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CIA Veterans Urge Caution on Leaks Saying Russia's Putin Tried to get Trump ElectedJeff Stein
Newsweek
Reports on the alleged Russian effort have been anything but cohesive, or complete. During a closed-door briefing to the House Intelligence Committee last week, a senior FBI counterintelligence official reportedly scoffed at the CIAs conclusion that Russia had plotted to put Trump in office, calling the evidence fuzzy and ambiguous. Details of the meeting were leaked to The Washington Post.
Another former senior official, who said he was reluctant to go on the record on something that has obviously been politicized, tells Newsweek that he, too, is wary of reports that CIA knows for certain that the Kremlin designed a hacking campaign with the specific goal of electing Trump, as opposed to just damaging Hillary Clinton, a hawk on Russia. In order to know Moscows intentions, he said, U.S. intelligence would have to have more than cyber-tracks showing Russias spy services transferred emails it stole from the Democratic National Committee to WikiLeaks, the whistleblower group led by Julian Assange.
Bakos, a 10-year CIA veteran who worked through a political storm over Iraq intelligence after the September 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks, appealed for a thorough investigation where all the evidence can be examined.
For the collective good of the American people, she wrote in a stream of tweets starting Friday, a thorough Intel Community assessment or NIE should be drafted immediately. An NIE, or National Intelligence Estimate, is a deep investigation by multiple spy agencies, led by the CIA, on critical issues facing the United States. They are often the product of intense internal fights and can trigger huge controversy, such as the National Intelligence Estimate on Irans nuclear program. Paristan leaks often follow.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)Russia is interfering in every western Democracy except America. Despite the overwhelming circumstantial evidence in Trump's campaign staff and cabinet choices being Putin-friendly.
As Russian missiles roll into Eastern Europe.
Try and spread uncertainty and confusion.
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)Jean-Jacques Roussea
(475 posts)Whoops I mean Ukraine.
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)Jean-Jacques Roussea
(475 posts)uponit7771
(90,370 posts)... is going away quick
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)Another former senior official, who said he was reluctant to go on the record on something that has obviously been politicized, tells Newsweek that he, too, is wary of reports that CIA knows for certain that the Kremlin designed a hacking campaign with the specific goal of electing Trump, as opposed to just damaging Hillary Clinton, a hawk on Russia.
This seems to me to be a distinction without a difference.
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)You're right: it's a distinction without a difference, although the motive might be relevant to historians. Assuming our descendants speak English and not Russian, obviously.
14. The circumstancial evidence is completely damning
Did Putin personally autograph Russia's actions? Send a thank you note to Trump? Of course not.
Did Russia hack both the RNC and the DNC, yet only release the DNC emails? Yes. Even the FBI (apparently) believes that.
Do Trump and Company have close personal and financial ties to the Russian government going back decades? Yes.
Did Trump immediately begin nominating entirely pro-Russian cabinet members? Yes.
Have Trump and his people defended Russia -- even threatened to break up NATO -- at every step of the way? Yes.
For any law enforcement agency or prosecutor in the world, this case wouldn't even be close. The only true unknown is the extent of TrumpCo's involvement.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)Yes, as someone holding both BA and MA in History, I concur. Just about every aspect of this whole thing is going to be of interest to historians.
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)moondust
(20,019 posts)Last edited Mon Dec 12, 2016, 12:48 AM - Edit history (1)
in releasing anything to the WP that wasn't supported by credible evidence. Among other things, there are elections next year in France and Germany and they have feared Russian interference since before the U.S. election, most likely based on their own intelligence. France even has a Russia-friendly candidates running (Fillon and Le Pen) that I'm sure Putin would love to help get elected.
Russian cyber-attacks could influence German election, says Merkel
German intelligence services 'alarmed' about potential Russian interference in elections
After US election, Russia feared influencing French vote