in 1988 and 2008, and he didn’t seem to be brandishing many new skills (especially discipline or a measured tongue) in his more than four decades of public life.
667
668	At 72, with his 46-year-old son, Beau (whom he viewed as the most likely president in the Biden family), buried less than six months ago, the vice president’s restless mind alighted on an unexpected path to a political future — until his gaze returned to reality and legacy. In the end, he opted to stop where he stood — as an uncommonly powerful and collaborative vice president.
669
670	...It was never going to happen.
671
672	...Biden, my sources in his orbit have repeatedly told me, believed his greatest legacy would have been Beau’s election to the presidency — not his own — and he cherished the idea that the shattered boy rescued from the car wreck that killed his wife and baby daughter would someday occupy the Oval Office. With that dream gone, he picked up the flag himself and began to believe the overly optimistic reports that his dedicated inner circle — especially the exhortations of his surviving son, Hunte,r and longtime adviser Mike Donilon — were feeding him.
673
674
675http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/clinton-putin-226153
676	 Why Putin hates Hillary
677
678	Behind the allegations of a Russian hack of the DNC is the Kremlin leader's fury at Clinton for challenging the fairness of Russian elections.
679
680	By Michael Crowley and Julia Ioffe 
681
682http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/10/seven-reasons-the-new-russian-hack-announcement-is-a-big-deal-214330
683	 Seven Reasons the New Russian Hack Announcement Is a Big Deal
684	It might turn out to be bigger than the Trump tape. A Moscow-watcher explains what's really going on.
685	By Julia Ioffe 
686
687	...This marks a new sophistication in Russia’s understanding of American politics. The Russians didn’t always know what the DNC was—or at least why it was worth hacking. The fact that it now does represents a massive leap forward for Russian intelligence.
688
689	Just a few years ago, the Russians wouldn’t have known about the intricacies of American domestic politics.
690
691
692Why they would do this is anyone's guess. One possibility is that they want to spread misinformation about Russia's activities so that they can discredit the idea of Russian meddling later. Another is that they want to politicize the issue, which would make it harder for many Americans to reason or learn about Russia's activities and motives. Politicizing important issues looks like a tactic for the Russians:
693
694
695https://archive.org/stream/BezmenovLoveLetterToAmerica/YuriBezmenov-LoveLetterToAmerica_djvu.txt
696	After several months I was formally recruited by the KGB as an informer, while still maintaining my position as a Novosti journalist. My work with the KGB entailed combining my journalistic duties with the collection of intelligence data, and the spreading of "disinformation" to foreign countries for the purposes of Soviet propaganda and subversion.
697
698	...All the subverter has to do to remove the spiritual backbone of America is to help you to POLITICIZE, COMMERCIALIZE and 'ENTERTAINMENT-ALIZE' the dominant religions.
699
700	...Politicizing religion is the most efficient method of demoralizing a target nation. Once a nation starts giving to Caesar what belongs to God, and getting God involved in such things as 'social justice' and partisan political squabbles, it predictably loses what religion calls mercy and the grace of God. To put it in 'atheistic' terms, a target country allows the subverter to use the area of moral values for dissemination and enforcement of amoral ideas and policies. The most powerful instrument of this process is an organization called World Council of Churches, infiltrated by the KGB to such extent, that it is hard to distinguish, these days, a priest from a spy. Being a public relations officer for Novosti, I accompanied many foreign members of the WCC during their visits to the USSR. Some of them struck me as individuals pathologically unable to say or hear truth. They were simply allergic to any facts or opinions which would 'undermine' their 'spiritual' affiliation with the Soviet manipulators.
701
702
703http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/former-soviet-spy-we-created-liberation-theology-83634/
704	Former Soviet spy: We created Liberation Theology
705
706	...In general, could you say that the spreading of Liberation Theology had any kind of Soviet connection?
707
708	Yes. I learned the fine points of the KGB involvement with Liberation Theology from Soviet General Aleksandr Sakharovsky, communist Romania's chief razvedka (foreign intelligence) adviser – and my de facto boss, until 1956, when he became head of the Soviet espionage service, the PGU1,  a position he held for an unprecedented record of 15 years.
709
710	...Was the Theology of Liberation a movement somehow "created" by Sakharovsky's part of the KGB, or it was an existing movement that was exacerbated by the USSR?
711
712	The movement was born in the KGB, and it had a KGB-invented name: Liberation Theology. During those years, the KGB had a penchant for “liberation” movements. The National Liberation Army of Columbia (FARC), created by the KGB with help from Fidel Castro; the “National Liberation Army of Bolivia, created by the KGB with help from “Che” Guevara; and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), created by the KGB with help from Yasser Arafat are just a few additional “liberation” movements born at the Lubyanka -- the headquarters of the KGB.
713
714	The birth of Liberation Theology was the intent of a 1960 super-secret “Party-State Dezinformatsiya Program” approved by Aleksandr Shelepin, the chairman of the KGB, and by Politburo member Aleksey Kirichenko, who coordinated the Communist Party's international policies. This program demanded that the KGB take secret control of the World Council of Churches (WCC), based in Geneva, Switzerland, and use it as cover for converting Liberation Theology into a South American revolutionary tool. The WCC was the largest international ecumenical organization after the Vatican, representing some 550 million Christians of various denominations throughout 120 countries.
715
716	The birth of a new religious movement is a historic event. How was this new religious movement launched?
717
718	The KGB began by building an intermediate international religious organization called the Christian Peace Conference (CPC), which was headquartered in Prague. Its main task was to bring the KGB-created Liberation Theology into the real world.
719
720	The new Christian Peace Conference was managed by the KGB and was subordinated to the venerable World Peace Council, another KGB creation, founded in 1949 and by then also headquartered in Prague.
721
722	During my years at the top of the Soviet bloc intelligence community I managed the Romanian operations of the World Peace Council (WPC). It was as purely KGB as it gets. Most of the WPC’s employees were undercover Soviet bloc intelligence officers.
723
724
725https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Harry_Hopkins
726	Talk:Harry Hopkins
727
728	Someone has vandalized this page.
729
730	"Such critiques of Roosevelt and Hopkins as the notorious book, Verona Secrets, paint Hopkins as a Russian spy. No such allegation has been substantiated or proven." http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1610.html. It's pretty sad really.
731
732 	...What is sad is your reliance on stale history and offer of only opinion. Information is actually coming from the Soviet archives that Hopkins was in fact considered an "agent of influence" for the Soviets inside the U.S. Do you speak Russian?
733
734	...Vasily Mitrokhin was a KGB archivist who defected from the Soviet Union with copies of KGB files. He claimed Harry Hopkins was a secret Russian agent.
735
736	...Does the above writer know Russian? Obviously he is not concerned with the basic facts of history and has no evidence whatsover to back up his claims. No, the above is scurrilous demogoguery emanating historically from Hopkins' and FDR's political opponents among the America First crowd and others who were unenthusiastic about World War 2 and loathed the New Deal as "socialism". The Soviet Union was our ally in the biggest, most cataclysmic war in human history. In his capacity as FDR's chief foreign affairs advisor and emissary he worked to solidify and manage these alliances playing a role in facilitating military aid to these countries, not only Russia but...
737
738
739https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hopkins#Relations_with_the_Soviet_Union
740	...Hopkins continued to be a target of Republican attacks even after his death. George Racey Jordan testified to the House Un-American Activities Committee in December 1949 that Hopkins passed nuclear secrets to the USSR. While Democrats dismissed Jordan’s testimony, Republicans championed it. ...Roll further notes that in 1963 the FBI concluded that Jordan's allegations could not be substantiated, adding that Jordan "either lied for publicity and profit or was delusional."
741
742
743http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2001/jan/4/20010104-020500-7670r/
744	Harry Hopkins, Soviet agent
745
746	...But the liberals, dreading the charge that they had ignored the peril, counterattacked, turning Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy into an all-purpose villain who allegedly smeared innocent victims with groundless charges of communism or pro-communism, and gradually the tide turned. 
747
748
749https://pastebin.com/r5PHGSnz
750
751
752http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/07/31/gore-without-a-script
753	Gore asked a group of his friends to set up a series of seminars for him, like the arms-control seminars with Leon Fuerth, only much more ambitious, with big-time thinkers, such as the economists Kenneth Arrow and Brian Arthur, flying to Washington to brief him. Up one level! By the end of it, Gore had a new, sweeping view of the world and its prospects. His main interest had noticeably shifted, from arms control to global warming, but the setup was familiar: mankind was in a morally dire situation of its own making, which could be solved through a combination of analytic mastery, spiritual guidance, and the use of technology in healthy ways instead of unhealthy ones.
754
755
756https://www.livescience.com/22069-polarization-climate-science.html
757	How Climate Science Became Politicized
758
759	...Part of the problem is that climate change has moved out of the realm of research and into the political arena, Leiserowitz said. The climate-change views of the two political parties were not significantly different until the Kyoto Protocol negotiations of 1997, when policymakers began to look for solutions to global warming.
760
761	This was in the midst of the polarizing Clinton administration, and for some, the association made global warming belief seem unsavory. Even today, many climate-change naysayers think of former vice president Al Gore when they hear the words "climate change."
762
763	"They loathe Al Gore," Leiserowitz said. "Sometimes I joke that Al Gore could hold a press conference tomorrow to say that science has determined that the Earth is round and people out there would say, 'Well, no it isn't.'" 
764
765
766https://www.infowars.com/leftist-pr-firm-pressuring-media-to-blame-climate-change-for-hurricane-joaquin/
767	Leftist PR Firm Pressuring Media to Blame “Climate Change” for Hurricane Joaquin
768	Liberals are exploiting a potential tragedy to promote their alarmist agenda
769
770
771https://www.infowars.com/liberal-fascist-calls-for-global-warming-skeptics-to-be-arrested/
772	Liberal Fascist Calls For Global Warming Skeptics to be Arrested
773
774
775https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Ainfowars.com+global+warming
776
777
778https://pastebin.com/e4qCs1AT
779
780
781https://www.cnas.org/publications/blog/5-questions-with-someone-interesting-charles-emmerson
782	5 Questions with Someone Interesting: Charles Emmerson
783
784	 CE: Well first of all, there’s certainly an increasing convergence in terms of the idea that climate change is the reality, and that a large part of it is anthropogenic, although there are still a number of Russian scientists – including at the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in St. Petersburg – who argue that the anthropogenic contribution is generally overstated in the West. The argument put to me there was that what we’re now seeing in the Arctic – and there’s no denying that Arctic warming is real – is a blip, and it may actually be overshadowed by a natural cooling effect over time. This argument was put to me in Russia, but it’s not current elsewhere around the Arctic. So there’s still some divergence in scientists’ views, but not very much and it’s becoming smaller.
785
786	But in terms of *effects*, it really depends on who you talk to.
787
788
789https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/12/since-over-1000-confidential-e.html
790	Climategate: Russian secret service blamed for hack
791
792
793http://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/~jnd260/pub/Bolsen%20Druckman%20Cook%20PBehavior%202013.pdf
794	The Influence of Partisan Motivated Reasoning on Public Opinion
795
796	Abstract  Political parties play a vital role in democracies by linking citizens to their representatives. Nonetheless, a longstanding concern is that partisan identification slants decision-making. Citizens may support (oppose) policies  that they would otherwise oppose (support) in the absence of an endorsement from a political party—this is due in large part to what is called partisan motivated reasoning where individuals interpret information through the lens of their party commitment. We explore partisan motivated reasoning in a survey experiment focusing on support for an energy law. We identify two politically relevant factors that condition partisan motivated reasoning: (1) an explicit inducement to form an ‘‘accurate’’ opinion, and (2) cross-partisan, but not consensus, bipartisan support for the law. We further provide evidence of how partisan motivated reasoning works psychologically and affects opinion strength. We conclude by discussing the implications of our results for understanding opinion formation and the overall quality of citizens’ opinions.
797
798
799(compare to:
800
801http://www.nbcnews.com/card/nbc-news-exit-poll-honesty-vs-temperament-n680296?cid=sm_tw
802	Indeed, nearly six in 10 voters interviewed in NBC Exit Polls so far today say that Clinton is not honest and trustworthy. Slightly more than one-third say she is. 
803
804
805https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20160808_100000_Morning_Joe/start/660/end/720
806	It's weird Hillary Clinton wasnts that everything was hunky dory with the e-mails and they were cleared of wrongdoing and that's their spin and nobody believes it. Nobody in America believes it.
807
808http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/09/06/russian-conspiracy-hillary-clinton-absurd-trump/
809	Hillary Clinton’s Absurd, McCarthyist Russian Conspiracy Theory
810
811http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2016/09/12/clintons-russia-conspiracy-theory-salvage-election/
812	Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been placing increasing emphasis on a bizarre conspiracy theory that claims Russia is hacking the U.S. election to ensure that Donald Trump wins.
813
814http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sean-hannity-russian-hacking-liberal-media-fake-news_us_584fdd10e4b0e05aded5b6c1
815	Sean Hannity Says Russian Hacking Probe Is ‘Liberal Media Fake News Story’
816
817http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/gop-russia-putin-support-232714
818	More Republicans viewing Putin favorably
819
820	GOP sympathies for Putin and his homeland are rising)
821
822
823A lot of Russian propaganda goes towards increasing animosity between the left and right and politicizing issues of interest to them. By politicizing the issue of their meddling, Russia can make it harder for politically-inclined Americans to reason about their activities (another benefit: cover for spies, who can claim to be motivated by the politics of the day rather than loyalty to a foreign power). Tying the warnings of Russian meddling to the words of Clinton, a polarizing figure, would help with this (to get a sense of one of the ways Clinton inadvertently helped Putin, read this http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-putin-no-relationship-226282 and imagine Trump was asking Russia to attack Biden instead. Clinton helped Russia manipulate Republicans with the idea that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend.")
824
825If they intended this, it looks like it worked: you can see more than a few politicians and pundits on the right arguing that Russian interference is ineffective and overstated (or doesn't exist), and plenty on the left jumping on every meeting with a Russian official, kind word towards Trump, or dubious Russia-related report as evidence of treachery:
826
827
828https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/
829	STEWART: That's exactly right and are both of your agencies capable of handling accusations agree with me on that. I'd like to shift quickly if I could to the integrity of the report which the previous DNI when he determined along with your acquiescence, I might add, both of you, that Russia developed a clear preference for Mr. Trump and this is a huge deal. I mean, think about this story the American people have been told and some believe that our president was elected maybe because of the influence of a foreign government.
830
831	And I love you guys, you know that, and I defend you and we respect what you do but I do need to make this point and that is the intelligence community is not perfect, is it?
832
833	COMEY: Not perfect?
834
835	STEWART: Yes.
836
837	COMEY: Certainly not.
838
839	STEWART: Certainly not. We...
840
841	...STEWART: And as has been indicated here, and look again, that's not a criticism, it's just the human endeavor. We sometimes make mistakes as do agencies sometimes make mistakes and all of us can think of examples of that including meaningful mistakes, by the way. Mistakes that had clear implications for our policy. And as has been indicated here as well, there's a difference in the level of confidence.
842
843
844http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2016/dec/08/risch-adamant-russia-didnt-affect-outcome-us-election-despite-hacking/
845	Risch adamant that Russia didn’t affect outcome of U.S. election, despite hacking
846
847	Idaho Sen. Jim Risch, a member of the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees, was adamant on CNN yesterday that he doesn’t believe Russia successfully interfered in the U.S. election in November. “It is a fact that no one can deny that the Russians attempt to influence elections all over the world,” Risch told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “No one in the intelligence community has offered anything, that the Russians, whatever they did, whether it was hacking or whether it was releasing things, had any effect.”
848
849	He added: “I don’t think they interfered. I think they attempted to interfere.”
850
851
852http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/rand-paul-democrats-donald-trump-campaign/2017/05/10/id/789318/
853	Rand Paul: Trump Collusion With Russia 'Huge Myth' by Democrats
854
855
856http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/if-only-john-mccains-actions-matched-john-mccains-rhetoric
857 	By Steve Benen
858
859	If only John McCain’s actions matched John McCain’s rhetoric
860
861	Sure, the GOP senator has been willing to criticize Trump – at times, in surprisingly forceful terms – which is more than can be said for many of his congressional Republican colleagues, nearly all of whom remain silent, despite genuine concerns. But McCain doesn’t just give speeches and sit down for interviews; he’s also a sitting senator who casts votes.
862
863	And in the Senate, so far this year, McCain is voting with Trump’s position 94% of the time. As a factual matter, the senator is a Maverick in Name Only.
864
865	...And yet, much of the political world seems inclined to credit McCain for resisting Trump’s more outlandish excesses, even though McCain isn’t following through when it counts. Worse, there are Democrats trying to get attention for the fact that they’re actually resisting Trump both rhetorically and legislatively.
866
867
868https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/06/09/the-latest-republican-defense-of-trump-is-built-on-a-massive-lie/
869	The latest Republican defense of Trump is built on a massive lie
870	By Greg Sargent
871
872	Now that James B. Comey’s testimony to Congress has painted a picture of President Trump’s contempt for the rule of law that’s far more forceful and persuasive in its dramatic details than Republicans ever bargained for, the new and emerging GOP defense is that Trump is a political and procedural naif. He merely needs to learn the rules. This line of obfuscation requires pretending that many of the events of the past six months never happened.
873
874	But this spin from Republicans has a significance that runs deeper than merely revealing the absurd lengths to which they’ll go to protect Trump from political and legal harm. More urgently, their new line unwittingly reveals the degree to which Trump’s abuses of power and assault on our democracy have depended all along upon their tacit and willful complicity — and, perhaps worse, it leaves little doubt that this enabling will continue, with unforeseen consequences.
875
876
877https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/
878	CASTRO: ...My focus today is to explore how many claims within Steele's dossier are looking more and more likely, as though they are accurate.
879
880	...Are you investigating the claims made in the dossier?
881
882	...The allegations it raises about President Trump's campaign aids connections to Russians, when overlaid with known established facts and timelines from the 2016 campaign are very revealing.
883
884	...OK. Well, the dossier definitely seems right on these points.
885
886	...A July 19, 2016 entry for example asserts that Russians were receiving intel from Trump's team on Russian oligarch
887
888	...A July 30 entry likewise states that a source close to the Trump campaign confirms a regular exchange with the Kremlin
889
890	...So, the dossier states in an entry dated August 10, 2016, that a quote "Kremlin official involved in U.S. relations" suggested that Moscow might offer assistance
891
892	...Among the U.S. actors, this Kremlin official mentions a Carter Page and Michael Flynn, whom my colleagues have already discussed at length and which the dossier describes as
893
894	...CASTRO: In an October 18, 2016, entry, the dossier states that, during Page's visit to Moscow, he met with Igor Senchin, offering, quote,"Page and Trump's associate, the brokerage of up to 19 percent stake in Rosneft," which Page conferring (ph) that, quote, "If Trump were elected U.S. President, sanctions on Russia would be lifted."
895
896	And although fortunately the White House hasn't been so naive as to (inaudible) unilaterally lift sanctions on Russia, it was widely reported that on January 27th of this year, Rosneft sold a 19.5 percent stake in Rosneft in what Reuters calls, quote,"one of its biggest privatizations since the 1990s." Furthermore, Reuters reported that, quote, "Public records show the ownership structure of the -- of the stake ultimately includes a Cayman Islands company whose beneficial owners cannot be traced." What a coincidence.
897
898	Is this the subject of your investigation? One of the subjects of your investigation?
899
900	COMEY: Same answer.
901
902	CASTRO: OK.
903
904	COMEY: Meaning -- meaning I'm not going to comment.
905
906	CASTRO: I understand.
907
908	...CASTRO: OK. An entry from July 19, 2016, in the dossier states that a Trump associate knew that the Kremlin was
909
910
911The dossier itself seems like a handy tool for getting the left and right to fight about Russia's activities and intentions. It reads like a Democrat partisan's dream: According to the dossier, Trump is not just a fan of Putin but a criminal collaborator, Trump is an utter pervert and the evidence is out there just waiting to be discovered, Putin dreads the Democrat's stalwart resistance, and his true motivation is fear and loathing of their champion, Hillary Clinton (at least for the partisans that support Clinton; it looks like she and Sanders have helped divide the Democratic party).
912
913The problem is just about everything in the dossier is unverified or unverifiable, and so the people who believe it end up being the people who want to believe it.
914
915The reality, is as far as I can tell: Trump could easily have been kept in the dark enough by his advisors to have avoided breaking the law (but maybe not enough to avoid impeachment), there is no evidence that the KGB taped Trump with prostitutes, a lot of the left (and right) helped politicize Russian interference, and Clinton was mostly just useful for installing Trump, politicizing Russian interference, and dividing the American electorate.
916
917The dossier is also misleading in subtle but important ways. The dossier would have you believe that Russia's intelligence network aiding Trump (or "being used against CLINTON") was entirely made up of Trump himself and recruits from Russian emigres:
918
919
920https://archive.org/stream/TrumpIntelligenceAllegations_201701/Trump-Intelligence-Allegations_djvu.txt
921	...In terms of the FSB’s recruitment of capable cyber operatives to carry out its, ideally deniable, offensive cyber operations, a Russian IT specialist with direct knowledge reported in June 2016 that this was often done using coercion and blackmail. In terms of ‘foreign’ agents, the FSB was approaching US citizens of Russian (Jewish) origin on business trips to Russia.
922
923	...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 
924
925	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 
926
927	...In the wider context of TRUMP campaign/Kremlin co-operation, Source E claimed that the intelligence network being used against CLINTON comprised three elements. Firstly there were agents/facilitators within the Democratic Party structure itself; secondly Russian emigre and associated offensive cyber operators based in the US; and thirdly; state-sponsored cyber operatives working in Russia.
928
929	...Source E claimed that Russian diplomatic staff in key cities such as New York, Washington DC and Miami were using the emigre ‘pension’ distribution system as cover. The operation therefore depended on key people in the US Russian emigre community for its success.
930
931
932But deep cover spies like the SVR's illegals (https://pastebin.com/r5PHGSnz) aren't exactly what you'd call "Russian emigres," especially the ones born in the U.S. And the dossier makes it sound like the whole thing was a hacking operation (how many thousands of propagandists would Russia have to employ to write all of this: http://www.propornot.com/p/home.html ?). Anyone who based their investigation on the dossier would look for Russian agents among ethnic Russians (and Jews, apparently) who have travelled to Russia, missing agents like Vicky Pelaez (http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/29/russian.spies.pelaez.profile/ and  https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fmundo.sputniknews.com%2Ffirmas%2F201603171057745687-trump-candidato-republicanos), who emigrated from Peru. The dossier draws attention away from the fairly obvious observation that the same kind of deep cover spies arrested in 2010, who were "getting close to U.S. policymaking circles," could be used by Russia to aide Trump's campaign or to further other goals.
933
934As for what Russia's methods and goals actually are, that's not always easy to know. The dossier says Russia aims to stop Clinton, sew division within the West, distract from Russian intervention in Ukraine, hide their meddling and collusion with Trump's team, and lift sanctions, and that the Kremlin's methods comprise hackers targeting Clinton (the word "spy" or "illegal" doesn't appear in the text) and blackmail over Trump, with the whole thing coordinated by secret meetings between Trump associates and officials based in Russia. But Russia's goals and methods are hard to figure out by design:
935
936
937http://georgianreview.ge/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/bob-pdf.pdf
938	Other tools, such as the uses of agents of influence, or disinformation, or maskirovka, deception to mask intent, are either Soviet or even Tsarist in their roots. The Swedish Defence Research Agency concluded that the only novelty about the Crimean annexation was that the Russians had executed it 
939successfully. But this form of warfare, however one wants to call it, is ‘new’ in a few critical ways. First, most Western experts and governments did not see it coming (despite being signposted for several years) and did not know how to react when it happened. 
940
941
942http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31020283
943	 Russia's annexation of Crimea last year caught almost everyone off guard. The Russian military disguised its actions, and denied them - but those "little green men" who popped up in the Black Sea peninsula were a textbook case of the Russian practice of military deception - or maskirovka.
944
945	At a cadet school in the southern suburbs of Moscow, Maj Gen Alexander Vladimirov heaves two enormous red volumes off his bookcase and slams them down on the table. "My Theory and Science of Warfare," he says, beaming. "It's three times longer than Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace!"
946
947	Vladimirov, vice-president of Russia's Collegium of Military Experts, is an authority on maskirovka - the hallmark of Russian warfare and a word which translates as "something masked".
948a 
949	"As soon as man was born, he began to fight," he says. "When he began hunting, he had to paint himself different colours to avoid being eaten by a tiger. From that point on maskirovka was a part of his life. All human history can be portrayed as the history of deception." 
950
951	Vladimirov quotes liberally from the Roman general Frontinus and the ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu who described war as an eternal path of cunning.
952
953	But it's Russia, he tells me, with unmistakable pride, that has over the centuries really honed these techniques to perfection.
954
955	...Five weeks later, once the annexation had been rubber-stamped by the Parliament in Moscow, Putin admitted Russian troops had been deployed in Crimea after all. But the lie had served its purpose. Maskirovka is used to wrong-foot your enemies, to keep them guessing.
956
957	..."I think that there is an alignment between what probably started out as military doctrine, but now is much more a part of state policy and there's an alignment between the strategic down to the tactical level in terms of the mindset of maskirovka." 
958
959
960https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_military_deception
961	The 1978 Soviet Military Encyclopedia defines deception similarly, placing additional stress on strategic levels, and explicitly including political, economic and diplomatic measures besides the military ones. It largely repeats the 1944 Encyclopedia's concept, but adds that
962
963	Strategic maskirovka is carried out at national and theater levels to mislead the enemy as to political and military capabilities, intentions and timing of actions. In these spheres, as war is but an extension of politics, it includes political, economic and diplomatic measures as well as military.
964
965
966The dossier has all the hallmarks of "maskirovka." It gives the impression of a sloppy, thrown-together hacking operation carried out by whoever the FSB was able to recruit on Russian soil. But Russia's recruitment and influence network is the largest and the best in the world:
967
968
969https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91-00901R000600210056-1.pdf
970	Soviets embark on new path of anti-American
971
972	14 April 1981
973
974	Last year Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director for Operations John McMahon testified before Congress in closed committee session that the Soviets were spending from $3 billion to $4 billion a year on anti-U.S. covert action and propaganda.
975
976	"The Soviets have established a worldwide network of agents, organizations, and technical facilities" to implement these programs, McMahon told the House Intelligence Committee.
977
978	That network is second to none in comparison to the major world powers in its size and effectiveness."
979
980	According to McMahon and other sources, such covert "active measures," as distinguished from the normal intelligence collection and counterintelligence functions of the KGB, have included:
981
982	--Written and oral "disinformation." In may 1978, Soviet Ambassador to Zambia Solodovnikov warned Zambian President Kuanda falsely that Soviet intelligence had learned British and American intelligence services were plotting to overthrow him. Kuanda was advised against making a trip to Britain and the U.S., since his departure was to precipitate the coup.
983
984	Solodovnikov said falsely that the U.S. and Britain had used a similar plan to overthrow Nkrumah of Ghana.
985
986	--Forgeries and false rumors. A bogus U.S. Army field manual was cited by the Soviets as proof that the CIA was secretly manipulating the terrorist Red Brigades who murdered Italian leader Aldo Moro.
987
988	This happened after it was reported that the REd Brigades had received training in Czechoslovakia and had ties with the Soviet Union.
989
990	"Whenever the KGB is caught red-handed in an outrageous action that threatens the Soviet Union with serious embarrassment," wrote Reader's Digest Senior Editor John Barron in his book KGB: the Secret work of Soviet Secret Agents, "it hurriedly commences disinformation operations to divert world attention from the event. Frequently the KGB simply accuses others of doing precisely what it has been shown to have done."
991
992	The forged field manual used in the Moro case also was used by the Soviets to try to prove that U.S. military and intelligence liaisons abroad are used as cover to penetrate and manipulate friendly foreign governments.
993
994	--"Gray" or unattributed propaganda. When the Soviets want to create an aura of authenticity around an otherwise implausible position, they use a system of press placements through non-Soviet journalists recruited to make sure Soviet articles surface in the local foreign press.
995
996
997And it doesn't look like that's changed. All those spies aren't going to just pack up and leave after the fall of the Berlin wall:
998
999
1000http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/03/cia-art-spying-espionage-spies-military-terrorism-214875
1001	But here’s the unfortunate irony of that transformation: Our Cold War adversaries hadn’t actually gone away. While American attention was turned elsewhere, Russia had quietly continued applying its formidable knowledge of traditional spy tradecraft.
1002Spy_spots_final-01-redder.jpg
1003
1004	Using old propaganda techniques, and its usual modus operandi of dangling potentially compromising material on subjects of interest, Russia has spent the past several years slowly rebuilding its great empire and quietly undermining the foundations of Western democracy.
1005
1006	...It is clear now that, while we were fighting the war on terror, Russia was not twiddling its thumbs. Its security services are good—frighteningly good—and extremely patient. 
1007
1008
1009https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/higher-education-national-security.pdf
1010	This white paper was prepared by the FBI's Counterintelligence Strategic Partnership Unit to provide awareness to administrators, senior researchers, export control offices, and technology transfer offices at higher education institutions about how foreign intelligence services and non-state actors use US colleges and universities to further their intelligence and operational needs.
1011
1012	...In 2009, Russia sent the following instructions to one of its spies, Lidiya Gurveva (using the name Cynthia Murphy), while she was pursuing an MBA degree at Columbia Business School, Columbia University:
1013
1014	[S]trengthen...ties w. classmates on daily basis incl. professors who can help in job search and who will have (or already have) access to secret info... [r]eport to C[enter] on their detailed personal data and character traits w. preliminary conclusions about their potential (vulnerability) to be recruited by Service.
1015
1016	They also directed her to “ ‘dig up’ personal data of those students who apply (or are hired already) for a job at CIA.” Guryeva was arrested in June 2010 for acting as an agent of a foreign power and was deported back to Russia.
1017
1018	This example demonstrates a foreign intelligence service searching for students who may soon have access to targeted information. Intelligence services also collect information on the programs, officers, professors, and demographics of US universities. After studying the information and, if they find a person to target, they will study his/her motivations, weaknesses, politics, and ambitions. Familiarizing themselves with a professor’s work will help them determine a pretext for contacting the professor and how best to influence or recruit the professor.
1019
1020
1021Most (or all http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/how-the-explosive-russian-dossier-was-compiled-christopher-steele) of Steele's sources are Russians. But an intelligence source doesn't always have to tell the truth--even the CIA gets fooled:
1022
1023
1024http://freebeacon.com/national-security/cia-fooled-by-massive-cold-war-double-agent-failure/
1025	The CIA was fooled by scores of double agents pretending to be working for the agency but secretly loyal to communist spy agencies during the Cold War and beyond, according to a former CIA analyst, operations officer, and historian.
1026
1027	The large-scale deception included nearly 100 fake CIA recruits in East Germany, Cuba, as well as the Soviet Union (and later Russia) who supplied false intelligence that was passed on to senior U.S. policymakers for decades.
1028
1029	"During the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency bucked the law of averages by recruiting double agents on an industrial scale; it was hoodwinked not a few but many times," writes Benjamin B. Fischer, CIA’s former chief historian.
1030
1031	"The result was a massive but largely ignored intelligence failure," he stated in a journal article published last week.
1032
1033	The failure to recognize the double agents and their disinformation designed to influence U.S. policies "wreaked havoc" on the agency, Fischer wrote in the International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence.
1034
1035	Fischer stated that the failure to prevent the double agent deception was dismissed by the CIA as insignificant, and that congressional oversight committees also did not press the agency to reform its vetting processes.
1036
1037
1038And Steele didn't mention how he vetted his sources--he just compiled what they said and sent it to his clients. He basically acted as a conduit from his sources to his clients, and now the world. But we know some of his sources were either lying or very misinformed, making the document, essentially, a well-crafted forgery:
1039
1040
1041https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/12/parliaments-intelligence-watchdog-to-scrutinise-trump-dossier
1042	Paddy Ashdown, the Lib Dem peer and former diplomat, said he thought the intelligence agencies would now be trying to get to the bottom of the veracity of the allegations but the dossier showed the hallmarks of the FSB [the modern-day KGB] planting false or heavily embellished information.
1043
1044	“In this hall of mirrors, anybody can indulge their wildest fantasy theory but you have to ask yourself who benefits. Clearly the CIA doesn’t. Clearly Mr Trump doesn’t. But every aspect benefits Russia,” he said.
1045
1046	“It absolutely leaves Britain in a difficult position and Moscow will make the most of that. But it doesn’t mean to say we can do anything about it.”
1047
1048
1049Forging documents to confuse about their operations and intent wouldn't be new to Russian intelligence:
1050
1051
1052https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP84B00049R000902220014-7.pdf
1053	The Soviet Forgery War
1054
1055	It sounds like a John Le Carre spy thriller. Soviet agents forge some official-looking U.S. documents and try to stir up anti-American sentiment in Europe. There are letters from President Regan, former secretary of State Haig and other high-ranking officials. There are suggestions about a military coup in Greece to overthrow Socialist Premier Papandreou, a secret agreement for a U.S. intelligence base in Sweden, a letter to King Juan Carlos of Spain about ways of countering opposition to joining NATO and efforts to neutralize the anti-nuclear movement in Europe.
1056
1057	Although it may sound like spy fiction, it's all too real. These are actual forgeries by the Soviet Union, which were uncovered by U.S. and allied intelligence and released to the press last week by the administration. The forgeries are only the latest in a long line of Soviet propaganda and covert action measures against the U.S.
1058
1059	...The Soviet Union's propaganda war has manifold aims: to influence world public opinion against U.S. policies; to portray the U.S. as an aggressive and "imperialist" power; to discredit those foreign governments and officials who cooperate with the U.S.; to obfuscate the true nature of Soviet actions and intentions, and to create a favorable environment for the execution of Soviet foreign and military policies.
1060
1061
1062Neither would leaking them to the press:
1063
1064
1065https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00965R000706950001-7.pdf
1066	Forgery is a favorite Soviet weapon in the Cold War but has never been an important part of the U.S. disinformation arsenal.
1067
1068	...Anonymous mailings. The KGB usually sends its "leaks" to the news media in plain brown wrappers with no return address, making it difficult to verify the document's authenticity. That often works with gullible or anti-American publications.
1069
1070	Realizing that the communist press has little credibility, the KGB tries to plant its forgeries in noncommunist publications. Even a tiny item will do: it can then be picked up and amplified as "a well-known fact" by the pro-Soviet press. After sufficient repetition, it is broadcast by the Soviet propaganda network, usually with the standard introduction, "As the whole world knows..."
1071
1072
1073And some of their forgeries have been very good:
1074
1075
1076http://iancpilarczyk.com/10-historical-documents-proven-to-be-fake/
1077	During World War II, the Tanaka Memorial was portrayed by the United States as a Japanese analog to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Even though the authenticity of the document has been widely discredited by modern scholars, the Tanaka Memorial was generally considered to be authentic in the 1930s-1940s, largely because Japan’s actions corresponded so closely to plans outlined in the document: the 1931 Mukden Incident, the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, The Battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939, the Japanese invasion of French Indochina in 1940, and the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the subsequent war in the Pacific all seemed to provide corroborating evidence of its authenticity. In the modern era, many scholars believe the document to be a Soviet forgery meant to encourage war between China and Japan, while at the same time advancing Soviet interests.
1078
1079
1080https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Sword_and_the_Shield.html?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C
1081	On the publication of the Tanaka memorandum, see Klehr, Haynes and Firsov, The Secret World of American Communism, pp. 52-3. The published version of the memorandum has been regarded by some scholars, unaware of the OGPU’s success at this period in intercepting Japanese communications in Harbin and Seoul, as a forgery fabricated by the OGPU. The KGB record of its interception, however, describes it as genuine. I t is possible, though Mitrokhin discovered no evidence of this, that the published version was doctored to improve its propaganda value.
1082
1083
1084Compare some of the events outlined in the Tanaka Memorial (like the Mukden incident) to the excerpts here: https://pastebin.com/e4qCs1AT The takeaway is: if Russian intelligence wants a forgery to appear credible, they can try to make its claims come true.
1085
1086Beyond confusing about their methods and goals, Russian intelligence likes to use forgeries to sew doubt and chaos:
1087
1088
1089http://www.fpri.org/article/2016/09/distinguishing-true-false-fakes-forgeries-russias-information-war-ukraine/
1090	A highly effective disruption method is to use genuine text or documents to mask false text or documents. The objective of interspersing false text or documents within genuine text or document batches is to make the adulterated appear credible.
1091
1092		[T]he USSR is not engaged constantly in an active, positive deception program designed totally to mislead us as to its intentions and objectives. To do so would be counterproductive to its own interests, and moreover would undermine the effectiveness of a positive deception program when it would be important that we accept it. A prerequisite for effective deception is to establish some degree of credibility.[28] [Emphasis added]
1093
1094	Another variation is to insert ostensibly false text to adulterate—and so intentionally discredit—an otherwise genuine document (or likewise, an ostensibly false document into a batch of genuine documents). Such actions are covert rather than clandestine since a clandestine action, if properly conducted, remains totally concealed, which would in this instance be self-defeating.
1095
1096	False information—especially in the form of fraudulent “official” documents and papers—is a potent disruptor. Just as the belief that some currency may be counterfeit undercuts faith in all currency, so, too, the belief that some documents (or some parts of some documents) are forgeries intentionally and effectively corrodes the credibility of all similar documents. This effect can be more debilitating when the target is intelligence professionals rather than lay readers.
1097
1098		Alertness to deception presumably prompts a more careful and systematic review of the evidence. But anticipation of deception also leads the analyst to be more skeptical of all of the evidence, and to the extent that evidence is deemed unreliable, the analyst’s preconceptions must play a greater role in determining which evidence to believe. This leads to a paradox: The more alert we are to deception, the more likely we are to be deceived.[29]
1099
1100	Disruption entails a greater degree of freedom in counterintelligence operations than mere deception. Ostensible forgeries interspersed within a larger document batch are a well-honed technique. Circulating fake and fraudulent documents, or causing false information to be published in legitimate outlets, is useful to provoke others to come forward to challenge the information or to amplify it.
1101
1102
1103Which is exactly what the dossier did:
1104
1105
1106http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/21/discredited-dossier-detailing-trump-russian-collus/
1107	Desperate Dems cling to discredited spy dossier to link Trump to Russians 
1108
1109	By Rowan Scarborough - The Washington Times - Tuesday, March 21, 2017
1110
1111	In trying to bolster a discredited dossier by a former British spy, Rep. Adam B. Schiff on Monday recounted the document’s telling of a supposed meeting between an informal Donald Trump adviser and a Russian oligarch.
1112
1113	...Mr. Schiff’s praise of former MI6 agent Mr. Steele was a theme among Democrats on Monday as they questioned FBI Director James B. Comey and Navy Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency.
1114
1115	Democrats are attempting to prove collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence, which hacked into Democrat Party emails.
1116
1117	At this point, Mr. Steele’s unverified dossier is their best public evidence. They have embraced Mr. Steele’s research, which makes the case for collusion even though it has been discredited by the press, its subjects and former intelligence officials.
1118
1119
1120http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/443752/trump-kompromat-story-its-all-disturbing
1121	The Trump ‘Kompromat’ Story Is Disturbing — Every Bit of It
1122
1123	by David French January 11, 2017 12:51 AM
1124
1125	...I won’t dignify the report with a link, but some of the rumors detail alleged personal misconduct. Others detail disturbing claims of coordination between Russian intelligence and Trump campaign officials — claims that can be investigated rather easily. In fact, news organizations were investigating those claims even as Buzzfeed vomited out the entire report.
1126
1127	The American people need to know what Russia is doing, what our president-elect or his team have done (if anything), and whether members of our own government are breaking the law to try to delegitimize Trump.
1128
1129
1130http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443816/donald-trump-dossier-intelligence-reports-question-russia-ties
1131	Is the Intelligence Community Trying to Undermine Trump?
1132
1133	by Michael Barone January 13, 2017 12:00 AM @michaelbarone
1134
1135	These unverified allegations are not useful for much except delegitimizing the president-elect.
1136
1137	One must add that it’s not clear that “intelligence agencies” let out the information. But if they did, it was in line with the report they delivered to President Barack Obama last week claiming with high degrees of confidence that Russian president Vladimir Putin directed the hacking and release of e-mails from the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman.
1138
1139	...My ability to read the minds of leaders of the intelligence community is weaker than theirs to read Putin’s, and I lack knowledge of just how the 35-page dodgy dossier found its way into the computerized hands of BuzzFeed. But what we’re seeing looks an awful lot like an attempt by intelligence officials, probably including presidential employees, to delegitimize the president-elect and his administration. It’s in line with the warnings to Trump by Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer not to tangle with the intelligence community.
1140
1141
1142http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-sordid-history-of-the-firm-behind-the-trump-russia-dossier/article/2006254
1143	The Sordid History of the Firm Behind the Trump-Russia Dossier
1144	
1145	...What's interesting about this revelation is that Fusion GPS has an institutional reputation for doing shoddy and underhanded political work, and nearly all of it has been at the behest of Democrats looking to attack Republicans. 
1146
1147
1148http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/01/25/tucker-carlson-grills-buzzfeed-editor-ben-smith-unverified-donald-trump-russia-dossier
1149	Tucker Grills BuzzFeed Editor Who Published Trump-Russia Dossier 
1150
1151	...He told Tucker that he wanted to give readers a chance to see the contents of the dossier - which had been presented to high-level government officials - and decide for themselves.
1152
1153	Tucker said that journalists see unverified, unsubstantiated reports all the time, and argued that Smith was politically motivated to publicly release this particular one.
1154
1155	"Clearly, BuzzFeed News has a pretty open political agenda masquerading as journalism," Tucker said. "I think you are hiding behind journalistic standards, when, in fact, they're political imperatives."
1156
1157
1158https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/alt-right-trolls-are-trying-to-trick-people-into-thinking-tr
1159	 Alt-Right Trolls Are Trying To Trick People Into Thinking Trump Dossier Was A 4chan Prank
1160
1161	Trump supporters are spreading misinformation about a dossier that was released by BuzzFeed News Tuesday full of unverified allegations against President-elect Donald Trump. 
1162
1163	...It claims that a dossier full of unverified allegations that Russia has compromising information on President-elect Donald Trump, released Tuesday night by BuzzFeed News, was actually a hoax perpetrated by 4chan.
1164
1165	As reported by BuzzFeed News, the dossier's source is understood to be a former British intelligence agent whose past work was described by CNN as credible and the New York Times as "a competent and reliable operative with extensive experience in Russia." 
1166
1167	 ...Wilson told BuzzFeed News that he doesn't believe it's a coincidence that Trump supporters are crediting 4chan.
1168
1169	"The eagerness of them grabbing on to this 4chan thing shows you that there's some nervousness," he said. "They don't want him to be the guy who was pushed over the finish line by these forces that are overt enemies of our country."
1170
1171	Comments from Reddit and 4chan seem to back up the idea that Trump supporters are organizing misinformation campaigns.
1172
1173
1174http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/new-gop-defense-tactic-targets-trump-russia-dossier-936009795668
1175	New GOP defense tactic targets Trump Russia dossier
1176
1177	Rachel Maddow points out how the Republican Party has switched to full push-back mode on the Trump Russia dossier and the overall investigation into ties between the Donald Trump campaign and Russian interference
1178
1179
1180http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/pee-pee-tape-confirmed-fbi-used-trump-russia-dossier-to-get-fisa-warrant-on-carter-page/2351/
1181	 Pee Pee Tape confirmed? FBI used Trump-Russia dossier to get FISA warrant on Carter Page
1182
1183	...When former MI6 agent Christopher Steele’s now infamous “Trump-Russia dossier” first leaked to the public in January of this year, much of the media treated it with great skepticism. They dismissed it as “unsubstantiated” every time they mentioned it, even as they painted far other less substantiated rumors as legitimate. Perhaps that’s because they wanted to distance themselves from one of the core claims of the dossier, now commonly referred to as the Pee Pee Tape. But the whole parameters just changed.
1184
1185
1186https://www.mediamatters.org/research/2017/04/19/pro-trump-websites-denial-after-reports-confirm-parts-trump-russia-dossier-were-corroborated/216098
1187	Pro-Trump Websites In Denial After Reports Confirm Parts Of Trump Russia Dossier Were Corroborated
1188
1189	Fringe Outlets And Fake News Purveyors Attack FISA Court Decision By Attempting To Discredit Dossier Used As Evidence
1190
1191
1192http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/13/donald-trump-brands-christopher-steele-failed-spy-conspired/
1193	President-elect Donald Trump has lashed out at the former MI6 operative who prepared a dossier claiming Russia had explosive intelligence on him as a “failed spy” as Theresa May distanced the British government from the former agent.
1194
1195	Mr Trump said Chris Steele, who spent two decades with the secret service, collaborated with his political rivals to concoct “phony allegations”. He dismissed the alleged conspirators as “sleazebag political operatives”, noting that Russia has denied collecting compromising information about him.
1196
1197	Mr Steele’s status as a former UK spy threatened to cause a diplomatic row, with the Russian embassy in London suggesting he was still working on behalf of the British government to damage both Mr Trump and the Kremlin.
1198
1199	The Prime Minister said in a press conference on Friday that the government had nothing to do with the so-called “dirty dossier”.
1200
1201	“From everything you will have seen it is absolutely clear that the individual who produced this dossier has not worked for the UK government for years,” she said.
1202
1203	...Mr Steele told him he had been trusted by the FBI because, “my track record as a professional is second to none”.
1204
1205
1206https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/12/intelligence-sources-vouch-credibility-donald-trump-russia-dossier-author
1207	Donald Trump dossier: intelligence sources vouch for author's credibility 
1208
1209	Ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele, named as writer of Donald Trump memo, is ‘highly regarded professional’
1210
1211	Nick Hopkins and Luke Harding
1212
1213	On Thursday night, as the former spy was in hiding, having fled his home in the south-east of England, former colleagues rallied to defend him. One described him as “very credible” – a sober, cautious and meticulous professional with a formidable record.
1214
1215	The former Foreign Office official, who has known Steele for 25 years and considers him a friend, said: “The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false – completely untrue. Chris is an experienced and highly regarded professional. He’s not the sort of person who will simply pass on gossip.”
1216
1217	The official added: “If he puts something in a report, he believes there’s sufficient credibility in it for it to be worth considering. Chris is a very straight guy. He could not have survived in the job he was in if he had been prone to flights of fancy or doing things in an ill-considered way.”
1218
1219	That is the way the CIA and the FBI, not to mention the British government, regarded him, too. It’s not hard to see why. 
1220
1221
1222https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/12/parliaments-intelligence-watchdog-to-scrutinise-trump-dossier
1223	Pressure is only likely to increase on the government from all sides to explain whether it had any knowledge of the dossier as it was being prepared by the former MI6 officer, who has been named as Christopher Steele.
1224
1225	...“It absolutely leaves Britain in a difficult position and Moscow will make the most of that.
1226
1227
1228https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/item/1736-dni-clapper-statement-on-conversation-with-president-elect-trump
1229	We also discussed the private security company document, which was widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of Congress and Congressional staff even before the IC became aware of it. I emphasized that this document is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. 
1230
1231
1232http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443816/donald-trump-dossier-intelligence-reports-question-russia-ties
1233	“Fake news,” Trump charged at the news conference, turning back on his critics a meme they have been using to suggest that voters were gulled into voting for him. “I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out.”
1234
1235
1236http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/13/trump-sticks-knife-into-dossier-story-wont-let-intel-community-off-hook.html
1237	His “failed spy” slam refers to former British spy Christopher David Steele, who reportedly helped compile the dossier. Trump turned fire on the original sources of the material after slamming the media – namely CNN and BuzzFeed, the latter of which published the dossier itself – for reporting on the claims earlier this week.
1238
1239	But he also has continued to question the intelligence community’s role in the sordid allegations going public, reviving his charge Friday that they “probably” released it.
1240
1241
1242http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/03/28/fbi-scrutinized-by-congress-over-probe-into-alleged-russia-trump-link.html
1243
1244	The Senate Judiciary Committee, headed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is investigating whether the FBI wrongly included political opposition research from Trump’s opponents in its probe, and then paid the author of that controversial report, a former British spy, to work for the FBI on its investigation. The committee’s probe began March 6 with the letter Grassley sent the FBI and was furthered Monday with requests for information from the company that did the opposition research.
1245
1246	“When political opposition research becomes the basis for law enforcement or intelligence efforts, it raises substantial questions about the independence of law enforcement and intelligence from politics,” Grassley said Monday.
1247
1248	The House Intelligence Committee, headed by Rep. Devin Nunes, R- Calif., is looking into how classified documents containing foreign surveillance transcripts with references to Trump’s transition team were illegally disclosed to the media. The committee’s probe began Jan. 25.
1249
1250	...Most concerning, Grassley said, is that “Fusion GPS and Steele reportedly shared the dossier with the FBI, which then offered to pay Steele to continue his political opposition research on Trump.”
1251
1252	Grassley wants to determine “the extent to which the FBI has relied on the political dossier in its investigation.” The senator also has requested documentation from Fusion GPS as to who hired and paid them, when Steele was hired, how the FBI got involved and whether Fusion GPS was aware of the FBI paying Steele. 
1253
1254
1255(Note: Grassley is usually full of shit, and the FBI could have wanted to pay the guy to cover for spying on him or just to see what he and his sources would do. That said:)
1256
1257
1258https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/03/read-the-full-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey-in-which-he-discusses-clinton-email-investigation/
1259	GRAHAM: Do you agree with me that a fusion was involved in preparing the dossier against Donald Trump? That would be interfering in our election by the Russians?
1260
1261	COMEY: I don't want to say.
1262
1263
1264This one document managed to:
1265
1266- spark a political firestorm between the U.S. left and right
1267- politicize, distort, and discredit the narrative of Russia's meddling to help Trump and their activities in general
1268- strain relations between the U.S. and the U.K.
1269- strain relations between U.S. intelligence agencies and Trump (things would probably be going a lot better right now if Trump trusted the USIC over his "advisors")
1270- embarrass MI6 and the FBI
1271- create a scandal for the FBI and spark an investigation into their conduct
1272
1273
1274Which raises the question: why on earth is Comey promoting it? 
1275
1276
1277http://www.npr.org/2017/06/07/531643428/comey-opening-statement-for-senate-intelligence-hearing-annotated
1278	At the conclusion of that briefing, I remained alone with the President-Elect to brief him on some personally sensitive aspects of the information assembled during the assessment.
1279
1280	The IC leadership thought it important, for a variety of reasons, to alert the incoming President to the existence of this material, even though it was salacious and unverified. Among those reasons were: (1) we knew the media was about to publicly report the material and we believed the IC should not keep knowledge of the material and its imminent release from the President-Elect; and (2) to the extent there was some effort to compromise an incoming President, we could blunt any such effort with a defensive briefing.
1281
1282	...During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.
1283
1284	...He said he had nothing to do with Russia, had not been involved with hookers in Russia, and had always assumed he was being recorded when in Russia. He asked what we could do to “lift the cloud.” I responded that we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could, and that there would be great benefit, if we didn’t find anything, to our having done the work well. He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.
1285
1286
1287http://time.com/4810345/james-comey-testimony-real-time-transcript/
1288	Chairman Richard Burr - North Carolina:
1289	In the public domain, is this question of the steel dossier a document that has been around now for over a year, I'm not sure when the FBI first took possession of it, but the media had it before you had it and we had it. At the time of your departure from the FBI, was the FBI able to confirm any criminal allegations contained In the steel document?
1290
1291	James Comey:
1292	Mr. Chairman, I don't think that's a question I can answer in an open setting. It goes into the details of the investigation.
1293
1294	...Chairman Richard Burr - North Carolina:
1295	At what point would that recruitment become a counterintelligence threat to our country?
1296
1297	James Comey:
1298	Difficult to answer in the abstract. But when a foreign power is using -- especially coercion or some sort of pressure to try to co-opt an American, especially a government official to act on its behalf that's a serious concern to the FBI and at the heart of the FBI's counterintelligence mission.
1299
1300	Chairman Richard Burr - North Carolina:
1301	If you've got a 36-page document of specific claims that are out there, the FBI would have to -- for counterintelligence reasons -- try to verify anything that might be claimed in there, one, and probably first and foremost, is the counterintelligence concerns that we have about blackmail? would that be an accurate statement?
1302
1303	James Comey:
1304	Yes if the FBI receives a credible allegation there is some attempt to coerce an American on behalf of a foreign power that's the basis on which a case is open.
1305
1306	Chairman Richard Burr - North Carolina:
1307	When you read the dossier, what was your reaction given that it was 100% directed at the President-Elect?
1308
1309	James Comey:
1310	Not a question I can answer in an open setting, Mr. Chairman.
1311
1312	...Susan Collins - Maine:
1313	And then on -- and that's why you volunteered the information. Then on the January 27th dinner, you told the President that he should be careful about asking you to investigate because, quote, you might create a narrative that we are investigating him personally, which we weren't. Were you limiting that statement to counterintelligence investigations or more broadly such as a criminal investigation?
1314
1315	James Comey:
1316	The context was similar, I didn't modify the word investigation. Again, he was reacting strongly against that unverified material saying I'm tempting you to order to investigate it and I said you want to be careful about that because it might create a narrative that we're investigating you personally.
1317
1318	...James Comey: ...I was speaking to him and briefing him about some salacious and unverified material. It was in a context of that that he had a strong and defensive reaction about that not being true, and my reading of it was, It was important for me to assure him we were not personally investigating him, and so the context then was actually narrower, focused on what I just talked to him about but very important because it was first true and second I was very, very much about being in kind of a -- kind of a J. Edgar Hoover type situation. I didn't want him thinking I was briefing him on this, to sort of hang it over him in some way, I was briefing him on it because we had been told by the media it was about to launch, we don't want to be keeping that from him, and if there was -- he needed to know this was being said. But I was very keen not to leave him with an impression that the bureau was trying to do something to him, and so that's the context in which I said, sir, we're not personally investigating you.
1319
1320
1321Comey made the dossier a centerpiece of his testimony with statements that are easy to interpret as hints of its credibility, which the media jumped on once again:
1322
1323
1324http://www.thedailybeast.com/comey-implies-trump-dossier-contained-credible-allegations
1325	Comey Implies Trump Dossier Contained ‘Credible Allegations’
1326
1327	Former FBI Director James Comey implied Thursday that the now-infamous 36-page dossier contained “credible allegations.” Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) asked, during Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee: “So if you got a 36-page document of specific claims that are out there...
1328
1329
1330https://thinkprogress.org/comey-testimony-dossier-b4ba129a5e22
1331	Comey suggests there’s some truth to allegations in the explosive Trump dossier
1332
1333	“Mr. Chairman, I don’t think that’s a question I can answer in an open setting because it goes into the details of the investigation,” said Comey, a response that seemed to catch Burr off guard.
1334
1335
1336https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-08/comey-opens-door-to-investigate-trump-dossier
1337	Comey Opens Door to Investigate Trump Dossier
1338
1339	If Trump was lying about having nothing to do with Russia -- or if he was lying about the charge that Russian intelligence had gathered compromising material about him because of a dalliance with Russian prostitute -- that would constitute a federal crime.
1340
1341	To be extremely clear, I’m not saying that I have any reason to believe that Trump lied to Comey. I don’t.
1342
1343	But the statements alone, coupled with the dossier that contradicts them, provide sufficient reason for Mueller to extend his investigation to consider Trump’s own Russia related conduct -- including the information discussed in the dossier.
1344
1345
1346http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/6/8/1669966/-Comey-just-verified-the-veracity-of-the-hooker-dossier
1347	Comey just verified the veracity of the 'hooker dossier'
1348
1349
1350http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/08/revealed-how-the-fbi-inadvertently-turned-an-unverified-trump-dossier-into-hard-news/
1351	Revealed: How The FBI Inadvertently Turned An Unverified Trump Dossier Into Hard News
1352
1353	Reporting on their existence makes little sense without any way to confirm the allegations made in the dossier.The establishment media, hostile to the president-elect, was champing at the bit to release the dossier, and the IC briefing was all the verification needed.
1354
1355
1356http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/09/ann-coulter-tucker-carlson-james-comey-hearing-not-clearing-trump
1357	"It's the most insane thing I've ever heard," Coulter said.
1358
1359	She added that the only documented collusion between Russia and Americans during the election was related to the defamatory Trump dossier.
1360
1361	"Whatever happened to that?" Coulter said. "That was a Russian-produced dossier, used by, first, Never Trumpers, then the Hillary Clinton campaign, then the FBI, and broadcast hysterically by CNN. That was a Russian-produced dossier. That is the only evidence we have of Russia trying to collude."
1362
1363
1364http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/09/comey-testimony-leaves-questions-unanswered-about-anti-trump-dossier.html
1365	Comey testimony leaves questions unanswered about anti-Trump dossier
1366
1367	As previously reported by Fox News, Comey considered the unverified dossier prepared by Steele to be so important, he insisted it be included in January's final intelligence community report on Russian meddling in the election.
1368
1369
1370This isn't the first time Comey has done this:
1371
1372
1373http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/politics/fbi-dossier-carter-page-donald-trump-russia-investigation/index.html
1374	Washington (CNN)The FBI last year used a dossier of allegations of Russian ties to Donald Trump's campaign as part of the justification to win approval to secretly monitor a Trump associate, according to US officials briefed on the investigation.
1375
1376	The dossier has also been cited by FBI Director James Comey in some of his briefings to members of Congress in recent weeks, as one of the sources of information the bureau has used to bolster its investigation, according to US officials briefed on the probe.
1377
1378	...The dossier first came to light when CNN reported that a summary of it had been presented to President Obama and President-elect Trump back in December by top US Intelligence officials.
1379
1380	Comey's briefings to lawmakers stand in contrast to efforts in recent months by the bureau and US intelligence agencies to try to distance themselves from the dossier.
1381
1382	...Comey hasn't mentioned the dossier in all his briefings to lawmakers, according to people familiar with the briefings. To some of them, he has emphasized that the FBI gathered evidence as part of its investigation to support seeking FISA court approval and to take other steps as part of the probe that began last July, according to the officials briefed of the probe.
1383
1384
1385https://apnews.com/152579d488a740b2a8d39fbe2f34506d/biden-intel-officials-told-us-trump-allegations-might-leak
1386	Jan. 12, 2017
1387
1388	Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that top intelligence leaders told him and President Barack Obama they felt obligated to inform them about uncorroborated allegations about President-elect Donald Trump out of concern the information would become public and catch them off-guard.
1389
1390	In an interview, Biden said neither he nor Obama asked U.S. intelligence agencies to try to corroborate the unverified claims that Russia had obtained compromising sexual and financial allegations about Trump.
1391
1392	“I think it’s something that obviously the agency thinks they have to track down,” Biden said. He added later, “It surprised me in that it made it to the point where the agency, the FBI thought they had to pursue it.”
1393
1394	...“As a matter of fact, the president was like, ’What does this have anything to do with anything?’” Biden said. He said intelligence leaders responded by saying “Well, we feel obliged to tell you, Mr. President, because you may hear about it. We’re going to tell him,” referring to Trump.
1395
1396	Biden said intelligence leaders told him and Obama that they couldn’t say whether or not the allegations were true or untrue. He said there was “hardly any discussion” about the allegations in the briefing.
1397
1398
1399http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/donald-trump-intelligence-report-russia/index.html
1400	January 11, 2017
1401
1402	(CNN)Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.
1403
1404	The allegations were presented in a two-page synopsis that was appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible. The FBI is investigating the credibility and accuracy of these allegations, which are based primarily on information from Russian sources, but has not confirmed many essential details in the memos about Mr. Trump.
1405
1406	The classified briefings last week were presented by four of the senior-most US intelligence chiefs -- Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, and NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers.
1407
1408
1409https://www.buzzfeed.com/kenbensinger/these-reports-allege-trump-has-deep-ties-to-russia
1410	CNN reported Tuesday that a two-page synopsis of the report was given to President Obama and Trump.
1411
1412	Now BuzzFeed News is publishing the full document so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government.
1413
1414
1415http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-s-comey-told-trump-about-russia-dossier-after-intel-n706416
1416	A senior U.S. official said that it was FBI Director James Comey himself who pulled Trump aside after the briefing and spoke with him one-on-one about the so-called "dossier," 35 pages of memos prepared by a former British spy for an anti-Trump client prior to last year's election. 
1417
1418
1419http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/donald-trump-russia-report-intelligence-community
1420	At the same time, the fact that the nation’s top intelligence officials chose to present a summary version of the dossier to both President Obama and President-elect Trump, as CNN reports they did last week, indicates that they may have had a relatively high degree of confidence that at least some of the claims therein were credible
1421
1422
1423http://www.businessinsider.com/ex-cia-officers-trump-dossier-russia-2017-1
1424	The CIA and the FBI would not have briefed the president and the president-elect on claims that Russia has compromising information on Donald Trump if they did not take the allegations seriously, said former CIA operatives and analysts who spoke to Business Insider.
1425
1426	"Most of the information that passes across the CIA's desk throughout the day ends up on the cutting-room floor because it's not deemed to be credible or relevant," said Evan McMullin, a former CIA operations officer who ran as an independent during the 2016 presidential election.
1427
1428
1429https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/12/intelligence-sources-vouch-credibility-donald-trump-russia-dossier-author
1430	At his press briefing on Wednesday, the president-elect dared the world’s media to scrutinise the 35 pages of claims, before throwing down a challenge – where’s the proof? Nobody had any. Case closed.
1431
1432	But in the rush to trample all over the dossier and its contents, one key question remained. Why had America’s intelligence agencies felt it necessary to provide a compendium of the claims to Barack Obama and Trump himself?
1433
1434	And the answer to that lies in the credibility of its apparent author, the ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele, the quality of the sources he has, and...
1435
1436
1437https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/decision-to-brief-trump-on-allegations-brought-a-secret-and-unsubstantiated-dossier-into-the-public-domain/2017/01/11/275a3a6c-d830-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html
1438	Decision to brief Trump on allegations brought a secret and unsubstantiated dossier into the public domain
1439
1440	By Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Karen DeYoung January 11
1441
1442	As the nation’s top spies prepared to brief President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump on Russian interference in the 2016 election, they faced an excruciatingly delicate question: Should they mention the salacious allegations that had been circulating in Washington for months that Moscow had compromising information on the incoming president?
1443
1444	Ultimately, they concluded they had no choice. A 35-page dossier packed with details of supposed compromising personal information, alleged financial entanglements and political intrigue was already in such wide circulation in Washington that every major news organization seemed to have a copy.
1445
1446	“You’d be derelict if you didn’t” mention the dossier, a U.S. official said. To ignore the file, produced by a private-sector security firm, would only make the supposed guardians of the nation’s secrets seem uninformed, officials said, adding that many were convinced that it was only a matter of time before someone decided to publish the material.
1447
1448	Their decision appears to have hastened that outcome, triggering coverage of politically charged allegations that news organizations had tried to run down for months but could find no basis for publishing until they were summarized and included alongside a highly classified report assembled by the nation’s intelligence services.
1449
1450	...But U.S. intelligence officials appear to have been caught off-guard by the fallout, including a blistering attack by Trump, who accused spy agencies of engaging in Nazi-like tactics to smear him.
1451
1452	In an effort to contain the damage...
1453
1454	...But linking a collection of unsubstantiated allegations to a classified report that is supposed to convey the intelligence community’s firmest conclusions about Russian election interference has blurred the distinction between corroborated intelligence and innuendo.
1455
1456	Former U.S. intelligence officials described the inclusion of the summary — drawn from “opposition research” done by a political research firm — as highly unusual.
1457
1458	...“How did this former British intelligence officer talk to all these Russian officials and not get arrested for espionage?” the former official asked. Steele’s identity and association with his investigations firm are public, and are almost certainly known to Russian counterintelligence.
1459
1460	“They would have been all over him,” the former official said. “There are aspects of this [dossier] that are believable when you read it. There are other aspects that aren’t.”
1461
1462	Some details would seem relatively easy for the FBI to assess, including meetings between close associates of Trump and Putin allies.
1463
1464	But a senior law enforcement official acknowledged that other claims — including sweeping characterizations of relationships and rivalries inside the Kremlin — are more elusive. “This is not something we can validate or check out,” the official said. “It’s the view of people in Russia. It’s not like we can go out and determine its veracity.”
1465
1466
1467https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/
1468	KING: ...yourself, Admiral Rogers, Director Brennan, and General Clapper went to Trump tower to meet with President Trump. The media reports are that at the end of that meeting, Director Comey, you presented president-elect Trump with a copy of the now infamous or famous dossier. And I don't know how many people were in the room, but within hours, that was leaked to the media and that gave the media the excuse or the rationale to publish almost the entire dossier.
1469
1470	Do you -- does that violate any law? I mean you were at a classified briefing with the president-elect of the United States and it had to be a very, very small universe of people who knew that you handed them that dossier and it was leaked out within hours. Are you making any effort to find out who leaked it and do you believe that constitute a criminal violation?
1471
1472	COMEY: I can't say, Mr. King except I can answer in general.
1473
1474
1475The FBI knew the dossier was unverified and suspicious. The best thing they could have done would have been to ignore it, and the second best thing would to downplay it. Instead, Comey decided to brief everybody about the dossier and make it look like the FBI took it seriously. While members of the FBI were trying to discredit it, Comey's friend Benjamin Wittes (http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/24/politics/benjamin-wittes-james-comey-friend-anderson-cooper-cnntv/index.html) went to the media to tell everybody that the briefings meant the dossier has credibility:
1476
1477
1478https://www.wsj.com/articles/spy-agencies-investigating-claims-trump-advisers-worked-with-russian-agents-1484101731
1479	January 9, 2017 
1480
1481	Spy Agencies Investigating Claims Trump Advisers Worked With Russian Agents
1482
1483	By Shane Harris, Devlin Barrett and Alan Cullison
1484
1485	...The FBI has found no evidence that he traveled to the Czech Republic, where the meeting allegedly took place in August of last year, officials said.
1486
1487
1488https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-are-trump-allegations-hanging-around-when-they-havent-been-substantiated
1489	By Susan Hennessey, Benjamin Wittes
1490
1491	Thursday, January 12, 2017, 5:39 PM
1492
1493	On one hand, the fact that no specifics appear to have been validated should give everyone a lot of pause. If someone puts a lot of falsifiable facts on the table and large numbers of people spend large amounts of time trying to corroborate them and cannot do so, that generally tends to indicate that they are not true.
1494
1495	And yet, the intelligence community briefed the President. It appears the FBI is continuing its investigation. DNI James Clapper issued a statement yesterday, reading in part:
1496
1497		The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.
1498
1499	This indicates that while the documents have not been validated, the government continues to take them seriously for some reason.
1500
1501	The intelligence community simply does not concern itself with every crazy allegation against a sitting or incoming President that might be circulating or out there in the ether. 
1502
1503
1504It's unclear why Comey acted like the dossier was important and continued to promote it, even as British and U.S. officials speculated that the document was a Russian fake. Reportedly, this isn't the only time Comey has confused U.S. officials and the public about Russian forgeries, either. When the FBI received a Russian intelligence document they determined to be a fake, Comey didn't tell lawmakers the document was fake when he briefed them on it:
1505
1506
1507https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-a-dubious-russian-document-influenced-the-fbis-handling-of-the-clinton-probe/2017/05/24/f375c07c-3a95-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html
1508	How a dubious Russian document influenced the FBI’s handling of the Clinton probe
1509
1510	A secret document that officials say played a key role in then-FBI Director James B. Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation has long been viewed within the FBI as unreliable and possibly a fake, according to people familiar with its contents.
1511
1512	In the midst of the 2016 presidential primary season, the FBI received what was described as a Russian intelligence document claiming a tacit understanding between the Clinton campaign and the Justice Department over the inquiry into whether she intentionally revealed classified information through her use of a private email server.
1513
1514	The Russian document cited a supposed email describing how then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch had privately assured someone in the Clinton campaign that the email investigation would not push too deeply into the matter. If true, the revelation of such an understanding would have undermined the integrity of the FBI’s investigation.
1515
1516	Current and former officials have said that Comey relied on the document in making his July decision to announce on his own, without Justice Department involvement, that the investigation was over. That public announcement — in which he criticized Clinton and made extensive comments about the evidence — set in motion a chain of other FBI moves that Democrats now say helped Trump win the presidential election.
1517
1518	But according to the FBI’s own assessment, the document was bad intelligence — and according to people familiar with its contents, possibly even a fake sent to confuse the bureau.
1519
1520	...From the moment the bureau received the document from a source in early March 2016, its veracity was the subject of an internal debate at the FBI. Several people familiar with the matter said the bureau’s doubts about the document hardened in August when officials became more certain that there was nothing to substantiate the claims in the Russian document. FBI officials knew the bureau never had the underlying email with the explosive allegation, if it ever existed.
1521
1522	...“It didn’t mean anything to the investigation until after [senior FBI officials] had to defend themselves,” said one person familiar with the matter. “Then they decided it was important. But it’s junk, and they already knew that.”
1523
1524	An FBI spokesman declined to comment. Comey did not respond to requests for comment.
1525
1526	...After the bureau first received the document, it attempted to use the source to obtain the referenced email but could not do so, these people said. The source that provided the document, they said, had previously supplied other information that the FBI was also unable to corroborate.
1527
1528
1529(Since it needs to be asked: is that source Christopher Steele?)
1530
1531
1532https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/03/read-the-full-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey-in-which-he-discusses-clinton-email-investigation/
1533	GRASSLEY: Okay, moving on to another subject, the New York Times recently reported that the FBI had found a troubling email among the ones the Russians hacked from Democrat operatives. The email reportedly provided assurances that Attorney General Lynch would protect Secretary Clinton by making sure the FBI investigation “didn't go too far.”
1534
1535	How, and when, did you first learn of this document? Also, who sent it and who received it?
1536
1537	COMEY: That's not a question I can answer in this forum, Mr. Chairman, because it would call for a classified response. I have briefed leadership of the intelligence committees on that particular issue, but I can't talk about it here.
1538
1539
1540http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/politics/james-comey-fbi-investigation-fake-russian-intelligence/index.html
1541	In classified sessions with members of Congress several months ago, Comey described those emails in the Russian claim and expressed his concern that this Russian information could "drop" and that would undermine the Clinton investigation and the Justice Department in general, according to one government official.
1542
1543	Still, Comey did not let on to lawmakers that there were doubts about the veracity of the intelligence, according to sources familiar with the briefings. It is unclear why Comey was not more forthcoming in a classified setting.
1544
1545	...The Washington Post reported Wednesday that this Russian intelligence was unreliable. US officials now tell CNN that Comey and FBI officials actually knew early on that this intelligence was indeed false.
1546
1547	In fact, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe went to Capitol Hill Thursday to push back on the notion that the FBI was duped, according to a source familiar with a meeting McCabe had with members of the Senate intelligence committee.
1548
1549	...In classified sessions with members of Congress several months ago, Comey described those emails in the Russian claim and expressed his concern that this Russian information could "drop" and that would undermine the Clinton investigation and the Justice Department in general, according to one government official.
1550
1551	Still, Comey did not let on to lawmakers that there were doubts about the veracity of the intelligence, according to sources familiar with the briefings. It is unclear why Comey was not more forthcoming in a classified setting.
1552
1553	Sources close to Comey tell CNN he felt that it didn't matter if the information was accurate, because his big fear was that if the Russians released the information publicly, there would be no way for law enforcement and intelligence officials to discredit it without burning intelligence sources and methods. There were other factors behind Comey's decision, sources say. 
1554
1555	In at least one classified session, Comey cited that intelligence as the primary reason he took the unusual step of publicly announcing the end of the Clinton email probe.
1556
1557	In that briefing, Comey did not even mention the other reason he gave in public testimony for acting independently of the Justice Department -- that Lynch was compromised because Bill Clinton boarded her plane and spoke to her during the investigation, these sources told CNN.
1558
1559	Multiple US officials tell CNN that to this day Russia is trying to spread false information in the US -- through elected officials and American intelligence and law enforcement operatives -- in order to cloud and confuse ongoing investigations.
1560
1561
1562If these documents are Russian fakes, Comey hasn't done a very good job of making that clear. Is he acting on the belief that they're credible?
1563
1564
1565http://www.npr.org/2017/06/07/531643428/comey-opening-statement-for-senate-intelligence-hearing-annotated
1566	and (2) to the extent there was some effort to compromise an incoming President, we could blunt any such effort with a defensive briefing.
1567
1568
1569http://time.com/4810345/james-comey-testimony-real-time-transcript/
1570	Chairman Richard Burr - North Carolina:
1571	If you've got a 36-page document of specific claims that are out there, the FBI would have to -- for counterintelligence reasons -- try to verify anything that might be claimed in there, one, and probably first and foremost, is the counterintelligence concerns that we have about blackmail? would that be an accurate statement?
1572
1573	James Comey:
1574	Yes if the FBI receives a credible allegation there is some attempt to coerce an American on behalf of a foreign power that's the basis on which a case is open.
1575
1576
1577Or was he just worried they'll leak to the press?
1578
1579
1580http://www.npr.org/2017/06/07/531643428/comey-opening-statement-for-senate-intelligence-hearing-annotated
1581	Among those reasons were: (1) we knew the media was about to publicly report the material and we believed the IC should not keep knowledge of the material and its imminent release from the President-Elect;
1582
1583
1584http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-fbi-leaks-idUSKBN12Y2QD
1585	FBI fear of leaks drove decision on emails linked to Clinton: sources
1586
1587 	FBI Director James Comey was driven in part by a fear of leaks from within his agency when he decided to tell Congress the FBI was investigating newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton, law enforcement sources said on Thursday.
1588
1589
1590https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/03/read-the-full-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey-in-which-he-discusses-clinton-email-investigation/
1591	SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CALIF.): ...Why didn't you just do the investigation as you would normally with no public announcement?
1592
1593	COMEY: A great question, senator. Thank you. October 27, the investigative team that had finished the investigation in July focused on Secretary Clinton's emails asked to meet with me.
1594
1595	...And so I stared at speak and conceal. Speak would be really bad. There's an election in 11 days, Lordy, that would be really bad. Concealing in my view would be catastrophic, not just to the FBI, but well beyond. And honestly, as between really bad and catastrophic, I said to my team we got to walk into the world of really bad. I've got to tell Congress that we're restarting this, not in some frivolous way, in a hugely significant way.
1596
1597
1598Comey doesn't speak as to what the catastrophic consequences of "concealing" news of the emails on Weiner's laptop would have been (although he did conceal that the emails were duplicates: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/11/06/read-full-text-comeys-letter-new-clinton-emails/93398304/ which might have had consequences of its own: Clinton's polling didn't fully recover after the announcement). But if his Oct 28 letter was motivated by "fear of leaks," then we'd have to believe that all the Russians have to do to swing our elections is mail forgeries to the FBI. 
1599
1600But U.S. intelligence knows how to deal with Russian forgeries:
1601
1602
1603https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91-00901R000600210056-1.pdf
1604	CIA, allies change policy, begin openly exposing Soviet intelligence
1605
1606	Washington (KNT)--The Central Intelligence Agency and allied intelligence agencies have declared open season on their KGB counterparts, exposing Soviet intelligence operations throughout the world.
1607
1608	In the weeks following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, there have been major exposures of Soviet spy networks in New Zealand, Spain, Canada and Japan. Agents have been exposed and, in some cases, expelled.
1609
1610	Intelligence veterans note that this flurry of "rollbacks" is in marked contrast to the days of detente when the tight little world of spy versus spy simmered clandestinely.
1611
1612	In addition, the CIA has given reporters and friendly intelligence agencies hundreds of pages of previously secret documents about the KGB's activities. They detail recent plots to discredit United States peace moves in the Mideast and to derail nuclear arms policy talks between the U.S. and Western European allies.
1613
1614	"There are always a lot of spy cases on the back burner," said a former U.S. counterespionage official, who kept tabs on the KGB during the Cold War. "Sometimes word comes down to bring them in. It's like deciding wen to play your trump in a card game."
1615
1616	Perhaps most damaging to the KGB was a hearing on Capitol Hill early this month. For the first time in the CIA's history, testimony by the agency's chief spy-master, the director of covert operations, was handed to reporters. Until then, John McMahon's identity as deputy director for operations was itself a secret.
1617
1618	Mr. McMahon's testimony disclosed a mass of sensitive data. It included copies of what Mr. McMahon called KGB forgeries of American diplomatic documents, which were part of an apparent scheme to undermine relations between the U.S. and Egyptian President Anwar el Sadat.
1619
1620	Mr. McMahon told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Intelligence that the KGB forged a letter over the fabricated signature of Herman F. Eilts, ambassador to Egypt, stating that the U.S. was planning to dump Mr. Sadat.
1621
1622	"We must repudiate him [Mr. Sadat] and get rid of him without hesitation," said the falsified letter, which was addressed to Adam Stansfield Turner, director of central intelligence. Mr. McMahon said the letter was planted in a Syrian newspaper October 1, and was the KGB's third forgery involving Mr. Eilts's "signature."
1623
1624	In his testimony, Mr. McMahon said, "The KGB exercises day-to-day operation responsibility for forgery efforts, but its annual and five-to-seven-year work plans are approved by the highest levels of the Soviet political authority."
1625
1626	In all, Mr. McMahon gave the subcommittee 16 documents he called KGB forgeries. They show the Soviet spy agency writing nonexistent press conferences for President Carter in which he made insulting remarks about Greece, an Army field manual urging subversion of host countries and many falsified diplomatic cables.
1627
1628	Mr. McMahon also disclosed a CIA estimate of how much the KGB spends a year--"our rough estimate of $3 billion a year is probably a conservative figure."
1629
1630	The CIA estimated that the KGB spent $200 million last year for support to guerilla groups, $100 million on clandestine radio stations and another #200 million for "special campaigns"--including an effort to stop American plans to build the neutron bomb and place nuclear missiles in Europe.
1631
1632	A spokesman for the House subcommittee said Mr. McMahon's testimony delivered in secret session February 6, was released last week to "dramatize" recent increases in Soviet forgery schemes. [author's aside: don't you wish we had a House Intelligence Committee like that today?] Mr. McMahon said the KGB had been using forgeries since the 1950s.
1633
1634
1635https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/03/read-the-full-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey-in-which-he-discusses-clinton-email-investigation/
1636	COMEY: ...It was an incredibly painful choice, but actually not all that hard between very bad and catastrophic. I had to tell Congress that we were taking these additional steps. I prayed to find a third door. I couldn't find it.
1637
1638
1639If Comey knew there was a Russian plot to discredit our institutions, why would he let it affect his decision making? If he cares so much about transparency, why not educate the American public and expose the plot? That's what our intelligence agencies did before.
1640
1641Actually, I asked Comey to do exactly that. When I started doing this about a year ago, I knew the Russians were using propaganda to politicize their interference. I thought that our elected officials were too untrustworthy or partisan to convince the public of what was the Russians were doing. I had found and interacted with Russian propagandists promoting Trump and inciting violence and racism on social media, and I knew there was a lot more going on than what the government was telling us. What America needed, I thought, was someone honest and apolitical to tell us what was really going on. After hearing his speech in the July 7th Oversight hearings, I became convinced Comey was the answer to all of our problems:
1642
1643
1644https://www.c-span.org/video/?412315-1/fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-hillary-clinton-email-probe&start=11658
1645	Rep Desaulnier: Director, I just want to thank you as others have, and I know you don't need this. But I think the American people clearly need to hear it. You've done a wonderful job today. But there are moments in my political life and as an American where I despair for the future of this country, not often. But in those moments comes an individual like yourself, either by providence or good fortune or by the framework of the U.S. constitution. I really believe you served this country and all Americans well, irrespective of their party affiliation.
1646
1647	Really two lines of questions: one is I--another colleague has brought this up--but you mentioned just previous testimony about the bedrock and the importance of public confidence and public safety institutions, yours and all. So I just want to give you an opportunity, I think you have responded to this multiple times, but give you a little more opportunity because I think it's important for the American public to know that the system isn't rigged, that there are people such as yourself and the fifteen individuals who worked on this case and others that do their job and believe in the constitution of the United States. And if you have any further comments about comments that would say that the system's rigged and Americans should give up on the system.
1648
1649	Director Comey: One of the reasons I welcome to have the opportunity to have this conversation is I was raised by great parents who taught me you can't care what other people think about you. Actually, in my business, I have to, and deeply do, that people have confidence that the system's not fixed, against black people, for rich people, for powerful people. It's very, very important that the American people understand that there really are people that you pay for with your tax dollars who don't give a rip about Democrats or Republicans or this or that, who care about finding out what is true. And I am lucky to lead an organization that is that way to its core. I get a ten-year term to ensure that I stay outside of politics, but in a way it's easy. I lead an organization that is resolutely apolitical. We are tough aggressive people. If we can make a case, we'll make a case. We do not care what the person's stripes are or what their bank account looks like.
1650
1651	And I worry very much when people doubt that. It's the reason I did the press conference I did two days ago. I care about the FBI's reputation, I care about the Justice Department, I care about the whole system deeply. And so I decided I'm going to do something no director's ever done before. I'm not going to tell the Attorney General or anybody else what I'm going to say or even that I'm going to say it. They didn't know, nor did the media know what I was going to talk about until I walked out and offered extraordinary transparency which I'm sure confused and bugged a lot of people.
1652
1653	It's essential in this democracy that people see as much as they can so they can make their judgment. Again, they may conclude I'm an idiot, I should reason differently, but what I hope they will not conclude is that I'm a dishonest person. I'm here trying to do the right thing in the right way, and I lead 36,000 people who have that as their spine. That's what I want them to know. I don't care that people agree or disagree. That's what's wonderful about our Democracy. But at its core, you need to know there are good people trying to do the right thing all day long. And you pay for them and we'll never forget that.
1654
1655
1656In Comey I saw someone devoted to the values of our country, unafraid to break norms to tell the American public what we needed to hear. I knew the Russians were trying to break-down the values that hold-together our society, and I saw that their propagandists were attacking Comey. So I made it my missions to defend Comey however I could, waging a sort of one-man counter-propaganda war on his behalf on social media.
1657
1658I kept watching Comey's hearings. When I saw that Congress was attacking him for his handling of the email investigation, I was sure Comey knew more than what he was letting on. I convinced myself that Comey knew there was a Russian plot to cause chaos and discredit our institutions, and I thought that Congress somehow didn't know about it, or that maybe Comey tried to warn them and they didn't believe him, and that's why they were attacking him. So I did my best to try find evidence of what the Russians were going to do and warn Congress. Like Comey, I was worried that there would be a catastrophe in the coming weeks.
1659
1660Around early October, I thought I had figured it out. I sent members of the Oversight Committee an email saying what I'd seen in media reports: that the Russians were plotting a campaign of chaos and violence on election day. On top of this, I warned them that the Russians could make this even worse by hacking our voting registration systems. I took Comey at his word when said the Russians wouldn't be able to tamper with the vote:
1661
1662
1663https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/114-91_22125.pdf
1664	Ms. LOFGREN. All right. I am hoping that we can get some insight in an appropriate classified setting on that. Now, we have watched with some concern—and I know you are also concerned—about the Russian intrusion into our election system. It has been reported to us that the Russians hacked into the Democratic National Committee database. They also hacked into the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. And it seems that they are making an effort to influence the outcome of this election. We have been warned that the information stolen might not just be released but also be altered and forged and then released,in an effort to impact the election here in the United States. Yesterday, there were press reports—and I don’t know if they are accurate, and I am interested if you are able to tell us—that the Russians have also hacked the telephones of Democratic staffers and that there was a request for Democratic staffers to bring their cell phones into the FBI to have them mirrored. Can you tell us anything about that? 
1665
1666	Mr. COMEY. I can’t at this point. What I can say in response to the first part of your question, any hacking is something we take very seriously. Any hacking in connection with this Nation’s election system is something we take extraordinarily seriously, the whole of government. So it is something the FBI is spending a lot of time on right now to try and understand. So what are they up to and what does it involve and what is the scope of it to equip the President to decide upon the appropriate response. And so that is one of reasons I have to be very careful about what I say about it. That work is ongoing. I should make clear to folks when we talk about our election system, there has been a lot of press reporting about attempts to intrude into voter registration databases. Those are connected to the Internet. That is very different than the electoral mechanism in this country, which is not. 
1667
1668
1669So, I concluded that the Russians wouldn't be able to influence the election outcome, but they would be able to cause chaos or even violence by making it look like the vote was being rigged, just like what happened during the primaries:
1670
1671
1672http://tucson.com/news/local/officials-look-into-reports-of-pima-county-voting-problems/article_12c366a5-cea7-5152-89c1-b9b47e9ac379.html
1673	As Maricopa County voters dealt with excruciatingly long wait times, Pima County residents struggled with a different challenge on Tuesday: incorrect party-affiliation listings that prevented some from casting a ballot.
1674
1675
1676http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-04-25/poll-worker-voters-given-wrong-ballots-in-arizona-primary
1677	Voters dismayed with Arizona's problematic presidential primary voiced frustrations with long lines and registration issues Monday during a hearing for a court challenge to have the election results thrown out.
1678
1679
1680http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-voting-problems-20160607-snap-htmlstory.html
1681	California voters faced a tough time at the polls Tuesday, with many voters saying they have encountered broken machines, polling sites that opened late and incomplete voter rolls, particularly in Los Angeles County.
1682
1683	The result? Instead of a quick in-and-out vote, many California voters were handed the dreaded pink provisional ballot — which takes longer to fill out, longer for election officials to verify and which tends to leave voters wondering whether their votes will be counted.
1684
1685
1686http://koin.com/2016/04/20/voters-find-wrong-party-affiliation-on-oregon-registry/
1687	Voter registration errors aren’t just occurring in states like Arizona and New York. Some Oregonians claim their party affiliation recently changed on the state’s digital registry, and they don’t know why.
1688
1689	Elections Director Jim Williams says 120-150 voters are calling the Secretary of State’s office every day to complain about errors in party affiliations.
1690
1691
1692http://gothamist.com/2016/04/06/voter_confusion_primary_ny.php
1693	Since shortly before the late deadline to register to vote in the April 19th presidential primary in New York, state Board of Elections spokesman Tom Connolly said his office has been fielding nearly 100 calls a day from voters who are "pissed off" about their registration status, for one reason or another. On social media, there are dozens of reports from voters who say they checked their registration online recently and found that their party affiliation had been switched, which is disqualifying because New York's primaries are closed, or that that their registration couldn't be found altogether.
1694
1695
1696https://news.vice.com/article/new-york-lawsuit-voter-registration-problems-primary
1697	More than 200 voters have signed onto an emergency lawsuit against the state — a majority of them Democrats — saying that their voter registration was inaccurately changed, never updated, or had disappeared altogether. Election Justice USA, a new voter suppression watchdog, filed the lawsuit on behalf of New York voters on Tuesday morning just before the polls opened.
1698
1699	Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement on Wednesday that he was "deeply troubled by the volume and consistency of voting irregularities" during the primary. Schneiderman's office set up a hotline for voters experiencing issues at the polls on Tuesday, and he said that his office received "more than one thousand complaints."
1700
1701
1702http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/officials-investigating-why-126000-voters-were-purged-from-ny-rolls/
1703	Multiple investigations were launched and a top election official was suspended this week after tens of thousands of registered voters were found to be missing from the rolls during Tuesday’s Democratic primary in New York.
1704
1705
1706http://www.californiacountynews.org/news/2016/07/riverside-da-someone-changed-voters%E2%80%99-party-affiliations-without-consent
1707	Someone with access to voters' personal information used the state’s voter registration site to change the party affiliations of dozens of Riverside County residents ahead of the June 7 election, District Attorney Mike Hestrin said Wednesday. The revelation is raising serious concerns about voter fraud and the security of the state's online voter registration system in particular.
1708
1709
1710http://capitolfax.com/2016/07/21/foreign-hack-attack-on-state-voter-registration-site/
1711	The State Board of Elections (SBE) fell victim to a cyberattack that was detected on July 12, 2016. Specifically, the target was the [Illinois Vital Records System] database. Once discovered, State Board of Elections closed the point of entry. On July 13th, once the severity of the attack was realized, as a precautionary measure, the entire IVRS system was shut down, including online voter registration.
1712
1713
1714http://www.azfamily.com/story/32388223/fbi-trying-to-determine-if-arizona-voter-database-was-hacked
1715	State cybersecurity investigators are trying to determine if personal information about millions of Arizona voters was improperly accessed or tampered with after the FBI found evidence of a potential hack.
1716
1717	Arizona’s voter registration system remained offline [July 6, 2016] as a team combed the troves of data for any issues, said Matthew Roberts, a spokesman for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
1718
1719
1720I sent all this to members of Congress, telling them now is not the time for partisan games, and we have to act to warn Americans of what the Russians have been doing and could do on election day. I told them Congress or Director Comey should warn the public that Russia could cause chaos and hack voting registrations again, lest Russia use their propaganda to blame their hacking on Clinton (whom many Trump supporters expected to rig the election  http://time.com/4533059/donald-trump-election-poll-hillary-clinton/), and potentially cause riots and unrest.
1721
1722Instead, a few weeks later, Comey sent his email investigation letter to the Oversight Committee, and Rep. Chaffetz immediately leaked it. Eleven days later, Trump won in a surprise victory.
1723
1724There was no chaos, riots, or terrorist attacks. As it turns out, the worries about election day violence might have been overblown:
1725
1726
1727https://qz.com/829357/us-presidential-election-2016-how-to-prepare-for-election-day-violence-if-trump-loses-or-wins/
1728	Americans like me who survived Ferguson understand just how bad Election Day violence could get
1729	Sarah Kendzior
1730	November 07, 2016
1731
1732	In August, Donald Trump’s adviser, Roger Stone, announced there would be a “bloodbath” should the GOP nominee lose. Since then, Trump’s white supremacist fans have given many indications that they intend to make good on his promise. Trump campaign chairman Steven Bannon has bragged of “voter suppression” efforts while fans proclaim plans of voter intimidation. Authorities have thwarted violence aimed at Muslim communities, including a planned bomb attack in Kansas and a planned Columbine-style shooting in California. A black church was burned, with Trump’s name spray-painted on the side.
1733
1734	Numerous militia groups, empowered by the recent acquittal of a militia in Oregon, have proclaimed they will enact vengeance in Trump’s name as well. Meanwhile, factions of the FBI—the organization that arrested the Kansas bombers and are responsible for tracking homegrown terrorism—appear to be pulling for a Trump win, leading some to question whether it can be trusted to carry out its nonpartisan duty to protect people targeted for violence.
1735
1736
1737https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/864347320460001281
1738	Bombshell: Initial Thoughts on the Washington Post’s Game-Changing Story http://www.lawfareblog.com/bombshell-initial-thoughts-washington-posts-game-changing-story … <-- Trump tells state secrets to Russians
1739
1740
1741https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/859951648369766400
1742	The Steele dossier story was broken in Oct 2016 by David Corn, head of Mother Jones Washington bureau. That's a "low-level blogger"?
1743
1744
1745https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/819581612480266240
1746	Intelligence sources vouch for credibility of Russia dossier author
1747
1748
1749https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/847446100072181761
1750	BBC News - Trump Russia dossier key claim 'verified'
1751
1752
1753https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/comey-testimony-reveals-trump-is-running-america-like-a-crime-boss/article35252262/
1754	Comey testimony reveals Trump is running America like a crime boss
1755	Sarah Kendzior
1756
1757
1758There were, however, reports of unusual statistical anomalies in key swing-states:
1759
1760
1761https://econsnapshot.com/2016/12/06/electronic-voting-machines-and-the-election/
1762	It’s tough to draw precise conclusions as to what these correlations mean. It’s still possible that there are other factors driving our results, other than electronic voting. But, what we do know is that results in key swing states differ in counties with electronic voting. Further, the patterns in these counties are not exhibited by other similar but not electorally important counties across the country. Additionally, electronic voting had no impact in swing states during the 2012 election. Taken together, it seems tough to dismiss the correlations that we have found in the data. While we don’t know how to interpret the findings practically, it certainly lends credence to the efforts to initiate recounts in several of the swing states.
1763
1764
1765http://tdmsresearch.com/2016/11/10/2016-presidential-election-table/
1766	According to the exit polls conducted by Edison Research, Clinton won four key battleground states (NC, PA, WI, and FL) in the 2016 Presidential Election that she went on to lose in the computerized vote counts.  With these states Clinton wins the Electoral College with a count of 306 versus 232 for Trump. Clinton also won the national exit poll by 3.2% and won the national vote count by 2.1% or about three million votes.
1767
1768	Exit polls were conducted in 28 states. In 22 states the discrepancies between the exit polls and the vote count favored Trump. In 12 of these states the discrepancies favoring Trump exceeded the margin of error of the state’s exit poll.
1769
1770
1771This was pretty disheartening, but I didn't stop. Since then, I have keeping up with the news, reading-up on active measures, finding and documenting Russia's propaganda and doing my best to figure out what they're up to and tell as many people as I can.
1772
1773A part of what drives me is seeing the mismatch between the narrative on Russian meddling that the public is getting versus what historians, verified experts, and suspected Russian propagandists are actually saying. After the Cold War, a big part of the Soviet's strategy was to pretend like they are weaker than they actually are--a common refrain in their propaganda is "Russia has the economy the size of Italy! How can they be a threat?" But this theme permeates a lot of their propaganda (e.g. "why does the big mean U.S. pick on little Russia?"), especially the misinformation about their activities. They present Russia's attack to the public as just a new twist on their routine cyberspying on U.S. officials ("This time, they released it!"), as if Putin paid off a few geeks in the KGB's basement to hack the DNC's emails and a courier to carry them to Wikileaks. You can see it in the Steele Dossier--arranging a bungled meeting to figure out how Trump can make "deniable" payments to freelance hackers, Putin "sacking" his advisor after his (obvious) connections to Trump are exposed, Russia making dual-use of Trump to spy on Putin's oligarch buddies, and the FSB conducting ad-hoc foreign recruitment by lying in wait for Westerners to make business trips to Russia before somehow snaring them with blackmail. And then pundits on The Daily Beast wonder: how do we handle this new era of cyber warfare?
1774
1775Just knowing about the illegals program from the spies arrested in 2010 casts suspicion on this whole narrative, and even trying a guess at its size is about enough to discredit it. Why have Micheal Cohen and Carter Page go back and forth with incriminating information between the Kremlin and the U.S. when you have a network of trained deep cover spies? Why bother making incriminating payments or orders to puppet like Trump, when you can build up a layer of trained agents of influence as his advisors?
1776
1777And for that matter, why bother with hacking at all? If the Kremlin has deep-cover spies all over U.S. policymaking circles, it only takes one in the DNC to lift their emails to Wikileaks in a plausibly-deniable way (or better, to recruit an actual American to do it). And if they have the likes of I.F. Stone, Seymore Hersh, and Glenn Greenwald on their spy roster, they could pick from a menu of semi-famous journalists to use as the middleman, perhaps waiting to break the story that the Russian hacking story was a "hoax all along."
1778
1779The beginning and end of the story of Russia's meddling that's presented to the public is that they spread some fake news on social media and hacked and released Hillary Clinton's emails, bringing connotations of a cheap and unsophisticated operation conducted almost entirely from Russia's soil. But if this is how the American public thinks of Russia's active measures, they're not going to guess if an article they're reading int New York Times is a Russian press placement, if an "expert" who's advice they follow is an agent of influence, or if the politician they support is working for a foreign government. And it distracts from the more insidious and sustained parts of active measures, like the promotion of racism (https://medium.com/@bb06/ideological-subversion-and-racism-f3d09421cf78) and other toxic worldviews. It's telling that U.S. officials need to point out that "Russia's meddling continues" in Congressional hearings--do people know how it continues? Why?
1780
1781The public needs to know that active measures is more than just hacking and elections. Right now I'm pretty sure the U.S. Government knows the American people are under attack, directly, by a foreign power. It is a great disservice to not let them know. That's why I've been doing what I'm doing--almost everything people need to know is in the public domain already, you just need to bring it to people's attention.
1782
1783That's why I've been unhappy with a lot of our Government officials, and at least a part of why I think some of them aren't loyal to the United States. We can do better than this:
1784
1785
1786https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/
1787	SPEIER: Thank you, Ranking Member. Thank you gentlemen for your service to our country.
1788
1789	You know, I think it's really important as we sit here that we explain this to the American people in a way that they can understand it. Why are we talking about all of this? So my first question to each of you is, is Russia our adversary? Mr. Comey?
1790
1791	COMEY: Yes.
1792
1793	SPEIER: Mr. Rogers?
1794
1795	ROGERS: Yes.
1796
1797	SPEIER: Is -- do they intend to do us harm?
1798
1799	ROGERS: They intend to ensure, I believe, that they gain advantage at our expense.
1800
1801	SPEIER: Director Comey?
1802
1803	COMEY: Yes, I wanna be -- harm can have many meetings. They're an adversary and so they wanna resist us, oppose us, undermine us, in lots of different ways.
1804
1805	SPEIER: So one of the terms that we hear often is hybrid warfare. And I'd like to just stand give a short definition of what it is. It blends conventional warfare, irregular warfare and cyber warfare. The aggressor intends to avoid attribution or retribution.
1806
1807	So would you say that Russia engaged in hybrid warfare in its effort to undermine our Democratic process and engage in our electoral process? Director Comey?
1808
1809	COMEY: I don't think I would use the term warfare. I think you'd -- you'd wanna ask experts in the definition of war. They engaged in a multifaceted campaign of active measures to undermine our democracy and hurt one of the candidates and -- and hope to help one of the other candidates.
1810
1811	ROGERS: I'd agree with the director.
1812
1813	SPEIER: All right, well, thank you both. I actually think that their engagement was an act of war, an act of hybrid warfare and I think that's why the American people should be concerned about it.
1814
1815	...LOBIONDO: OK. So very briefly the -- if you can describe the elements of the Russia's active measures in the campaign in the 2016 election. We've only got 35 seconds, but that's the first thing I want to get into about exactly what they were doing if you can tell us anything about that.
1816
1817	ROGERS: So we saw cyber used, we saw the use of external media, we saw the use of disinformation, we saw the use of leaking of information, much of which was not altered.
1818
1819	I mean, we saw several, if you will, common traits that we have both seen over time as well as I would argue that the difference this time was that the -- the cyber dimension and the fact that the release of so much information that they had extracted via cyber is a primary tool to try to drive an outcome.
1820
1821
1822https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/03/read-the-full-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey-in-which-he-discusses-clinton-email-investigation/
1823	SASSE: When we talk about things like cyber investigations right now, so often on cable TV it becomes a shirts and skins exercise. So without asking you to comment about anything that's retrospective about 2016, do you think it's likely that in 2018 and beyond you're going to see more targeting of U.S. public discourse and elections?
1824
1825	COMEY: I do. I think one of the lessons that particularly the Russians may have drawn from this is that this works. And so as I said last -- a month or so ago I expect to see them back in 2018, especially 2020.
1826
1827	SASSE: You regularly testify -- and correct me if I've -- if I've misheard you but I think you've regularly testified that you don't think the Bureau is short of resources. You don't come before us and make big increased appropriations requests. And yet those of us who are very concerned about cyber look at the U.S. government writ large and think were not at all prepared for the future.
1828
1829	Can you tell us what the FBI is doing to prepare for that 2018 and 2020 circumstance that you envision?
1830
1831	COMEY: Without giving to much detail, we have a -- enormous part of the FBI in our counter intelligence division and in our cyber division that focuses on just that threat and making sure that we do everything that we can to understand how the bad guys might come at us. And as I talked about earlier to equip the civilian agencies that are responsible for hardening our infrastructure with all the information we have about how they're going to come at us.
1832
1833	SASSE: And if you had international security domain increased resources, how would you spend another marginal dollar beyond what you expect to receive now?
1834
1835	COMEY: I probably have a tie between investing more in upgrading our systems to make sure we're keeping pace with the bar of excellence. And probably to hire additional cyber agents and analysts.
1836
1837
1838http://www.newsweek.com/fbi-director-james-comey-russian-tampering-election-576417
1839	FBI Director James Comey attempted to go public as early as the summer of 2016 with information on Russia’s campaign to influence the U.S. presidential election, but Obama administration officials blocked him from doing so, two sources with knowledge of the matter tell Newsweek.
1840
1841	Well before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) accused the Russian government of tampering with the U.S. election in an October 7 statement, Comey pitched the idea of writing an op-ed about the Russian campaign during a meeting in the White House Situation Room in June or July.
1842
1843	“He had a draft of it or an outline. He held up a piece of paper in a meeting and said, ‘I want to go forward. What do people think of this?’” says a source with knowledge of the meeting, which included Secretary of State John Kerry, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and National Security Adviser Susan Rice.
1844
1845	But many in the room didn’t like the idea, and White House officials thought the announcement should be a coordinated message backed by multiple agencies, the source says. “An op-ed doesn’t have the same stature. It comes from one person.”
1846
1847
1848https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/three-white-house-officials-tied-to-files-shared-with-house-intelligence-chairman/2017/03/30/de4b8c30-1589-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html
1849	Farkas, in an interview with The Post, said she “didn’t give anybody anything except advice,” was not a source for any stories and had nothing to leak. Noting that she left government in October 2015, she said, “I was just watching like anybody else, like a regular spectator” as initial reports of Russia contacts began to surface after the election.
1850
1851	As a former staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a former Defense official involved with Russian affairs, she said she “got worried” that the Obama White House was not briefing Congress on what it knew. “I know how the Russians operate,” she said, and called former colleagues to make sure Congress was being informed.
1852
1853
1854http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20170309/105674/HHRG-115-FA00-Transcript-20170309.pdf
1855	UNDERMINING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND SPLINTERING NATO: RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION AIMS
1856
1857	HEARING
1858
1859	BEFORE THE
1860
1861	COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1862	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1863
1864	...Prepared Testimony and Statement for the Record of
1865
1866	Toomas Hendrik Ives
1867
1868	...What are the mechanisms of this asymmetric cyber war?
1869
1870	- Kompramat, is the Rssian term for publishing (real or fake) compromising materials on opponents;
1871	- hacking is breaking into servers and stealing data;
1872	- doxing, combines the two: to publish hacked documents to embarrass or harm opponents. The first large scale case of this were Wikileak's publication of some quarter million U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, the most recent only this week the publication of CIA materials.
1873	- Finally there are *fake news*, an old propaganda trick but used far more effectively in the era of social media. KGB fake news in the 1980s of AIDS being invented by CIA had relatively little traction but today social media disseminates false stories with abandon.
1874
1875	All of these have been combined in the past year as a pincer movement on democratic elections. Hacked private mail is doxed; it appears in social and later mainstream media, after which fake news content spin on these same revelations takes off and goes "viral." Buzzfeed reported that...
1876
1877
1878	...STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE LINCOLN P. BLOOMFIELD, JR, CHAIRMAN EMERITUS AND DISTINGUISHED FELLOW
1879
1880	What I would say is look at Russia’s recent history. For the last 20 or 30 years the trend has been toward open democratization around the world. We saw autocracies disappear in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the colored revolutions, starting with the Czech Republic and what happened in Poland years ago, and the fall of the Soviet Union, but then more recently in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia. This, of course, alarmed Mr. Putin and his secret service colleagues who thought that they would lose the whole thing. So what did they do? They tightened down and they moved in a different direction. And I want the members to think about how not only Russia but China, Iran, and Syria, and perhaps others, are regimes that are going to try to stick around forever. They are trying to stay in power as one-party states. How do they do this? They do it by repressing their dissidents, by parking money in foreign banks so that they have assets, by controlling all security services, all the guns, and by censoring the media—that is extremely important.
1881
1882	...Mr. ROHRABACHER. Well, here we are. Wherever you go, there you are. Let me just note that we just keep hearing sinister words after sinister words. Especially this last thing, oh, how sinister it is that he just showed the top of his passport. Give me a break. Come on. And, also, we got instead of a sinister report from your question to the Ambassador, no, it is not uncommon for people to meet with foreign Ambassadors and foreign diplomats. And how sinister is it that people met with a Russian Ambassador? I am sure that if they were going to plan something really rotten about the United States they would go to the Ambassador, the Russian Ambassador rather than some political operatives that they have running all over the place. This has, this has reached the absurd level of attacks. And let us note, that in order to get Russia, what we are now doing is destabilizing our own democratic system here with that kind of nonsense. I will have to say that during the Cold War, I want to remind everybody, I worked not only with President Reagan but my entire life was dedicated to defeating communism. I felt really great when Ronald Reagan helped us establish peace and the elimination of communism from Russia. We are now dealing with a national power. You know, it is a big power in the world. It is no longer being motivated by communist ideology that has it trying to overthrow democratic governments and replace them with atheistic communist dictatorships. 
1883
1884	...Mr. SHERMAN. We are here today because this goes beyond a foreign policy issue. This is an issue for the core of America’s democracy. The key issue is did the Trump campaign collude with Russian hackers in the cyber burglary of the Democratic National Committee and related entities? 
1885
1886	And a related question is whether Trump’s gratitude is pre-venting an appropriate response to Russia’s interference with democracy? Or whether his fear of what they might have on him is preventing that appropriate response? 
1887
1888
1889I know we can do better because we have before. Compare the above report from this year to this one from 1992:
1890
1891
1892http://intellit.muskingum.edu/russia_folder/pcw_era/sect_08a.htm
1893	Soviet Active Measures in the "Post-Cold War" Era 1988-1991
1894
1895	A Report Prepared at the Request of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations by the United States Information Agency
1896	June 1992
1897
1898	Executive Summary
1899
1900	Active measures is a Soviet term that refers to the manipulative use of slogans, arguments, disinformation, and carefully selected true information, which the Soviets used to try to influence the attitudes and actions of foreign publics and governments. In addition to examining disinformation, this report looks at the Soviet use of conciliatory, alarmist, and derogatory slogans and arguments in order to illustrate the wide variety of manipulative messages and themes used in active measures operations.
1901
1902	...Agents of Influence
1903
1904	One of the most effective, most difficult to detect, and least understood areas of Soviet active measures is the use of agents of influence. Agents of influence are foreigners who have been recruited by the KGB in order to be used to influence the opinions of foreign publics and governments. Agents of influence are extremely useful because they are perceived as loyal patriots of their respective countries who are simply expressing their own personal opinions, not scripts written by the KGB and designed to dovetail with the current actions and priorities of Soviet foreign policy apparatus. The covert influence campaigns that they wage in public and private are not only the most difficult type of active measures operation to identify, but also potentially the most potent if the agent of influence is a senior government official or a respected public figure.
1905
1906	In the June 6, 1992 issue of Human Events, Herbert Romerstein reported that "a retired high-ranking KGB officer with extensive knowledge about operations against the United States" had identified U.S. journalist I.F. Stone as a longtime Soviet agent of influence. Stone bitterly criticized the policies of the U.S. government for years in his influential private newsletter and other writings. 
1907
1908	...The Conciliatory Slogans Of New Political Thinking
1909
1910	In the minds of the Soviet "new thinkers," ending the Cold War did not mean that the systemic struggle between the "two social systems" would stop. Instead, it would shift from the Cold War arenas of the arms race, confrontation, and coercive diplomacy to new, primarily political areas of struggle. The Soviets needed to end the Cold War because their weak economy put them at an impossible disadvantage vis-a-vis an awakened West in an arms race which, if it continued, would mean their inevitable defeat. In order to avoid this and best preserve their power, the Soviet leaders needed to induce the West to abandon the arms race, while at the same time positioning themselves to wage a new form of political warfare against the West: one that sought to achieve power by conciliation rather than confrontation, the appeal of "all-human" values as opposed to "class" values, assigned a key role to the manipulation of international organizations, particularly the United Nations, and sought to use international law as a subterfuge for Soviet attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries rather than the heavy hand of military power and coercive diplomacy.
1911
1912	As part of the shift to "new thinking," the Soviets did the unthinkable. They deliberately jettisoned the outmoded ideology of communism and embraced a new ideology based on "all-human" values and concerns. They did not do this because they had become converts to the democratic cause. Instead, the Soviet "new thinkers" came to the conclusion that governments, countries, and peoples could be more effectively manipulated by universalist, non-Marxist concepts than by Marxist ones, and set about trying to devise ways to use non-Marxist concepts to achieve traditional Soviet goals. "New thinking" was consciously designed as a communist foreign policy for the post-communist era. It was as if the "chameleons," not the "doves," had triumphed over the "hawks" in the Soviet foreign policy debate.
1913
1914
1915And I know our government can certainly do better than this:
1916
1917
1918https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP82-00047R000100520005-7.pdf
1919	Political Indoctrination in Rumania
1920
1921	The feeling of Rumanian youths is generally favorable towards the US. The majority are anti-Soviet and do not believe the anti-US propagands. Most of the hope to be delivered from Soviet domination through a war between the US and the USSR.
1922
1923	...The attitude of the Union of Working Youth (Uniunea Tineretului Muneitoreso - UTM) members was outwardly anti-US although only a small number were really Communist indoctrinated. The grammar school children were more likely to be anti-US due to the intensive indoctrination to which they were subjected. Some parents were careful not to let their children know they were listening to the Voice of America broadcasts for fear their children would report them to the authorities.
1924
1925
1926https://www.thecut.com/2014/02/over-half-kids-social-media-before-age-ten.html
1927	59 Percent of Tiny Children Use Social Media
1928
1929	A new study from the safety advisory site Knowthenet finds that 59 percent of kids join social networks before the age of 10. Kidlets: The only consistent thing about them, through all of history, is that they grow up too fast.
1930
1931	Yes, with their their chubby cheeks and their runny noses, they’re joining Facebook in hordes, setting up their very first social-media profiles. It’s the new rite of passage, isn’t it? Baby’s first profile picture. Baby’s first status update. Baby’s first ironic use of the “Like” button. Baby’s first change-in-relationship-status. Baby’s first subtweet.
1932
1933	Opinium, which conducted the survey, included reports from over 1,000 parents of kids ages 8 to 16, and 1,000 kids ages 8 to 16. They found that most of these kids (52 percent) signed up for Facebook (despite the posted age restrictions). Other popular social-media sites included WhatsApp (40 percent), BBM (24 percent), and Snapchat (11 percent).
1934
1935
1936http://www.smh.com.au/world/fake-news-why-the-west-is-blind-to-russias-propaganda-today-20170123-gtxbuw.html
1937	Fake news: Why the West is blind to Russia's propaganda today
1938
1939	Russia has skilfully exploited social media to divide the West and increase Moscow's power in Europe, the US and eventually Asia.
1940
1941	The use of social media as a platform to divide democracies works, in part, because the strategy preys on a fundamental blind spot in open societies: the origin and volume of voices taking part in an online discussion.
1942
1943	Western countries, inventors of the internet and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, tend to see discussion on social media as an open reflection of the public's views.
1944
1945	That very openness means outside voices can weigh into debates – not to broaden the discussion, but to co-opt arguments and redirect them toward conclusions that undermine Western society and government.
1946
1947	...This propaganda skews toward extremes, seeking to corrode the broad middle area of agreement needed for the functioning of liberal democracies, wherever they are found, including in the Asia-Pacific region.
1948
1949	The speed and diffusion of propaganda on social media can create a 360-degree effect for users, so that what they perceive is not seen so much as a coherent ideological message but as the natural and growing consensus of the crowd.
1950
1951	...Technology used in a certain way, in other words, can dramatically amplify the volume of an argument, view, voice or ideology.
1952
1953	This was true, especially with groups like the "alt-right", Woolley said, which were effective in making themselves appear much more popular than they were in reality.
1954
1955	Alt-right figures, in addition to promoting a racist world view, tend to parrot Russian views on global affairs, which itself is a feature of an internationalised movement.
1956
1957	...Psychology
1958
1959	At the same time, the focus of Russia's propaganda has changed from Soviet times, when it touted communism's material success and criticised the West's decadence.
1960
1961	Today's Russian propaganda "is very adaptive and it does not limit itself to any ideological framework", senior editor Olga Irisova of the Russian affairs journal Intersection Project told Fairfax Media.
1962
1963	This is true of the many voices over which it is carried, including state-backed broadcasters like Sputnik and RT which pride themselves on offering "alternatives" to traditional media. 
1964
1965	This is a significant change from the time of the Cold War.
1966
1967	"While during the Cold War it was more or less clear what narratives USSR propaganda charged with communist ideology would promote (capitalism versus communism as an alternative model for development; stories about how bad the life is for people in capitalist countries and how well the Soviet state cared for its people) ... the current Kremlin propaganda can promote almost any narrative that could undermine people's confidence in the liberal way of life," Irisova said.
1968
1969
1970https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-demographic-of-Pewdiepies-subscribers
1971	What is the demographic of Pewdiepie's subscribers?
1972
1973	It is reported that PewDiePie's subscriber base is mostly young teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16
1974
1975	...He attends to attract the much younger audience rather than the older audiences.
1976
1977
1978https://www.wired.com/2017/02/pewdiepie-racism-alt-right/
1979	YouTube star PewDiePie’s fall from grace riled up his 53 million subscribers, but unless you’re a Gen-Z videogamer, you may find the name splashed across many a headline this week unfamiliar. Lucky you. After The Wall Street Journal reported on his pattern of using anti-Semitic jokes in his videos, Disney’s Maker Studios cut ties with the internet celeb, and YouTube canceled the second season of his streaming reality show. People might applaud what look like swift measures, but the moves are long overdue.
1980
1981	...Given the impossibility of knowing whether he means what he says, you can’t always know how to respond when he does something like, say, hire people to hold up a sign saying “Death to all Jews.”
1982
1983	...But PewDiePie started racking up questionable jokes almost from the start of his YouTube career nearly seven years ago. Given that long tradition, and the fact he recently claimed that YouTube discriminates against him because he’s white, his fanbase goes beyond gamers. PewDiePie has become a bona fide white-supremacist hero.
1984
1985	...In another let’s-play video, he mentions that he can’t see people when they’re “too black,” and fans mention that he’s been known to say that “black things” scare him.
1986
1987	...This 2017 video, in which he decided whether he would “smash,” pass on, or sell particular people into slavery
1988
1989	...In a jittery rant, he claimed that “YouTube wants my channel gone. They want someone else on top. They want someone really extremely cancerous, like Lilly Singh. I’m white. Can I make that comment? But I do think that’s a problem.”
1990
1991	Singh—better known by her YouTube alias, Superwoman—is a Canadian-Indian rapper and comedian whose songs, parodies, and calls for positivity and #GirlLove have won her more than 11 million subscribers
1992
1993	...Check out the banner leading neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin’s The Daily Stormer, which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls the top hate site in America.
1994
1995	https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-14-at-1.34.51-PM-582x188.png
1996
1997	The image has been up for weeks, says Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “With PewDiePie, the question is, How did it take them so long?” she says of Disney and YouTube dumping PewDiePie. “Neo-Nazis have been loving this guy. And because he has this massive following, they see those people as supporting their views.”
1998
1999
2000https://www.dailystormer.com/is-pewdiepie-racist/
2001	Is PewDiePie Racist?
2002
2003	Daily Stormer
2004
2005	And now, for the answer everyone has been looking for… Is PewDiePie an actual Nazi White supremacist?
2006
2007	Only a scientific test will yield the truth of the matter.
2008
2009
2010http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2016-09/russia-propaganda-eastern-ukraine-separatists-e-mails
2011	Cheerful Propaganda and Hate on Command
2012
2013	The evidence of the extent to which Russia is engaging in psychological warfare against the West is now available in black and white. 
2014
2015
2016https://www.dailystormer.com/tag/pewdiepie/
2017
2018
2019http://www.propornot.com/p/the-list.html
2020	...dailystormer.com...
2021
2022
2023https://www.marchfortruth.info/
2024	Across the country, peaceful demonstrations will be arranged on Saturday, June 3rd.
2025
2026	Our goals are simple:
2027
2028	An independent commission must be established and Congressional investigations should be properly resourced and pursued free of partisan interests;
2029
2030	As much information should be made available to the public as possible, and as soon as possible;
2031
2032
2033http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/04/531439721/march-for-truth-protesters-demand-independent-russia-investigation
2034	March For Truth Protesters Demand Independent Russia Investigation 
2035
2036	Thousands of protesters gathered around the country in a series of "March for Truth" rallies on Saturday. Demonstrators were calling for a congressional independent commission to investigate connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
2037
2038	In full view of the White House, protesters in Washington, D.C., demanded answers in the ongoing Russia probe. Chants of "Investigate Trump!" and "Resist, resist!" rang across the National Mall.
2039
2040	Some protesters even lined up together to spell out "Investigate Trump."
2041
2042	"I want to know what the ties are to Russia," said Atossa Shafaie, who joined protesters in the nation's capital. "I want to know how Russia has infiltrated our government. I don't think there's a question that they have."
2043
2044
2045https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Awww.mcconnell.senate.gov+%22independent+commission%22&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A6%2F3%2F2017%2Ccd_max%3A6%2F12%2F2017
2046
2047
2048If our government won't tell us what the Russian government is doing to us, it's up to us to figure it out ourselves. It's especially important to do our best to figure out their strategies and what they're planning next--the better we predict their plans, the harder we make it to for them to carry them out:
2049
2050
2051https://archive.org/stream/GolitsynAnatoleTheNewLiesForOldOnes/Golitsyn-NewLiesForOld-TheCommunistStrategyOfDeceptionAndDisinformation1984_djvu.txt
2052	To counter communist strategy and regain the initiative for the West, a new Western strategy is needed, based on a true under- standing of the situation, policy, and strategic disinformation of the communist bloc. Without a clear appreciation of the deceptive nature of Sino-Soviet rivalry and of "liberalization" and splits in the communist world, Western governments, whatever their political complexion, cannot recover from the crisis in their foreign policy and are at risk of sliding into false alliances with one communist state against another. If possible, a moratorium should be imposed on any form of rapprochement with any member of the communist bloc while the reevaluation takes place. The publication could then follow of an allied defense document setting out calmly and clearly the agreed overall Western assessment of current communist bloc policy and the means being used to implement it. Public discussion of the findings would be encouraged by conferences of the Western governments, of political groupings such as the Socialist International, and of the leaders of the moderate, pro- Western Third World nations; parallel professional exchanges would take place between the Western intelligence and counterinteUigence services.
2053
2054	The effect that an expose on this scale would have should not be underestimated. The communist bloc leaders and strategists would find, if the Western assessment were correct, that their next strategic offensives and moves in the deception plan had been preempted. The initiative would have been snatched from them. Their complicated political, diplomatic, and disinformation operations still in the pipeline would, if pursued, confirm the correctness of the Western assessment. The peoples of the communist bloc, the majority learning for the first time of the deceit on which their country's policy had been based, would — whatever their feelings about its morahty — realize that it would not work in the future and that their leaders had failed. While a communist regime remains successful, the people can be coerced into going along with it. It is when failure — or, at least, lack of new successes — sets in that, as was shown in Hungary and Poland in 1956, real and radical changes may happen. Exposure of a bankrupt policy would unleash powerful political pressures on communist leaders and on their re- gimes, parties, and governments, perhaps forcing them to change their conduct in international relations.
2055
2056	It will be argued by faint hearts in the West that to proclaim publicly that the full significance of the communist threat is now recognized and that a realistic response is on its way is only to drive the communist leaders to an openly hard-line attitude and even to war. But does this argument stand up? If the threat has been correctly evaluated and properly explained, it will be clear to public opinion that, although disinformation may have concealed the intentions of communist policy, its line could scarcely have been harder.
2057
2058
2059This, among other reasons, might be why maskirovka is so important to them--it's hard to fool someone who knows your next move.
2060
2061Last time I tried to guess what the Russians were going to do next, I got it dead wrong. But I think I am a little wiser now. That said, here's my best guess:
2062
2063First: any attempt to impeach Trump they will milk for as many partisan squabbles as they can get away with. This pretty much a given--increasing political polarization (http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/) is basically a byproduct of active measures (just about any political scandal sparks partisan fighting, for example), and increasing polarization always hurts America. Supposedly, they had tried as much with Clinton's impeachment, although I haven't looked into that yet. Regardless, the current "Comey vs. Trump" set up is already polarized:
2064
2065
2066http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/poll-americans-trust-james-comey-over-trump_us_593c4814e4b0b13f2c6b1b69
2067	POLL: Americans Trust James Comey Over Trump
2068
2069	Views are deeply divided along political lines, although Trump’s doubters are notably more unified than his defenders. Seventy percent of Trump voters say they trust the president’s honesty more than Comey’s, while 89 percent of voters who supported Hillary Clinton put more faith in the former FBI director.
2070
2071
2072...
2073
2074But most of all, you should expect the Okhrana to do anything they can to continue hiding and obfuscating their goals and methods. Active measures depends on deception to work--but the more their targets comprehend how they are being fooled (and that they are being fooled in the first place), the less power they have to wage war and influence the world. Their power derives from secrecy.
2075
2076Or at least a kind of secrecy: Major recent declassifications have made public the scope and nature of Russian intelligence activities:
2077
2078
2079Venona papers declassified        - 1996
2080
2081CIA Lin Piao reports declassified - 1999
2082
2083Vassiliev notebooks declassified  - 2009
2084
2085Illegals Program arrests          - 2010
2086
2087Mitrokhin Archive declassified    - 2014
2088
2089
2090Between these disclosures we know much of FDR's administration (including his top advisor) were Soviet spies, multiple famous Western journalists and scientist worked for the Soviets, Mao Zedong and Al Gore were likely useful idiots, the KGB had at least thousands of foreign agents, and such agents still operate in "deep cover" today. These disclosures also give insight into how their active measures work.
2091
2092For the most part, the Russians can no longer conceal the scope and nature of their operations--it's all in the public domain. But they can confuse, obfuscate, and manage the public perception of their operations:
2093
2094
2095https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/
2096	ROS-LEHTINEN: I'd like to ask you gentlemen if you could describe what, if anything, Russia did in this election that to your knowledge they did or they didn't do in previous elections, how -- how it was -- were their actions different in this election than -- than in previous ones.
2097
2098	ROGERS: I'd say the biggest difference from my perspective was both the use of cyber, the hacking as a vehicle to physically gain access to information to extract that information and then to make it widely, publicly available without any alteration or change.
2099
2100	COMEY: The only thing I'd add is they were unusually loud in their intervention. It's almost as if they didn't care that we knew what they were doing or that they wanted us to see what they were doing. It was very noisy, their intrusions in different institutions.
2101
2102	ROS-LEHTINEN: And what specifically based on this loudness did the FBI or the NSA do to prevent or counter this Russian active measure that we read about in the intelligence community assessment? As loud as they were, what did we do to counter that?
2103
2104	COMEY: Well, among other things, we alerted people who had been victims of intrusions to permit them to tighten their systems to see if they couldn't kick the Russian actors out. We also, as a government, supplied information to all the states so they could equip themselves to make sure there was no successful effort to affect the vote and there was none, as we said earlier.
2105
2106	And then the government as a whole in October called it out. And I believe it was Director Clapper and then-secretary Jeh Johnson issued a statement saying this is what the Russians are doing, sort of an inoculation.
2107
2108	ROS-LEHTINEN: And the loudness to which you refer, perhaps they were doing these kinds of actions previously in other elections but they were not doing it as loudly. What -- why do you think that they did not mind being loud and being found out?
2109
2110	COMEY: I don't know the answer for sure. I think part -- their number one mission is to undermine the credibility of our entire democracy enterprise of this nation and so it might be that they wanted us to help them by telling people what they were doing.
2111
2112	Their loudness, in a way, would be counting on us to amplify it by telling the American people what we saw and freaking people out about how the Russians might be undermining our elections successfully. And so that might have been part of their plan, I don't know for sure.
2113
2114	ROGERS: I've -- I agree with Director Comey. I mean, a big difference to me in the past was while there was cyber activity, we never saw in previous presidential elections information being published on such a massive scale that had been illegally removed both from private individuals as well as organizations associated with the democratic process both inside the government and outside the government.
2115
2116
2117What's a reason for them to be "loud" with their hacking? To push into the mind's of the public at large that hacking is how the Russians operate. And what better way to be "loud" than hack and release the emails of a U.S. Presidential candidate in the middle of one of the craziest elections in history? 
2118
2119You can see this same kind of "perception management" of their operations after the illegals arrested in 2010 (https://pastebin.com/r5PHGSnz). The spies' arrest sparked a minor media sensation--not because "deep-cover Russian spies are blending into American society and acting in inexplicable ways" but because "Anna Chapman is hot."
2120
2121It amounts to "hiding in plain sight"--almost everybody has a vague notion that Russian spies were arrested in the U.S., but what people remember about it is Anna Chapman and her poses. Absolutely everybody knows Russia intervened in the U.S. election, but what they might end up remembering is that Russia did it with hacking. Everyone can have a general idea of what the Russians did (cultivate Trump, swing the election, spread propaganda, employ spies) but have the wrong idea about how (hire him as a spy, hack Clinton's emails and that's it, troll social media a little, recruit only ethnic Russians who travel to Russia), and Russia's methods are obfuscated.
2122
2123Besides keeping Americans easier to fool for next time, it looks like obfuscating their methods has brought the Russians other benefits:
2124
2125
2126http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/10/u-s-public-says-russia-hacked-campaign/
2127	Democrats are also more likely to support the sanctions and actions taken against Russia as a response. Among those who have heard about the allegations, 51% of Democrats view the response as about right, while 37% say the sanctions and actions do not go far enough and just 7% say they go too far. By comparison, about a third of Republicans (35%) say the sanctions and actions against Russia go too far, while 39% say they are about right and just 17% say they do not go far enough.
2128
2129	Overall, about one-in three Americans (29%) currently call Russia “an adversary” and an additional 44% consider it a “serious problem, but not an adversary”; just 24% say it is “not a problem.”
2130
2131
2132It's easier to forgive Russia if you think all they did is lift Clinton's emails to Wikileaks to settle a score, and so easier for Russia to get away with it politically. But if Americans were to learn Russia turned our media, politicians, or even vote machines against us, things might be different.
2133
2134The Pew Research link shows another way the Russians can "hide in plain sight" by politicising their meddling itself. This election was the first time fewer Republicans were polled as seeing Russia as an adversary than Democrats (20% to 38% -- which was 39% to 19% three years earlier). The numbers aren't as important as the switch--a hint that Russia's meddling became politicized after the election. The danger comes from partisan motivated reasoning (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/09/how-politics-breaks-our-brains-and-how-we-can-put-them-back-together/453315/), which clobbers a partisan's capacity to reason about politicized issues in general. A Republican might have trouble accepting that their favorite conservative website is Russian propaganda, for example, or a Democrat might dismiss that Russian intelligence prefers agents of influence over blackmail, as it would imply Trump is less likely to be guilty of a crime. Russia politicizing their meddling makes it harder for people to figure out how it works.
2135
2136But probably the surest way Russian intelligence could hide their methods and goals is by silencing those who are in the best position to know them--the intelligence agencies of their adversaries. Western intelligence agencies--if not just about every other intelligence agency in the world--are probably angry enough by now that the Russians can't stop them from publishing more of their secrets (and arguably they could be faulted for not informing the world--how many lives could have been saved if the Chinese and Japanese suspected Zhang Zhizhong of trying to provoke a war, for example?). But if the Russians can't stop intelligence agencies from talking, they can try to stop the public at large from listening. Character assassination is a staple of active measures--if Russian intelligence can convince enough of the public that other intelligence agencies are scheming, lying, or incompetent (e.g. "These are the same people who said Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction!"), those intelligence agencies are effectively silenced.
2137
2138Western intelligence agencies have long got a bad-wrap in the press (although you shouldn't assume everybody who criticizes the CIA is a Russian spy):
2139
2140
2141https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/cia-magic-video-investigation-uri-geller
2142	That Time the CIA Investigated a Magician to See if Magic Was Real
2143
2144
2145https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/cia-fake-weed-hotbox-smelly-1970s-weedweek2017
2146	The CIA Created a Hotbox That Can't Get You High
2147
2148
2149http://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/05/archives/cia-considered-big-lsd-purchase-agency-data-disclose-1953-idea-to.html
2150	C.I.A. CONSIDERED BIG LSD PURCHASE
2151
2152
2153http://www.openculture.com/2014/12/ayn-rand-helped-the-fbi-identify-its-a-wonderful-life-as-communist-propaganda.html
2154	Ayn Rand Helped the FBI Identify It’s A Wonderful Life as Communist Propaganda
2155
2156
2157https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/politics/2016/11/05/93316476/
2158	FBI investigating itself for dumping info so close to the election
2159
2160
2161https://thinkprogress.org/fbi-launches-internal-investigation-into-its-own-twitter-account-8d5fc2a81fdc
2162	FBI launches internal investigation into its own Twitter account
2163
2164
2165http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/4/1629967/-Draft-plan-to-resurrect-CIA-s-secret-torture-dungeons-said-to-be-revised-because-of-broad-resistance
2166	Draft plan to resurrect CIA's secret torture dungeons said to be revised because of broad resistance
2167
2168	By Meteor Blades
2169
2170
2171And, while it's not always clear what is active measures and what's not, it's pretty clear that Russia's active measures have been trying to weaken and discredit Western intel agencies:
2172
2173
2174https://www.infowars.com/why-the-cia-killed-kennedy/
2175	Why The CIA Killed Kennedy
2176
2177
2178https://stonecoldtruth.com/the-cias-legacy-of-lies/
2179	The CIA’s Legacy of Lies
2180
2181	By Roger stone
2182
2183
2184https://www.infowars.com/nsa-whistleblower-spy-grid-is-part-of-world-govt-takeover/
2185	Top NSA Official: Spy Grid Helping Establish World Government
2186
2187	...“Certainly it is population control, but not just of any given country – but of the world,” the whistleblower said. 
2188
2189	...“And in order to do that they need to be able to control the people of the world. So in order to do that, you have to have knowledge of them to know who’s doing what so you can stop it, or manipulate it any way you want.”
2190
2191
2192http://www.npr.org/2015/03/31/395829446/after-snowden-the-nsa-faces-recruitment-challenge
2193	After Snowden, The NSA Faces Recruitment Challenge 
2194
2195	"When I was a senior in high school I thought I would end up working for a defense contractor or the NSA itself," Swann says. Then, in 2013, NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked a treasure-trove of top-secret documents. They showed that the agency's programs to collect intelligence were far more sweeping than Americans realized.
2196
2197	After Snowden's revelations, Swann's thinking changed. The NSA's tactics, which include retaining data from American citizens, raise too many questions in his mind: "I can't see myself working there," he says, "partially because of these moral reasons."
2198
2199	This year, the NSA needs to find 1,600 recruits.
2200
2201
2202https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/17/us/politics/obama-putin-russia-hacking-us-elections.html
2203	Obama Confronts Complexity of Using a Mighty Cyberarsenal Against Russia
2204
2205
2206http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/16/technology/obama-us-vulnerable-to-hacking/index.html
2207	US more vulnerable to hacking than Russia, Obama says
2208
2209
2210http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-24/snowden-flees-to-russia-avoiding-extradition/4775048
2211	Snowden flees to Russia, avoiding extradition
2212
2213
2214https://www.facebook.com/davidcnswanson/photos/pb.297768373319.-2207520000.1495135478./10155263180063320/?type=3
2215	David Swanson
2216
2217	Who benefits most from blaming Putin for everything? This guy.
2218
2219
2220https://twitter.com/davidcnswanson/status/837734112144285697
2221	David Swanson
2222	
2223	Putin's trained dog finally identified
2224
2225	R[ussia] T[oday]
2226
2227	'She is being a guard dong' - Putin jokes as his pet barks at Japanese
2228
2229
2230https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/12/12/the-cia-never-ever-lies/
2231	The CIA Never Ever Lies
2232
2233	by David Swanson 
2234
2235	At moments like these, when every good responsible and enlightened liberal is recognizing the need to destroy the world in order to save it, by getting World War III started with Russia before Trump can move in and damage anything, I believe it is important to remember a few facts that will strengthen our resolve:
2236
2237	The oligarch who owns the Washington Post has CIA contracts worth at least twice what he paid to buy the Washington Post, thus making the Washington Post the most reliable authority on the CIA we have ever, ever had.
2238
2239	When the CIA concludes things in secret that are reported to the Washington Post by anonymous sources the reliability of the conclusions is heightened exponentially.
2240
2241	Phrases like “individuals with connections to the Russian government” are simply shorthand for “Vladimir Putin” because the Washington Post has too much good taste to actually print that name.
2242
2243	Claims to know extremely difficult things to know, like the motivations of said individuals, are essentially fact, given what we know of the CIA’s near perfect record over the decades.
2244
2245
2246https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/11/29/how-i-produce-fake-news-for-russia/
2247	How I Produce Fake News for Russia
2248
2249	by David Swanson 
2250
2251	Apparently I’ve written “fake news” on behalf of Russia
2252
2253
2254https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2602813/furious-mi6-chiefs-slam-ex-officer-chris-steele-for-appalling-judgement-over-donald-trump-dodgy-dossier-scandal/
2255	'HE's AN IDIOT' Furious MI6 chiefs slam ex-officer Chris Steele for ‘appalling judgement’ over Donald Trump dodgy dossier scandal
2256
2257	The foreign spy agency has told ministers their Russia operative showed “appalling judgement” over the incident.
2258
2259	MI6 Chief Sir Alex Younger is said to be livid if it is true that he accepted a commission to dig dirt on a US politician from a Washington DC rivals.
2260
2261	And one senior intelligence source branded the 53-year-old “an idiot.”
2262
2263	The source told The Sun: “Chris should never have accepted this bit of work.
2264
2265	“It was always going to come out at some stage, as was his involvement with it, and that is deeply embarrassing to the service.”
2266
2267	Mr Steele’s former colleagues from MI6 – real name, the Secret Intelligence Service – also said he should have made it clear that there was no proof for the lurid accusations about Donald Trump’s twisted sex games with Moscow prostitutes.
2268
2269	The source added: “There are hundreds of FSB guys running around the world at the moment saying all sorts of things, for all sorts of reasons”.
2270
2271
2272https://twitter.com/russianembassy/status/819525677175242752?lang=en
2273	Russian Embassy, UK
2274
2275	Christopher Steele story: MI6 officers are never ex: briefing both ways - against Russia and US President
2276
2277
2278https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_INFEKTION
2279	Operation INFEKTION was a KGB disinformation campaign to spread information that the United States invented HIV/AIDS as part of a biological weapons research project at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The Soviet Union used it to undermine the United States’ credibility, foster anti-Americanism, isolate America abroad, and create tensions between host countries and the U.S. over the presence of American military bases (which were often portrayed as the cause of AIDS outbreaks in local populations).
2280
2281	According to U.S. State Department analysts, another reason the Soviet Union "promoted the AIDS disinformation may have been its attempt to distract international attention away from its own offensive biological warfare program, which [was monitored] for decades."
2282
2283	...Claims that the CIA had sent "AIDS-oiled condoms" to other countries sprang up independently in the African press, well after the operation was started. In 1987, a book (Once Again About the CIA) was published by the Novosti Press Agency, with the quote:
2284
2285		The CIA Directorate of Science and Technology is continuously modernizing its inventory of pathogenic preparations, bacteria and viruses and studying their effect on man in various parts of the world. To this end, the CIA uses American medical centers in foreign countries. A case in point was the Pakistani Medical Research Center in Lahore… set up in 1962 allegedly for combating malaria.
2286
2287	The resulting public backlash eventually closed down the legitimate medical research center.
2288
2289
2290http://www.csmonitor.com/1985/0228/zdis.html
2291	As for forgeries, these have been used by the Soviets since soon after the 1917 revolution. The most elaborate in recent years was ``US Army Field Manual 30-31B,'' an entire manual that urged American officers to spy on their host countries and in some cases subvert their governments. The fake manual first appeared in Turkey in 1975. It was later circulated in some 20 countries to try to implicate the CIA in the Red Brigades' murder of Christian Democrat leader Aldo Moro in Italy in 1978.
2292
2293
2294http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/21/opinion/kgb-disinformation.html
2295	K.G.B. DISINFORMATION
2296
2297	The current concern in some Congressional and journalistic circles about Soviet ''disinformation'' activities in the United States news media rests upon a fundamental misunderstanding of the K.G.B. program.
2298
2299	For more than 20 years, the Soviet Committee for State Security (K.G.B.) has secretly subsidized publications, planted rumors, and distributed forged documents as a minor but useful supplement to the large-scale anti-American propaganda campaign openly directed from Moscow.
2300
2301	The most effective part of the K.G.B.'s work has been the fabrication of documents designed to provide the third world with hard ''evidence'' of America's hostile intentions. Most forgeries have had as their target the elites and semiliterate peoples of the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The publications have alleged a Central Intelligence Agency plan to unseat several Latin American regimes, a secret American commitment to Israel (for the Arab audience), assassination plots against the late President Sukarno of Indonesia (he was taken in) and President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt (he was not). 
2302
2303
2304https://twitter.com/cjcmichel/status/821510721347395584
2305	The KGB did, however, seek to cover its own tracks by circulating forged documents indicating that the CIA was involved with the FLQ. On September 24, 1971 the Montreal Star published a photocopy of a bogus CIA memorandum dated October 20, 1970:
2306
2307		Subject Quebec. Sources advice that urgent action e taken to temporarily break contact with the FLQ militants since the Canadian government's measures may have undesirable consequences.
2308
2309	Questions followed in the Canadian parliament. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared that if the CIA was operating in Canada, it was "without the knowledge or consent of the government." Twenty years later the forged memorandum was still being quoted in Canadian publications, even by some academic authorities. Further forgeries suggested CIA involvement with Quebec extremists were circulated on the eve of the visit to Canada by President Nixon in 1972.
2310
2311
2312In the U.S., probably the largest and most successful campaign to discredit U.S. intelligence agencies came in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. We should learn as much as we can from history, so a lot of the rest of this letter is on this topic.
2313
2314In May 1973, Seymour Hersh revealed that the CIA had provided "material and research" assistance to the burglars who initiated the Watergate scandal:
2315
2316
2317http://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/07/archives/cushman-named-sources-say-general-acted-upon-request-by-ehrlichman.html
2318	CUSHMAN NAMED
2319
2320	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH MAY 7, 1973 
2321
2322	WASHINGTON, May 6—Gen, Robert E. Cushman Jr., the Marine Corps commandant who in 1971 was Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, authorized the use of Central Intelligence Agency material and research in the burglary of the office of Dr. Daniel Ellsberg's former psychiatrist, sources close to the Watergate case said today.
2323
2324	...The New York Times reported today that Federal prosecutors in the Watergate case had summoned some officials of the C.I.A. to discuss that agency's role in the burglary. General Cushman apparently was among the first to be questioned on the agency's activity.
2325
2326	...In his Senate confirmation hearings in February for the post in Iran, Mr. Helms declared that his agency had nothing to do with the bugging and wiretapping of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. He said he had “no control” over agency employes who had left. At least four members of the original Watergate break‐in team have said privately that they thought they were participating in a C.I.A. operation at two years, had ordered Dr. Melloy to cooperate with the White House. One source with close connections to the agency described many senior agency official as being “angry and depressed” over the new disclosures. “They feel that irreparable damage has been done by this to the C.I.A.,” the source said of the senior officials. “They think the whole project was an absolute violation of the C.I.A.'s charter.”
2327
2328	The legality of the agency's, cooperation with Hunt and Liddy is questionable. The National Security Act of 1947, which set up the agency, expressly bars it from having any “police, subpoena, law‐enforcement powers or internal security functions.” 
2329
2330
2331Although later investigations revealed that Hersh kept key details from his story and misrepresented others:
2332
2333
2334https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000497356.pdf
2335	c. The Washington Post, 8 May 1973, Page 1: "Rep. Lucien N. Nedzi (D., Mich.), chairman of an Armed Services subcommittee on the CIA, disclosed that the agency's director, James R. Schlesinger, confirmed to him yesterday that Marine Corps Commandant Robert E. Cushman Jr. authorized use of CIA equipment in the Ellsberg burglary case."
2336
2337	...In the interest of factual accuracy regarding this important matter, and in fairness to General Cushman personally, I wish to point out that this Committee's investigation to date has produced no evidence whatsoever that either General Cushman or any other CIA official, had any knowledge or suspicion that the equipment and assistance requested on behalf of Mr. Hunt was for use in burglarizing the offices of Dr Ellsberg's psychiatrist, or for any other illegal purpose. On the contrary, CIA had no detailed knowledge of Mr. Hunt's activities but CIA officials apparently were under the impression that Mr. Hunt was engaged in investigating security leaks that were a major concern of the Government at that particular time. When Mr. Hunt's continued requests for assistance aroused the suspicions of Agency officers that he might be engaged in some improper or illegal activity, or activity beyond the Agency's authority or charter, it appears that General Cushman immediately terminated relations with Mr. Hunt and thereafter the Agency refused his requests for further assistance.
2338
2339
2340And it looks a lot like Hersh is a Russian propagandist (although I don't know if Hersh was as brazen back then):
2341
2342
2343https://www.rt.com/usa/375212-hersh-russian-hacking-propaganda/
2344	 Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh called the way US media have reported on the allegations that Russia somehow interfered in the 2016 US elections “outrageous.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter said the “hectoring” press overlooked the real story.
2345
2346	“The way they behaved on the Russia stuff was outrageous,” Hersh told The Intercept in an interview for Jeremy Scahill’s inaugural podcast. “They were hectoring. They didn’t do reporting.”
2347
2348
2349https://theintercept.com/2017/01/25/seymour-hersh-blasts-media-for-uncritically-promoting-russian-hacking-story/
2350	...According to the report, the NSA was said to have had a lower confidence level than James Clapper and the CIA about the conclusion that Russia intended to influence the election. Hersh characterized the report as full of assertions and thin on evidence.
2351
2352	“It’s high camp stuff,” Hersh told The Intercept. “What does an assessment mean? It’s not a national intelligence estimate. If you had a real estimate, you would have five or six dissents. One time they said 17 agencies all agreed. Oh really? The Coast Guard and the Air Force — they all agreed on it? And it was outrageous and nobody did that story. An assessment is simply an opinion. If they had a fact, they’d give it to you. An assessment is just that. It’s a belief. And they’ve done it many times.”
2353
2354	...In recent years, Hersh has been attacked for his investigative reports on a variety of policies and actions authorized by the Obama administration, but he has never backed down from his aggressive approach to journalism. His reporting on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden dramatically contradicted the administration’s story, and his investigation on the use of chemical weapons in Syria cast doubts on the official claim that Bashar al Assad ordered the attacks. 
2355
2356
2357http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-01/seymour-hersh-says-hillary-approved-sending-libyas-sarin-syrian-rebels
2358	Hersh also said that a secret agreement in 2012 was reached between the Obama Administration and the leaders of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, to set up a sarin gas attack and blame it on Assad so that the US could invade and overthrow Assad.
2359
2360
2361https://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n01/seymour-m-hersh/military-to-military
2362	Seymour M. Hersh on US intelligence sharing in the Syrian war
2363
2364	When it comes to tackling Islamic State, Russia and the US have much to offer each other. Many in the IS leadership and rank and file fought for more than a decade against Russia in the two Chechen wars that began in 1994, and the Putin government is heavily invested in combating Islamist terrorism.
2365
2366	...A former White House adviser on Russian affairs told me that before 9/11 Putin ‘used to say to us: “We have the same nightmares about different places.” He was referring to his problems with the caliphate in Chechnya and our early issues with al-Qaida. These days, after the Metrojet bombing over Sinai and the massacres in Paris and elsewhere, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that we actually have the same nightmares about the same places.’
2367
2368	Yet the Obama administration continues to condemn Russia for its support of Assad. 
2369
2370	...Putin’s bombing campaign provoked a series of anti-Russia articles in the American press. On 25 October, the New York Times reported, citing Obama administration officials, that Russian submarines and spy ships were ‘aggressively’ operating near the undersea cables that carry much of the world’s internet traffic – although, as the article went on to acknowledge, there was ‘no evidence yet’ of any Russian attempt actually to interfere with that traffic.
2371
2372	...Economic sanctions, meanwhile, are still in effect against Russia for what a large number of Americans consider Putin’s war crimes in Ukraine
2373
2374
2375http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/31/world/middleeast/syria.html
2376	U.S. Releases Detailed Intelligence on Syrian Chemical Attack
2377
2378	By DAVID JOLLY, SCOTT SAYARE and RICK GLADSTONEAUG. 30, 2013 
2379
2380	PARIS — Seeking to move beyond Britain’s blindsiding rejection of military intervention in the Syrian conflict, the Obama administration received strong support from France on Friday and released a detailed intelligence summary to buttress its contention that the Syrian government used chemical munitions in an Aug. 21 attack, asserting for the first time that it had killed 1,429 people, nearly a third of them children.
2381
2382
2383https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n08/seymour-m-hersh/the-red-line-and-the-rat-line
2384	The Red Line and the Rat Line
2385
2386	Seymour M. Hersh on Obama, ErdoÄŸan and the Syrian rebels
2387
2388	By the last days of August the president had given the Joint Chiefs a fixed deadline for the launch. ‘H hour was to begin no later than Monday morning [2 September], a massive assault to neutralise Assad,’ the former intelligence official said. So it was a surprise to many when during a speech in the White House Rose Garden on 31 August Obama said that the attack would be put on hold, and he would turn to Congress and put it to a vote.
2389
2390	At this stage, Obama’s premise – that only the Syrian army was capable of deploying sarin – was unravelling. Within a few days of the 21 August attack, the former intelligence official told me, Russian military intelligence operatives had recovered samples of the chemical agent from Ghouta. They analysed it and passed it on to British military intelligence; this was the material sent to Porton Down. (A spokesperson for Porton Down said: ‘Many of the samples analysed in the UK tested positive for the nerve agent sarin.’ MI6 said that it doesn’t comment on intelligence matters.)
2391
2392	The former intelligence official said the Russian who delivered the sample to the UK was ‘a good source – someone with access, knowledge and a record of being trustworthy’. 
2393
2394
2395https://scotthorton.org/interviews/040714-seymour-hersh/
2396	Scott Horton: … I think, well, it’s all over Twitter, anyway, that like, well yeah, you know, right, it’s a Russian sample so how can you believe it? But it seems to me from your reporting here that the UK and the US Governments didn’t have a problem with the Russian origin of the sample.
2397
2398	Seymour Hersh: Oh my God, don’t forget, we and the Russians were pretty good allies in the 1990s. And when the chemical warfare treaty went into effect in 1997, we pooled information with the Russians. And I can also tell you, I write about this in my article, it certainly did come from a Russian. It was delivered by a Russian source who was described to me by an American as somebody really solid. Somebody we all knew, somebody we all trusted. This is not a game. We also had our own information about what was going on inside the Syrian arsenal. Believe me, the Syrian government would be more than happy to give a sample of any of it because they were eager to have this looked at. So that’s just, you know, only in America, it’s so funny, Scott, only in America, would you read that “Oh my God, Russia!” (laughs) The Cold War is still on. It can be very strange. Yes, the Russians supplied the sample. They picked up a sample right away, a lot of samples. The British had absolutely no trouble with the provenance. They knew it came from Damascus, the British analyzed it. It was the British finding out of Porton Down that convinced our army that we had to tell the President he doesn’t have a case. And I think, that if you want a run on with the Russians, go ahead.
2399
2400
2401http://www.propornot.com/p/the-list.html
2402	...zerohedge.com ... russia-insider.com...
2403
2404
2405http://russia-insider.com/en/behind-medias-assault-seymour-hersh/ri7297
2406	Ultimately, the bipartisan attack on Hersh shows the complete media conformity on US foreign policy, where Republicans, Democrats, and even “progressive” media have come to accept a governmental policy of never-ending war and mass surveillance. No questions asked.
2407
2408
2409Still, Director of Central Intelligence James Schlesinger and his deputy director of operations, William Colby, took the report very seriously--so seriously, in fact, that in a flash of zeal hot enough to "fire everyone if necessary," the CIA's leadership compiled a list of everything questionable or embarrassing the CIA had ever done:
2410
2411
2412http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKschlesingerJ.htm
2413	William Colby, Honorable Men: My Life in the CIA (1978)
2414
2415	...But it was on my trip to Bangkok in early May of 1973 that I read in a newspaper the story that would radically shake up my life, and that of CIA. It was the story that reported that, during Daniel Ellsberg's trial for disclosing the Pentagon Papers, it had been revealed that the office of his psychiatrist, Dr. Lewis J. Fielding, had been broken into by Howard Hunt, using CIA equipment, in search of material that would then be turned over to CIA and from which CIA would prepare a"psychiatric profile" on Ellsberg for the White House. This was a shocker and I couldn't understand how I had never heard of it before, when I was supposed to have been in charge of assembling all the CIA material relevant to Watergate. But more disturbingly, I wondered how the news had hit Schlesinger; for I had assured him that I had told him the full story of CIA's relationship to Watergate on virtually the first day he had arrived at Langley.
2416
2417	I didn't have to wait long after my return home to find Schlesinger's reaction. In a most moving vote of confidence in me, Schlesinger said he assumed that the news was as much of a surprise to me as it was to him. But then he went on to say that we would tear the place apart and "fire everyone if necessary," but we had to find out whether there were any other such questionable or illegal activities hidden in the secret recesses of the clandestine past that we didn't know about and that might explode at any time under our feet. To do this, Schlesinger said, he wanted to issue a directive to all CIA past and present employees, ordering them to come forward with any matter they knew of where the Agency had engaged in an activity outside its proper charter. With that directive, which he issued on May 9, the CIA "family jewels" were born, and led inexorably to a year of Congressional investigations and a whole new status for American intelligence.
2418
2419
2420Inevitably, the CIA's "family jewels" made its way to the press:
2421
2422
2423https://books.google.com/books?id=oM8u2198DcsC&pg=PT144
2424	When Schlesinger found out about the agency's ties to Watergate, he was enraged and threatened to "fire everyone if necessary." Schlesinger didn't want any more unseen land mines detonating under his feet. William Colby, Schlesinger's deputy director for operations, proposed that the DCI issue an agency-wide order directing anyone who had information about anything the CIA may have done outside its charter to come forth with the information. The order was distributed on May 9; in it, Colby instructed all agency employees with damming information to "call my secretary (extension 6363.)" That same day, Nixon appointed Schlesinger secretary of defense. Colby became DCI. Extension 6363 started ringing off the hook.
2425
2426	Colby proceeded to do what spies are never, ever supposed to do. He made a list of secrets, taking the most sordid details of the agency's improprieties--facts that had been compartmented, made "need to know," "eyes only," and operations so black that there wasn't a paper trail at all--and put them all in one place. In the charged political atmosphere of the Watergate era, listing secrets was like stockpiling dynamite in a match factory.
2427
2428	As the calls rolled in, Colby's list grew to 693 singled-spaced pages. CIA officers gave the sensitive file a nickname: the "Family Jewels." The dossier teemed with everything from the merely immoral to the downright inhuman, from petter improprieties to out-and-out felonies. The CIA had bugged and burgled Americans in their homes, put dissidents under illegal surveillance, and experimented on unwitting people with dangerous drugs. The NSA tapped countless Americans' phones. And then there were the assassination attempts: Lumumba in the Congo, Castro in Cuba, Trujilo in the Dominican Republic--incidents that the CIA was either directly involved with or far too close to. The stockpile of combustible secrets grew. On December 22, 1974, someone lit a match.
2429
2430	HUGE CIA OPERATION REPORTED IN U.S. AGAINST ANTIWAR FORCES, OTHER DISSIDENTS IN NIXON YEARS, read the headline of the New York Times.
2431
2432
2433The CIA had been conducting illegal surveillance of U.S. persons suspected of working for the Soviets, including infiltrating activist organizations and opening mail between the U.S. and Soviet Union (
2434http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/vol2/html/ChurchV2_0029b.htm). But Hersh wasn't satisfied with calling out the CIA's program for being illegal--he tried to make its raison d'etre of Soviet infiltration look like a crazy excuse:
2435
2436
2437http://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/22/archives/huge-cia-operation-reported-in-u-s-against-antiwar-forces-other.html
2438	HUGE C.I.A. OPERATION REPORTED IN U.S. AGAINST ANTIWAR FORCES, OTHER DISSIDENTS IN NIXON YEARS
2439
2440	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH DEC. 22, 1974 
2441
2442	WASHINGTON, Dec. 21—The Central Intelligence Agency, directly violating its charter, conducted a massive, illegal domestic intelligence operation during the Nixon Administration against the antiwar movement and other dissident groups in the United States, according to well‐placed Government sources.
2443
2444	An extensive investigation by The New York Times has established that intelligence files on at least 10,000 American citizens were maintained by a special unit of the C.I.A. that was reporting directly to Richard Helms, then the Director of Central Intelligence and now the Ambassador to Iran.
2445
2446	In addition, the sources said, a check of the C.I.A.'s domestic files ordered last year by Mr. Helms's successor, James R. Schlesinger, produced evidence of dozens of other illegal activities by members of the C.I.A. inside the United States, beginning in the nineteen‐fifties, including break‐ins, wiretapping and the surreptitious inspection of mail.
2447
2448	...Some sources also reported that there was widespread paper shredding at the agency shortly after Mr. Schlesinger began to crack down on the C.I.A.'s operations.
2449
2450	Asked about that, however, Government officials said that they could “guarantee” that the domestic intelligence files were still intact.
2451
2452	“There's certainly been no order to destroy them,” one official said:
2453
2454	When confronted with the Times's Information about the C.I.A.'s domestic operations earlier this week, high‐ranking American intelligence officials confirmed its basic accuracy, but cautioned against drawing “unwarranted conclusions.”
2455
2456	Espionage Feared
2457
2458	Those officials, who insisted on not being quoted by name, contended that all of the C.I.A.'s domestic activities against American citizens were initiated in the belief that foreign governments and foreign espionage may have been involved.
2459
2460	“Anything that we did was in the context of foreign counterintelligence and it was focused at foreign intelligence and foreign intelligence problems,” one official said.
2461
2462	The official also said that the requirement to maintain files on American citizens emanated, in part, from the so‐called Huston plan. That plan, named for its author, Tom Charles Huston, a Presidential aide, was a White House project in 1970 calling for the use of such, illegal activities as burglaries and wiretapping to combat antiwar activities, and student turmoil that the White House believed was being “fomented” —as the Huston plan stated—by black extremists.
2463
2464	...Professor Ransom said that his research of the Congressional debate at, the time the C.I.A. was set up makes clear that Congress expressed concern over any police state tactics and intended to avoid the possibility. Professor Ransom quoted one member as having Said during floor debate, “We don't want a Gestapo.”
2465
2466	Beyond his briefings for Senator John C. Stennis, Democrat of Mississippi, and Representative Lucien N. Nedzi, Democrat of Michigan, the respective chairmen of the Senate and House Intelligence subcommittees of the Armed Services Committees, Mr. Colby apparently had not informed other Ford Administration officials as of yesterday of the C.I.A. problems.
2467
2468	“Counterintelligence!” one high‐level Justice Department official exclaimed upon being given some details of the C.I.A.'s alleged domestic operations. “They're not supposed to have any counterintelligence in this country.”
2469
2470	“Oh, my God,” he said, “oh my God.”
2471
2472	...The Times's sources, who included men with access to first‐hand knowledge of the C.I.A.'s alleged domestic activities, took, sharp exception to the official suggestion that such activities were the result of legitimate counterintelligence needs.
2473
2474	“Look, that's how it started,” one man said. “They were looking for evidence of foreign involvement in the antiwar movement. But that's not how it ended up. This just grew and mushroomed internally.”
2475
2476	“Maybe they began with a Check on Fonda,” the source said, speaking hypothetically. “But then they began to check on her friends. They'd see her at an antiwar rally and take photographs. I think this was going on even before the Huston plan.
2477
2478	‘Highly Coordinated’
2479
2480	“This wasn't a series of isolated events. It was highly coordinated. People were targeted, information was collected on them, and it was all put on [computer] tape, just like the agency does with information about K.G.B. [Soviet] agents.
2481
2482	...The official suggested that what he called the “Nixon antiwar hysteria” may hive been a major factor in the C.I.A.'s decision to begin maintaining domestic files on American citizens.
2483
2484	...These junior officials are known to believe that the alleged domestic spying on antiwar activists originated as an ostensibly legitimate counterintelligence operation to determine whether the antiwar movement had been penetrated by foreign agents.
2485
2486	In 1969 and 1970, the C.I.A. was asked by the White House to determine whether foreign governments were supplying undercover agents and funds to antiwar radicals and Black Panther groups in the United States. Those studies, conducted by C.I.A. officials who reportedly did not know of the alleged secret domestic intelligence activities, concluded that there was no evidence of foreign support.
2487
2488	...He was repeatedly described by former C.I.A. officials as an unrelenting cold warrior who was convinced that the Soviet Union was playing a major role in the antiwar activities.
2489
2490	One former high‐level C.I.A. official accused Mr. Angleton of a “spook mentality” who saw conspiracies everywhere. The official said that Mr. Angleton was convinced that many members of the press had ties to the Soviet Union and was suspicious of anyone who wrote anything friendly about the Soviet Union.
2491
2492	...A Source In Moscow
2493
2494	“The intelligence was not acquired in the United States,” Mr. Angleton declared, “it came from Moscow. Our source there is still active and still productive; the opposition. still doesn't know.”
2495
2496	Mr. Angleton then described how the C.I.A. had obtained information from Communist sources about the alleged demolition training of black militants by the North Koreans. He also told of recent intelligence efforts involving the K.G.B. and Yasir Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
2497
2498	A number of former important F.B.I. domestic intelligence sources took issue with Mr. Angelton's apparent suggestion that the domestic antiwar activity was linked to the Soviet Union.
2499
2500	“There was a lot of stuff [on radicals in the United States] that came in from the C.I.A. overseas,” one former official recalled, but he said a lot of it was worthless.
2501
2502
2503	Amazement and Dismay
2504
2505	Other officials closely involved with United States intelligence expressed amazement and dismay that the head of counterintelligence would make such random suggestions during a telephone conversation with a newsman.
2506
2507	“You know,” said one member of Congress who is involved with the monitoring of C.I.A. activities, “that's even a better story than the domestic spying.”
2508
2509	One former C.I.A. official who participated in the 1969 and 1970 White House‐directed studies of alleged foreign involvement in the antiwar movement said that Mr. Angleton “undoubtedly believes that foreign agents were behind the student movement, but he doesn't know what he's talking about.”
2510
2511
2512The way Hersh reported it, countering Soviet espionage was an excuse by the CIA to enact some kind of gestapo-style crackdown on antiwar activists and black nationalist dissidents. Counterintelligence chief James Angleton did an awful job of explaining what the Soviets were doing, and Hersh held him up for ridicule, even though what Angleton told him turned out to be true:
2513
2514
2515https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_and_the_Soviet_Union#Support_for_terrorist_organizations
2516	The leader of the PLO, Yasser Arafat, established close collaboration with the Romanian Securitate service and the Soviet KGB in the beginning of the 1970s.[9] The secret training of PLO guerrillas was provided by the KGB.[10] However, the main KGB activities and arms shipments were channeled through Wadie Haddad of the DFLP organization, who usually stayed in a KGB dacha (BARVIKHA-1) during his visits to the Soviet Union. Led by Carlos the Jackal, a group of PFLP fighters accomplished a spectacular raid on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries office in Vienna in 1975. Advance notice of this operation "was almost certainly" given to the KGB.[9]
2517
2518
2519https://books.google.com/books?id=5D00J6dykWQC&pg=PA80
2520	...Algeria never permitted the Party to set up a military training base as Cleaver had hoped.
2521
2522	In July 1970, Elridge Cleaver, Kathleen Cleaver, and Elaine Brown, representing the Panthers, along with individuals from "the antiwar movement, the radical media the women's liberation movement, the Asian revolutionary group, and the Red Guard" would visit North Korea as well as North Vietnam and China.
2523
2524
2525http://apjjf.org/2015/13/12/Benjamin-Young/4303.html
2526	Juche in the United States: The Black Panther Party’s Relations with North Korea, 1969-1971
2527
2528	In 1969, the Black Panther Party (BPP) established a relationship with the North Korean leadership that was based upon the principle of self-reliance (under the rubric of the Juche ideology), the transnational goal of Third World revolution, and a mutual antagonism toward American intervention around the world. Although the U.S. government forbade its citizens from travelling to North Korea, BPP leader Eldridge Cleaver along with other Panthers bypassed travel restrictions and visited North Korea to join anti-imperialist journalist conferences in 1969 and 1970. In North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Panthers found a new ideology and a government that was critical of the U.S. government. The Panthers established an alliance with North Korean leaders who they recognized as an independent force within the world communist movement.
2529
2530
2531https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Sword_and_the_Shield.html?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C
2532	Having given up hope of influencing King, the Centre aimed instead at replacing him with a more radical and malleable leader. In August 1967 the Centre approved an operational plan by the deputy head of Service A, Yuri Modin, former controller of the Magnificent Five, to discredit King and his chief lieutenants by placing articles in the African press, which could then be reprinted in American newspapers,portraying King as an “Uncle Tom” who was secretly receiving government subsidies to tame the civil rights movement and prevent it threatening the Johnson administration. While leading freedom marches under the admiring glare of worldwide television, King was allegedly in close touch with the President. The same operational plan also contained a series of active measures designed to discredit US policy “on the Negro issue.” The Centre authorized Modin:
2533
2534	- To organize, through the use of KGB residency resources in the US, the publication and distribution of brochures, pamphlets, leaflets and appeals denouncing the policy of the Johnson administration on the Negro question and exposing the brutal terrorist methods being used by the government to suppress the Negro rights movement.
2535	
2536	- To arrange, via available agent resources, for leading figures in the legal profession to make public statements discrediting the policy of the Johnson administration on the Negro question.
2537
2538	- To forge and distribute through illegal channels a document showing that the John Birch Society, in conjunction with the Minuteman organization, is developing a plan for the physical elimination of leading figures in the Negro movement in the US.
2539
2540	Service A sought to exploit the violent images of the long, hot summers which began in August 1965 with race riots in Watts, the black Los Angeles ghetto, which resulted in thirty-six deaths, left 1,032 injured and caused damage estimated at over 40 million dollars. The Centre seems to have hoped that as violence intensified King would be swept aside by black radicals such as Stokeley Carmichael, who told a meeting of Third World revolutionaries in Cuba in the summer of 1967, “We have a common enemy. Our struggle is to overthrow this system . . . We are moving into open guerrilla warfare in the United States.” Traveling on to North Vietnam, Carmichael declared in Hanoi, “We are not reformists . . . We are revolutionaries. We want to change the American system.
2541
2542	King’s assassination on April 4, 1968 was quickly followed by the violence and rioting which the KGB had earlier blamed King for trying to prevent. Within a week riots had erupted in over a hundred cities, forty-six people had been killed, 3,500 injured and 20,000 arrested. To “Deke” DeLoach, it seemed that, “The nation was teetering on the brink of anarchy.” Henceforth, instead of dismissing King as an Uncle Tom, Service A portrayed him as a martyr of the black liberation movement and spread conspiracy theories alleging that his murder had been planned by white racists with the connivance of the authorities.’
2543
2544	Simultaneously the Centre implemented a series of active measures designed to weaken the internal cohesion of the United States and undermine its international reputation by inciting race hatred. In 1971 Andropov personally approved the fabrication of pamphlets full of racist insults purporting to come from the extremist Jewish Defense League, headed by Meir Kahane, calling for a campaign against the “black mongrels” who, it was claimed, were attacking Jews and looting Jewish shops. Thirty pamphlets were mailed to a series of militant black groups in the hope of producing “mass disorders in New York.” At the same time forged letters were sent to sixty black organizations giving fictitious details of atrocities committed by the League against blacks and calling for vengeance against Kahane and his chief lieutenants. Probably to the Centre’s disappointment, Kahane was assassinated some years later, not by a black militant but by an Arab.
2545
2546	On at least one occasion, the Centre ordered the use of explosives to exacerbate racial tensions in New York. On July 25, 1971 the head of the FCD First (North American) Department, Anatoli Tikhonovich Kireyev, instructed the New York residency to proceed with operation PANDORA: the planting of a delayed-action explosive package in “the Negro section of New York.” Kireyev’s preferred target was “one of the Negro colleges.” After the explosion the residency was ordered to make anonymous telephone calls to two or three black organizations, claiming that the explosion was the work of the Jewish Defense League.
2547
2548	The attempt to stir up racial tensions in the United States remained part of Service A’s stock-in-trade for the remainder of the Cold War. Before the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, for example, Line PR officers in the Washington residency mailed bogus communications from the Ku Klux Klan to the Olympic
2549committees of African and Asian countries.89 Among the racial taunts devised by Service A for inclusion in the mailings was the following:
2550
2551		THE OLYMPICS-FOR THE WHITES ONLY!
2552		African monkeys!
2553		A grand reception awaits you in Los Angeles!
2554		We are preparing for the Olympic games by shooting at black moving targets.
2555		In Los Angeles our own Olympic flames are ready to incinerate you.
2556		The highest award for a true American patriot would be the lynching of an African monkey.
2557		Blacks, Welcome to the Olympic games in Los Angeles!
2558		We’ll give you a reception you’ll never forget!
2559
2560	This and other active measures on the same theme made front-page news in many countries. When Attorney-General William French Smith denounced the letters as KGB forgeries, Moscow predictably feigned righteous indignation at Washington’s anti-Soviet slanders.
2561
2562
2563https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Sword_and_the_Shield.html?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C
2564	The Centre’s confidence that it now possessed a nerve-hold on Western public opinion was reflected in the first three priorities which it laid down for active measures in 1984, the year before Gorbachev became Soviet leader:
2565
2566	- counteracting attempts by the USA and NATO to destroy the existing military strategic equilibrium and to acquire military superiority over the USSR compromising the aggressive efforts of imperialist groups and their plans for preparing a nuclear missile war . . .
2567
2568	- deepening disagreements inside NATO . . .
2569
2570	- exposing before the international community the plans made by the USA to launch a war, its refusal to negotiate in good faith with the USSR on limiting armaments; stimulating further development of the anti-war and anti-missile movements in the West, involving in them influential political and public figures and broad strata of the population, and encouraging these movements to take more decisive and coordinated action
2571
2572
2573On top of that, Hersh tied the CIA's program with the deeply unpopular Nixon and the Watergate scandal. Nixon had put to writing his desires to spy on students, "radicals," and anti-war dissidents in the infamous Huston plan, which assigned a "Nixonian" (for lack of a better word) motive to the USIC's counterintelligence activities. Although U.S. intelligence had been spying on Soviet "activists" since long before Nixon, Hersh wasted no time in pinning the whole thing on a paranoid, politically-motivated Nixon administration:
2574
2575
2576http://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/22/archives/huge-cia-operation-reported-in-u-s-against-antiwar-forces-other.html
2577	...The disclosure of alleged illegal, C.I.A. activities is the first, possible connection to rumors that have been circulating in Washington for some time. A number of mysterious burglaries and incidents have come to light since the breakin at Democratic party headquarters in the Watergate complex on June 17, 1972.
2578
2579	Duping Charged
2580
2581	Throughout the public hearings and courtroom testimony on Watergate, Mr. Helms and other high‐level officials said that the C.I.A. had been “duped” into its Watergate involvement by the White House.
2582
2583	As part of its alleged effort against dissident Americans in the late nineteen‐sixties had early nineteen‐seventies, The Time's sources said, the C.I.A. authorized agents, to follow and photograph participants in antiwar and other demonstrations. The C.I.A. also set up a network of informants who were ordered to penetrate antiwar groups, the sources said.
2584
2585	At least one avowedly antiwar member of Congress was among those placed under surveillance by the C.I.A., the sources said. Other members of Congress were said to be included in the C.I.A.'s dossier on dissident Americans.
2586
2587	...Two months ago, Rolling Stone magazine published a lengthy list of more than a dozen unsolved break‐ins and burglaries and suggested that they might be linked to as yet undisclosed C.I.A. or F.B.I. activities.
2588
2589	Senator Howard H. Baker Jr., Republican of Tennessee, who was vice chairman of the Senate Watergate committee, has publicly spoken of mysterious C.I.A. links to Watergate, The White House transcripts of June 23, 1972, show President Nixon saying to H. R.‐Haldeman, his chief of staff, “Well, we protected Helms from one hell of a lot of things.”
2590
2591	The remark, commented upon by many officials during recent interviews, could indicate Presidential knowledge about the C.I.A.'s alleged domestic activities.
2592
2593	The possible Watergate link is but one of many questions posed by the disclosures about the C.I,A. that the Times sources say they believe can be unraveled only by extensive Congressional hearings.
2594
2595
2596This was a critical moment for America: the country had been rocked by the social movements of the 60's and 70's and increasingly bitter opposition to the Vietnam war, the Pentagon papers and the Watergate scandal had put trust in the Government at a historic low, and now it was revealed that the U.S. Government was spying on the very activists that opposed these unpopular policies and politicians. At the same time many Americans, perhaps for the first time, were hearing claims by some in the nation's intelligence services that the Soviets had a hand in this domestic turmoil.
2597
2598This should have been a time for the American people to debate some very important questions: How should we, as a nation, counter foreign intelligence services while keeping our own in check? What lengths are acceptable for our intelligence agencies to go in countering foreign agents on American soil? How do we keep a system of governance that protects us both from tyranny by our own government and tyranny from governments abroad?
2599
2600But the American people never got the chance: The idea of Soviet intervention in U.S. domestic affairs had been mocked and politicized in the press, trust in U.S. military and intelligence agencies had been dragged down with trust in the Nixon administration, and the American people, maybe weary of conflict, were hopeful that the Soviet threat had been solved by détente:
2601
2602
2603http://www.nytimes.com/1970/07/10/archives/communist-rules-for-revolt-viewed-as-durable-fraud-rules-for.html
2604	Communist ‘Rules’ For Revolt Viewed As Durable Fraud
2605
2606	By DONALD JANSON JULY 10, 1970
2607
2608	Among a spate of broad sides, leaflets and ultraconservative books distributed at the New England Rally for God, Family and Country, which ended earlier this week in Boston, was a stack of flyers labeled “Communist Rules for Revolution.”
2609
2610	The “rules” call for corrupting the young by stressing sex to the exclusion of moral virtues, fomenting disorder and dissatisfaction with government, legislating gun control and seizing power.
2611
2612	...The same list has been re produced in right‐wing publications, small‐town newspaper advertisements and gun lobby magazines for a quarter of a century. Group Research, a Washington organization, re ports a spurt in recent months.
2613
2614	...‘Completely Spurious’
2615
2616	Senator Lee Metcalf, Democrat of Montana, said in an interview that exhaustive re search had proved the “rules for revolution” to be “completely spurious.”
2617
2618	“The extreme right wing in America also follows rules,” he said earlier in placing his findings in The Congressional Record, “and one of these rules is to make maximum use of false, misleading and fear inspiring quotations.”
2619
2620	...Since then, numerous ultra conservative publications have reproduced the “rules” with the Brautigam statement and his signature appended. The Rev. Billy James Hargis devoted the cover of Christian Crusade to this combination a decade later.
2621
2622	...Those who have listed the “rules” in The Congressional Record this year include Representatives John J. Duncan of Tennessee, Joe Skubitz of Kansas and Louis C. Wyman of New Hampshire.
2623
2624	‘To Protect Our Country’
2625
2626	Mr. Duncan commented, in doing so, that “I became alarmed as I reviewed these and realized how effective they are right now in this great country of ours.”
2627
2628	“We see the results taking place our society,” he said, “and it is our duty to warn our constituency and to protect our country.”
2629
2630	...Equally popular in right‐wing circles, according to Mr. George of Central State College it Oklahoma, are more than dozen misquotations of Communist leaders.
2631
2632	He said purveyors of fear frequently quote Nikita S. Khrushchev's remark while in the United States in 1959 that “we will bury you,” but never add that he meant economically.
2633
2634
2635(note: https://archive.org/stream/BezmenovLoveLetterToAmerica/YuriBezmenov-LoveLetterToAmerica_djvu.txt the document likely is a forgery, although it is pretty accurate in describing some goals/methods of active measures. An interesting question is: forgery by who?)
2636
2637
2638http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1972/01/22/i-coverup
2639	Coverup—I
2640
2641	By Seymour M. Hersh
2642
2643	January 22, 1972
2644
2645	Over the past eighteen months, I have been provided with a complete transcript of the testimony given to the Peers Inquiry, and also with volumes of other materials the Peers commission assembled, including its final summary report to Secretary Resor and General Westmoreland. What follows is based largely on those papers, although I have supplemented them with documents from various sources, including the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, which had the main responsibility for conducting the initial investigations into both the My Lai massacre and its coverup.
2646
2647
2648https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_Papers
2649	President Nixon's first reaction to the publication was that, since the study embarrassed the Johnson and Kennedy administrations rather than his, he should do nothing. However, Kissinger convinced the president that not opposing the publication set a negative precedent for future secrets. The administration argued Ellsberg and Russo were guilty of a felony under the Espionage Act of 1917, because they had no authority to publish classified documents. After failing to persuade the Times to cease voluntarily publication on June 14, Attorney General John N. Mitchell and Nixon obtained a federal court injunction forcing the Times to cease publication...
2650
2651
2652http://www.ifstone.org/collectedifstone.pdf
2653	The Crisis Coming for a Free Press
2654
2655	I.F. Stone
2656
2657	July 9, 1971
2658
2659	...A government cannot be denied the right to some secrets, especially in wartime. But what makes this case so crucial is that Dr. Ellsberg’s leak and its publication in the press represented the first open revolt against a system of secrecy which has reached cancerous proportions and threatens unless checked to destroy free government itself. The amount of information now stamped secret and withheld from the press and Congress is staggering. 
2660
2661	...The Pentagon Papers showed that the government has been carrying on secret warfare in Indo-China since 1954. They disclosed for the first time the full dimensions of the arrogance, duplicity and inhumanity with which successive Administrations got us into this horrible mess which is tearing the country apart and demoralizing the armed forces themselves.
2662
2663	...Representative government is menaced today by a cloud of secrecy. The Daniel Ellsbergs and Neil Sheehans are too few; a Senator like Gravel willing to challenge the classification system in which Congress has acquiesced for so many years, is unique. We need more such rebels, not fewer, if free government is to survive.
2664
2665
2666(background on Stone, previously mentioned: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/jcws.2009.11.3.144)
2667
2668
2669http://www.ifstone.org/collectedifstone.pdf
2670	Fresh Light on the Mystery of the Missiles
2671
2672	I.F. Stone
2673
2674	1963
2675
2676	The removal of the missiles stirred anger among the Fidelistas, and I was told that Fidel had gone several times to the University to appeal to the students to be quiet. Cubans made up a little poem which went like this:
2677
2678		Nikita, Nikita,
2679		Lo que se da,
2680		No se quita
2681
2682	i.e., Nikita, Nikita, what you gave, you can’t take back. In the eyes of the Fidelistas, the purpose of the missiles was simply to deter an American attack; they turned against us our own favorite theory of deterrence.
2683
2684	...The political questions were as delicate as the military. The Russians had agreed to remove the missiles without consulting Castro. For a man—and a people—as sensitive about their national dignity, this was an affront. An island besieged by the United States, and so dependent on the U.S.S.R., could hardly afford open discussion of such questions.
2685
2686	...As for the Russians, their friendliness for Cuba in no way interferes with their obvious desire for friendlier relations with the United States. These talks in Havana showed me that wherever American policy was to some degree flexible and pragmatic, rather than rigidly ideological, this paid off.
2687
2688	...One way to look at the recent crisis is that we were brought to the brink of thermonuclear war because we had driven an island neighbor so far into fear and enmity that it was willing to emplace nuclear missiles against us.
2689
2690	Every time we are confronted with a new revolution we take to the opium pipes of our own propaganda. Those who try to be objective or friendly are dismissed as dupes, and sometimes—as the Stalin years demonstrate—they were. But events have also shown that in the long run the dupes prove less misleading than the doped.
2691
2692
2693https://books.google.com/books?id=-ZiMFkQ1hjkC&pg=PA145
2694	His rhetoric, spurred by the support of the Soviet Union and the increasingly socialist leanings of Castro, became even more radical. In a particularly chilling speech to the First Latin American Youth Congress in late July 1960, Che saw it fit to speak of Cuba as a whole, saying that "if they [the Cuban people] should disappear from the face of the earth because an atomic war is unleashed in their names ... they would feel completely happy and fulfilled ..." The threat of atomic annihilation would soon be a very real one--not just for Cuba, but in essence, the world.
2695
2696
2697http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/summit/archive/com1972-1.htm
2698	Joint Communiqué, Moscow, 1972
2699
2700	Guided by the desire to place U.S.-Soviet relations on a more stable and constructive foundation, and mindful of their responsibilities for maintaining world peace and for facilitating the relaxation of international tension, the two Sides adopted a document entitled: "Basic Principles of Mutual Relations between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics," signed on behalf of the U.S. by President Nixon and on behalf of the U.S.S.R. by General Secretary Brezhnev.
2701
2702	...Both Sides are also convinced that the agreement on Measures to Reduce the Risk of Outbreak of Nuclear War Between the USA and the U.S.S.R., signed in Washington on September 30, 1971, serves the interests not only of the Soviet and American peoples, but of all mankind. 
2703
2704
2705http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1973/10/18/the-sakharov-campaign/
2706	The Sakharov Campaign
2707	I.F. Stone	
2708	October 18, 1973 Issue
2709
2710	Andrei Sakharov is no enemy of détente. On the contrary, complete and genuine détente, ideological as well as political coexistence, has been one of the two objectives of the extraordinary campaign he has been waging since 1968.
2711
2712
2713https://www.jstor.org/stable/2749027?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
2714	The polls: American Attitudes Toward the Soviet Union and Communism
2715
2716	1983
2717
2718	During the first half of the 1970s détente warmed Soviet-American relations. A series of major treaties from the SALT I accords in 1972 to the Helsinki Agreements in July 1975 raised the promise of peaceful coexistence and normalized relations. Since then Soviet-American relations have chilled in the face of the huge Soviet arms buildup, Russian-Cuban adventurism in Africa, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Communist repression in Poland, and commentators are talking of a second cold war.
2719
2720
2721https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/97unclass/colby.html
2722	...By that time, mid-1973, public attitudes with respect to US intelligence had begun to shift, and some past practices, particularly those relating to covert operations, no longer enjoyed wide support. Rightly or wrongly, a certain euphoria about détente signified to many that there was now a less overriding need for continuing covert operations as a ready, effective weapon in our country's Cold War arsenal. Public support waned further when Colby himself confirmed existing suspicions about certain past CIA practices. Public dismay about Watergate had rubbed off on CIA as well, in light of the many allegations that the Agency had been involved in that scandal. 
2723
2724
2725The public didn't get a chance or didn't want to hear about Soviet active measures--they were more angry at the CIA. In the critical debate for the nation's future, Americans only got to hear one side of the story. Schlesinger and Colby did little to help:
2726
2727
2728https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-war-within-the-cia/
2729	How had the “family jewels” ever leaked to the New York Times in the first place? This was a question put to Colby in 1975 by Richard M. Helms, himself a former Director of the CIA. According to Helms’s recollection of their conversation, Colby nonchalantly replied, “I talked to Sy Hersh.” At the time, Helms did not fully comprehend what Colby meant by this admission. It seemed almost inconceivable to him that the Director of the CIA, whom he had always found to be an intelligent, discreet, and completely responsible officer, and who had sworn an oath to protect the nation’s secrets, could have revealed such critical information to a newspaperman for purposes of publication. Yet the next time Helms saw Colby, he again asked him about the leak and Colby reiterated that he had confirmed the story to Hersh and the New York Times.
2730
2731	That it was Colby himself who had engineered the leak had also become clear in the meantime to members of the CIA’s counterintelligence staff who had been forced to resign on account of it. Newton S. Miler, then Chief of Operations for Counterintelligence, discovered that Colby’s report to the President had been prepared within a day of the story’s appearance in the Times. Analyzing the research that had gone into the document, he concluded that Colby could not possibly have written it within such a brief period.
2732
2733	...In the interview, Colby asserts, he attempted to “explain—and put in proper perspective” both the CIA’s investigation of the anti-war movement in the United States and the CIA’s surveillance of American citizens by “wiretaps, mail intercepts,” and other means. He acknowledges confirming to Hersh that the CIA had, in the case of the mail intercepts, sometimes violated its charter (and the law). He provided Hersh with incriminating details about the CIA’s program of intercepting letters to and from the Soviet Union, and about other highly-classified and illegal surveillance activities.
2734
2735	Colby says that he did not realize the public release of this information would have the “traumatic consequences” it did. The only reason he told Hersh about it, he writes, was to lay to rest rumors which Hersh had heard of even more incriminating activities on the part of the CIA. 
2736
2737
2738http://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/22/archives/huge-cia-operation-reported-in-u-s-against-antiwar-forces-other.html
2739	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH DEC. 22, 1974 
2740
2741	Mr. Colby has reportedly told associates that he is considering the possibility of asking the Attorney General to institute legal action against some of those who had been involved in the alleged domestic activities.
2742
2743	...Mr. Colby refused comment on the domestic spying issue. But one clue to the depth of his feelings emerged during an off‐the‐record talk he gave Monday night at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
2744
2745	The C.I.A. chief, who had been informed the previous week of the inquiry by The Times, said at the meeting that he had ordered a complete investigation of the agency's domestic activities and had found some improprieties.
2746
2747	But he is known to have added, “I think family skeletons are best left where they are—in the closet.”
2748
2749
2750http://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/16/archives/colby-concedes-cia-failed-to-report-watergate-promptly.html
2751	Colby Concedes C.I.A. Failed To Report Watergate Promptly
2752
2753 	SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES OCT. 16, 1975 
2754
2755
2756https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1979/08/inside-the-department-of-dirty-tricks/305460/
2757	 Schlesinger did not remain long at the CIA; On May 9, 1973, Nixon appointed him to replace Elliot Richardson at the Department of Defense, who was replacing Richard Kleindienst at the Department of Justice, who was resigning because his old friend John Mitchell was finally facing indictment for his role in the Watergate scandal. But during Schlesinger's brief tenure as DCI, the shortest in the Agency's history, he fired more than a thousand officers throughout the Agency, more than a hundred of them old soldiers in the DDP/DDO.
2758
2759	The firings came in waves: If the pace wasn't brisk enough, he would do the job himself, going down a list of officers and saying, "He's been here twenty years that's long enough, out." 
2760
2761
2762http://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/22/archives/huge-cia-operation-reported-in-u-s-against-antiwar-forces-other.html
2763	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH DEC. 22, 1974 
2764
2765	...Mr. Schlesinger was at the C.I.A. when the first word of the agency's involvement in the September, 1971, burglary of the office of Dr. Daniel Ellsberg's former psychiatrist by the White House security force known as the “plumbers” became known.
2766
2767	...The associate said one result of Mr. Schlesinger's inquiries into Watergate and the domestic of the C.I.A. operations was his executive edict ordering a halt to all questionable counterintelligence operations inside the United States.
2768
2769	During his short stay at the C.I.A., Mr. Schlesinger also initiated a 10 per cent employee cutback. Because of his actions, the associate said, security officials at the agency decided to increase the number of his personal bodyguards. It could not be learned whether that action was taken after a threat.
2770
2771
2772https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-war-within-the-cia/
2773	The Hersh story was based on a closely-held CIA report done the previous year by the Inspector General, which was a compilation of all the CIA’s questionable activities prior to 1973 and which was termed by Colby the “family jewels.”
2774
2775	Within forty-eight hours of publication of the Times exposé, Colby effectively confirmed the veracity of the story by announcing the resignation of James Jesus Angleton, the CIA’s chief of counterintelligence, who had been mentioned in Hersh’s report, as well as Angleton’s three top deputies on the counterintelligence staff;
2776
2777
2778http://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/30/archives/3-more-aides-quit-in-cia-shakeup-faced-transfers-special-to-the-new.html
2779	3 MORE AIDES QUIT IN C.I.A. SHAKE‐UP; FACED TRANSFERS
2780
2781	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH DEC. 30, 1974
2782
2783	Three more high‐ranking officials of the Central Intelligence Agency resigned last week in a major shake‐up of the agency's counterintelligence division, well‐informed Government sources said today.
2784
2785	...In a related development, Senator William Proxmire, Democrat of Wisconsin, said today that he had received independent verification of the allegations of C.I.A. domestic spying that were initially published Dec. 22 in the Times. There has been no official denial or confirmation of The Times's account from the Ford Administration.
2786
2787	“I can say on the basis of the information I have, and I think it is very good Information,” Mr. Proxmire said on “Issues and Answers,” the ABC‐TV interview show, “that the stories and the allegations in The New York Times about the file of 10,000 names of people who had been under investigation by the C.I.A., about the surveillance, about the breaking and entering and about wiretaps, that those are accurate and correct.”
2788
2789
2790http://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/12/obituaries/james-angleton-counterintelligence-figure-dies.html
2791	Mr. Angleton ... was forced to resign his post in 1974 by William E. Colby, then Director of Central Intelligence, who had become convinced that Mr. Angleton's efforts were harming the agency. 
2792
2793	...With his departure, the agency cut the counterintelligence staff to 80 from 300, and turned away from some of the techniques he had pioneered. Today, some intelligence officials and members of Congress say this may have been an overreaction. They say that the recent disclosures about highly damaging Soviet espionage operations suggest that Mr. Angleton was more accurate in his suspicions than was once believed
2794
2795
2796http://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/10/us/washington-talk-a-counter-spymaster-s-view-assessing-intelligence-breaches.html
2797	At its peak in the 1960's, he tells friends, the counterintelligence directorate had a staff of 300. In the reductions sought by Mr. Colby, the staff went from 280 to 80, terminating many of its operations and virtually paralyzing those remaining. "It's never been built up again," he said.
2798
2799
2800CIA director Colby had compiled a list of the CIA's darkest secrets, leaked them to a likely Soviet agent, then began firing most of the CIA's counterintelligence staff a few days later, crippling U.S. defense against spies and giving the impression the CIA was guilty of the skewed charges in Hersh's report.
2801
2802For the CIA, it was a bloodbath. Colby and Congress took it even further:
2803
2804
2805https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/Post-Watergate_Intelligence_Investigations.html
2806	Leading newspapers like the New York Times and Washington Post, which had covered Watergate extensively, carried articles exposing the illegalities. The New York Times carried a front-page story on 22 Dec 1974 by Seymour Hersh entitled "Huge C.I.A. Operation Reported in U.S. Against Antiwar Forces, Other Dissidents in Nixon Years."
2807
2808	A Presidential commission and several Congressional committees, the most famous of which was headed by Senator Frank Church of Idaho, held hearings and produced reports over the next few years.
2809
2810
2811https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/investigations/ChurchCommittee.htm
2812	Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities
2813	
2814	(The Church Committee)
2815
2816	Origins
2817
2818	...In 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh published a front-page New York Times article...
2819
2820
2821https://books.google.com/books?id=oM8u2198DcsC&pg=PT144
2822	On January 27, the Senate voted 82 to 4 to form the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, chaired by Idaho Democrat Frank Church, which became known as the Church Committee. The House moved to establish the Select Committee on Intelligence, chaired by New York Democrat Otis Pike. The star witness would be CIA director William Colby.
2823
2824	...To some people in the agency, Colby's performances before Congress were at best designed to cripple the intelligence community. At worst, as hallway murmurings attested, Colby's testimony was tantamount to treason. According to his memoirs, Colby was convinced "that [the Rockefeller Commission, convened by President Ford, which preceded the Church Committee] would not be the end of the matter, and that the President's carefully circumscribed investigation of CIA's domestic affairs would not stop Congress from conducting its own probe . . . the atmosphere in the nation had far too radically changed--in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate--for the Executive Branch to get away, as it always had in the past, with keeping the cloak-and-dagger world of intelligence strictly in its own prerogative and affair . . . Intelligence," he mused, "was entering a new era, and the country was in the process of redefining its correct position under the Constitution." And so, in his testimonies before the investigative committees, Colby was far more forthright than any of his predecessors.
2825
2826	Before the Rockefeller Commission, Colby revealed so much that the commission's chairman, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, pulled him aside and said, "Bill, do you really have to present all this material to us? We realize that there are secrets that you fellows need to keep and so nobody here is going to take it amiss if you feel that there are some questions you can't answer quite as fully as you seem to feel you have to." In his memoirs, wrote Colby, "I got the message quite unmistakably and I didn't like it. The Vice-President of the United States was letting me know that he didn't approve of my approach to the CIA's troubles, that he would much prefer me to take a traditional stance of fending off investigators by drawing a cloak of secrecy around the agency in the name of national security."
2827
2828
2829https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/Post-Watergate_Intelligence_Investigations.html
2830	In February 1975, the same month the Rockefeller Commission was launched, the House Select Committee on Intelligence was formed under the leadership of Michigan Representative Lucien Nedzi. Only a few months had passed when the New York Times revealed that Nedzi, as head of the House Armed Services Intelligence Subcommittee, had been briefed in 1973 by CIA Director Colby on some of the contents of the "family jewels," including assassination plotting. The resulting furor expressed by other members of the Committee resulted in the Committee being dissolved in July and replaced by one run by Otis Pike of New York.
2831
2832
2833https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/winter98_99/art07.html
2834	...What he wanted, he told Colby, was to build public and Congressional understanding and support for intelligence by "exposing" as much as possible of its nature without doing harm to proper intelligence activities. Pike related to Colby that he knew the investigation would cause "occasional conflict between us, but that a constructive approach by both sides should resolve it." 
2835
2836	...While the Church Committee centered its intention on the more sensational charges of illegal activities by the CIA and other components of the IC, the Pike Committee set about ex~mining the CIA's effectiveness and its costs to taxpayers. Unfortunately, Representative Pike, the committee, and its staff never developed a cooperative working relationship with the Agency or the Ford administration.
2837
2838
2839https://books.google.com/books?id=iqptFbH1ndAC&pg=PA161
2840	Johnson's views on the intelligence community summarized the feelings of the nine-member majority:
2841		They were lying sons of bitches. They lie every chance they get. They are no-good people. They are no goddamn good. [Former DCI Richard] Helms lies to Congress, gets convicted of perjury, and says he will wear his conviction like a "bade of honor." I went out with staff one day to CIA headquarters. I told [CIA official Seymour] Bolten: "You, the CIA, are the enemy." The military establishment dominates this country today.
2842
2843	...Mr. Dellums stated what he would like to see the committee do: "I think this committee ought to come down hard and clear on the side of stopping any intelligence agency in this country from utilizing corruption, and prostituting the media, the church and our educational system."
2844
2845
2846https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/winter98_99/art07.html
2847	...Privately, Pike indicated that he believed the Agency was a "rogue elephant" out of control, as Senator Church had charged publicly. It needed to be restrained and major reporting reforms initiated.
2848
2849	...An underlying problem was the large cultural gap between officers trained in the early years of the Cold War and the young staffers of the anti-Vietnam and civil rights movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
2850
2851	...Under orders from the White House, CIA officials refused to testify in open session before the committee on these operations, declaring that such hearings would only benefit foreign intelligence services.
2852
2853	The committee instead heard from Congressman Michael Harrington and Harvard law professor Roger Fisher, both of whom called for the outlawing of all covert action; former National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy, who opposed covert action in peacetime; and historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., who claimed that the CIA was indeed "a rogue elephant" and who suggested that the only remedy was to impose strict executive and legislative oversight and drastically cut the intelligence budget as the ways to curb covert actions.
2854
2855
2856https://books.google.com/books?id=oM8u2198DcsC&pg=PT144
2857	Colby believed that if the CIA was going to survive, he had to cooperate with Congress. Stonewalling Congress, he thought, would challenge them to dismantle the agency altogether. By employing a policy of moderate openness with the committees, Colby reasoned, he could get Congress to "buy into" the intelligence community.
2858
2859	...the Rockefeller Commission strongly suggested that the black budget was unconstitutional: "Congress should give careful consideration to whether the budget of the CIA should not, at least to some extent, be made public, particularly in view of the provisions of Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution."
2860
2861	During the hearings, DCI Colby explained that the black budget was legal in his opinion.
2862
2863
2864https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/winter98_99/art07.html
2865	The Pike Group's final report concluded that the foreign intelligence budget was three or four times than Congress had been told; that money appropriated for the IC was hidden throughout the entire Federal budget; that the total amount of funds expended on intelligence was extremely difficult to determine; and that Congressional and executive scrutiny of the budget ranged between "cursory and nonexistent."
2866	...The budget issue was only one major question raised by the Pike Committee. The committee also wanted to know just how effective the CIA and US intelligence had been over the past 10 years. 
2867
2868	...the committee was critical of the performance of US intelligence ... For example, using the Agency's own postmortems on the Yom Kippur war, the committee found that the "principal conclusions concerning the commencement of hostilities...were--quite simply, obviously, and starkly--wrong." In earlier testimony before the committee, Colby admitted that, "We did not cover ourselves with glory. We predicted the day before the war broke out that it was not going to break out."
2869
2870	...Colby expressed his continuing belief that the committee would find that the main thrust of US intelligence was "good, solid, and trustworthy."
2871
2872	Pike responded that he had no intention of destroying US intelligence.
2873
2874
2875http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKpikeO.htm
2876	Three days later the House of Representatives voted 246 to 124 to direct the Pike Committee not to release its report until it "has been certified by the President as not containing information which would adversely affect the intelligence activities of the CIA." Pike was furious and pointed out: "The House just voted not to release a document it had not read. Our committee voted to release a document it had read."
2877
2878	Worried that the report would never be published, someone on the House Select Intelligence Committee leaked the report to Daniel Schorr. He gave it to The Village Voice, which published it in full on 16th February 1976 under the title "The Report on the CIA that President Ford Doesn't Want You to Read."
2879
2880
2881http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1975/02/20/a-new-solution-for-the-cia/
2882	A New Solution for the CIA
2883	I.F. Stone	
2884	February 20, 1975 Issue
2885
2886	Stalin did establish one useful precedent. He made it a practice to bump off whoever served as head of his secret police. He never let anybody stay in the job too long. As a successful dictator, Stalin seems to have felt that anybody who had collected so many secrets would be a No. 1 menace to security if he ever went sour. Stalin thought it safer not to wait.
2887
2888	I think we ought to take Stalin’s example one step further. I think we ought to get rid of the CIA altogether, lock, stock, and burglar’s kit.
2889
2890
2891https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-war-within-the-cia/
2892	The impact of these investigations on the normal activities of the CIA was “devastating,” as William Colby explains in his autobiography: “Apart from the fact that I and any number of my senior associates were constantly being called away from Langley to testify before one committee or another, the agency overall was diverted from its responsibilities by the deluge of demands from the hordes of investigators, with literally hundreds of CIA officers reassigned from normal intelligence operations to handle the mechanical and clerical chores of locating requested documents, sanitizing them to remove names of agents and particularly sensitive operational material, and then negotiating whether or not the information could be publicly released.” According to other former executives of the CIA, the multiple investigations did much more than merely paralyze the CIA temporarily. They resulted in completely demoralizing its staff, disrupting its relations with other Western intelligence services on whom it depended for all practical purposes, wrecking it as a viable intelligence service.
2893
2894
2895http://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/10/archives/new-jersey-pages-cias-work-unimpeded-by-inquiries-and-reports.html
2896	C.I.A.'s Work Unimpeded By Inquiries and Reports, Officials of Agency Assert
2897
2898	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH NOV. 10, 1975 
2899
2900	Colby Praised
2901
2902	Mr. Colby has been widely praised for his consistent efforts to cooperate with the various investigating committees that were set up this year, although his approach is known to have angered many associates and friends of Richard Helms
2903
2904
2905https://washington.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/perspective-on-the-jewels-from-the-cias-chief-historian/
2906	Perspective on the Jewels From the C.I.A.’s Chief Historian
2907	By David Robarge June 27, 2007
2908
2909	For more than 30 years, the Family Jewels have clouded the C.I.A.’s reputation, even though most of their contents have long been known from official reports and ad hoc disclosures. William Colby — who oversaw the compilation of the Jewels while serving as the agency’s operations chief and director-designate — is the source of some durable misconceptions about them. In his memoir, Honorable Men (p. 340), Colby says that the Jewels consist of “693 pages of possible violations of, or at least questionable activities in regard to, the C.I.A.’s legislative charter”; that among the contents are “bizarre and tragic cases wherein the Agency experimented with mind-control drugs”; and that accompanying them was “a separate and even more secret annex” that “summarized a 1967 survey of C.I.A.’s involvement in assassination attempts or plans against Castro, Lumumba and Trujillo.”
2910
2911	These misstatements were repeated at least in part in several widely read works, including Thomas Powers’s The Man Who Kept the Secrets, John Ranelagh’s The Agency, G.J.A. O’Toole’s Encyclopedia of American Intelligence and Espionage, and Norman Polmar and Thomas Allen’s Spy Book. 
2912	
2913	...The release of the Jewels should end much of the mythology about them.
2914
2915	...These final records — several of them in Colby’s own hand — make an unintentionally fitting conclusion to the Jewels collection, the product of a process he orchestrated as a damage control exercise but which almost proved to be the agency’s undoing.
2916
2917
2918https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/collection/family-jewels
2919	Widely known as the "Family Jewels," this document consists of almost 700 pages of responses from CIA employees to a 1973 directive from Director of Central Intelligence James Schlesinger asking them to report activities they thought might be inconsistent with the Agency's charter. Also available in PDF format (this file is 28MB, so please be patient while it downloads).
2920
2921
2922http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/stratperspective/inss/Strategic-Perspectives-11.pdf
2923	The revelations about intelligence programs transgressing American civil liberties ushered in a period of intense public and congressional scrutiny. The scandals forced a reevaluation of the role of intelligence organizations in a free society. What emerged in the aftermath of the debate was a new American conception of intelligence that further inclined the national security system to ignore Soviet disinformation. 
2924
2925	...Colby’s reforms ... effectively downgraded the importance of disinformation and deception. First, Colby decided in favor of complete openness, revealing all the tawdry secrets of the CIA (sometimes referred to as “the Family Jewels”), ranging from failed assassination attempts of foreign leaders to spying on American citizens. ...Colby oversaw a reprioritization of intelligence functions that reduced the emphasis on covert action, counterintelligence, and human intelligence sources in favor greater reliance on technical means of collecting information and better analysis. Past public support for covert action had evaporated, and “rightly or wrongly, a certain euphoria about détente signified to many that there was now [less need for] covert operations as a ready, effective weapon in our country’s Cold War arsenal.”
2926
2927	...These developments had the effect of reducing CIA attention to covert Soviet disinformation activities such as the use of forgeries and other propaganda tools to influence foreign audiences. ...In their view, the reforms amounted to unilateral intelligence “disarmament.” In the words of one intelligence traditionalist, the CIA’s counterintelligence staff basically “lobotomized itself.”
2928
2929
2930https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/97unclass/colby.html
2931	In short, Colby's effort to strengthen US intelligence through candor was seriously constrained from many sides. His revelations fueled the excesses of the Church and Pike committees, fed the public's misconceptions about the purposes of US intelligence, and weakened the country's support of intelligence--at least for some time thereafter.
2932
2933
2934The excess of Colby and the Pike and Church Committees helped shift the debate on how counterintelligence should be conducted in a free society to whether or not the CIA should exist at all. The results were reforms that "lobotomized" the agency. For all his talk of the CIA's controversial programs, Colby apparently did little to explain why a well-meaning person could support them or to inform the public of the scope and nature of the Soviet threat, as he didn't think it existed:
2935
2936
2937https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1978/04/23/agents-assassins-and-moles/20915ac6-cfb3-436f-944b-56d3288bbb02/
2938	What former CIA Director William E. Colby has described as Angelton's "ultraconspiratorial" view of the world is apparently no longer in vogue at the agency. But if his theories were doubted (Colby, for one, believed they did the CIA more harm than good), his brilliance never was. Even today, no one in the intelligence community seems brash enough to assert that Angleton didn't know what he was talking about. He seems to have kept too many secrets to himself, hoarding them like ammunition. In any case, professional disagreement with the CIA's chief of counterintelligence was always cautiously stated.
2939
2940	In his own forthcoming book, Honorable Men: My Life in the CIA, Colby puts it this way:
2941
2942	"I spent several long sessions doing my best to follow his torturous conspiracy theories about the long arm of a powerful and wily KBG at work, over decades, placing its agents in the heart of allied and neutral nations and sending its false defectors to influence and undermine American policy.I confess that I couldn't quite absorb it, possibly because I did not have the requisite grasp of this labyrinthine subject, possibly because Angleton's explanations were impossible to follow, or possibly because the evidence just didn't add up to his conclusions; and I finally concluded that the last was the only real answer. At the same time, I looked in vain for some tangible results in the counterintelligence field, and found little or none. I did not suspect Angleton and his staff of engaging in improper activities. I just could not figure out what they were doing at all."
2943
2944
2945The sum of Colby's interactions with the public were to increase animosity toward the CIA and to confuse and diminish public knowledge of Soviet espionage activities. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Angleton:
2946
2947
2948http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/vol2/html/ChurchV2_0034a.htm
2949	Church Committee Reports
2950
2951	...Senator Mondale. All right. What was your understanding of the legality of the covert mail operation?
2952	Mr. Angleton. That it was illegal.
2953
2954	Senator Mondale. It was illegal. Now, you are an attorney? 
2955
2956	Mr. Angleton. No, I am not, sir. 
2957
2958	Senator Mondale. Well, that might be an asset. 
2959
2960	Mr. Angleton. That is my cover, Senator. 
2961
2962	Senator Mondale. How do you rationalize conducting a program which you believe to be illegal?
2963
2964	Mr. Angleton. To begin with, I was taking it over as an ongoing operation and there was probability that the program, through lack of personnel and funding, would have been scrubbed at some stage. From the counterintelligence point of view, we believe that it was extremely important to know everything possible regarding contacts of American citizens with Communist countries. 
2965
2966	And second, that we believed that the security of the operation was such that the Soviets were unaware of such a program and therefore that many of the interests that the Soviets would have in the United States, subversive and otherwise, would be through the open mails, when their own adjudication was that the mails could not be violated. 
2967
2968	Senator Mondale. So that a judgment was made, with which you concurred, that although covert mail opening was illegal, the good that flowed from it, in terms of the anticipating threats to this country through the use of this counterintelligence technique, made it worthwhile nevertheless. 
2969
2970	Mr. Angleton. That is correct.
2971
2972
2973http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch4s5.html
2974	John Adams, Thoughts on Government
2975	Apr. 1776
2976
2977	The foundation of every government is some principle or passion in the minds of the people. The noblest principles and most generous affections in our nature then, have the fairest chance to support the noblest and most generous models of government.
2978
2979	...the very definition of a Republic, is "an Empire of Laws, and not of men." That, as a Republic is the best of governments, so that particular arrangement of the powers of society, or in other words that form of government, which is best contrived to secure an impartial and exact execution of the laws, is the best of Republics.
2980
2981
2982http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/vol2/html/ChurchV2_0034a.htm
2983	Senator Mondale. How do you recommend that this committee deal with this profound crisis between political and legal responsibility in government, a nation that believes in the laws, and what you regard to be the counterintelligence imperative of illegal activity? What do we do about it? 
2984
2985	Mr. Angleton. My own belief has always been that, high authority, whether it be on the Hill, the Congress, or in the Executive, needs to examine very closely the counterintelligence content available to this Government regarding its adversaries, and regarding the Soviet and the Soviet Bloc. 
2986
2987	To my knowledge, there has never been such an examination. I believe very much in a statement made by Director of the FBI, Mr. Kelley, that it is his firm view, which he expressed in Canada at a bar association convention, that certain individual rights have to be sacrificed for the national security. 
2988
2989	Senator Mondale. Do you believe that national security cannot be protected except through the sacrifice of these rights? 
2990
2991	Mr. Angleton. I believe that all matters dealing with counter-espionage require very sophisticated handling and require considerable latitude. 
2992
2993	Senator Mondale. Who do you think should be empowered to determine which rights should be set aside? 
2994
2995	Mr. Angleton. I think that, sir, not being an expert in these matters, that it should be a combination of the Executive and the Congress. 
2996
2997	Senator Mondale. How would the Congress express itself? Traditionally, it is through the adoption of laws. 
2998
2999	Mr. Angleton. I am afraid I do not--
3000
3001
3002http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=6&page=238a
3003	[Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin]
3004
3005	Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
3006
3007
3008(An aside: Benjamin Wittes has some weird ideas about what that quote means:
3009
3010https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-ben-franklin-really-said
3011	What Ben Franklin Really Said
3012	By Benjamin Wittes 
3013
3014	...I started looking into this quotation because I am writing a frontal attack on the idea that liberty and security exist in some kind of "balance" with one another--and the quotation is kind of iconic to the balance thesis. Indeed, Franklin's are perhaps the most famous words ever written about the relationship. A version of them is engraved on the Statue of Liberty. They are quoted endlessly by those who assert that these two values coexist with one another in a precarious, ever-shifting state of balance that security concerns threaten ever to upset.
3015
3016	...Very few people who quote these words, however, have any idea where they come from or what Franklin was really saying...
3017
3018	...In short, Franklin was not describing some tension between government power and individual liberty. He was describing, rather, effective self-government in the service of security as the very liberty it would be contemptible to trade. Notwithstanding the way the quotation has come down to us, Franklin saw the liberty and security interests of Pennsylvanians as aligned.
3019
3020
3021I'm not sure what Wittes is talking about. As far as I can tell from his letter, Franklin was upset that the King was twisting Pennsylvania's arm, making them jump through hoops and infringing on their liberty just so they could fund their security. I think Franklin was saying that if you play that game and give in to that you don't deserve liberty or security.
3022
3023Wittes's take on the quote says a lot about him, and maybe his associates too.)
3024
3025
3026http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter09/rights.cfm
3027	John Adams, then in England, who wrote to Thomas Jefferson, then in Paris, “What think you of a Declaration of Rights? Should not such a Thing have preceded the Model?” Jefferson agreed: he found much to like about the new plan for a federal government, but he objected to “the omission of a bill of rights.” He wrote to his fellow Virginian, James Madison, the Constitution’s primary author, that “a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no government should refuse, or rest on inference.” Events proved that Adams and Jefferson, from across the Atlantic, were more in tune with popular opinion than the members of the Constitutional Convention. Soon people throughout America were clamoring for a list of individual rights, refusing to base their fundamental freedoms on “inference.” But nearly as many were vocal in their struggle against any such list.
3028
3029	We cannot assume that those who fought against a bill of rights were reactionary, undemocratic, or anti-American, for some of the fiercest opposition came from the most passionate civil libertarians. Some said a bill of rights would not guarantee but restrict freedoms—that a list of specific rights would imply that they were granted by the government rather than inherent in nature. 
3030
3031
3032http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/a-dissertation-on-the-canon-and-feudal-law/
3033	A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law
3034
3035	John Adams
3036
3037	The poor people, it is true, have been much less successful than the great. They have seldom found either leisure or opportunity to form a union and exert their strength; ignorant as they were of arts and letters, they have seldom been able to frame and support a regular opposition. This, however, has been known by the great to be the temper of mankind; and they have accordingly labored, in all ages, to wrest from the populace, as they are contemptuously called, the knowledge of their rights and wrongs, and the power to assert the former or redress the latter. I say RIGHTS, for such they have, undoubtedly, antecedent to all earthly government, — Rights, that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws — Rights, derived from the great Legislator of the universe.
3038
3039
3040http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/vol2/html/ChurchV2_0039b.htm
3041	The Chairman. May I call your attention to it on page 109 of your testimony before this committee, September 12, beginning on line 9, and I read, “It is inconceivable that a secret intelligence arm of the Government has to comply with all of the overt orders of the Government.” 
3042
3043	Mr. Angleton. I withdraw that statement. 
3044
3045	The Chairman. Do you withdraw that statement? 
3046
3047	Mr. Angleton. I do. 
3048
3049	The Chairman. Did you not mean it when you said it the first time? 
3050
3051	Mr. Angleton. This was stated before the hearings, before you held your hearings on this matter? 
3052	The Chairman. Yes, but when you said it to us, did you mean it or did you not mean it? 
3053
3054	Mr. Angleton. I do not know how to respond to that question. 
3055
3056	The Chairman. You do not know how to respond to the question? 
3057
3058	Mr. Angleton. I said that I withdrew the statement. 
3059
3060	The Chairman. Very well, but you are unwilling to say whether or not you meant it when you said it. 
3061
3062	Mr. Angleton. I would say that the entire speculation should not have been indulged in. 
3063
3064
3065https://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111federalist.html
3066	Federalist Number 10
3067
3068	James Madison
3069
3070	 ...A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.
3071
3072	...to refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.
3073
3074
3075http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/vol2/html/ChurchV2_0040b.htm
3076	Senator Morgan. Mr. Angleton, did you at that time consider the mail coverage indispensable to your job? 
3077
3078	Mr. Angleton. I believed it was one of the few resources, routine in nature, available to counterintelligence. 
3079
3080	Senator Morgan. Well, Senator Mondale asked you about your rationale behind opening the mail. How do you reconcile it with the rights of the individuals in this country under our Constitution? How did you reconcile your action? 
3081
3082	Mr. Angleton. Well, Senator, I reconciled it in terms of the knowledge I had, and my colleagues had, regarding the nature of the threat. 
3083
3084	Senator Morgan. Well, assuming, Mr. Angleton, that you were justified in your actions, which I don’t think you were, but assuming that, what is to prevent some other individual from deciding on his own that such activities are justified? And what is to prevent him from carrying out such activities? 
3085
3086	Mr. Angleton. Senator, I don’t want to quibble. But I will have to say the operation was in being 3 years before I entered the scene. It was not something of an individual initiative, it was a group of like-minded men who arrived at similar and the same conclusions that this was an indispensable means of collecting foreign intelligence on the Soviets, who regard this country to be the main enemy, and, together with the Soviet bloc, coordinates their activities on their ideological basis. This is very persuasive to someone who has given up 31 years of their life with certain very high ideals for this country. When I left the Army, as many of us did, I believed that we were in the dawn of a millenium. When I look at the map today and the weakness of power of this country, that is what shocks me. 
3087
3088
3089https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol53no4/201ccunning-passages-contrived-corridors201d.html
3090	Angleton possessed a brilliant intellect and extensive knowledge of current and historical Soviet operations, although his sometimes convoluted descriptions of case histories affected people differently. While his colleague William Hood said that he “would sometimes add a full dimension” to an operational discussion, former DCI James Schlesinger recalled that listening to him was “like looking at an Impressionist painting.”
3091
3092	...Many people will remember Angleton only for two of his last publicized appearances: drunk, disheveled, and disoriented when a media mob confronted him at his home the morning after he was fired; and cagey, elusive, and defiant while testifying before the Church Committee several months later. Very quickly after he left Langley, an anti-Angleton orthodoxy set in at the Agency and coincided with the intelligence scandals of the mid-1970s and a public backlash against CIA that profoundly influenced subsequent interpretations of Angleton.
3093
3094
3095(Angleton had an opportunity here to explain the Soviet threat and he blew it. His performance at the Church Committee hearings and others contributed to the public backlash against the CIA and ultimately helped the Soviets discredit them.)
3096
3097
3098http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/vol2/html/ChurchV2_0040b.htm
3099	Senator Morgan. Mr. Angleton, the thing that shocks me is that these actions could be carried on contrary to the constitutional rights of the citizens of this country. Do you not believe that we can gather the necessary intelligence that we need for the protection and security of this country, and at the same time live within the Constitution? 
3100
3101	Mr. Angleton. I am not a constitutional lawyer and I do not have at my fingertips those parts of the amendments which appear, on the surface, to give the President certain rights in wiretapping and electronic surveillance. 
3102
3103	And if I understand it correctly, I do not believe there is too much of an extension to the next stage, which is the question of American and Soviet communications, or Soviet bloc communications.
3104
3105	Senator Morgan. I would beg to differ on that, and on the analysis that you made, and also the one that Mr. Huston made. But for the purpose of the guidance of this committee, can you give us any suggestion as to how the actions of that Central Intelligence Agency can be monitored in such a way as to protect the fundamental rights of the American citizens of this country? 
3106
3107	Mr. Angleton. You mean how it should be restructured? 
3108
3109	Senator Morgan. Yes; earlier you suggested that maybe the Congress and the President should take some action. But the thing that bothers me, Mr. Angleton, is how can we act if we don’t know the facts? And, if we do act, the intelligence agencies refuse to obey the guidelines and ordinances. In other words you were doing all of these things before the Huston plan was ever devised. You continued to do them after the President rejected the report. So, what assurance do we have that an intelligence agency would follow any mandate of the Congress or the President? And how can we prepare some mandates that would be followed? That is what this committee is searching for. 
3110
3111	Mr. Angleton. I have nothing to contribute to that, sir, beyond what I have said already.
3112
3113
3114Angleton knew everything--what could have been a high profile, public exposé of Soviet activities ended up being an awkward, standoffish fight between the CIA and America's elected representatives. Worse, as a representative of the CIA, he gave the impression that the agency disregarded the fundamental American values of government accountability and rule of law.
3115
3116Angleton was right about the Soviets, but by then that didn't do him--or the country--any favors. If anything, being right made things worse:
3117
3118
3119http://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/25/archives/the-angleton-story-from-forced-retirement-james-jesus-angleton.html
3120	THE ANGLETON
3121
3122	By SEYMOUR M. HERSH JUNE 25, 1978 
3123
3124	Early in the morning on Dec. 22, 1974, the day The New York Times ran the first of my series of reports on domestic spying by the Central Intelligence Agency, I got a phone call from James Angleton, who was identified in my story as the C.I.A.'s director of counterintelligence.
3125
3126	“Do you know what you've done?” he said. “You've blown my cover. My wife, in 31 years of marriage, was never aware of my activity until your story. And now she's left me.”
3127
3128	Angleton's office, I had been told by my Government sources, had directed the agency's illegal domestic activities, which had included amassing files on as many as 10,000 Americans and opening private mail, in violation of the Congressional statute barring the C.I.A. from intelligence operations within the United States. Nevertheless, I was stunned by the despair in his voice and mumbled some apology about a newsman's responsibility to the truth.
3129
3130	I quickly telephoned a friend who had worked with Angleton in the C.I.A. My friend laughed.
3131
3132	“I can tell you,” he said, “that Cicely did leave him, but not because of you. She left him about three years ago to go live out in Arizona.”
3133
3134	She had since returned. “Of course,” my friend added, “she knows all about the C.I.A.”
3135
3136	I had come across Angleton while gathering material for the C.I.A. series. In fact, I had had a long phone conversation with him just a few days previously. While denying any involvement in domestic spying, he suddenly began blurting out what I thought was highly secret information about alleged links between foreign Communist governments and domestic opponents of the Vietnam War. He told me of an agent “still active and still productive” in Moscow who was providing information about antiwar bombings inside the United States. He spoke of tracing Black Panthers to North Korea, where, he said, they were trained in the use of explosives. When I checked these allegations with other informed Government officials, they scoffed. There was no evidence, they said, of anything like that.
3137
3138	...Angleton's side of the story was not long in coming.
3139
3140	...I began to wonder: Who was this master spycatcher with a lifelong interest in Ezra Pound and Dante and a penchant for startling statements during conversations with journalists on the phone? ...It seemed to me that trying to understand this intelligence agent extraordinary could be a key to something of larger importance — the widely credited myth, with its pervasive effect on Congress, that somehow the C.I.A. and the people who run it are more competent and more knowing than the rest of us.
3141
3142	...Angleton once again has become relevant to the issue — grown almost into a national debate —of what the C.I.A.'s mission should and should not be. He is, in effect, waging covert war on the C.I.A.'s new counterintelligence leaders over the one aspect of the problem that for him is the issue — the C.I.A.'s ability to withstand Soviet penetration.
3143
3144	...He has become a source for many current newspaper articles and books with considerable impact on public opinion.
3145
3146	For example, there is the recent widely reviewed book “Legend,” by Edward Jay Epstein, with its suggestion that the public perception of Lee Harvey Oswald as a disturbed loner may be a K.G.B. cover story — that President Kennedy's assassin may have been recruited by the Soviets (though not with assassination in mind). The book is based partially on interviews with Angleton, and the Oswald theory goes back to an old case involving a Soviet defector named Yuri Nosenko.
3147
3148	One of the first things Nosenko told the C.I.A. when he came over in 1964 was that Oswald had not been recruited by the K.G.B. during his years in the Soviet Union. Angleton was skeptical. The Russian was placed in virtual solitary confinement and intensively interrogated for much of the next three years by Angleton and other counterintelligence men. Finally cleared as a credible source, Nosenko was relocated in North Carolina and placed on the C.I.A. payroll as a consultant. Angleton, however, remained convinced that Nosenko was a K.G.B. “disinformation” plant — even though, immediately after his defection, Nosenko had provided the C.I.A. with information that led to the arrest of at least two Soviet agents and to the shutting‐down of a major K.G.B. ring in France
3149
3150	...Angleton's fundamental message that the C.I.A. counterintelligence capability has been seriously weakened by his ouster — is an article of faith with his former aides. “Counterintelligence just isn't a trade you can learn in a day,” one of them said to me recently. “There's an awful lot of data you must know, an awful lot of reading you must do.” He said he and Angleton once estimated that it took a young C.I.A. recruit five years to become a sophisticated counterintelligence agent. “The K.G.B.'s got the agency on the ropes,” he added. “Whether they can bring in a Sunday punch at this point we don't know yet. The capability for C.I. [counterintelligence] and for the whole has been damaged.”
3151
3152	Other present and past officials of the C.I.A. dismissed such notions when talked to them. These men, who are among Angleton's critics, insist that the C.I.A.'s intelligence is as good as ever and that its counterintelligence is now more rational. They concede that the agency has come under closer control by Congress and the White House, but they see this as an inevitable result of the agency's past excesses.
3153
3154	“The real question,” said one former high‐level C.I.A. official, “is: Did any of the C.I.A. directors ever really know all of what Angleton's office was doing? My guess is no.”
3155
3156	What his office was doing, Angleton told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on the mail‐intercept program, was — among other things — ferreting out “foreign involvement” in the United States. And judging from a statement he made at an earlier closeddoor meeting with Senate investigators, this responsibility, in his mind, went pretty far. “It is inconceivable,” he said to the investigators, “that a secret intelligence arm of the Government has to comply with all the overt orders of the Government.” When, at the public hearing, Senator Richard S. Schweiker, reading from the record, asked him if that was an accurate quotation, Angleton replied, “Well, if it is accurate, it should not have been said.”
3157
3158	...As for the participation of his division in illegal C.I.A. activities within the United States, one former agency official delivered himself of a passionate defense:
3159
3160	“Look, you can legislate against violations of the [C.I.A.] charter, you can set up committees to investigate us, but you can never understand a clandestine organization unless you're involved in it. No Congressman and no Senator can understand it. It's so intense, so compassionate. can people and the Congress have to trust us. You can't legislate morality and integrity. We had a job to do for the United States Government, and we did it. We all faced our moral crises, our personal Gethsemanes, and had to do some jobs by any means possible.
3161
3162	...But what had he done? What were his substantive achievements?
3163
3164	In one magazine article shortly after his resignation, a longtime friend of Angleton's wrote that “the number of spies who have been caught in Angleton's net runs into the dozens.” I checked that with other C.I.A. officials, and they were more restrained. They said that many of the spies “caught” by him and his staff had, in fact, been turned in by defectors, and that many of the defectors were cold‐war refugees whose information was, at best, self‐serving.
3165
3166	...As for detente, he has voiced suspicions that that, too, may be part of a Soviet intelligence plot to weaken American defenses. A former longtime C.I.A. official who met with Angleton shortly before his ouster found him concerned that “too many members of the press had ties to Russia.” “Anybody who wrote anything friendly to the Soviet Union,” the official told me, “he considers suspect.”
3167
3168	These apparently deeply held beliefs, which seemed to have been shared by many of his men in the counterintelligence unit, were a source of dismay and embarrassment to most of the present and past C.I.A. officials to whom I talked about Angleton. One former official, who served as an aide to Richard Helms when Helms was director, recalled that Angleton would occasionally give his views of the Sino‐Soviet split at staff meetings, “and everybody would just look at one another and shrug.... Our view of the counterintelligence staff ranged from comical to one of horror.” Angleton's forced resignation was welcomed by many of his colleagues as ridding the agency of a high-level element of irrationality.
3169
3170	How is it, then, that a man of such peculiar views should have risen so high in the intelligence establishment?
3171
3172	One answer that emerged from my interviews had to do with a kind of tolerance of overzealousness in a good cause. Many of the people to whom Angleton owed his rise were men with an instinctive fear and hatred of Communism, carried over from their postwar intelligence work in Europe, who believed that the Soviet Union was waiting for American willpower to be drained away before moving directly against us. 
3173
3174	...“Jim starts from the premise that the Soviet Union is a threat,” the official said. “It seems to me that you fellows” — meaning journalists critical of the C.I.A. — “are missing the key point: What is that threat? The threat has changed, but you could make a case that it's even greater today.” Détente could be a subtle contributing factor. In fact, he said, that was his own view.
3175
3176	...From all these interviews, eventually gained the impression that Angleton was not only a proponent of the cold war but one of its victims, The political struggles that, to one degree or another, were provoked by the Soviet Union after World War II left the West with a legacy of fear of Soviet expansionism. As in any political conflict, there were extremists on both sides, and, over the years, Angleton came to symbolize one end of the spectrum, his apprehension of the Communist threat affecting his view of all things Russian. Thus, Nosenko could not simply be a Soviet defector; he had to be a pawn in a brilliant K.G.B. attempt to undermine the political security and well‐being of the United States. And if Nosenko did turn in some Soviet agents, Angleton would argue that they were agents who already had been written off by the K.G.B. The circle never ends.
3177
3178	...Colby made it his goal, first, to take the Israeli desk away from Angleton, and, second, to force him out of the agency. In his recent book, “Honorable Men,” Colby writes, “I looked in vain for some tangible results in the counterintelligence field, and found little or none. I did not suspect Angleton and his staff of engaging in improper activities. I just could not figure out what they were at all.”
3179	
3180	...The phone call in which he accused me of breaking up his marriage was, I can only deduce, meant to make me suffer for “blowing his cover,” revealing the domestic spying operations and being responsible, in some way, for his dismissal. In another phone conversation, a few days later, he accused both me and The Times of “helping out the K.G.B. a great deal. You've done them a great service.” That his cover had long been blown as far as the Soviets were concerned — for one thing, Philby had identified him by name and title in his 1968 book, “My Silent War” — was something he apparently chose to forget.
3181
3182	When I later told him that I wanted to write something more comprehensive about his career — he had, in the meantime, received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the C.I.A.'s highest award — he refused to grant me a formal interview and said, “You just go ahead and do what you want to do. The damage is pretty much irrevocable.” The threat to national security posed by the domestic‐spying revelations and his dismissal was, he assured me, far more extensive than I could possibly realize.
3183
3184
3185For whatever reason, Angleton saw it fit to call Hersh and "blurt out highly secret information," as Hersh put it. Hersh tied the warnings of Soviet subversion to Angleton, and the character assassination of Angleton took Angleton's message down with him.
3186
3187Between Hersh, Colby, Watergate, "the family Jewels," the Pike Committee, the Church Committee, and Angleton, the "character assassination" campaign extended to the whole of the intelligence community. The public needed to know a secret, but the only ones who could tell it had been silenced.
3188
3189The whole affair is said to have crippled the U.S. ability to understand and respond to active measures for years, and the public was largely kept in the dark. Some members of the U.S. intelligence community disagreed with Colby's reforms, however, and eventually formed the inter-agency Active Measures Working group, which made public the report (among others) 'Soviet Active Measures in the "Post-Cold War" Era' mentioned above:
3190
3191
3192http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/stratperspective/inss/Strategic-Perspectives-11.pdf
3193	...In the words of one intelligence traditionalist, the CIA’s counterintelligence staff basically “lobotomized itself.” Some traditionalists retired or were forced out, but many of those who remained were determined to limit, counter, and reverse the impact of the reforms. Such individuals played a critical role in establishing the Active Measures Working Group.
3194
3195	...Over the same period that dominant U.S. strategic thinking, intelligence reform, and organizational priorities and structure were disposing the U.S. national security bureaucracy to ignore Soviet disinformation, the Soviets were reemphasizing the importance of deception and disinformation and redoubling their efforts in these areas.
3196
3197	In May 1959, the Soviet leadership had transformed the KGB from a domestic repressive apparatus into a more sophisticated tool for influencing foreign affairs, one that included a KGB active measures department called Department D. According to CIA testimony in 1961, the KGB produced at least 32 forgeries of official U.S. documents in the previous 4 years (some went undetected) covering diverse topics but all portraying the United States as a major threat to world peace with imperial designs on the Third World. In 1971, the Soviets again upgraded Department D, making it a “Service” (Service A) and placed it under the direction of a KGB general. In this organizational structure, the Soviets built up a formidable disinformation bureaucracy of some 700 officers and integrated it with their larger active measures and strategic intelligence operations, which involved thousands of other personnel.
3198
3199	...Integrating these diverse activity sets allowed the Soviets to react quickly to historical developments. For example, after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, the KGB paid an American communist and Soviet agent in New York City to publish and distribute a book that used KBG forgeries to support the claim that Kennedy was killed by a right-wing racist conspiracy with help from the FBI and CIA. The book came out less than 10 months later and just before the Warren Commission released its findings that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. By contrast, U.S. efforts to counter Soviet disinformation were anything but centralized, integrated, and timely—indeed 15 years later, attempts to counter Soviet disinformation had virtually disappeared.
3200
3201	...Despite détente and the intelligence reforms of the mid-1970s, some people remained convinced of the need to counter Soviet disinformation and deception. This view was not popular in the intelligence bureaucracy and even less so in academia, but in Congress it found fertile ground in a number of offices. Several congressional staff and investigators on the Senate Intelligence Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, notably Herbert Romerstein, Angelo Codevilla, and Kenneth deGraffenried, were interested in studying and exposing Soviet deception and active measures. These staffers used their positions to push the intelligence agencies to start reporting again on active measures—something the CIA had not done since 1965—particularly during the final 2 years of the Carter administration when support for détente was wearing thin in the face of aggressive Soviet behavior.
3202
3203	...They even went so far as to target President Carter himself with disinformation in September 1980. The KGB produced a forged NSC document that was then run in an American communist newspaper under the title “Carter’s Secret Plan to Keep Black Africans and Black Americans at Odds.” The case is illustrative of both Soviet tactics and the lack of American readiness to respond. TASS (Telegrafnoye agentstvo Sovetskovo Soyuza) picked up and distributed the article, and the KGB disseminated the TASS piece around the world through Soviet embassies. In under a month, the KGB had produced a forgery, published it through an American agent, disseminated the disinformation via TASS stringers who wrote an article citing the American article for legitimacy, and then redistributed it to their agents of influence around the world. In contrast, the few U.S. experts on Soviet disinformation within the national security bureaucracy had no high-level access or organizational vehicle for coordinating a response. Therefore, the White House had to answer the charges directly if it felt the need, which it did. It held a press conference on September 17 to protest the forgery. It was a partial success. The Washington Post reported the White House’s exposure of the forgery on page two. However, the White House spokesman, feeling the need to be cautious, refused to identify the source of the forgery. As a result, the Post ’s reporter was left to speculate about the forgery’s origins, raising the question of whether Carter’s political foes—specifically Ronald Reagan—were responsible. As the saying goes, “the lie was halfway around the world while the truth was still getting its boots on.”
3204
3205	Such shenanigans did nothing to improve U.S.-Soviet relations, which were already on a downward trajectory for multiple reasons, but particularly because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In the United States, “most experts would probably have agreed that [the global balance of power] had been titling in Moscow’s favor through most of the 1970s”; the invasion of Afghanistan seemed to put the exclamation mark on this realignment. With U.S. leaders trying to limit damage from the Vietnam debacle, stem strategic disengagement by Congress, and overcome the agonizing self-doubt inflicted by Watergate and other scandals, some believed that the United States was on the strategic defensive and in danger of irreversible decline. One scholar who would later play a key role in establishing the Active Measures Working Group worried that the Soviets were on the verge of “psychologically anesthetizing Americans” against the implications of expanding Soviet power.
3206
3207	...Reagan’s fundamental “reset” in U.S.-Soviet relations, resolutely pursued by top intelligence and public diplomacy officials, was the precondition for the creation of the Active Measures Working Group. The administration had put the bureaucracy on notice that the underlying assumption of détente—that the Soviet Union was too powerful and permanent to confront— was dead. Confronting the Soviet Union was very much in vogue, and the Active Measures Working Group was one of many initiatives reflecting this shift in policy.
3208
3209
3210https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Measures_Working_Group
3211	The Interagency Active Measures Working Group was a group led by the United States Department of State and later by the United States Information Agency (USIA). The group was formed early during the Reagan administration, in 1981, when some mid-level officials in the U.S. Department of State sought a more robust effort to counter aggressive Soviet propaganda. Some believe also that the group was created because active measures experts in the CIA wanted an outlet for their findings that could be more overt and credible than those of the CIA.
3212
3213	...The group's first counter-disinformation effort against the Soviet Union took the form of a report, "State Department Special Report 88, Soviet Active Measures: Forgery, Disinformation, Political Operations" in October 1981. The document was a four-page overview of soviet active measures techniques and included Soviet disinformation themes and past examples. 14,000 copies of the report were distributed to news organizations, federal agencies, etc.
3214
3215	The group also issued a series of State Department Foreign Affairs Notes that USIA distributed to journalists, academics, and other interested persons abroad. One important publication distributed by the group was the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Soviet Active Measures which showed foreign audiences that there was congressional support for exposing Soviet disinformation.
3216
3217	The group also held press conferences to expose Soviet forgeries and distributed copies of the fake documents to attending journalists.
3218
3219	This method was further encouraged when Congress passed a law in 1985 requiring that the Interagency Active Measures Working Group publish a series of reports on Soviet active measures. Accordingly, the State Department published three reports in 1986, 1987 and 1989. The FBI also contributed by providing reports that were printed in these publications on Soviet active measures in the United States.
3220
3221	...Abolition
3222
3223	Support for the group began to deteriorate in the late 1980s because Soviet disinformation seemed less of a threat in light of Gorbachev's Glasnost, and the Soviets' promise to cease all disinformation operations...
3224
3225
3226The rest, as they say, is history.
3227
3228
3229As far as we can learn from history, the way Russia used the Watergate scandal can at least give us ideas as to how they think. It's often said active measures are meant, in part, to foment public distrust in the government, and that bears-out in Russia's targeting of anti-Vietnam war activists and their reporting on Nixon, Watergate, and Vietnam, especially regarding documents like the Pentagon papers and the Huston plan (which helped tie all these together, among other things). But it's less often said how Russian intelligence make use of this distrust. Hersh's reporting shows, I think, a pretty clear effort to re-direct public outrage at the Vietnam War, Watergate, and Nixon to the CIA. And this essentially gave people like Schlesinger, Colby, Angleton, Hersh, and Church cover to act in ways to pile-on the beat-down of the CIA: it gave an excuse for Schlesinger and Colby to collect the family jewels, Colby and Angleton a reason to act guilty and make the CIA look even worse, Hersh to continue reporting on the scandal for the public interest, Colby an excuse to confess to Church, the Pike Committee and its young "anti-war" staffers an excuse to attack U.S. intelligence agencies, and Colby and Congress an excuse to "lobotomize" the CIA. Manipulating public opinion by active measures can lead to policy changes that benefit Russian intelligence/hurt the U.S., in addition to (or enhancing) discrediting U.S. intelligence agencies and hiding their activities.
3230
3231But maybe more important than that, the Watergate scandal and the ensuing U.S. intelligence scandals gave the KGB material to attempt to discredit the USIC for decades:
3232
3233
3234http://www.propornot.com/p/the-list.html
3235	...infowars.com ... globalresearch.ca ... consortiumnews.com ... opednews.com ... thirdworldtraveler.com ... lewrockwell.com ... washingtonsblog.com ... zerohedge.com...
3236
3237
3238https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_President's_Commission_on_CIA_Activities_within_the_United_States
3239	The commission was created in response to a December 1974 report in The New York Times that the CIA had conducted illegal domestic activities, including experiments on U.S. citizens, during the 1960s. The commission issued a single report in 1975, touching upon certain CIA abuses including mail opening and surveillance of domestic dissident groups. It publicized Project MKUltra, a CIA mind control study.
3240
3241	It also studied issues relating to the John F. Kennedy assassination, specifically the head snap as seen in the Zapruder film (first shown on television in 1975), and the possible presence of E. Howard Hunt and Frank Sturgis in Dallas, Texas.
3242
3243
3244http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2016/11/fake-news-cia-director-admitted-us-senate-400-agents-dictate-fake-news-manipulate-americans-rogue-state-empire-easily-documented-ongoing-corporate-media.html
3245	...revealing 14-minute video, beginning with CIA Director Colby’s testimony to the US Senate for the 1975 Church Committee admitting the CIA directs corporate media how to lie to the American public
3246
3247	...Fake News ‘covers’ crimes of US government assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin King
3248
3249	3-minute video of Dan Rather’s fake news from November 25, 1963 to sell the lie that President Kennedy’s fatal head shot caused “violent forward motion” opposite to the fact his head was violently hit to cause backward motion (hat tip What Really Happened)
3250
3251	...This is part of easily documented history of US rogue state assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy (and here) when he was poised to win the 1968 presidency, Martin King when he was poised to “Occupy DC” with a million people in the summer of ’68 until the Vietnam War was ended with those funds redirected to end domestic poverty, and ~100 other assassinations for political purposes. 
3252
3253
3254https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination_conspiracy_theories
3255	In 1977, the FBI released 40,000 files pertaining to the assassination of Kennedy, including an April 3, 1967 memorandum from Deputy Director Cartha DeLoach to Associate Director Clyde Tolson that was written less than a month after President Johnson learned from J. Edgar Hoover about CIA plots to kill Fidel Castro. The memorandum reads: "Marvin Watson [adviser to President Johnson] called me late last night and stated that the president had told him, in an off moment, that he was now convinced that there was a plot in connection with the [JFK] assassination. Watson stated the president felt that [the] CIA had had something to do with plot." Later, Cartha DeLoach testified to the Church Committee that he "felt this to be sheer speculation".
3256
3257
3258https://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/11/jacob-hornberger/how-they-murdered-jfk-2/
3259	The National-Security State’s Assassination of John F. Kennedy
3260
3261	...Sure, we know how the feds treat people like Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsey (Bradley) Manning, John Walker Lindh, and Edward Snowden. They arrest them, they torture them, they abuse them, they prosecute them, and they incarcerate them.
3262
3263	And we also know how the CIA and the FBI viewed communist sympathizers during the Cold War, such as those in the U.S. Communist Party, the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, and, according to national-security state officials, even the American civil-rights movement. They spied on them, they harassed them, they prosecuted them, they blackmailed them, they incarcerated them, and they ruined them.
3264
3265	But hey, Lee Harvey Oswald was different, right?
3266
3267	...Neither the Warren Commission nor the Washington establishment considered Dulles’ appointment to be a conflict of interest because it never occurred to them that the CIA might have been the one who orchestrated and carried out the assassination. It wouldn’t be until the 1970s, during the Church Committee hearings and the House Select Committee hearings, that people would learn that the trust that the Warren Commission had placed in the CIA had been seriously misplaced.
3268
3269
3270http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-04/putin-hints-jfk-was-murdered-deep-state-which-now-after-trump-and-russia
3271	Putin Hints JFK Was Murdered By The "Deep State" Which Is Now After Trump And Russia
3272
3273	by Tyler Durden
3274
3275	...But the most notable highlight of the interview was Putin's tongue in cheek hint that the Deep State - the same entity that may have been behind the Kennedy assassination according to the Russian president - is now behind the attempt to topple Trump and the ongoing push to sour ties with Russia:
3276
3277		"There is a theory that Kennedy's assassination was arranged by the United States intelligence services. So if this theory is correct, and that can't be ruled out, then what could be easier in this day and age than using all the technical means at the disposal of the intelligence services and using those means to organize some attacks, and then pointing the finger at Russia." 
3278
3279
3280http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-14/putin-plays-soviet-classics-badly-tuned-piano-during-china-summit
3281	Putin Plays Soviet Classics On Badly Tuned Piano During China Silk Road Summit
3282
3283	by Tyler Durden
3284
3285	...It was a departure for the president who, as the NYT put it, "has ridden shirtless on a horse in Siberia, piloted a hand glider with migratory birds, swum with dolphins, tossed judo opponents, and dived into the depths of Lake Baikal and the Black Sea." 
3286
3287
3288http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-31/buchanan-asks-putin-preeminent-statesman-our-times
3289	Buchanan Asks "Is Putin The 'Preeminent Statesman' Of Our Times?"
3290
3291	by Tyler Durden
3292
3293	...Putin’s approval rating, after 17 years in power, exceeds that of any rival Western leader.
3294
3295
3296http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-10/how-putin-rolls
3297	This Is How Putin Rolls
3298
3299	by Tyler Durden
3300
3301
3302http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-27/quest-find-putins-billions
3303	The Quest To Freeze "Putin's Billions"
3304
3305	by Tyler Durden
3306
3307	...Numbers are thrown around suggesting that Mr. Putin may control $40 billion or even $70 billion, in theory making him the richest head of state in world history.
3308
3309
3310http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-09-16/mega-putin-rich
3311	Mega Putin Rich
3312
3313
3314http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-25/losers-malice-whats-behind-obamas-attacks-putin
3315	A Loser's Malice: What's Behind Obama's Attacks On Putin
3316
3317	by Tyler Durden
3318
3319	...For Obama, it appears that everything has gotten personal. The US president often acts like a petulant adolescent, jealous of a high school rival.
3320
3321
3322http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/book5/html/ChurchVol5_0004b.htm
3323	Church Committee Reports
3324
3325	Book V: The Investigation of the Assassination of President J.F.K.: Performance of the Intelligence Agencies
3326
3327	...In the days following the assassination of President Kennedy, nothing was more important to this country than to determine the facts of his death; no one single event has shaken the country more. Yet the evidence of the Committee has developed suggests that, for different reasons, both the CIA and the FBI failed in, or avoid carrying out, certain of their responsibilities in this matter.
3328
3329	The Committee emphasizes that this Report's discussion of investigative deficiencies and the failure of American intelligence agencies to inform the Warren Commission of certain information does not lead to the conclusion that there was a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy.
3330
3331
3332http://www.globalresearch.ca/jfk-at-100-kennedy-assassinated-by-a-conspiracy-between-the-cia-joint-chiefs-of-staff-and-secret-service/5592608
3333	JFK at 100. “Kennedy Assassinated by a Conspiracy between the CIA, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secret Service”
3334
3335	...Researchers who spent years studying the evidence have concluded that President Kennedy was assassinated by a conspiracy between the CIA, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secret Service. 
3336
3337
3338http://www.globalresearch.ca/cia-targeted-assassinations-by-induced-heart-attack-and-cancer/5326382
3339	CIA Targeted Assassinations by Induced Heart Attack and Cancer
3340
3341	The 1975 Church Committee hearings
3342
3343	In 1975, during the Church Committee hearings, the existence of a secret assassination weapon came to light.
3344
3345	...There was little hesitancy in Jack Ruby killing Lee Harvey Oswald in order to prevent him from talking, so there is no reason to suspect that any more consideration would have been shown Jack Ruby if he had posed a threat to people in the US government who had conspired to murder the president of the United States – John F Kennedy.
3346
3347	...Mr. Charles Senseney, a CIA weapon developer at Fort Detrick, Maryland, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in September 1975 where he described an umbrella poison dart gun he had made. 
3348	...Video footage of the assassination of John F Kennedy shows this umbrella gun being used in Dealey Plaza. 
3349
3350
3351https://www.infowars.com/cia-assassination-program-revealed-nothing-new-under-the-sun/
3352	CIA Assassination Program Revealed: Nothing New Under the Sun
3353
3354	...Mongoose operatives later worked with the CIA and the Mob to assassinate president John F. Kennedy.
3355
3356	...As former CIA employee Ralph McGehee documents, the agency fine-tuned this mass murder program in Vietnam. Under Operation Phoenix, the U.S. “neutralized” 81,740 National Liberation Front of South Vietnam members, including the assassination of 26,369 people (a Church Committee Report in 1976 put the number killed at 20,000; see McGehee’s CIA and Operation Phoenix in Vietnam)
3357
3358
3359http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Assassinations_page/The_Assassinations_JFK.html
3360	The Church Committee also heard testimony from Smathers, who stated that once when it was brought up in his presence (presumably by the CIA-friendly Smathers), Kennedy got so mad he smashed a dinner plate and told him he did want to hear of such things again. (Alleged Assassination Plots, p. 124.) Smathers furthered this portrait later when he stated that:
3361
3362		President Kennedy seemed "horrified" at the idea of political assassination. "I remember him saying that the CIA frequently did things he didn't know about, and he was unhappy about it. He complained that the CIA was almost autonomous. He told me he believed the CIA had arranged to have Diem and Trujillo bumped off. He was pretty well shocked about that. He thought it was a stupid thing to do, and he wanted to get control of what the CIA was doing." (The Assassinations: Dallas and Beyond pp. 379-380)
3363
3364	Such statements not only absolve Kennedy, they actually provide a motive for the CIA to get rid of him, which is probably why the media ignored them.
3365
3366
3367https://consortiumnews.com/tag/otis-pike?print=print-search
3368	When the CIA’s Empire Struck Back
3369
3370	Exclusive: In the mid-1970s, Rep. Otis Pike led a brave inquiry to rein in the excesses of the national security state. But the CIA and its defenders...
3371
3372
3373http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/book5/html/ChurchVol5_0004b.htm
3374	Church Committee Reports
3375
3376	Book V: The Investigation of the Assassination of President J.F.K.: Performance of the Intelligence Agencies
3377
3378	...Findings
3379
3380	The Committee emphasizes that it has not uncovered any evidence sufficient to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy.
3381
3382	The Committee has, however, developed evidence which impeaches the process by which the intelligence agencies arrived at their own conclusions about the assassination, and by which they provided information to the Warren Commission. This evidence indicates that the investigation of the assassination was deficient and that facts which might have substantially affected the course or those individuals within the FBI and the CIA, as well as other agencies of Government, who were charged with investigating the assassination.
3383
3384	The Committee has found that the FBI, the agency with primary responsibility in the matter, was ordered by Director Hoover and pressured by higher government officials, to conclude its investigation quickly.
3385
3386
3387https://consortiumnews.com/2016/11/21/failed-investigations-of-jfks-murder/
3388	“It must be said that the FBI generally exhausted its resources in confirming its case against Oswald as the lone assassin,” the HSCA concluded, “a case that Director J. Edgar Hoover, at least, seemed determined to make within 24 hours of the of the assassination.”
3389
3390	In essence, the experienced investigators concluded that Hoover had divined the solution to the crime before starting the inquiry, and then his agents confirmed the boss’s epiphany. The intimidated Warren Commission went right along.
3391
3392	...But they don’t tell that Hoover deployed one of his favorite dirty tricks to deal not only with support staffers, such as Willens and Mosk, but also with the commissioners themselves.
3393
3394	...Thus, despite their clear misgivings, the Commissioners bowed to the imperious FBI chief rather than conduct a thorough investigation.
3395
3396
3397https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6h3cme/fbi_vault_drops_the_j_edgar_hoover_files_while/
3398	FBI Vault drops the J. Edgar Hoover files while everyone is watching the Sessions testimony. Perhaps a hint that Comey knows all about the domestic spying?
3399
3400
3401https://vault.fbi.gov/j.-edgar-hoover-official-and-confidential-o-c-files
3402	This posting consists of material that was previously posted on the FBI's original FOIA Reading Room web site and released in hard copy prior to that. It has been digitally enhanced to be more readable.
3403
3404
3405http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA/Who_Killed_JFK.html
3406	Evidence of a cover-up
3407
3408	The evidence that there was a cover-up is just as impressive as the evidence that there was a conspiracy in the first place. Here is a brief run-down, including a couple of points not mentioned above:
3409
3410	...* Many more witnesses have died than would normally be expected, many in mysterious circumstances.
3411	* Both the FBI and the CIA concealed important evidence from the Warren Commission....
3412
3413
3414 	...Who was involved?
3415
3416	The Soviets
3417
3418	Two related theories propose that Nikita Khrushchev, humiliated by the 1962 Missile Crisis, instigated the assassination.
3419
3420	...But the Soviet theory raises more questions than it answers. Why would the USSR risk nuclear war to promote LBJ, a much more militant Cold Warrior than JFK? 
3421
3422
3423http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-14/will-cia-assassinate-trump-ron-paul-warns-more-powerful-shadow-government
3424	Will The CIA Assassinate Trump? Ron Paul Warns Of "More Powerful, Shadow Government"
3425
3426	...If President Trump takes his rogue populism too far, he will suffer the wrath of the same people who took out Kennedy… there are some things that are not tolerated by those who are really in charge.
3427
3428
3429https://www.infowars.com/33-conspiracy-theories-that-turned-out-to-be-true-what-every-person-should-know/
3430	33 Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True, What Every Person Should Know…
3431
3432	...Kennedy Assassination – the 2nd Investigation by Congress Few People Know About, United States House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA): The HSCA was established in 1976 to investigate the John F. Kennedy assassination and the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination. The Committee investigated until 1978, and in 1979 issued its final report, concluding that President John F. Kennedy was probably assassinated by a conspiracy involving the mob, and potentially the CIA.
3433
3434	...To this day, many conspiracy deniers are unaware that the Congressional investigation into JFK’s assassination concluded beyond any shadow of a doubt that it was a conspiracy.  What made them come to this conclusion?  Aside from reading the report, many witnesses (some of whom were CIA agents and station chiefs in Dallas that morning) were killed the night before testifying.  For example, George de Mohrenschildt was a petroleum geologist who befriended Lee Harvey Oswald during the months preceding the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.  He also worked for the CIA.  He also blew his brains out the night before he was to testify to the committee. The committee also uncovered, among many things, that Oswald left the marines where he learned how to speak fluent Russian (at the height of the cold war).  He was given money by the State Department to travel to Russia where he stopped off in Japan at a top secret US Military facility.  The Warren Commission even mentioned this part.  What most people do not know is that he probably was working in the Cold War infiltrating the Russians as either a “dangle,” “double agent,” or “defector” of some kind. 
3435
3436
3437http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/church/reports/book5/html/ChurchVol5_0004b.htm
3438	Church Committee Reports
3439
3440	Book V: The Investigation of the Assassination of President J.F.K.: Performance of the Intelligence Agencies
3441
3442	...The Committee has found that even with this narrow focus, the FBI investigation, as well as the CIA inquiry, was deficient on the specific question of the significance of Oswald's contacts with pro-Castro and anti-Castro groups for the many months before the assassination.
3443
3444
3445http://www.globalresearch.ca/william-pawley-the-kennedy-assassination-and-watergate-tilt-and-the-phase-three-story-of-clare-boothe-luce/5313486
3446	And Carrozza speculates that the team of Cubans exfiltrated into Cuba for this purpose may have been the team that (according to a John Roselli story published by Jack Anderson) came “back to the United States as the team that killed President Kennedy and set up Oswald as the fall guy.”
3447
3448
3449https://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/11/no_author/operation-mongoose-and-the-murder-of-jfk/
3450	The JFK assassination, Cuba policy and Operation Mongoose
3451
3452	...This period of US history proved to be toxic, with a poisonous legacy that is still felt today. The assassinations of Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X followed. Race riots and the Vietnam War would lead to such civil unrest and turmoil that political leaders accelerated the passing of civil rights legislation and wound down the war. The era culminated in Watergate. The Church Committee, named after Senator Frank Church, would eventually be set up in order to investigate the actions of intelligence agencies and how events had spiralled so out of control. The revelations that followed of the FBI’s mass surveillance and wiretapping programme CountelPro and the CIA’s Executive Action programme (code-named ZR/RIFLE) were incendiary. The latter was the CIA’s assassination apparatus, which employed a strategy of plausible deniability in order that the executive could disavow responsibility in the event of exposure. It was directed against various foreign leaders. The Church Committee not only meticulously details the CIA’s failed plots on Castro’s life but also documents the involvement of the CIA with the Mafia in this common aim. The US public would never see their government institutions in the same way again. Faith in government began to crumble the moment those shots rang out in Dealey Plaza.
3453
3454	Malcolm X was probably closer to the mark than he realized when he commented on the assassination that ‘the chickens had come home to roost’. He was referring to the climate of hate in the US at the time.
3455
3456
3457The Okhrana might figure that when it comes to informing the public of their clandestine activities, it will come down to their word (or the word of their plausibly deniable surrogates) versus the USIC's. Anything they can grab onto to convince the American public U.S. intelligence agencies can't be trusted is precious. The more Americans distrust their government, the more the Okhrana can get away with.
3458
3459This is why, I think, the Okhrana has relied and will rely as much as possible on manipulating U.S. intelligence agencies into discrediting themselves. With the CIA Watergate scandals, Hersh did a lot to help, but it was arguably people within the U.S. Government and USIC that did most of the work: Schlesinger, Colby, Angleton, Pike, Church, and others (say, Kissinger). By the Okhrana's calculus, even "burning" a high-level mole to discredit and silence the USIC might be worth it: active measures relies on fooling an uninformed public, and hiding their own activities would be more useful to them overall than keeping tabs on others. And manufacturing a real scandal would have a lot more staying power than just badmouthing the CIA in tabloids and fake news sites.
3460
3461So, returning to the original question of "what will they try this time?", I think for a few reasons they will once again try to use members of the intelligence community itself to drag U.S. intelligence agencies into another major scandal, although there are some major differences between now and Watergate. With Watergate, Russian propagandists tried to tie the USIC's activities to Vietnam, Nixon, and his unpopular policies (e.g. Hersh's reporting and the Huston plan made it look like the CIA was spying on activists for Nixon). Like Nixon, Trump distrusts U.S. intelligence agencies (and it looks like he reads Russian fake news and actually believes it):
3462
3463
3464http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article120497558.html
3465	How dangerous is Trump’s rejection of daily intelligence briefings?
3466
3467	President-elect Donald Trump’s weekend statement that he planned not to receive a daily intelligence briefing has exploded into controversy.
3468
3469	Former U.S. intelligence officers, already feeling angst over some of Trump’s remarks disparaging their work, warned that skipping the daily briefing could leave Trump slow to recognize developing crises
3470
3471	...Trump told Fox News in an interview aired Sunday that “very good people” are giving him periodic briefings but that he has delegated the daily briefing to Vice President-elect Mike Pence because he doesn’t need to hear “the same thing every day, every morning, same words.”
3472
3473	...“You know, I’m like a smart person. I don’t have to be told the same thing and the same words every single day for the next eight years,” Trump said.
3474
3475	The remarks came two days after Trump’s office issued a blistering statement following news reports that the CIA had told legislators that Russian meddling before the Nov. 8 vote had been designed to sway the election in Trump’s favor.
3476
3477	...Trump is not the first incoming U.S. leader in the past half century to back off from daily intelligence briefings. Richard Nixon, long hostile to the CIA, refused intelligence briefings during the transition following his 1968 election.
3478
3479
3480http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/01/president-elect_donald_trump_s_8.html
3481	President-elect Donald Trump slams intelligence community over dossier, Hillary Clinton email probe
3482
3483	President-elect Donald Trump continued to take aim at U.S. intelligence officials Friday, contending that they leaked an alleged Russian dossier and were "very nice" to his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
3484
3485	...The president-elect reiterated his suggestion that the dossier was likely released by intelligence officials despite being unsubstantiated.
3486
3487	"It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued ... Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both Democrats and Republicans - FAKE NEWS!" he tweeted. "Russia says nothing exists. Probably ... released by 'Intelligence' even knowing there is no proof, and never will be."
3488
3489
3490https://www.infowars.com/drudge-are-corrupt-us-intel-agencies-blackmailing-trump/
3491	Drudge: “Are Corrupt US Intel Agencies Blackmailing Trump?”
3492	Independent media kingpin thinks CIA may be using its 'own dirt'
3493
3494
3495https://milo.yiannopoulos.net/2017/04/trump-retweet-drudge/
3496	The President Of The United States Just Retweeted Drudge Report
3497
3498		Donald J. Trump Retweeted	
3499		DRUDGE REPORT @DRUDGE_REPORT
3500		RICE ORDERED SPY DOCS ON TRUMP?
3501
3502		Former US Attorney: Susan Rice Ordered Spy Agen..
3503
3504		'Tremendous abuse of the system'
3505
3506
3507	...President Donald Trump retweeted Drudge Report this morning, prompting mass triggering and hysteria on the left.
3508
3509
3510https://www.infowars.com/ex-cia-agent-evan-mcmullin-donald-trump-is-a-domestic-enemy/
3511	Ex-CIA Agent Evan McMullin: Donald Trump is a “Domestic Enemy”
3512	2016 presidential candidate sides with deep state coup
3513
3514
3515https://www.infowars.com/trump-tweets-infowars-liberals-go-into-meltdown/
3516	Trump Tweets Infowars; Liberals Go Into Meltdown
3517	Major butt-hurt after Republican frontrunner links to article about Muslims celebrating 9/11
3518
3519		Donald J. Trump
3520		@realdDonaldTrump
3521
3522		I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY & @realDonaldTrump is RIGHT: MUSLIMS DID CELEBRATE ON 9/11 HERE! WE SAW IT! infowars.com/i-live-in-jers...
3523
3524
3525https://www.infowars.com/special-report-the-cia-threatens-trump/
3526	Schumer Says Intel Agencies Could ‘Get Back At’ Trump Over Tweets
3527	'You take on the intelligence community - they have 6 ways from Sunday at getting back at you'
3528
3529
3530https://www.infowars.com/cia-director-warns-trump-to-watch-what-he-says-be-careful-on-russia/
3531	CIA director warns Trump to watch what he says, be careful on Russia
3532	"What I do find outrageous is equating intelligence community with Nazi Germany"
3533
3534	CIA Director John Brennan on Sunday had a stern parting message for Republican Donald Trump days before he assumes the U.S. presidency, cautioning him against loosening sanctions on Russia and warning him to watch what he says.
3535
3536
3537https://www.infowars.com/trump-asks-twitter-followers-if-outgoing-cia-boss-john-brennan-was-behind-russian-dirty-dossier-leak/
3538	Trump Asks Twitter followers if outgoing CIA boss John Brennan was behind Russian dirty dossier leak
3539
3540		Donald J. Trump
3541		@realDonaldTrump
3542
3543		@FoxNews "Outgoing CIA Chief, John Brenan, blasts Pres-Elect Trump on Russia threat. Does not fully understand." Oh really, couldn't do much worse - just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine, and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?
3544
3545
3546https://www.infowars.com/trump-fbi-is-totally-unable-to-stop-the-national-security-leakers/
3547	Trump: “FBI Is Totally Unable to Stop the National Security Leakers”
3548	President rips subversives in failing national security agency
3549
3550		The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security "leakers" that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even……
3551
3552		— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
3553
3554		find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW
3555
3556    		— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
3557
3558
3559https://www.infowars.com/report-trump-set-to-overhaul-politicized-intelligence-agencies/
3560	Report: Trump Set To Overhaul ‘Politicized’ Intelligence Agencies
3561	"They all need to be slimmed down"
3562
3563
3564http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/334272-trump-told-russians-firing-nut-job-comey-eased-pressure-on-him-report
3565	"I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to a report based on a summary of the meeting obtained by the Times. 
3566
3567
3568https://www.infowars.com/breaking-trump-has-been-planning-his-whole-life-to-take-down-nwo/
3569	BREAKING: Trump Has Been Planning His Whole Life To Take Down [New World Order]
3570	POTUS has been preparing for this battle for decades
3571
3572
3573But this time, it is widely reported that U.S. intelligence and President Trump are at odds. It wouldn't make sense to discredit the USIC by tying their activities to Trump's policies. Actually, Russia's propaganda plays-up the fight between the USIC and Trump, and often paints U.S. intelligence as some kind of rouge, all-powerful, all-evil global shadow network that ignores the American public and elected officials:
3574
3575
3576https://www.infowars.com/cnns-bash-admits-comey-memo-is-deep-state-revenge-against-trump/
3577	CNN’s Bash Admits Comey Memo is “Deep State” Revenge Against Trump
3578	They "know how to get back, even if you're the president"
3579
3580
3581https://www.infowars.com/breaking-deep-state-wants-war-with-russia-to-stop-trump/
3582	Breaking: Deep State Wants War With Russia To Stop Trump
3583	Global elite plan on causing worldwide mayhem defeat Trump
3584
3585	The deep state is pushing war with Russia seeing it as their only option to keep Donald Trump from reviving America.
3586
3587
3588http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-19/deep-state-operatives-attempt-coup-detat-donald-trump
3589	Deep State Operatives Attempt A Coup D'Etat Of Donald Trump
3590
3591	Presidential historian and author Doug Wead claims that the deep state, which has successfully overthrown the governments of foreign countries, is going to continue to actively seek a coup d’etat of the duly elected president of the United States.
3592
3593	If there was ever a time in history to be concerned about another rise in communism, now is that time. Wead says that the deep state is determined to overthrow Donald Trump. The presidential historian refused to mince words, saying:
3594
3595    		We have very skilled, talented professionals. They’ve overthrown governments in Vietnam and the Philippines, in Iraq and Iran, in Egypt, in the Ukraine. Duly elected democratic governments.
3596
3597    		They created what they called 'popular uprisings'...
3598
3599		Here we go, let's try this is America...
3600
3601		There's no going back."
3602
3603	Of course, we should expect nothing less from shadow governments. The very same people who work in the State Department, some of them in intelligence, and some of them in the media, have successfully caused uprisings in several other countries.
3604
3605
3606http://observer.com/2016/08/did-nsa-try-to-destroy-hillary-clinton/
3607	Did NSA Try to Destroy Hillary Clinton?
3608
3609	Allegations are circulating that the National Security Agency may be behind the massive hack of Hillary Clinton and her party
3610
3611	By John R. Schindler 
3612
3613	...However, possible NSA culpability has been floated by a far more reputable source recently, and it’s making waves.
3614
3615	In a recent radio interview, William Binney, a former NSA senior mathematician, stated that disgruntled American spies could be behind the hack of the DNC, adding that NSA is in possession of all of Hillary Clinton’s emails, including the more than 30,000 deleted by the Democratic presidential nominee and her staff in the EmailGate scandal. Let’s be clear: Bill Binney is no flake. ... He became a genuine whistleblower, attempting to raise Congressional awareness of what he viewed as disastrous decisions by NSA leadership. Binney paid a steep price for this, including having his security clearances revoked, causing substantial lost income, while his home was raided by the FBI—which ultimately found no wrongdoing.
3616
3617	This experience seems to have soured Binney, and since Snowden defected to Moscow in mid-2013, he’s gotten close to the Snowden-Wikileaks axis, which is under Vladimir Putin’s control. He’s not as measured as he used to be in his public comments about NSA...
3618
3619
3620https://sputniknews.com/us/201605311040567328-loud-clear-binney-nsa/
3621	William Binney: NSA Surveillance Takes a Page From Nazi Germany
3622
3623
3624https://sputniknews.com/interviews/201602261035360348-fbi-defrauding-us-public-in-apple-feud/
3625	Binney accused the government of “a power grab. It is the same fearmongering they did after 9/11 and with cybersecurity and so on. Make people afraid so that you can manipulate them any way you want and they’ll let you do anything that you tell them that you need to do in order to keep them safe.”
3626
3627
3628https://www.rt.com/op-edge/370465-russia-hacking-claims-nsa-binney/
3629	Binney said he thinks the accusation is political motivated. One argument has been a neo-con drive towards sustaining military budgets as the country moves from a “war on terror” toward a “new Cold War.”
3630
3631	“Certainly, that’s behind some of it. Hillary Clinton and a number of people were going that way, and certainly the military intelligence complex fosters that because that means for a “new Cold War” trillions of dollars going into the coffers of those people, they would certainly be advocates for this thing. There is a lot of vested interest to keep this kind of thing going,” Binney added.
3632
3633	Binney said Julian Assange has already said publicly it was not the Russians, but “a leaker inside.”
3634
3635	“If the CIA is alleging a different story, they need to produce the evidence like they did on the Chinese hack,” Binney said. “There is no reason to withhold this kind of information, especially if they can prove it and so far as I can see they won’t even brief the House Intelligence Committee on the evidence they are using to make this statement. That tells me that what they are saying is a pack of crap.”
3636
3637	“That are just concocting these things to support the existing administration and to also support the move toward a new Cold War.”
3638
3639
3640http://www.globalresearch.ca/intelligence-officer-who-personally-met-the-democratic-email-leaker-confirms-leaker-is-with-american-intelligence-service-not-russia/5562153
3641	We’ve repeatedly shown that it’s much more likely that American insiders – not Russian hackers – leaked the Clinton emails.
3642
3643	...Binney has previously explained to us that a Russian hack would have looked very different, and that he thought the hack may have been conducted by an NSA employee who was upset at Clinton’s careless handling of America’s most sensitive intelligence.
3644
3645	The former intelligence analyst, British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and chancellor of the University of Dundee (Craig Murray) – who is close friends with Wikileaks’ Julian Assange – said he knows with 100% certainty that the Russians aren’t behind the leaks.
3646
3647
3648http://observer.com/2016/08/did-nsa-try-to-destroy-hillary-clinton/
3649	...It’s not difficult to determine why NSA might want to put a halt to Clinton’s presidential ambitions. The agency has viewed her with distaste for years, beginning with her antics as the newly appointed Secretary of State in early 2009, when her demands to disregard basic security regulations about her Blackberry raised the ire of the agency’s information assurance experts. Some at NSA saw the disaster of EmailGate developing, and were powerless to stop it.
3650
3651	...Disclosure: Donald Trump is the father-in-law of Jared Kushner, the publisher of Observer Media.
3652
3653
3654http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-24/forget-new-world-order-heres-who-really-runs-world?page=1
3655	Forget The New World Order, Here's Who Really Runs The World
3656
3657	For decades, extreme ideologies on both the left and the right have clashed over the conspiratorial concept of a shadowy secret government pulling the strings on the world’s heads of state and captains of industry.
3658
3659	The phrase New World Order is largely derided as a sophomoric conspiracy theory entertained by minds that lack the sophistication necessary to understand the nuances of geopolitics. But it turns out the core idea — one of deep and overarching collusion between Wall Street and government with a globalist agenda — is operational in what a number of insiders call the “Deep State.”
3660
3661
3662http://beforeitsnews.com/self-sufficiency/2015/11/new-world-order-2016-the-elites-nwo-agenda-is-almost-complete-martial-law-in-u-s-nov-2015-2497348.html
3663	The CIA, NSA, DIA, and other much more secret entities within the national intelligence community both possess and have access to the most advanced monitoring technologies in the world. Since most of their employees are agents of Deep State first, and answerable to the American people second, they think nothing of “bugging” the POTUS.
3664
3665	...Key Point: The British Empire had various incentives for establishing its own Deep State with the chartering of the East India Company in 1600.  Likewise, so did all the other empires that came before to include the Roman Empire, the Greek Empire and Pharaonic dynasties of Egypt.  What is less known is that with each successive empire, the Deep State became considerably deeper and broader.  Given the US-UK Empire that currently stretches across the planet, it can be said that Deep State has never been so deep and pervasive, as it is highly proficient in the art of spying and science of surveillance.
3666
3667
3668I believe this "fight" between the USIC and Trump and the idea of U.S. intelligence agencies going "rouge" would be a key part of any forthcoming plan to discredit the USIC. With Trump (and arguably the current U.S. Congress), the UISC faces a dilemma: how do they protect the American people from elected officials acting on behalf of the hostile foreign power (wittingly or otherwise) while respecting the principles of democracy, limited government, and the law? Our intelligences agencies have to walk a tight-rope: if they do too little, they fail to protect us from a major threat. If they screw up or do too much, it raises questions of our intelligences agencies overstepping their bounds.
3669
3670This question has been raised essentially in the Congressional hearings on Russia's activities, where some members of Congress skip talking about Russia to focus on leaks to the press from the intelligence community:
3671
3672
3673https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/
3674	GOWDY: ...FISA and other similar related counterterrorism programs have been described, even this morning, as vital, critical and indispensable to our national security. And many of us on both sides of the aisle believe FISA and similar counterterrorism programs prevent terrorist attacks and save American lives.
3675
3676	But FISA and other surveillance programs are intentionally designed to preserve the privacy of U.S. citizens. They are intentionally designed to ensure the information is collected and used only for legitimate national security and criminal investigative purposes.
3677
3678	...The way I view it, Director Comey, the American people have an agreement with their government. We are going to give you the tools to keep us safe, even if it infringes on our privacy Psalm (ph). We're going to give you the tools. And government in return promises to safeguard the privacy of U.S. citizens. And when that deal is broken, it jeopardizes American trust in the surveillance program.
3679
3680	So let me ask you, do you agree FISA is critical to our national security?
3681
3682	COMEY: I do.
3683
3684	GOWDY: Do you agree programs like FISA were intentionally designed to safeguard the identity of U.S. persons?
3685
3686	COMEY: Yes, there are other -- other important elements of it but that's a primary goal, I believe.
3687
3688	GOWDY: It wasn't an afterthought, it wasn't an accident. These are intentional safeguards that we put in place to protect U.S. citizens, is that correct?
3689
3690	COMEY: Correct.
3691
3692	GOWDY: Do you agree much of what is learned from these programs is classified or otherwise legally protected?
3693
3694	COMEY: All FISA applications review by the court collection by us pursuant to our FISA authority is classified.
3695
3696	GOWDY: The dissemination of which is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison?
3697
3698	COMEY: Sure, dissemination -- unauthorized dissemination. GOWDY: Unauthorized dissemination of classified or otherwise legally protected material punishable by a felony up to 10 years in federal prison.
3699
3700	COMEY: Yes. Yes, as it should be.
3701
3702	GOWDY: All right.
3703
3704	In January of this year, the Washington Post reported, according to a senior U.S. government official, a named U.S. citizen -- and I will not use the name -- a named U.S. citizen phoned the Russian ambassador several times on December 29.
3705
3706	In February of this year, the Washington Post reported nine, nine current and former officials who were in senior positions at multiple agencies at the time of the call, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters and that officials began pouring over intelligence reports, intercepted communications, and diplomatic cables.
3707
3708	In February of this year, the New York Times reported a U.S. citizen, whose name I will not use, discusses sanctions with the Russian ambassador in a phone call according to officials who have seen a transcript of the wiretapped conversation. And again in February of this year, the New York Times reported on a phone call involving a U.S. citizen including significant discussions of phone records, intercepted calls, intercepted communications, and reported the NSA captured calls and then asked the FBI to collect as much information as possible.
3709
3710	My time is up so I will say this for this round. I thought it was against the law to disseminate classified information. Is it?
3711
3712	COMEY: Yes, sir. It's a serious crime. I'm not going to comment on those particular articles because I don't want to, in any circumstance, compound a criminal act by confirming that it was classified information but in general, yes, it's a serious crime and it should be for the reasons you said.
3713
3714	GOWDY: We'll take it back up next round, Mr. Chairman.
3715
3716
3717http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/05/24/gowdy-surveillance-programs-wont-be-reauthorized-until-unmasking-questions-answered
3718	Gowdy: Surveillance Programs Won't Be Renewed Until 'Unmasking' Questions Answered
3719
3720	Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said this morning that key surveillance programs won't be reauthorized by Congress until questions about intelligence "unmasking" are answered. 
3721
3722
3723(Also FWIW, Gowdy is suspicious for a lot of reasons, which could be the subject of their own write-up...
3724
3725
3726https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/why-calls-impeachment-obama-are-inevitable/315338/
3727	Why Calls for Impeachment of Obama Are Inevitable
3728
3729	Could what happened in Benghazi lead to an impeachment of the president?
3730
3731	John McCain, asked about the issue on ABC yesterday, said he didn't know "what level of scandal, unquote, this rises to," but that a "select committee" was needed to interview those involved.
3732
3733
3734https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/doesnt-obama-owe-us-answers/2012/10/29/965da2fa-21d2-11e2-8448-81b1ce7d6978_blog.html
3735	SCHIEFFER: Well, I was just going to say, senator, you have called for declassifying the drone pictures. Apparently there were drone pictures. Why — have you seen those pictures, senator?
3736
3737	MCCAIN: No, I have not. But what I do know is, that those in the surveillance records from inside and around the consulate will show that there was no demonstration. The Turkish ambassador left his — the consulate and said good-bye to Chris Stevens at 8:30 at night. There was no demonstration.
3738
3739	So for literally days and days, they told the American people something that had no basis in fact whatsoever. And that is the president of the United States. And so, also, by the way, he said he immediately ordered action to be taken. Well, no action was taken over seven hours. Now we find out the secretary of Defense decided not to take any action.
3740
3741	You know, somebody the other day said to me this is as bad as Watergate. Well, nobody died in Watergate. But this is either a massive cover-up or incompetence that is not acceptable service to the American people.
3742
3743
3744https:/www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
3745	POMPEO: There was an e-mail that was from Mr. Blumenthal and (inaudible) before that, also discussing the same situation. Do you know who Mark Turrey (ph) is?
3746
3747	CLINTON: No, I don't recall that I know who that is.
3748
3749	POMPEO: He was a private trafficker in weapons. He was working with Mr. Stevens and attempting to develop an authorization with the State Department so that he could in fact deliver those weapons into Libya. Does that -- any of that ring a bell to you?
3750
3751	CLINTON: No, it does not.
3752
3753	POMPEO: So you never saw the e-mail that was from Mr. Stevens to -- I think it went to Mr. Sullivan, where he says to Mr. Turrey (ph), this is Mr. Stevens now, says to Mr. Turrey (ph): "Thank you for this information" -- this information about his attempts to get authority to ship arms into Libya. He says, "Thank you for this information. I'll keep it in mind and share it with my colleagues in Washington. Regards, Chris." Actually, "regards, Chris Stevens."
3754
3755	CLINTON: I -- I don't know anything about that specifically. 
3756
3757
3758http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/marc-turi-libyan-rebels-hillary-clinton-229115
3759	Obama DOJ drops charges against alleged broker of Libyan weapons
3760
3761	Arms dealer had threatened to expose Hillary Clinton’s talks about arming anti-Qadhafi rebels.
3762
3763	The Obama administration is moving to dismiss charges against an arms dealer it had accused of selling weapons that were destined for Libyan rebels.
3764
3765	Lawyers for the Justice Department on Monday filed a motion in federal court in Phoenix to drop the case against the arms dealer, an American named Marc Turi, whose lawyers also signed the motion.
3766
3767	The deal averts a trial that threatened to cast additional scrutiny on Hillary Clinton’s private emails as Secretary of State, and to expose reported Central Intelligence Agency attempts to arm rebels fighting Libyan leader Moammar Qadhafi.
3768
3769	...Representatives of the Justice Department, the White House and Clinton’s presidential campaign either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment on the case or the settlement.
3770
3771	Turi was indicted in 2014 on four felony counts: two of arms dealing in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and two of lying to the State Department in official applications. The charges accused Turi of claiming that the weapons involved were destined for Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, when the arms were actually intended to reach Libya.
3772
3773
3774http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-house-benghazi-20141123-story.html
3775	GOP panel on Benghazi finds no Obama administration wrongdoing 
3776
3777	...After the attacks, Republicans criticized the Obama administration and its then-secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is expected to run for president in 2016.
3778
3779
3780https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/28/house-benghazi-report-reveals-little-new-information-about-hillary-clinton/
3781	Rep. Trey Gowdy on Tuesday defended his committee’s lengthy and expansive Benghazi probe, saying that it was intended to reveal the facts and not to torpedo Hillary Clinton’s presidential chances.
3782
3783	The South Carolina Republican, a former federal prosecutor, insisted that former House speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and current speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) never “asked me to do anything about presidential politics” on the panel, which was formed in May 2014.
3784
3785	“My job is to report facts,” Gowdy told reporters. “You can draw whatever conclusions you want to draw.”
3786
3787	...Gowdy has said the email server was never a focus of his investigation, but the discovery has sparked several probes and dogged Clinton’s presidential bid.
3788
3789
3790https://www.infowars.com/trey-gowdy-says-no-to-impeachment-have-you-met-joe-biden/
3791	Trey Gowdy says no to impeachment: ‘Have you met Joe Biden?’
3792	Cited a number of reasons why impeachment would be folly
3793
3794	Republican bulldog Rep. Trey Gowdy put the kibosh on the idea of impeaching President Obama during a nationally television Fox News interview, telling his broadcast audience that booting the commander-in-chief from his office would open the doors to something even worse —the ascension of Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
3795
3796
3797http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37982175/ns/us_news-security/t/spy-case-us-russia-play-down-fallout/
3798	The scandal over an alleged Russian spy ring erupted at an awkward time for a White House that has staked its foreign policy record on improved cooperation with Moscow, but it appeared unlikely to do lasting damage to U.S.-Russian relations.
3799
3800	The administration sought to dampen tensions, while the Russian government offered the conciliatory hope Tuesday that U.S. authorities would "show proper understanding, taking into account the positive character of the current stage of development of Russian-American relations."
3801
3802	The White House response was notably restrained following the dramatic announcement that 11 people assigned a decade or more to illegally infiltrate American society had been arrested. They are accused of using fake names and claims of U.S. citizenship to burrow into U.S. society and ferret out intelligence as Russian "illegals" — spies operating without diplomatic cover.
3803
3804	White House spokesman Robert Gibbs labored to show that the arrests were a law enforcement matter — one not driven by the president, even though President Barack Obama was informed — and played down any political consequences.
3805
3806	Obama was asked about the matter by reporters twice Tuesday. He declined to comment both times. 
3807
3808
3809https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/three-white-house-officials-tied-to-files-shared-with-house-intelligence-chairman/2017/03/30/de4b8c30-1589-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html
3810	The interview took place after the New York Times reported that the Obama White House, fearing the new administration would sweep it under the rug, had spread information about Russian efforts to undermine the presidential election. Farkas said, “I was urging my former colleagues and . . . the Hill people, get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can, before President Obama leaves the administration.”
3811
3812	“That’s why there were so many leaks,” said Farkas, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
3813
3814	...Farkas, in an interview with The Post, said she “didn’t give anybody anything except advice,” was not a source for any stories and had nothing to leak. Noting that she left government in October 2015, she said, “I was just watching like anybody else, like a regular spectator” as initial reports of Russia contacts began to surface after the election.
3815
3816	As a former staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a former Defense official involved with Russian affairs, she said she “got worried” that the Obama White House was not briefing Congress on what it knew. “I know how the Russians operate,” she said, and called former colleagues to make sure Congress was being informed.
3817
3818
3819http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/305065-obama-on-election-the-sun-will-rise-in-the-morning
3820	Obama on election: 'The sun will rise in the morning'
3821
3822
3823http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/16/technology/obama-us-vulnerable-to-hacking/
3824	US more vulnerable to hacking than Russia, Obama says
3825
3826
3827http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cia-prepping-possible-cyber-strike-against-russia-n666636
3828	CIA Prepping for Possible Cyber Strike Against Russia
3829
3830	Vice President Joe Biden told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd on Friday that “we’re sending a message” to Putin and that “it will be at the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact.” 
3831
3832
3833https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXUgqzXMvyQ
3834	VP Joe Biden Says Russians Should have taken Rush Limbaugh in Spy Swap
3835
3836
3837http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/23/house-oversight-no-russia-investigation-trey-gowdy-239904
3838	Gowdy: Oversight panel won't pursue Russia, obstruction probes
3839
3840	His approach differs sharply from that of outgoing Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz, who is resigning at the end of June
3841
3842	Newly-elected House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy does not plan to investigate Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election or questions of whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice.)
3843
3844
3845This is why the appearance of "fake Trump scandals" like Trump leaking the classified name of a city or Kushner wanting a Russian back-channel are important. Leaking classified information is illegal, no matter how important that information is for the public to know. But the American system is designed to stifle tyranny--if the President has abused his power, and that information is classified, leaking that information is in line with the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.
3846
3847But what if U.S. intelligence agencies leaked evidence of Presidential abuse of power that is misleading, even falsified? What if that information lead to the President's impeachment? The scandal would be spectacular--as would the stain on the intelligence community.
3848
3849This is what I believe Russian intelligence is planning next: creating a massive and mostly fake scandal, ostensibly to take down Trump, that will instead take down the mainstream media and U.S. intelligence agencies.
3850
3851Much of why I suspect this comes from taking a closer look at the actions of former FBI Director Comey. Recently, a lot of people have been pushing the idea that Trump should be impeached specifically for firing Comey. But an impeachment featuring Trump's word versus Comey's would be, to put it lightly, a political minefield.
3852
3853Part of this comes from Comey's strange affinity for the aforementioned dirty dossier, featured in his recent testimony. But maybe the biggest mine in the minefield is Comey's double-standard in his handling of Clinton's email case and Trump's obstruction of justice case. The gist of it is that Comey has set up himself and his word to be the linchpin of an impeachment case against Trump, while simultaneously setting up himself to be easily discredited in a highly politicized way, taking the case--and potentially the credibility of the USIC and mainstream media--down with him.
3854
3855On March 10, 2015, Secretary Clinton made the following pubic statements about her use of a private email server for State Department business:
3856
3857
3858https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
3859
3860	Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that "it would have been probably smarter" to use two e-mail accounts during her time as secretary of state. Here is a complete transcript of her remarks.
3861
3862	...Now, I would be pleased to talk more about this important matter, but I know there have been questions about my email, so I want to address that directly, and then I will take a few questions from you.
3863
3864	There are four things I want the public to know.
3865
3866	First, when I got to work as secretary of state, I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two.
3867
3868	Looking back, it would've been better if I'd simply used a second email account and carried a second phone, but at the time, this didn't seem like an issue.
3869
3870	Second, the vast majority of my work emails went to government employees at their government addresses, which meant they were captured and preserved immediately on the system at the State Department.
3871
3872	Third, after I left office, the State Department asked former secretaries of state for our assistance in providing copies of work- related emails from our personal accounts. I responded right away and provided all my emails that could possibly be work-related, which totalled roughly 55,000 printed pages, even though I knew that the State Department already had the vast majority of them. We went through a thorough process to identify all of my work- related emails and deliver them to the State Department. At the end, I chose not to keep my private personal emails -- emails about planning Chelsea's wedding or my mother's funeral arrangements, condolence notes to friends as well as yoga routines, family vacations, the other things you typically find in inboxes.
3873
3874	No one wants their personal emails made public, and I think most people understand that and respect that privacy.
3875
3876	Fourth, I took the unprecedented step of asking that the State Department make all my work-related emails public for everyone to see.
3877
3878	I am very proud of the work that I and my colleagues and our public servants at the department did during my four years as secretary of state, and I look forward to people being able to see that for themselves.
3879
3880	Again, looking back, it would've been better for me to use two separate phones and two email accounts. I thought using one device would be simpler, and obviously, it hasn't worked out that way.
3881
3882
3883And also:
3884
3885
3886https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
3887	...I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material.
3888
3889
3890As it turns out, Clinton's statements were less than truthful. Lying to the public isn't illegal, but a person's lies can be used in court to show intent or guilt. When Comey declined to indict Clinton and later testified about his decision, he did a pretty bad job of taking that into account. Related to this, Comey also made some unusual decisions and statements about the case, which are illuminating as to his character and possible intentions. It's worth looking at in detail.
3891
3892
3893Claim #1: Clinton never sent or received anything classified:
3894
3895
3896https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
3897	 March 10, 2015
3898
3899	QUESTION: Were you ever -- were you ever specifically briefed on the security implications of using -- using your own email server and using your personal address to email with the president?
3900
3901	CLINTON: I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material.
3902
3903	So I'm certainly well-aware of the classification requirements and did not send classified material.
3904
3905
3906https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/24/us/politics/inquiry-is-sought-in-hillary-clinton-email-account.html
3907	Inquiry Sought in Hillary Clinton’s Use of Email
3908
3909	JULY 23, 2015
3910
3911	Two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open an investigation into whether sensitive government information was mishandled in connection with the personal email account Hillary Rodham Clinton used as secretary of state, senior government officials said Thursday.
3912
3913	The request follows an assessment in a June 29 memo by the inspectors general for the State Department and the intelligence agencies that Mrs. Clinton’s private account contained “hundreds of potentially classified emails.”
3914
3915
3916http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-sen-bernie-sanders-gov-bobby-jindal/story?id=33383476
3917	July 26, 2015 
3918
3919	CLINTON: I am confident that I never sent nor received any information that was classified at the time it was sent and received.
3920
3921
3922http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hillary-clinton-emails-contained-info-above-top-secret-ig-n499886
3923 	Jan 19 2016, 5:31 pm ET
3924	Hillary Clinton Emails Held Info Beyond Top Secret: IG
3925
3926	Emails from Hillary Clinton’s home server contained information classified at levels higher than previously known, including a level meant to protect some of the most sensitive U.S. intelligence
3927
3928
3929http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/hillary-clinton-email-top-secret-classification-218030
3930	Clinton: Email classification changes 'nothing'
3931	01/20/2016 
3932
3933	Hillary Clinton’s “top secret” email classification changes “nothing,” the former secretary of state said Wednesday.
3934
3935	“I'm just going to leave it up to the professionals at the Justice Department, because nothing that this says changes the fact that I never sent or received material marked classified”
3936
3937
3938https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
3939	JORDAN: And that first statement in March was not accurate. In March, you said no classified information was sent or received on your personal accounts. You later revised your statement and said no information marked classified was sent or received on your personal account.
3940
3941	And once again, your revised statement was after the inspector general for the intelligence community had examined your e-mails and determined that, yes, some indeed were classified.
3942
3943	CLINTON: There was nothing marked classified on my e-mails, either sent or received. And I want to respond...
3944
3945	JORDAN: You used the write term there. Used "marked". That's the one -- that's what you -- you used the revised statement there.
3946
3947	CLINTON: ...well -- but that's -- well, Congressman, there was a lot of confusion because many -- many Americans have no idea how the classification process works.
3948
3949
3950https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
3951	FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
3952	
3953	...CLINTON could not recall any briefing or training by State related to the retention of federal records or handling of classified information.
3954
3955
3956https://careers.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-Every-New-Employee-Needs-to-Know.pdf
3957	THE ABC’S: What Every New Employee Needs to Know
3958	June 2011
3959
3960	...Before new State Department employees (including PSC, WAE and new hire contract employees) can be issued a building pass indicating they hold a security clearance, they are required to attend a security briefing that reviews Department of State procedures for handling classified information.
3961
3962
3963https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRC_NDAS/1/DOC_0C05833708/C05833708.pdf
3964	CLASSIFIED INFORMATION NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
3965
3966	AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN	Hillary Rodham Clinton	AND THE UNITED STATES
3967
3968	...I hereby acknowledge that I have received a security indoctrination concerning the nature and protection of classified information
3969
3970	...As used in this Agreement, classified information is marked or unmarked classified information
3971
3972	...I have been advised that the unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized retention, or negligent handling of classified information by me could cause damage or irreparable injury to the United States
3973
3974	...I have been advised that any unauthorized disclosure of classified information by me may constitute a violation, or violations, of United States criminal laws, including the provisions of Sections 641, 793, 798, *952 and 1924, Title 18...
3975
3976	SIGNATURE: H R Clinton	DATE: 22-01-2009
3977
3978
3979http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
3980	DESANTIS: And of that top secret information you found, would somebody who is sophisticated in those matters, should it have been obvious to them that was sensitive information?
3981
3982	COMEY: Yes.
3983
3984	DESANTIS: So I guess my issue about knowledge of what you’re doing is, in order for Secretary Clinton to have access to top secret, SCI FBI information, didn’t she have to sign a form with the State Department acknowledging her duties and responsibilities under the law to safeguard this information?
3985
3986	COMEY: Yes. Anybody who gets access to SCI, Sensitive Compartmented Information would sign a read-in form that lays that out. I’m sure members of Congress have seen the same thing.
3987
3988	DESANTIS: And it stresses in that document and other training people would get, that there are certain requirements to handling certain levels of information. For example, a top secret document, that can’t even be on your secret system at the FBI, correct?
3989
3990	COMEY: Correct.
3991
3992	DESANTIS: So you have to follow certain guidelines. And I guess my question is, is she’s very sophisticated person, she did execute that document, correct?
3993
3994	COMEY: Yes.
3995
3996
3997http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/10/22/hillary-clinton-appears-lecture-state-department-colleagues-cyber-security-email-server
3998	A new video has surfaced that appears to show then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recording a video warning her colleagues about the dangers of insufficient cyber security.
3999
4000	"Protecting our cyber infrastructure and digital networks has to be a matter of national security," Clinton says in the video.
4001
4002	"I think this is a responsibility we all share as Americans, but as state department employees, we have a special duty to guard ourselves and our sensitive information."
4003
4004
4005https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
4006	CLINTON: ...And therefore I wanted to make it clear that there is a system within our government, certainly within the State Department...
4007
4008	JORDAN: (inaudible) one more question (inaudible).
4009
4010	CLINTON: ...where material that is thought to be classified is marked such, so that people have the opportunity to know how they are supposed to be handling those materials...
4011
4012	
4013https://fam.state.gov/fam/05fam/05fam0480.html
4014	Each portion of a document containing classified information, ordinarily a paragraph but including the subject line, headers, summaries, tables or graphics, must be marked to indicate its classification level, or that it is unclassified, by placing one of the parenthetical symbols listed below immediately preceding the portion to which it applies.  Subject line and header portion markings may appear after the text.
4015
4016	MARKING SYMBOLS
4017	(TS) = Top Secret       (S) = Secret
4018	(C) = Confidential     (SBU) = Sensitive But Unclassified     (U) = Unclassified
4019
4020	...Information marked with a classification level under this or predecessor orders should be considered classified at that level of classification despite the omission of other required markings.
4021
4022
4023https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
4024	JORDAN: I got -- I got one second.
4025
4026	CLINTON: ...and that's why it became clearer, I believe, to say that nothing was marked classified at the time I sent or received it.
4027
4028
4029https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4030	After reviewing an email dated April 9, 2012, with subject line "Call to President Banda," CLINTON stated she did not remember the email specifically. When asked what the parenthetical "C" meant before a paragraph within the captioned email, CLINTON stated she did not know and could only speculate it was referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical documents.
4031
4032
4033https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_Jan29thWeb/O-2015-08637HCE10/DOC_0C05796118/C05796118.pdf
4034	To: H
4035	Cc: Huma Abedin
4036	Subject: Call to President Banda
4037
4038	I'm sorry for the late email but we just received a call sheet for Malawi President Banda.
4039
4040	Are you open to taking this at 7:30am tomorrow? If so, we can reach out overnight. Otherwise, we will find other widows that work tomorrow for you.
4041
4042	This did not make it with the pouch but we can ask Marina to print this and her bio for you if a 7:30am call works for both you and President Banda.
4043
4044	The Secretary's Call Sheet for Malawi President Joyce Banda
4045
4046	(C) Purpose of Call: To offer condolences on the passing of President Mutharika and congratulate President Banda on her recent swearing in.
4047
4048	[REDACTED]
4049
4050
4051https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4052	After reviewing an email dated [REDACTED] with subject line [REDACTED], CLINTON stated she did not remember the email specifically. ...CLINTON relayed State did the best they could while considering the "constant barrage of press" trying to confirm drone strikes. CLINTON stated [REDACTED] must have believed this email was "SBU" because that was how he marked it. CLINTON understood SBU to mean Sensitive But Unclassified.
4053
4054
4055https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_NovWeb/267/DOC_0C05791537/C05791537.pdf
4056	To: H
4057
4058	...(C) Purpose of Call: Join Special Envoy (JSE) Kofi Annan has requested...
4059
4060	- (SBU) Appreciation for Annan's role, Continued Support for U.N...
4061
4062	- (SBU) Solicit Annan's Views: [REDACTED]
4063
4064	- (SBU) (IF RAISED) UNSMIS Update: I was concerned to hear about the July 30 attack against a UNSMIS convoy, and...
4065
4066	- (SBU) Background: Kofi Annan was appointed UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy...
4067
4068
4069http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4070	MEADOWS: So a reasonable person who has been a Senator, a Secretary of State, a First Lady, wouldn’t a reasonable person know that that was a classified marking? As a secretary of state, a reasonable person? That’s all I’m asking.
4071
4072	COMEY: Before this investigation, I probably would have said, yes. I’m not so sure. I don’t find it incredibly…
4073
4074	MEADOWS: Director Comey, come on.
4075
4076	I mean, I have only been here a few years and I understand the importance of those markings. So you’re suggesting that a long length of time that she had no idea what a classified marking would be? That’s your sworn testimony today?
4077
4078	COMEY: No, no, not that she would have no idea what a classified marking would be, but it’s an interesting question as to — the question about sophistication came up earlier — whether she was sophisticated enough to understand what a “c” means.
4079
4080	MEADOWS: So you’re saying the former Secretary of State is not sophisticated enough to understand a classified marking?
4081
4082	COMEY: That’s not what I said.
4083
4084	MEADOWS: That’s a huge statement.
4085
4086	COMEY: That’s not what I said. You asked me did I assume someone would know. Probably before the investigation, I would have, I’m not so sure of that answer any longer. I think it’s possible — possible that she didn’t understand what a “c” meant when she saw it in the body of the e-mail like that.
4087
4088	MEADOWS: After years in the Senate and Secretary of State, I mean, that’s hard for me and the American people to believe, Director Comey. And I’m not questioning your analysis of it, but wouldn’t a reasonable person think that someone who has the highest job of handling classified information would understand that?
4089
4090	COMEY: I think that’s the conclusion a reasonable person would draw. It may not be accurate…
4091
4092
4093https://wikileaks.org/plusd/?qproject[]=cg&q=&s=%22-C-%22&qforigin=Secretary+of+State&qsort=tdesc#result
4094	Date			Subject						From
4095	Sun, 28 Feb 2010	(C) KUDOS FOR REPORTING ON AFGHANISTAN'S E...	Secretary of State
4096	Sun, 28 Feb 2010	SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR UZBEKISTAN REPORTIN...	Secretary of State
4097	Sun, 28 Feb 2010	(U) SUDAN: OIL AND WEALTH SHARING (C-AL9-0...	Secretary of State
4098	Sun, 28 Feb 2010	(U) VIETNAM: KUDOS FOR TO HUY RUA REPORT (...	Secretary of State
4099	Fri, 19 Feb 2010	HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING FOR U.S.-SPONSORED TR...	Secretary of State
4100	Tue, 16 Feb 2010	(U) SUDAN AND REGIONAL ACTORS (C-AL9-02504...	Secretary of State
4101	Tue, 16 Feb 2010	(U) KUDOS AND FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS FOR REPO...	Secretary of State
4102	Tue, 16 Feb 2010	(C) KUDOS FOR REPORTING ON NEW RUSSIAN AMB...	Secretary of State
4103	Tue, 16 Feb 2010	(U) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: AZERBAIJANI L...	Secretary of State
4104	Fri, 29 Jan 2010	(S/REL UK) ARGENTINE REACTION TO POTENTIAL...	Secretary of State
4105	Fri, 29 Jan 2010	(U) CHINA: POWER PLANTS AND ELECTRICITY GR...	Secretary of State
4106	Fri, 29 Jan 2010	(C) CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH THE VATICAN (C-...	Secretary of State
4107	Thu, 28 Jan 2010	(U) COSTA RICA FEBRUARY 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ...	Secretary of State
4108	Thu, 28 Jan 2010	(SBU) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON MALTA LEA...	Secretary of State
4109	Thu, 28 Jan 2010	(SBU) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON PORTUGAL'...	Secretary of State
4110	Thu, 28 Jan 2010	(C) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON ITALY-RUSSI...	Secretary of State
4111	Thu, 28 Jan 2010	(C) CHINA: RELATIONS WITH THE VATICAN (C-A...	Secretary of State
4112	Fri, 22 Jan 2010	(C) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON TURKISH DEP...	Secretary of State
4113	Fri, 22 Jan 2010	(C) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON THE POLITIC...	Secretary of State
4114	Fri, 22 Jan 2010	(C/NF) KUDOS AND FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS FOR B...	Secretary of State
4115
4116
4117http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4118	BUCK: And there is no doubt about those two elements. Now I don’t know whether the next element is one element or two, but it talks about knowingly removed such materials without authority and with the intent to retain such material at an unauthorized location.
4119
4120	So I’m going to treat those as two separate parts of the intent element. First of all, do you see the word “willfully” anywhere in this statute?
4121
4122	COMEY: I don’t.
4123
4124	BUCK: And that would indicate to you that there is a lower threshold for intent?
4125
4126	COMEY: No, it wouldn’t.
4127
4128	BUCK: Why?
4129
4130	COMEY: Because we often — as I understand, the Justice Department’s practice and judicial practice will impute to any criminal statute at that level with a knowingly also requirement that you know that you’re involved in criminal activity of some sort. A general mens rea requirement.
4131
4132
4133https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
4134	BROOKS: ...so then when your compound took a second attack on June 6th, when a bomb blew a wall through the compound then, no e-mails, no e-mails at all. But I am interested in knowing who were you meeting with, who were you huddling with, how were you informed about those things? Because there is nothing in the e-mails that talks about two significant attacks on our compounds in 2012. There was a lot of information in 2011 about issues and security posture and yet nothing in 2012.
4135
4136	CLINTON: Well, I'd be happy to explain. Every morning when I arrived at the State Department, usually between 8:00 and 8:30, I had a personal one-on-one briefing from the representative of the Central Intelligence Agency who shared with me the highest level of classified information that I was to be aware of on a daily basis.
4137
4138	...During the day, I received hundreds of pages of memos, many of them classified, some of them so top secret they were brought into my office in a locked briefcase that I had to read and immediately return to the courier. 
4139
4140
4141https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4142	CLINTON did not have any conversations regarding procedures if any potentially classified information was discovered during the review of her emails because she had no reason to believe classified information would be found in her email account.
4143
4144
4145https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_Jan29thWeb/O-2015-08640HCE10/DOC_0C05794417/C05794417.pdf
4146	From: Sullivan, Jacob J [mailto:SullivanJJ@state.gov]
4147	To: H
4148
4149	This is pretty interesting. This is CSCC proving its mettle.
4150
4151
4152	From: H <hrod17@clintonemail.com>
4153	To: 'sullivanjj@state.gov'
4154	Cc: 'reinesp@state.gov'
4155
4156	If not classified or otherwise inappropriate, can you send to the NYTimes reporters who interviewed me today? Copying Philippe.
4157
4158
4159https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4160	pg 20
4161
4162	When asked of her knowledge regarding TOP SECRET, SECRET, and CONFIDENTIAL classification levels of USG information, Clinton responded that she did not pay attention to the "level" of classification and took all classified information seriously.
4163
4164
4165https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4166	After reviewing an email dated June 17, 2011, with subject line [REDACTED], CLINTON stated she did not remember the email specifically. CLINTON stated a "nonpaper" was a document with no official heading, or identifying marks of any kind, that can not be attributed to the US Government. ...When viewing the displayed email, CLINTON believed she was asking SULLIVAN to remove the State letterhead and provide unclassified talking points. CLINTON stated she had no intention to remove classification markings. CLINTON had no recollection of actually receiving a "nonpaper" or a secure fax in this instance. [REDACTED] talking points are typically classified, but CLINTON did not recall in this instance.
4167
4168
4169https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_SeptemberWeb/O-2015-08632-172/DOC_0C05781205/C05781205.pdf
4170	Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 09:49 AM
4171	To: H
4172	
4173	...Also, we got word that Lavrov is travelling tomorrow and hasn't indicated whether or not he will be able to talk tomorrow morning. And still no work from Al-Faisal. Ops is still trying on both--and I'll keep you apprised of any updates.
4174
4175
4176https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_Jan7thWeb/O-2015-08635-JAN7-2/DOC_0C05787519/C05787519.pdf
4177	From: Sullivan, Jacob J [mailto:SullivanJJ@state.gov]
4178	Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 05:51 PM
4179	To: H
4180	Subject: Fw: [REDACTED]
4181
4182	You'll get the tps this eve. They're coming together.
4183
4184
4185https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_OctWeb/220/DOC_0C05787515/C05787515.pdf
4186	Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 08:50 PM
4187	To: H
4188	Subject: Calls
4189
4190	Ms-
4191	Huma asked me to set up these 2 calls for you tomorrow morning (after your 730 am saakashvilli call)
4192
4193	...Also, we've been unable to lock in lavrov and al-faisal. Will keep you posted on any developments there, too (although it seems unlikely for tomorrow morning).
4194
4195
4196https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_OctWeb/220/DOC_0C05787515/C05787515.pdf
4197	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 06:02 AM
4198	To: H
4199	Subject: Re: Calls
4200
4201	Lavrov is locked in for 8am this morning. Still waiting for an update on the 2 sudan calls. Will keep you posted.
4202
4203
4204https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_DecWeb/O-2015-08632-DEC/DOC_0C05781255/C05781255.pdf	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 7:36 AM
4205	To: H
4206	Subject: Lavrov additional points
4207
4208	Alice asked that I pass along to you these additional points for lavrov:
4209	A couple of updates regarding the Lavrov call:
4210
4211	- Libya: Russian Special Envoy Margelov was in Tripoli yesterday, where he met senior officials (but not Qadhafi), who confirmed that Qadhafi insists on remaining in the country. PM Mahmudi, in a two-hour press conference with journalists, said Qadhafi's departure was a "red-line" for the regime.
4212	1267: In NY yesterday, our teams reached agreement on a text, [REDACTED]...
4213
4214
4215https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_Jan7thWeb/O-2015-08635-JAN7-2/DOC_0C05787519/C05787519.pdf
4216	From: H [mailto:HDR22@clintonemail.com]
4217	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 07:52 AM
4218	To: Sullivan, Jacob J
4219	Subject: Re: [REDACTED]
4220
4221	I didn't get the TPs yet.
4222
4223
4224	From: Sullivan, Jacob J
4225	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 08:00 PM
4226	To: 'HDR22@clintonemail.com' <HDR22@clintonemail.com>
4227	Subject: Re: [REDACTED]
4228
4229	?!!! Checking
4230
4231	
4232	From: Sullivan Jacob J [mailto:SullivanJJ@state.gov]
4233	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 08:17 AM
4234	To: H
4235	Subject Re: [REDACTED]
4236
4237	They say they've had issues sending secure fax. They're working on it.
4238
4239
4240	From: H <hrod17@clintonemail.com>
4241	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 08:21 AM
4242	To: 'sullivanjj@state.gov' 
4243	Subject: Re: [REDACTED]
4244
4245	If they can't, turn into nonpaper w no identifying heading and send nonsecure.
4246
4247
4248https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_DecWeb/O-2015-08635-DEC/DOC_0C05787582/C05787582.pdf
4249	From: H <hrod17@clintonemail.com>
4250	Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 4:14 PM
4251	To: 'sullivanjj@state.gov'
4252
4253	Cardin said he'd be happy to see Phil and Mike as soon as possible and was pleased to hear both we and, to a limited extent, Russia had taken some actions as I described from the tps.
4254
4255
4256http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4257	CHAFFETZ: So Hillary Clinton sends to Jake Sullivan, Jake — well let me go back, Jake Sullivan says they say they had issues sending secure fax, they’re working on it. Hillary Clinton sends to Jake Sullivan, if they can’t, turn into non-paper with no identifying heading and send non-secure. So you’re telling me it’s a classified piece of information, she’s taking off the header and she’s instructing them to send it in a non-secure format. Is that not intent?
4258
4259	COMEY: Well that actually caught my attention when I first saw it and what she explained to us in her interview was, and other witnesses too as well, is what she meant by that is make it into a non-classified document, that’s what a non-paper is in their world, and send it to us because I don’t need the classified stuff I just need the…
4260
4261	CHAFFETZ: Then why take off the heading if it’s going to be turned into a non-classified document, why take off the heading?
4262
4263	COMEY: I assume because it would be non-classified anymore so you wouldn’t have a classified header on it. Because what she said during her interview…
4264
4265
4266http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4267	MEADOWS: All right.
4268
4269	So let me in the last little portion of this, in your three and a half-hour interview on Saturday, did she contradict some of these public statements in private? Because you said she didn’t lie to the FBI, but it’s apparent that she lied to the American people. So did she change her statements in that sworn testimony with you last Saturday?
4270
4271	COMEY: I haven’t gone through that to parse that…
4272
4273
4274http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4275	MICA: ...I have questions about how this came down. Did you personally interview the secretary on Saturday morning?
4276
4277	COMEY: I didn’t personally, no.
4278
4279	MICA: How many agents did?
4280
4281	COMEY: I think we had five or six.
4282
4283	MICA: Did you talk to all of those agents after the interview?
4284
4285	COMEY: I did not speak to all of them, no.
4286
4287	...MICA: ...But all of the agents, did they meet with you and then is that the group that said that we all vote to not recommend prosecution?
4288
4289	COMEY: I did not meet with all of the agents. I’ve met with — I guess I’ve — I’ve met with all of them…
4290
4291
4292http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4293	DESJARLAIS: OK. Do you know, in reading the review or the summary, did they ask Hillary Clinton about her comment that she had never sent or received classified information over private e-mail?
4294
4295	COMEY: I think so, but I can’t — I can’t remember specifically.
4296
4297	DESJARLAIS: OK.
4298
4299	COMEY: It’s a very long, 302. I’d have to check and then get back to you.
4300
4301	DESJARLAIS: OK. And we’ll get access to that.
4302
4303	Do you know if they asked her when she said that there was nothing marked classified on my e-mails sent or received?
4304
4305	COMEY: Same answer. I’m not sure.
4306
4307
4308http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4309	MULVANEY: Thank you gentleman. Director Comey, earlier today you heard a long list of statements that Ms. Clinton has made previously, both to the public and to Congress that were not factually accurate.
4310
4311	I think you went down the whole long list. When she met with you folks on Saturday last week, I take it she didn’t say the same things at that interview?
4312
4313	COMEY: I’m not equipped sitting here without the 302 in front of me to answer in that broad…
4314
4315	MULVANEY: But it’s your — it’s your testimony…
4316
4317
4318http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4319	...CHAFFETZ: Because she wanted to be technically correct, is that what you’re saying, that you’re…
4320
4321	COMEY: No, I think what she said during the interview is I was telling him in essence, send the unclassified document, take the header off, turn it into a non-paper, which is a term I had never heard before but I’m told by people I credit that in diplomatic circles something we can pass to another government…
4322
4323	CHAFFETZ: You are very generous in your accepting of that.
4324
4325
4326http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4327	GOWDY: Thank you Doctor Gosar. Director Comey, I want to go back to the issue of intent for just a second. We could disagree on whether or not it’s an element of the offense, let’s assume for the sake of argument, that you’re right and I’m wrong and that it is an element of the offense.
4328
4329	Secretary Clinton said that she was, “Well aware of classification requirements”. Those are her words, not mine and not yours. So if she were, “Well aware of classification requirements”, how did that impact your analysis of her intent? Because I’ve heard you this morning, describe her as being less than sophisticated. She disagrees with that.
4330
4331	COMEY: Well, I was talking about technical sophistication. The question is, I would hope everybody who works in the Government is aware of classification requirements...
4332
4333
4334https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4335	CLINTON was aware she was an Original Classification Authority (OCA) at State. CLINTON could not recall how often she used this authority 
4336
4337
4338http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4339	 ...[COMEY:] The question then is, if you mishandle classified information, when you did that thing, did you know you were doing something that was unlawful? That’s the intent question.
4340
4341
4342http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/15/source-fbi-probe-clinton-email-focused-on-gross-negligence-provision.html
4343	Source: FBI probe of Clinton email focused on ‘gross negligence’ provision
4344
4345	...Under 18 USC 793 subsection F...
4346
4347
4348https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793
4349	18 U.S. Code § 793 - Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information
4350
4351	...(f) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody...
4352
4353
4354https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
4355	POMPEO: ...One -- you talked earlier about Mr. Katala (ph), who is sitting in a prison cell not too far from where you and I are sitting here this evening. I, too, share your view that I'm glad that we've pulled one of the terrorists who murdered -- was involved in the murder of U.S. government people on that night.
4356
4357	When that attack took place, Mr. Katala (ph), according to the indictment from the Justice Department, Mr. Katala (ph) and his folks removed documents from the temporary mission facility. Were you aware of that?
4358
4359	CLINTON: Yes, we later became aware that documents had been removed, but there was no classified documents at Benghazi.
4360
4361	POMPEO: And how do you know that?
4362
4363	CLINTON: We know it through our own investigation about what documents were at Benghazi, and there were no classified materials, to the best of our information.
4364
4365	POMPEO: Yes, ma'am. Do you know if there was sensitive information?
4366
4367	CLINTON: I suppose it depends on what one thinks of as sensitive information. There was information there and some of it was burnt, either wholly or partially. Some of it was looted. And some of it was recovered eventually.
4368
4369	POMPEO: Madam Secretary, do you know where that material that was looted went? Do you know into whose hands it fell? And do you know the nature and contents of that material? You seem very confident it wasn't classified. I don't share your confidence. But nonetheless, do you know where that material went?
4370
4371	CLINTON: I think that it -- it is very difficult to know where it ended up. But I want to just reiterate the point that I made. This was not a facility that had the capacity to handle classified material. And there was, to the best of our information, Congressman, no classified material at the Benghazi facility.
4372
4373	POMPEO: Ma'am, the fact that it wasn't capable of handling classified material doesn't mean that there wasn't any classified material there. Is that correct?
4374
4375	CLINTON: Well, the procedure is not to have classified material at such a facility. And again, to the best of our knowledge, there was not any there.
4376
4377	POMPEO: Yes, ma'am. You're not supposed to have classified e- mail on your private server either.
4378
4379	CLINTON: And I did not, Congressman.
4380
4381
4382http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4383	WALKER: ...can you help me understand why didn’t it rise to your investigation or someone bringing that to your knowledge as far as saying this is a problem, here she is, again, Secretary Clinton lying under oath specifically about our investigation?
4384
4385	COMEY: We out of respect for the legislative branch being a separate branch, we do not commence investigations that focus on activities before Congress without Congress asking us...
4386
4387	...CHAFFETZ: You did not look at testimony that Hillary Clinton gave in the United State Congress, both the House and the Senate.
4388
4389	COMEY: To see whether it was precarious in some respect?
4390
4391	CHAFFETZ: Yes.
4392
4393	COMEY: No we did not.
4394
4395	CHAFFETZ: Did you review and look at those transcripts as to the intent of your recommendation.
4396
4397	COMEY: I’m sure my folks did. I did not.
4398
4399
4400http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4401	GOWDY: False exculpatory statements, they are used for what?
4402
4403	COMEY: Either for the — a substantive prosecution or for evidence of intent in a criminal prosecution.
4404
4405	GOWDY: Exactly. Intent and consciousness of guilt, right? Is that right?
4406
4407	COMEY: Right.
4408
4409
4410http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1510/18/sotu.01.html
4411	TAPPER: The inspector general of the intelligence community said some of this stuff contained classified information when it was generated whether or not it was marked classify.
4412
4413	CLINTON: Well, that is just a very strong difference of opinion. The State Department does not agree with that. And it is almost an impossible standard because we had two separate systems.
4414
4415	We had the unclassified systems, so anybody who was on the unclassified system with the State Department would only be able to tell if something were classified if it were marked classified. We dealt with classified information on a totally different system. Nobody had access to that from an unclassified device. So, I think a lot of this is being a public display of the very common arguments that go on between different agencies and our government. This happens every time there is a Freedom of Information Act request. If something is going to be made public that was not classified at the time, maybe something has happened years later that there's a case and so now it's sensitive information. That's what's going on here. 
4416
4417
4418https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4419	pg 20
4420
4421	FBI and USIC classification reviews identified 81 e-mail chains containing approximately 193 individual e-mail exchanges that were classified from the CONFIDENTIAL to TOP SECRET levels at the time the e-emails were drafted on UNCLASSIFIED systems and sent to or from Clinton's personal server. Of the 81 e-mail chains classified at the time of transmittal, 68 remain classified.
4422
4423	...The 81 classified e-mail chains contained 8-email chains classified TOP SECRET, 37 e-mail chains classified SECRET ...7 e-mail chains contained information associated with a Special Access Program (SAP) and 3 e-mail chains contained Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
4424
4425
4426http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abcs-david-muir-interviews-hillary-clinton/story?id=33607656
4427	DAVID MUIR: But North Korea's nuclear program? Wouldn't that be classified?
4428
4429	HILLARY CLINTON: There's a lot of public information about their nuclear program. I don't know the specifics about the one that they are claiming is classified. I can only repeat what happens to be the case-- that I did not send nor receive information that was marked classified at the time that it was sent or received. 
4430
4431
4432https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4433	pg 123
4434
4435	[REDACTED] was asked to review an email [REDACTED] with subject line [REDACTED]. Upon reviewing the email, [REDACTED] commented "wow... I don't recall this email chain... I'm surprised to see it and prefer not to comment."
4436
4437	[REDACTED] was subsequently asked to review several other emails. ...Upon reviewing each document, [REDACTED] again indicated that he did not want to comment.
4438
4439	...While being escorted to the elevator by SA [REDACTED], [REDACTED] stated he recently read a news article about the investigation into Secretary CLINTON's personal email server that opined that most of the classified documents were over classified. However, [REDACTED] stated that after seeing the above referenced documents, he now understood why people were concerned about this matter.
4440
4441
4442http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1605/06/cnr.01.html
4443	MITCHELL: Any indication that your private server was hacked by foreign hackers?
4444
4445	CLINTON: No, not at all. 
4446
4447
4448https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_OctWeb/223/DOC_0C05787240/C05787240.pdf
4449	From: Neera Tanden
4450	Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 02:55 PM
4451	To: H
4452	Subject: Exclusively For You
4453
4454	Look what I've found http://snipurl.com/1szq63 Here is a very nice offer. Enjoy!
4455
4456
4457	From: H  <hrod17@clintonemail.com>
4458	Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 4:37 PM
4459	Subject Fw: Exclusively For You
4460
4461	Neera-did you send me this? If not, I think your email address book has been hacked. If so, Why? Anyway, hope you're well.
4462
4463
4464https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4465	pg 31
4466
4467	Abedin sent an e-mail to [REDACTED] indicating Clinton was worried "someone [was] hacking into her email"
4468
4469
4470https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4471	pg 29
4472
4473	On January 9, 2011, Cooper sent Abedin an e-mail stating someone was attempting to "hack" the server, prompting him to shut it down. Copper sent Abedin another e-mail later the same day stating he had to reboot the server again.
4474
4475
4476https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4477	QUESTION: ...This wasn't Gmail or Yahoo or something. This was a server that you owned. Is that appropriate? Is it -- was there any precedent for it?
4478
4479	CLINTON: Well, the system we used was set up for President Clinton's office. And it had numerous safeguards. It was on property guarded by the Secret Service. And there were no security breaches.
4480
4481
4482http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4483	BLUM: Director Comey, are you implying in that statement that the private e-mail servers of Secretary Clinton’s were perhaps less secure than a Gmail account that is used for free by a billion people around this planet?
4484
4485	COMEY: Yes.
4486
4487
4488https://apnews.com/467ff78858bf4dde8db21677deeff101/only-ap-clinton-server-ran-software-risked-hacking
4489	AP Exclusive: Clinton email server setup risked intrusions
4490
4491	The private email server running in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s home basement when she was secretary of state was connected to the Internet in ways that made it more vulnerable to hackers while using software that could have been exploited
4492
4493	...wasn’t intended for such use without additional protective measures
4494
4495	...subject of U.S. government and industry warnings at the time over attacks from even low-skilled intruders
4496
4497
4498http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4499	WATSON COLEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Director.
4500
4501	Can you tell me based upon your information has there been and is there any evidence that our national security has been breached or at risk as a result of these e-mails and their being on this server? Is there any evidence?
4502
4503	COMEY: There’s no direct evidence of an intrusion.
4504
4505
4506https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4507	...one appears to have resulted in a successful compromise of an e-mail account on the server. Forensic analysis noted that on January 5, 2013, three IP addresses matching known Tor exit nodes ...FBI investigation indicated the Tor user logged in to [REDACTED] e-mail account and browsed e-mail folders and attachments.
4508
4509
4510https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4511	...on March 11, 2011, the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security sent a memorandum on cybersecurity threats directly to Secretary Clinton. A portion of the unclassified version of this memorandum states:
4512
4513		Threat analysis by the DS cyber security team and related incident reports indicate a dramatic increase since January 2011 in attempts by [redacted] cyber actors to compromise the private home e-mail accounts of senior Department officials . ... Although the targets are unclassified, personal e-mail accounts, the likely objective is to compromise user accounts and thereby gain access to policy documents and personal information that could enable technical surveillance and possible blackmail.
4514
4515
4516https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4517	...Open source information indicated, if opened, the targeted user's device may have been infected, and information would have been sent to at least three computers overseas, including one in Russia.
4518
4519	...Pagliano recalled finding "a virus," but could provide no additional details, other than that it was nothing of great concern.
4520
4521
4522http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/10/politics/state-department-hack-worst-ever/index.html
4523	Sources: State Dept. hack the 'worst ever'
4524
4525	Overlooked in the controversy over Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, is the fact that suspected Russian hackers have bedeviled State Department's email system for much of the past year
4526
4527
4528http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/michael-morrell-foreign-governments-have-hillarys-email-118007
4529	Michael Morell: Foreign governments have Hillary's email
4530
4531	Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell said that he believes some foreign intelligence agencies possess the contents of Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
4532
4533	“I think that foreign intelligence services, the good ones, have everything on any unclassified network that the government uses,” Morell said Friday in an interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
4534
4535	“I don’t think that was a very good judgment,” he added of Clinton’s decision to use the private server for official State Department business.
4536
4537
4538https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2004%20of%2010/view
4539	pg 64
4540
4541	[REDACTED] was interviewed by Special Agent (SA) [REDACTED] at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
4542
4543	...Agents showed [REDACTED] one last email dated [REDACTED] and titled [REDACTED]. After reviewing the email, [REDACTED] exclaimed "[REDACTED] is an idiot." [REDACTED] further explained that he believed the email was "problematic."
4544
4545	...[REDACTED] expressed his opinion that DoS was not very careful
4546
4547
4548http://www.wsj.com/articles/clinton-emails-in-probe-dealt-with-planned-drone-strikes-1465509863
4549	Emails in Clinton Probe Dealt With Planned Drone Strikes
4550
4551	...Under strict US classification rules, US officials have been barred from discussing strikes publicly and even privately outside of secure communications systems.
4552
4553
4554https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4555	CLINTON believed information should be classified in the case of covert military action, the use of sensitive sources and where sensitive deliberations took place. When asked whether CLINTON believed information should be classified if it is unauthorized release would cause damage to national security, she responded, "yes, that is the understanding." 
4556
4557
4558http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/clinton-emails-held-indirect-references-undercover-cia-officers-n510741
4559	Clinton Emails Held Indirect References to Undercover CIA Officers
4560
4561	State Department and other officials attempted to make veiled references to intelligence officers in the emails — references that were deemed classified when the messages were being reviewed years later for public release.
4562
4563	...In one case, an official said, an undercover CIA officer was referred to as a State Department official with the word "State," in quotes, as if to suggest the emailer knew the officer was not actually a diplomat. In another case, an email refers to "OGA" for "other government agency," a common reference to the CIA.
4564
4565
4566https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2004%20of%2010/view
4567	pg 66
4568
4569	...After reading the email, [REDACTED] expressed concerns over the detail contained in the email. [REDACTED] stated that the email was "very specific"...
4570
4571
4572http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/11/us/clinton-emails-routine-practice.html
4573	...Those emails have not been released, even with redactions, because they include material classified at the highest levels, known as “top secret/SAP,” according to a letter from the inspector general of the nation’s intelligence agencies
4574
4575	...That designation refers to “special access programs,” which are among the nation’s most guarded secrets 
4576
4577	In 18 emails, for example, information has been classified on the grounds that it identifies C.I.A. officials
4578
4579
4580https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/us/politics/agencies-battle-over-what-is-top-secret-in-hillary-clintons-emails.html
4581	One of the messages has been given a designation of “HCS-O” — indicating that the information was derived from human intelligence sources
4582
4583
4584http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hillary-clinton-campaign-22-top-secret-emails-over-classification-run-amok-2016-01-31
4585	“This appears to be over-classification run amok,” Clinton’s campaign said in a statement released Friday. 
4586
4587
4588https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4589	pg 174
4590
4591	[REDACTED] was interviewed by Special Agent (SA) [REDACTED] and SA [REDACTED] at the Central Intelligence Agency
4592
4593	...After reviewing the email he provided that the email should be classified but that he was not surprised that DOS had sent it on an unclassified channel. [REDACTED] further noted that the DOS unclassified email system had previously been penetrated by a foreign adversary.
4594
4595	...[REDACTED] was shown a copy of an email... After reviewing the email, [REDACTED] stated that his true name, and that of [REDACTED] should not have been included in an unclassified email.
4596
4597	...[REDACTED] continued to say that the personnel at DOS were experienced and knew that this information was classified. However, the did it anyways and their actions hurt the CIA and other agencies whose equities were conveyed in the emails.
4598
4599
4600http://www.newsweek.com/hillary-clinton-email-terrorism-sloppy-communications-463605
4601	A retired senior State Department military adviser claims that Hillary Clinton’s “sloppy communications with her senior staff” when she was secretary of state may have compromised at least two counterterrorism operations.
4602
4603	...Bill Johnson, who was the State Department’s political adviser to the special operations section of the U.S. Pacific Command, or PACOM, in 2010 and 2011, says secret plans to eliminate the leader of a Filipino Islamist separatist group and intercept Chinese-made weapons components being smuggled into Iraq were repeatedly foiled.
4604
4605	...“We had good intel. We knew where he was,” ... “He would be gone three hours before, sometimes as little as a half-hour before” the counterterrorism teams moved in. “We knew he was getting tipped off somehow. We just didn’t know why.”
4606
4607	...As a dramatic solution, the Special Operations Command stopped giving advance warning to senior State Department officials about raids, Johnson says. Whatever the cause, the leaks stopped. In February 2012, Dr. Abu and two other senior militants were eventually killed in what was described as “a U.S.-backed airstrike.”
4608
4609
4610http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abcs-david-muir-interviews-hillary-clinton/story?id=33607656
4611	HILLARY CLINTON: ...But I do think I could have and should have done a better job answering questions earlier.
4612
4613	I really didn't perhaps appreciate the need to do that. What I had done was allowed, it was above board. But in retrospect, certainly, as I look back at it now, even though it was allowed, I should've used two accounts. One for personal, one for work-related emails.
4614
4615	That was a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility. ...
4616
4617	 DAVID MUIR: You have said you would apologize for the confusion but not say, "I'm sorry." But I did hear a word in there just a moment ago and I'm curious. Would you acknowledge that you made a mistake here? Because you wrote in your own memoir last year just how important using the word mistake is in politics. You, you wrote, "In our political culture, saying you made a mistake is often taken as weakness when in fact it can be a sign of strength and growth." And so as you sit here, millions watching tonight, did you make a mistake?
4618
4619	HILLARY CLINTON: I did. I did. As I said, it was allowed and there was no hiding it. It was totally above board. ...But I'm sorry that it has, you know, raised all of these questions. I do take responsibility for having made what is clearly not the best decision. And I want people to know that I am trying to be as transparent as possible...
4620
4621
4622
4623Clinton said there was "no classified information" on her server, but this is false: there were 193 classified email chains, 7 classified at the "Special Access Program" level. Clinton had reason to believe classified information was on her server--she asked Jake Sullivan as much, she knew she was discussing things that should be classified like drone strikes and North Korea's nuclear program and drone strikes, and even Comey conceded that she was at least not unsophisticated in identifying classified information. 
4624
4625193 class 7 SAP
4626
4627---
4628
4629
4630All this brings up some questions, like:
4631
4632
4633- Why did Clinton change her story from "there is no classified information" to "I never sent anything classified at the time it was sent or received" to "nothing was marked classified" after media reports on her server? She told Congress she changed her story to clear up "confusion" about "how the classification process works," but all she did is confuse the public more--classified information is classified even if it's unmarked. Americans are supposed to be able to trust their officials to recognize classified and keep it safe, and Clinton's job as an original classification authority was to recognize when information is classified and mark it if necessary. Clinton wrote several emails classified at the Special Access Program (SAP) level, which is classified that way if its release would do grave damage to national security, but she didn't mark them. Clinton confused the public in a way that makes her seem less guilty (regarding confusion, read a few articles here 
4634https://www.google.com/search?q=information+marked+classified+confusion&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A3%2F1%2F2015%2Ccd_max%3A11%2F8%2F2016 and you'll see what I mean).
4635
4636
4637- How is it that, after lecturing the American public on classification markings, Clinton knows what "(SBU)" means, but when the FBI asks here what but "(C)" means she tells them it's referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order? There was no "(A)" or "(B)" in the short email they showed her, and it was even marked Confidential in big letters on the top and bottom. Clinton has seen emails that mix both "(SBU)" and "(C)" markings (apparently, the alphabet goes "C, SBU, SBU, SBU...") and she's written thousands of cables that use both.
4638
4639
4640- Why did Comey go along with Clinton's "(C) is just a letter in the alphabet" story? He told (or implied) to Congress he's "not sure" if Clinton knew "(C)" means "Confidential," but when the question of Clinton's sophistication came up later in his testimony, Comey said "Well, I was talking about technical sophistication," as if to change his story. Comey testified that Clinton signed-off on being briefed on the handling of classified information and "executed that document." So, is she sophisticated in handling classified information or not? Comey's testimony is unnecessarily vague.
4641
4642
4643- Clinton told the FBI she had "no reason to believe" there was classified information in her account, but earlier she asked Jake Sullivan to forward an email "if not classified or otherwise inappropriate," indicating that she had reason to believe there was classified information on her account. Was she lying to the FBI?
4644
4645
4646- Clinton asked Jake Sullivan to send her classified talking points over unsecure fax, apparently for a meeting that was starting in 8 minutes (Clinton says "I didn't get the TPs yet." Sullivan says "?!!! Checking"). The problem was Clinton told him to remove the classification headers and send nonsecure, but when confronted about it in her FBI interview gave them a red herring about "non-paper" documents at the State department. Why did Comey repeat her misleading explanation to Congress?
4647
4648
4649http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4650	CHAFFETZ: ...How did the Department of Justice, or how did the FBI view the incident in which Hillary Clinton instructed Jake Sullivan to take the markings off of a document that was to be sent to her?
4651
4652	COMEY: Yes, we looked at that pretty closely. There was some problem with their secure fax machine and there was an e-mail in which she says in substance, take the headers off of it and send it as a non- paper and as we’ve dug into that more deeply, we’ve come to learn that at least this one view of it that is reasonable, that a non-paper in State Department parlance (ph) means a document that contains things we could pass to another government. So essentially take out anything that’s classified and send it to me. 
4653
4654
4655https://fam.state.gov/fam/05fah01/05fah010610.html
4656	Use this section to provide instructions on any written material to be left with the host government official(s).  Such material could take the form of an aide-memoire, a letter, or a “non-paper” that provides a written version of the verbal presentation (i.e., the talking points as delivered).  Unless otherwise instructed, post should normally provide an aide-memoire or non-paper at the conclusion of a demarche.  Classified aide-memoire or non-paper must be appropriately marked
4657
4658
4659- Why did Comey remember that part of Clinton's FBI interview in detail, but was forgetful when asked to compare Clinton's public statements to her statements to the FBI? ("did she change her statements in that sworn testimony with you last Saturday? ...I haven’t gone through that to parse that…", "It’s a very long, 302. I’d have to check and then get back to you.", "COMEY: I’m not equipped sitting here without the 302 in front of me to answer in that broad…  MULVANEY: But it’s your — it’s your testimony…") He makes it sound like he's her defense lawyer.
4660
4661
4662- Comey testified there was "no direct evidence of an intrusion," but the FBI's report says there "appears" to have been "a successful compromise of an e-mail account on the server." Was Comey contradicting his own FBI?
4663
4664
4665- Comey inserted an "intent" requirement (a "general mens rea requirement" as he puts it) into the law that only requires "gross negligence" to prosecute someone for mishandling classified information. Comey testified that false exculpatory statements show a guilty conscience and intent, but Clinton made several such statements to Congress and the public. She gave one to Jake Tapper in an interview ("maybe something has happened years later that there's a case and so now it's sensitive information. That's what's going on here.") and one to Pompeo ("POMPEO: Yes, ma'am. You're not supposed to have classified e- mail on your private server either. CLINTON: And I did not, Congressman.") in her testimony. Her statement to Pomeo came shortly after she was informed there was classified information on her server and immediately after agreeing (if at least implicitly) that classified information should not be stored in unauthorized locations. If Clinton is sophisticated in handling classified info, as Comey seems to have testified, then she knows her statements were false. Knowledge of classified information on her server can also be inferred by some of her statements in her emails ("If not classified or otherwise inappropriate...") and her statements to the FBI ("When asked whether CLINTON believed information should be classified if it is unauthorized release would cause damage to national security, she responded, 'yes, that is the understanding.'").
4666
4667Even if Comey's intent requirement is to be followed, there is evidence that Clinton had a guilty conscience, especially from her public statements. But Comey says he didn't review Clinton's statements before his recommendation to not indict:
4668
4669
4670http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4671	WALKER: ...can you help me understand why didn’t it rise to your investigation or someone bringing that to your knowledge as far as saying this is a problem, here she is, again, Secretary Clinton lying under oath specifically about our investigation?
4672
4673	COMEY: We out of respect for the legislative branch being a separate branch, we do not commence investigations that focus on activities before Congress without Congress asking us...
4674
4675	...CHAFFETZ: You did not look at testimony that Hillary Clinton gave in the United State Congress, both the House and the Senate.
4676
4677	...Did you review and look at those transcripts as to the intent of your recommendation.
4678
4679	COMEY: I’m sure my folks did. I did not.
4680
4681
4682Comey said his "folks" reviewed her statements, but he didn't meet with all of his agents before his recommendation: 
4683
4684
4685http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4686	MICA: ...But all of the agents, did they meet with you and then is that the group that said that we all vote to not recommend prosecution?
4687
4688	COMEY: I did not meet with all of the agents. I’ve met with — I guess I’ve — I’ve met with all of them…
4689
4690
4691Isn't this irresponsible? It sounds like Comey went off on his own with his recommendation without reviewing all the facts important to the case.
4692
4693
4694
4695Claim #2: Clinton's private server was allowed, and she set it up for "convenience:"
4696
4697
4698https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4699
4700	...when I got to work as secretary of state, I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two.
4701
4702	Looking back, it would've been better if I'd simply used a second email account and carried a second phone, but at the time, this didn't seem like an issue.
4703
4704
4705https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4706	QUESTION: And also, the president of the United States said that he was unaware that you had this unusual email arrangement. The White House counsel's office says that you never approved this arrangement through them.
4707
4708	Why did you not do that? Why did you -- why have you apparently caught the White House by surprise?
4709
4710	And then just one last political question, if I -- I might. Does all of this make -- affect your decision in any way on whether or not to run for president?
4711
4712	CLINTON: Well, let me try to unpack your multiple questions.
4713
4714	First, the laws and regulations in effect when I was secretary of state allowed me to use my email for work. That is undisputed.
4715
4716
4717http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/31/hillary-clinton/fact-checking-hillary-clintons-claim-her-email-pra/
4718	Since the news of Clinton’s email came to light in 2015, she has argued that she "complied with every rule" and that the practice was "allowed." We haven’t yet put the issue on the Truth-O-Meter because there were too many unknowns.
4719
4720	But the inspector general’s report has clarified some of those unknowns and demonstrated that Clinton’s exclusive use of personal email was, in fact, not allowed.
4721
4722
4723https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/us/politics/hillary-clintons-use-of-private-email-at-state-department-raises-flags.html
4724	“It is very difficult to conceive of a scenario — short of nuclear winter — where an agency would be justified in allowing its cabinet-level head officer to solely use a private email communications channel for the conduct of government business,” said Jason R. Baron, ... former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration.
4725
4726
4727http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4728	FARENTHOLD: All right. I want to go back to the question of intent real quick, for just a second.
4729
4730	I’m a recovering attorney. It’s been decades since I actually practiced law. But you kept referring to she had to know it was illegal to have the requisite criminal intent. I was always taught in law school, and I don’t know where this changed, that ignorance of the law was no excuse. If I’m driving a long at 45 miles and hour and didn’t see the 35 mile and hour speed limit, I was still intentionally speeding, even though I didn’t know it.
4731
4732	Now, I might not have had the requisite criminal intent if maybe my accelerator were jammed or something like that, but even though I didn’t know the law was 35, I was driving 45, I’m going to get a ticket. And I’m probably going to be prosecuted for that.
4733
4734	So, how can you say ignorance of the law is an excuse in Ms. Clinton’s case?
4735
4736	COMEY: Well, the comparison to petty offenses, I don’t think is — you spoke about the question of — ignorance of the law is no excuse, but here’s the distinction. You have to have general criminal intent. You don’t need to know what particular statute you’re violating, but you must be aware of the generally wrongful nature of your conduct…
4737
4738
4739https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2004%20of%2010/view
4740	pg 90
4741
4742	CLINTON sent out an all-staff cable that personal email should not be used day-to-day for business purposes and that personal email is not secure, so do not use them for business purposes. To best of [REDACTED]'s recollection, CLINTON sent that cable out in 2009. 
4743
4744
4745http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abcs-david-muir-interviews-hillary-clinton/story?id=33607656
4746	 DAVID MUIR: You mentioned everybody in the government knew that you were using this private server. It-- did fellow members of the cabinet know? Did the president know?
4747
4748	HILLARY CLINTON: Everyone I emailed with, and I'm not going to go into names, but let me say I emailed with many people in the White House and the rest of the government, of course, across the State Department, knew that I was emailing from a personal account. 
4749
4750
4751https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4752	pg 166
4753
4754	...[REDACTED] did not recall seeing CLINTON's actual email address. Rather, when [REDACTED] received or responded to emails from CLINTON, she recalled seeing a single initial. ...[REDACTED] noted that although she is no longer at DoS, she still maintains email contact with CLINTON and now receives emails from CLINTON where the name of the sender is "H." [REDACTED] had no knowledge CLINTON was using her own private server until it was reported in the media.
4755
4756
4757http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abcs-david-muir-interviews-hillary-clinton/story?id=33607656
4758	HILLARY CLINTON: ...As I said, it was allowed and there was no hiding it. It was totally above board.
4759
4760
4761https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4762	pg 166
4763	
4764	[REDACTED] was not initially provided CLINTON's email address, so when she wanted to send or forward a message to CLINTON, she would route it through HUMA ABEDIN. At some point in the first six to eight months of employment at DoS, [REDACTED] recalled CLINTON responding to one of the messages she forwarded directly. At this point, [REDACTED] asked ABEDIN if it was okay to go direct with CLINTON, and was granted the "privilege." [REDACTED] explained the privilege of emailing CLINTON direct was not a privilege she used lightly. While [REDACTED] did not have a history of Government Service, she thought it was normal for someone in CLINTON's position to have a "gatekeeper system" in place.
4765
4766
4767https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4768	Two staff in S/ES-IRM reported to OIG that, in late 2010, they each discussed their concerns about Secretary Clinton’s use of a personal email account ...one staff member raised concerns that information sent and received on Secretary Clinton’s account could contain Federal records that needed to be preserved in order to satisfy Federal recordkeeping requirements. According to the staff member, the Director stated that the Secretary’s personal system had been reviewed and approved by Department legal staff and that the matter was not to be discussed any further. ...the Director stated that the mission of S/ES-IRM is to support the Secretary and instructed the staff never to speak of the Secretary’s personal email system again. 
4769
4770
4771http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/31/hillary-clinton/fact-checking-hillary-clintons-claim-her-email-pra/
4772	Fallon pointed PolitiFact to a May 26 CNN interview where Clinton said that at the time she made the decision to use a private server, she "thought it was allowed."
4773
4774
4775http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1510/18/sotu.01.html
4776	TAPPER: Right. And you said it was allowed, too.
4777
4778	CLINTON: Yes, it was.
4779
4780	TAPPER: Who allowed it?
4781
4782	CLINTON: It was allowed under the rules of the State Department. And again --
4783
4784	TAPPER: So nobody signed off on it?
4785
4786	CLINTON: No, no. It was allowed.
4787
4788
4789https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4790	Throughout Secretary Clinton’s tenure, the FAM stated that normal day-to-day operations should be conducted on an authorized AIS, yet OIG found no evidence that the Secretary requested or obtained guidance or approval to conduct official business via a personal email account on her private server. ...Secretary Clinton had an obligation to discuss using her personal email account to conduct official business with their offices, who in turn would have attempted to provide her with approved and secured means that met her business needs. However, according to these officials, DS and IRM did not—and would not—approve her exclusive reliance on a personal email account to conduct Department business, because of the restrictions in the FAM and the security risks in doing so. 
4791
4792	...DS and IRM reported to OIG that Secretary Clinton never demonstrated to them that her private server or mobile device met minimum information security requirements specified by FISMA and the FAM.
4793
4794
4795http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abcs-david-muir-interviews-hillary-clinton/story?id=33607656
4796	HILLARY CLINTON: ...Everybody in the government I communicated with -- and that was a lot of people--
4797
4798
4799https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4800	pg 117
4801
4802	[REDACTED] sent a weekly report directly to the Secretary of State when it was widely known "you don't go direct" with the Secretary.
4803
4804
4805http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abcs-david-muir-interviews-hillary-clinton/story?id=33607656
4806	HILLARY CLINTON: --knew I was using a personal e-mail.
4807
4808
4809https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4810	...OIG interviewed other senior Department officials with relevant knowledge who served under Secretary Clinton, including the Under Secretary for Management ... ; current and former Executive Secretaries ; and attorneys within the Office of the Legal Adviser. These officials all stated that they were not asked to approve or otherwise review the use of Secretary Clinton’s server and that they had no knowledge of approval or review by other Department staff. These officials also stated that they were unaware of the scope or extent of Secretary Clinton’s use of a personal email account, though many of them sent emails to the Secretary on this account. Secretary Clinton’s Chief of Staff also testified before the House Select Committee on Benghazi that she was unaware of anyone being consulted about the Secretary’s exclusive use of a personal email address.
4811
4812
4813http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
4814	DUNCAN: Do you — we talk about gross negligence here and you said that Secretary Clinton was extremely careless with this classified material and how dangerous it could be, how threatening to — even to people’s lives that it could be to disclose classified material.
4815
4816	Do you agree that there is a very thin line between gross negligence and extreme carelessness? And would you explain to me what you consider to be that difference?
4817
4818	COMEY: Sure, judge — Congressman. As a former judge, you know there isn’t actually a great definition in the law of gross negligence. Some courts interpret it as close to willful, which means you know you’re doing something wrong.
4819
4820
4821https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4822	In March 2009, after unsuccessful efforts to supply Secretary Clinton with a secure government smartphone, DS was informed that Secretary Clinton’s staff had been asking to use BlackBerry devices inside classified areas. The Assistant Secretary of DS then sent a classified memorandum to Secretary Clinton’s Chief of Staff that described the vulnerabilities associated with the use of BlackBerry devices and also noted the prohibition on the use of Blackberry devices in sensitive areas. 
4823
4824
4825https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4826	pg 78
4827
4828	Agents asked BOSWELL to review a redacted memo titled "Use of Blackberries in Mahogany Row." ...After reviewing the memo, BOSWELL stated the memo was drafted early in the Administration and shortly after CLINTON began her tenure at DoS.
4829
4830
4831https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4832	OIG discovered in Secretary Clinton’s retired paper files a copy of the classified presentation used during the briefing.
4833
4834
4835http://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/boswell-bberry-memo.pdf
4836	INFORMATION MEMO FOR CHERYL D. MILLS--S
4837	FROM:	DS--Eric J. Boswell
4838	SUBJECT: Use of Blackberries in Mahogany Row
4839
4840	We have worked closely [REDACTED] to review all options that would allow Secretary Clinton, you, and a small number of staff to use Blackberries [REDACTED]
4841
4842	...Our review reaffirms our belief that the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the use of Blackberries in the Mahogany Row [REDACTED] considerably outweigh the convenience their use can add to staff that have access to the unclassified OpenNet system on their desktops.
4843
4844	...We also worry about the example that using Blackberries in Mahogany row might set as we strive to promote crucial security practices and enforce important security standards among State Department staff.
4845
4846	...I cannot stress too strongly, however, that any unclassified Blackberry is highly vulnerable in any setting to remotely and covertly monitoring conversations, retrieving e-mails, and exploiting calendars. I am attaching reports from DS's Office of Computer Security's Cyber Threat & Analysis Division that give further background on those risks.
4847
4848	...Attachments: ..."Your Cell and Your Berry: Tools for the Enemy"
4849
4850
4851https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4852	According to a DS official, shortly after the memorandum was delivered, Secretary Clinton approached the Assistant Secretary and told him she “gets it.”
4853
4854
4855https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2004%20of%2010/view
4856	pg 43
4857
4858	...no cell phones are allowed inside the SCIF and DS agents, officers, and staff are required to leave their cell phones outside the door in secure lockers. CLINTON refused to abide by this security requirement and brought her cell phone, believed to be a Blackberry, inside the SCIF where a DS agent assigned to Post 1 was required to guard it. DS agents were indignant that they were required to follow security policy but CLINTON made herself exempt from the same regulations.
4859
4860
4861https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/us/politics/hillary-clintonwas-asked-about-email-2-years-ago.html
4862	WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton was directly asked by congressional investigators in a December 2012 letter whether she had used a private email account while serving as secretary of state, according to letters obtained by The New York Times.
4863
4864	But Mrs. Clinton did not reply to the letter. And when the State Department answered in March 2013, nearly two months after she left office, it ignored the question and provided no response.
4865
4866
4867https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4868	QUESTION: Why did you wait two months? Why -- why did you wait two months to turn those emails over? The rules say you have to turn them over...
4869
4870	(CROSSTALK) CLINTON: I don't think -- I'd be happy to have somebody talk to you about the rules. I fully complied with every rule that I was governed by.
4871
4872
4873https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2004%20of%2010/view
4874	[REDACTED] was previously an agent of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). ...[REDACTED] served briefly on former Secretary CLINTON's protective detail in 2009. From her own experience, and information obtained through [REDACTED] and other agents, [REDACTED] described a "stark difference" between RICE and CLINTON with regard to obedience to security and diplomatic protocols while CLINTON frequently and "blatantly" disregarded them. For example ...It is seen as diplomatic protocl for the Secretary of State to arrive at foreign diplomatic functions with the local ambassador; however, CLINTON refused to do so, instead choosing to be accompanied in the limousine by her Chief of Staff, HUMA ABEDIN. This frequently resulted in complaints by ambassadors who were insulted and embarrassed by this breach of protocol. [REDACTED] explained that CLINTON'S protocol breaches were well known throughout Diplomatic Security and were "abundant."
4875
4876	...On a trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, in early 2009, CLINTON requested to visit an area of Jakarta that presented security and safety challenges. This visit was reportedly for a photo opportunity regarding CLINTON's "clean cooking stoves" initiative. The DS advance team recommended against traveling to this area because the route could not be secured and was lined with dangerous circumstances and individuals. As such, the DS advance team recommended in writing that this excursion be stricken from the schedule but were told by DS management that it was going to happen because "she wanted it." DS agents felt this excursion into potentially hostile areas placed CLINTON, her staff, the media, and her security detail in unnecessary danger in order to conduct a photo opportunity for "her election campaign." DS agents had the perception that CLINTON was using her position as Secretary of State to campaign for President of the United States. 
4877
4878	...On one occasion while traveling to Palestine, CLINTON ordered the limousine driver, believed to be [REDACTED], to open the window while in "occupied territory", referring to a dangerous area of the West Bank. [REDACTED] initially declined to respond to CLINTON's request; however, repeated demands by CLINTON forced him to open his window despite the danger to himself and the occupants.
4879
4880	...Early in CLINTON's tenure as Secretary of State, she and her staff were observed removing lamps and furniture from the State Department which were transported to her residence in Washington, D.C. [REDACTED] does not know whether these items were ever returned to the government upon CLINTON's departure from the State Department.
4881
4882	...[REDACTED] explained that CLINTON's treatment of DS agents on her protective detail was so contemptuous that many of them sought reassignment or employment elsewhere. Prior to CLINTON's tenure, being an agent on the Secretary of State's protective detail was seen as an honor and privilege reserved for senior agents. However, by the end of CLINTON's tenure, it was staffed largely with new agents because it was difficult to find senior agents willing to work for her.
4883
4884
4885http://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/boswell-bberry-memo.pdf
4886	Use of Blackberries in Mahogany Row
4887
4888	...As an alternative, we suggested that DS work with S/ES-IRM to make access to the Secretary's OpenNet account on her desktop workstation as easy and convenient as possible. For example, we are happy to work with IRM to lengthen or even eliminate the time-out function to allow the Secretary's Special Assistant to log-in to review her emails and schedules.	
4889
4890	...If, after considering the vulnerabilities that I describe above and the alternatives that I propose
4891
4892
4893https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4894	...in response to Secretary Clinton’s desire to take her BlackBerry device into secure areas, her Chief of Staff discussed with senior officials in S/ES and with the Under Secretary for Management alternative solutions, such as setting up a separate stand-alone computer connected to the Internet for Secretary Clinton “to enable her to check her emails from her desk.” The Under Secretary’s response was “the stand-alone separate network PC is [a] great idea” and that it is “the best solution.” According to the Department, no such computer was ever set up. 
4895
4896
4897https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/22/transcript-clinton-testifies-before-house-committee-on-benghazi/
4898	CLINTON: ...If you were to be in my office in the State Department, I didn't have a computer...
4899
4900
4901https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4902	pg 12
4903
4904	Investigators determined Clinton did not have a computer in her State office, which was located in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) on the seventh floor of State headquarters, in an area often referred to as "Mahogany Row." State Diplomatic Security Service (DS) instructed Clinton that because her office was in a SCIF, the use of mobile devices in her office was prohibited.
4905
4906
4907https://careers.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-Every-New-Employee-Needs-to-Know.pdf
4908	THE ABC’S
4909
4910	What Every New Employee Needs to Know
4911
4912	...Government and personally owned cellular telephones are permitted for use inside DOS facilities only where classified information is not discussed or processed. 
4913
4914
4915https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4916	According to Abedin, Clinton primarily used her personal BlackBerry or personal iPad for checking e-mails, and she left the SCIF to do so, often visiting State's eight floor balcony. 
4917
4918
4919https://foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_NovWeb/273/DOC_0C05794192/C05794192.pdf
4920	From: H
4921	Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 08:51 PM
4922	To: Diane Reynolds
4923	Subject: I'm in my office
4924
4925	Because of attacks on our embassy in Cairo and our office in Benghazi so email when you can talk.
4926
4927
4928https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4929	pg 14
4930
4931	FBI investigation and the State OIG report determined that State issued regular notices to staff during Clinton's tenure highlighting cybersecurity threats and advising that mobile devices must be configured to State security guidelines. Clinton and her immediate staff were notified of foreign travel risks and were warned that digital threats began immediately upon landing in a foreign country...
4932
4933
4934https://oig.state.gov/system/files/esp-16-03.pdf
4935	Beginning in 2009, the Cyber Threat Analysis Division (CTAD) in DS issued regular notices...According to an article posted by CTAD, digital threats begin immediately after landing in a foreign country. A primary threat is traced to the traveler’s mobile device (BlackBerry or other smart device) which is necessarily connected to the local cellular tower. This connection gives foreign entities the opportunity to intercept voice and email transmissions immediately after the traveler arrives overseas.
4936
4937
4938https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4939	...Investigations determined that of the e-mails provided by ... Clinton's production to the FBI, approximately [REDACTED] emails were sent or received by Clinton on her personal e-mail accounts while she was travelling outside the continental United States (OCONUS) on official State business.
4940
4941
4942https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4943	QUESTION: Were you ever -- were you ever specifically briefed on the security implications of using -- using your own email server and using your personal address to email with the president?
4944
4945	CLINTON: I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material.
4946
4947
4948https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2001%20of%2010/view
4949	...FBI investigation determined that hundreds of e-mails classified CONFIDENTIAL during the State FOIA process were sent or received by Clinton while she was OCONUS.
4950
4951	...On [REDACTED] occasions while OCONUS, Clinton had direct e-mail contact with an e-mail address for President Barack Obama.
4952
4953
4954https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2002%20of%2010/view
4955	After reviewing an email dated July 1, 2012 with subject line "Fw: Congratulations!," CLINTON stated she received no particular guidance as to how she should use the President's email address [REDACTED]@who.eop.gov. Since the foregoing email was sent from Russia, CLINTON stated she must have sent it from the plane.
4956
4957
4958http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2016/10/20/wikileaks-releases-first-batch-president-obamas-emails/
4959	WikiLeaks Releases First Batch Of Barack Obama’s Emails
4960
4961
4962https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4963	QUESTION: ...Madam Secretary, why did you opt out not using two devices at the time? Obviously, if this didn't come out, you wouldn't -- probably wouldn't become an issue.
4964
4965	QUESTION: And my -- my second follow-up question is, if you were a man today, would all this fuss being made be made?
4966
4967	Thank you.
4968
4969	CLINTON: Well, I will -- I will leave that to others to answer.
4970
4971	But as I -- as I said, I saw it as a matter of convenience, and it was allowed. Others had done it. According to the State Department, which recently said Secretary Kerry was the first secretary of state to rely primarily on a state.gov e-mail account.
4972
4973
4974https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton/Hillary%20R.%20Clinton%20Part%2003%20of%2010/view
4975	pg 60
4976
4977	Secretary Clinton, however, was the first Secretary to use a privately maintained email server
4978
4979
4980https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/10/transcript-hillary-clinton-addresses-e-mails-iran/
4981	CLINTON: ...And when I got there, I wanted to just use one device for both personal and work e-mails, instead of two. It was allowed. And as I said, it was for convenience.
4982
4983
4984https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/07/05/revisiting-clintons-claim-she-used-personal-email-out-of-convenience-and-it-was-allowed-by-state-department/
4985	‘Convenience’
4986
4987	A batch of emails released last month chronicles technical issues that Clinton and her top aides were facing with her private clintonemail.com account in late 2010. This led to communications issues between Clinton and her staff, and Clinton’s emails were being blocked by the State Department’s server. In a November 2010 email, Clinton wrote to her longtime aide, Huma Abedin: “This is not a good system.”
4988
4989	Abedin responded: “We should talk about putting you on state email or releasing your email address to the department so you are not going to spam. It’s not the phone message system, it’s the device delay.”
4990
4991	“Let’s get separate address or device, but I don’t want any risk of the personal being accessible,” Clinton wrote.
4992
4993	This email became a recurring line of questioning in Abedin’s deposition, the transcript of which was released last week by Judicial Watch. When asked about that last response line by Clinton, Abedin explained:
4994
4995	“I read that line exactly the way she wrote it, which is, let’s get a separate address. There was no resistance to getting a separate email address, as I’m reading it in this document. And not wanting her personal emails to be accessible to the public. ...”
4996
4997	Abedin’s answer shows that Clinton was open to having a second device or email address — which calls into question whether the “convenience” concern was relevant or applicable after she became secretary of state. Yet Clinton did not mention these issues when she explained she chose the system out of convenience.
4998
4999
5000---
5001
5002Comey testified that for Clinton to be guilty, she'd need to be "generally aware of the wrongful nature" of her conduct and know she was "doing something wrong:"
5003
5004
5005http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
5006	FARENTHOLD: ...you kept referring to she had to know it was illegal to have the requisite criminal intent. I was always taught in law school, and I don’t know where this changed, that ignorance of the law was no excuse. If I’m driving a long at 45 miles and hour and didn’t see the 35 mile and hour speed limit, I was still intentionally speeding, even though I didn’t know it.
5007
5008	Now, I might not have had the requisite criminal intent if maybe my accelerator were jammed or something like that, but even though I didn’t know the law was 35, I was driving 45, I’m going to get a ticket. And I’m probably going to be prosecuted for that.
5009
5010	So, how can you say ignorance of the law is an excuse in Ms. Clinton’s case?
5011
5012	COMEY: Well, the comparison to petty offenses, I don’t think is — you spoke about the question of — ignorance of the law is no excuse, but here’s the distinction. You have to have general criminal intent. You don’t need to know what particular statute you’re violating, but you must be aware of the generally wrongful nature of your conduct…
5013
5014
5015https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793
5016	18 U.S. Code § 793 - Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information
5017
5018	...(f) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, ... or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody...
5019
5020
5021https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/statement-by-fbi-director-james-b-comey-on-the-investigation-of-secretary-hillary-clinton2019s-use-of-a-personal-e-mail-system
5022	Statement by FBI Director James B. Comey on the Investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use of a Personal E-Mail System
5023
5024	...Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.
5025
5026
5027http://www.thompsontimeline.com/congressional-testimony-of-fbi-director-james-comey/
5028	DUNCAN: ...Do you agree that there is a very thin line between gross negligence and extreme carelessness? And would you explain to me what you consider to be that difference?
5029
5030	COMEY: Sure, judge — Congressman. As a former judge, you know there isn’t actually a great definition in the law of gross negligence. Some courts interpret it as close to willful, which means you know you’re doing something wrong.
5031
5032	Others drop it lower. My term (ph) extremely careless is trying to be kind of an ordinary person. That’s a common-sense way of describing it; it sure looks real careless to me.
5033
5034	The question of whether that amounts to gross negligence frankly is really not at the center of this because when I look at the history of the prosecutions and see, it’s been one case brought on a gross negligence theory.
5035
5036	I know from 30 years there’s no way anybody from the Department Of Justice is bringing a case against John Doe or Hillary Clinton for the second time in 100 years based on those facts.
5037
5038	DUNCAN: You ended your statement to Congressman Cooper a while ago saying no — saying once again that no reasonable prosecutor could have brought this case, yet you also mentioned earlier today that you had seen several of your friends and other prosecutors who have said publicly, many across this country, they would have been glad to prosecute this case.
5039
5040	COMEY: I smile because they’re friends and I haven’t talked to them I want to say, guys, so where were ya over the last 40 years?
5041
5042	Where were these cases? They just have not been brought for reasons that I said earlier. It’s a good thing the Department Of Justice worries about prosecuting people for being careless. I don’t like it.
5043
5044	As a citizen, I want people to show they knew they were breaking the law and then we’ll put you in jail.
5045
5046
5047For whatever reason, Comey keeps switching between saying you have to "know you were doing something wrong" or "know you were breaking the law" to be prosecuted for gross negligence throughout his testimony. Since the idea that you have to "know you were breaking the law" to be guilty of breaking the law is absurd (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignorantia_juris_non_excusat), we'll assume Comey meant you have to "know you were doing something wrong" to break the law, e.g. "consciousness of guilt" (which is also absurd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negligent_homicide, but anyway...). Even still, Comey's defense of Clinton doesn't hold up.
5048
5049
5050
5051
5052Comey testified "You have to have general criminal intent. You don’t need to know what particular statute you’re violating, but you must be aware of the generally wrongful nature of your conduct…", but Clinton knew the rules didn't allow perosonal email. She sent an "all-staff cable" "that personal email should not be used day-to-day for business purposes and that personal email is not secure, so do not use them for business purposes." The OIG confirmed that personal email was not allowed to be used this way, especially without authorization.
5053
5054
5055Clinton says "I emailed with many people in the White House and the rest of the government, of course, across the State Department, knew that I was emailing from a personal account.", and that "Everybody in the government I communicated with ... knew I was using a personal e-mail" but multiple people told the FBI that they didn't know Clinton had a personal account, even though they emailed with her. Her setup seemed to hide her address. The State OIG also said multiple high-level officials didn't know Clinton used a personal account.
5056
5057
5058
5059Clinton says her server was "above board," but according to FBI interviews, Clinton used Abedin as a "gatekeeper" and avoided directly emailing with State Department staff.  Abedin told her "We should talk about ... releasing your email address to the department," indiciating the State Department didn't know her personal email address.
5060
5061When concerns were raised that Clinton's server would side-step the Federal Records Act, one of Clinton's staff said to "never to speak of the Secretary’s personal email system again".
5062
5063
5064	TAPPER: So nobody signed off on it?
5065
5066	CLINTON: No, no. It was allowed.
5067
5068
5069Clinton dodged questions on if anybody signed off on her server. "OIG found no evidence that the Secretary requested or obtained guidance or approval to conduct official business via a personal email account on her private server. " and that State security "did not" and "would not" have approved of it because of the "security risks of doing so."
5070
5071
5072Comey says:
5073
5074	Do you agree that there is a very thin line between gross negligence and extreme carelessness? And would you explain to me what you consider to be that difference?
5075
5076	COMEY: Sure, judge — Congressman. As a former judge, you know there isn’t actually a great definition in the law of gross negligence. Some courts interpret it as close to willful, which means you know you’re doing something wrong.
5077
5078
5079But Clinton knew using personal email wasn't allowed, and that her blackberry wasn't allowed in secure areas or foreign countries. So she knew she was doing something wrong. Why isn't that gross negligence by Comey's standard?
5080
5081
5082She was told "I cannot stress too strongly, however, that any unclassified Blackberry is highly vulnerable in any setting to remotely and covertly monitoring conversations, retrieving e-mails, and exploiting calendars. I am attaching reports from DS's Office of Computer Security's Cyber Threat & Analysis Division that give further background on those risks." and she said that she "gets it."
5083
5084
5085Clinton was advised that emails sent from her mobile device shouldn't be sent from foreign countries, but she sent multiple classified emails from foreign countries, and sent an email to the President's e-mail address from Russia. She used her blackberry in a SCIF. And she also lied about her personal email, saying it was allowed. Does this not show gross negligence?
5086
5087She was warned that mobile devices are "tools of the enemy" and "digital threats begin immediately after landing in a foreign country"
5088
5089The State department offered to set Clinton up with a computer to comply with security requirements, but she never did. She continued to use her blackberry in a secure area.
5090
5091
5092She dodged questions about being briefed on security implications of emailing the President from a personal address:
5093
5094	QUESTION: Were you ever -- were you ever specifically briefed on the security implications of using -- using your own email server and using your personal address to email with the president?
5095
5096	CLINTON: I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material.
5097
5098
5099
5100Clinton says "And as I said, it was for convenience."
5101
5102But Clinton's server was plauged with technical issues, including being blocked by the State Department's server. She told Abedin “This is not a good system.” Abedin offered to get her a State Department email: “We should talk about putting you on state email or releasing your email address to the department so you are not going to spam.  Clinton said “Let’s get separate address or device, but I don’t want any risk of the personal being accessible.” When Clinton's private server started to become an inconvenience to her, Clinton said that she didn't want her personal info to be accessible.
5103
5104
5105
5106
5107
5108
5109
5110
5111
5112
5113
5114------
5115
5116
5117In addition to being trained and experienced in the identification and handling of classified information, Clinton is a trained and experienced lawyer. It looks like she was using the "idiot defense" in her public statements and FBI interview:
5118
5119
5120https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot_defense
5121	The idiot defense is a satirical term for a legal strategy where a defendant claims innocence by virtue of having been ignorant of facts of which the defendant would normally be expected to be aware. Other terms used for this tactic include "dumb CEO defense", "dummy defense", "ostrich defense", "Ken Lay defense", and "Sergeant Schultz defense".
5122
5123	The term was popularized as a result of a number of high-profile corporate accounting scandal defendants claiming that all wrongdoing was performed by others, without the defendant's knowledge or consent. Attorneys for these defendants claimed that their skill was in valuation and deal-making, and that they lacked the training to recognize fraudulent accounting practices they claimed that they would have needed. However, in many cases the defendants' subordinates testified that the defendants ordered them to falsify the accounts.
5124
5125	No major instances of the idiot defense being successful in criminal proceedings have been reported in American jurism to date.
5126
5127
5128When she told the FBI that "(C)" is just marking paragraphs in alphabetical order, she destroyed her own defense by making it obvious she was playing dumb (among other ways). But Comey went along with her defense in his testimony to Congress, even inserting an "intent" requirement that appears to be necessary for her defense to work in the first place. Someone who's trusted with single-handedly making a major decision about Clinton's prosecution shouldn't sound like her defense. On top of that, Comey didn't review  Clinton's public statements or confer with all of his agents before his recommendation not to indict. Comey was extremely careless in making his decision.
5129
5130
5131------