U.S. ALLIES CONDUCT INTELLIGENCE OPERATION AGAINST TRUMP WHITE HOUSE - Eichenwald Newsweek

[sunonmars]

Eichenwald is going for it, this blockbuster material

http://europe.newsweek.com/allies-intercept-russia-trump-adviser-communications-557283?rm=eu

As part of intelligence operations being conducted against the United States for the last seven months, at least one Western European ally intercepted a series of communications before the inauguration between advisers associated with President Donald Trump and Russian government officials, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Related: President Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigns amidst Russia controversy

The sources said the interceptions include at least one contact between former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and a Russian official based in the United States. It could not be confirmed whether this involved the telephone call with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that has led to Flynn’s resignation, or additional communications. The sources said the intercepted communications are not just limited to telephone calls: The foreign agency is also gathering electronic and human source information on Trump’s overseas business partners, at least some of whom the intelligence services now consider to be agents of their respective governments. These operations are being conducted out of concerns that Russia is seeking to manipulate its relationships with Trump administration officials as part of a long-term plan to destabilize the NATO alliance.

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Moreover, a Baltic nation is gathering intelligence on officials in the Trump White House and executives with the president’s company, the Trump Organization, out of concern that an American policy shift toward Russia could endanger its sovereignty, according to a third person with direct ties to that nation’s government.

These sources spoke on condition that they not be identified because they were not formally authorized to disclose the information. While Newsweek was told which allied nations intercepted the communications and are gathering intelligence on Trump associates, the sources did so on condition that the countries not be identified out of concern those governments would incur the president’s wrath.

The Western European intelligence operations began in August, after the British government obtained information that people acting on behalf of Russia were in contact with members of the Trump campaign. Those details from the British were widely shared among the NATO allies in Europe. The Baltic nation has been gathering intelligence for at least that long, and has conducted surveillance of executives from the Trump Organization who were traveling in Europe.

These operations reflect a serious breakdown in the long-standing faith in the direction of American policy by some of the country’s most important allies. Worse, the United States is now in a situation that may be unprecedented—where European governments know more about what is going on in the executive branch than any elected American official. To date, the Republican-controlled Congress has declined to conduct hearings to investigate the links between Trump’s overseas business partners and foreign governments, or the activities between Russia and officials in the Trump campaign and administration—the very areas being examined by the intelligence services of at least two American allies.

Some details about Trump’s business partners were passed to the American government months ago. For example, long before the president’s inauguration, German electronic surveillance determined that the father of Trump’s Azerbaijani business partner is a government official who laundered money for the Iranian military; that information was shared with the CIA, according to a European source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Read on, this is stunning.

[Recursion]

1. If NATO and Israel aren't sharing intel with us...

that means we're essentially flying blind.

[LisaL]

5. How can they share intel with us, when Trump and republicans are in charge?

[Recursion]

6. That's why they aren't

Can't say I blame them; they do ultimately have to look after their own interests.

[TNLib]

7. I believe this could be another reason for the IC leaks

It seems to be a breakdown in the Western Intelligence Alliance.

[3_Limes]

12. That's my read too.

They're going straight to the press bec' nothing would be done otherwise, and the compromise would deepen. The normal channels are broken or compromised and the spooks don't trust the White House to do the right thing for America.

[DK504]

22. The Germans and the English

are gathering intelligence for our "intelligence" agencies and sharing some of what they find. I'm sure they are holding back to make sure this doesn't get buried by Comey and Sessions.

These countries are allies to Americans, not this administration. I thank them for their diligence.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. K & R!!!!

[lagomorph777]

3. We are now part of the Eastern Bloc.

Just f-ing great.

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. Stunning is putting it mildly.

I feel like Rickey Bobby, on fire on the track!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Trump lied on camera to UK PM May: "100%" on NATO. Now Mattis is shaking NATO down for bucks.

When you abuse allies and lie to them, they protect themselves.

tRump, you are in over your orange dyed head.

[notdarkyet]

9. Way over.

[Ilsa]

16. How is Haley sposed to manage that?

Her administration's secdef is needling the countries we need to be able to work with, need to be able to gather intel from.

[gordianot]

10. The day is coming for retribution against these traitors.

Trump will not last, those who sold out will need to look over their shoulders and never be sure what is coming. No forgiveness, no compromise relentless.

[SHRED]

11. He's unifying our allies.

[renate]

13. wouldn't Comey have known all this? wouldn't he have wanted Hillary to win?

Or anyway, shouldn't he have wanted her to win instead of Trump.

[gordianot]

14. I suspect this was to help down ticket pukes.

Trump by most measures did not win and did not expect to win.

[world wide wally]

15. Get these fucking traitors out of power while we still have the semblance of a country left to

protect!

[LisaM]

17. But Hillary had a secure server in her basement!

That clearly outweighs everything outlined above.

[NBachers]

18. It's time for Hillary to put up a government-in-exile in France.

[SCVDem]

20. Now there's a thought

Show America what might have been.

Or could be.

[lindysalsagal]

19. Everything you need to know about fRump's russia connection are in these paragraphs:

While nothing improper has been detected, the Baltic nation also launched an investigation by its intelligence service into the relationship between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his longtime personal friend, Igor Sechin, the head of the Kremlin-controlled oil company Rosneft. Sechin and Rosneft are on the blacklist of people and entities designated for sanctions following Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. He was Tillerson’s main business partner when he worked as the chief executive of Exxon Mobil and is a powerful figure in Russia who is both a former member of the FSB (the federal security service that is the primary successor to the Soviet Union’s KGB) and the former head of presidential administration in charge of the security services.

“Sechin’s power derives from his relationship with Putin,” according to a 2008 State Department cable sent from the embassy in Moscow. “As Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration in charge of the security services, there was little doubt about Igor Sechin's power. He was widely regarded as a very influential member of Putin's inner circle, perhaps even the most influential, with the requisite FSB background to advance the President's (and his own) agenda.”

That influence, and the role Sechin could play in gaining greater power for Russia through oil sales if sanctions are dropped by the Trump administration, is what made him a primary target in the Baltic state’s intelligence investigation of Tillerson. Yet, back in America, the name Sechin was not even mentioned during Tillerson’s confirmation hearings before the Senate.

fRump says: "Things are being leaked.....blah blah blah....." Yup. Like your collusion with russia!

[Bob Loblaw]

21. Republicans conducted

an Anti-Intelligence Operation against the White House when they voted for Trump.

[mcar]

23. Stunning is the right word

Did the Trumpies really think they'd keep all this secret?

[Hekate]

24. KnR

[dlk]

25. Another Gift From the Republicans

Who could have ever predicted that Republicans, who never miss an opportunity to wrap themselves in the flag, have reduced our government to this point -- where it takes the intelligence gathering of our allies to find out how our president and his cronies have colluded with a hostile foreign power to rig the presidential election and install sympathizers in cabinet positions, and others throughout our government? FBI Director Comey appears to be in on it and the stonewalling of Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan of any serious investigation looks like they are all part of something very dirty.

[procon]

26. Foreign governments are doing a better job of finding the truth than the Republicans.

They are an embarrassment, and if all these investigations prove that Trump is the traitor he seems to be, then every single Republican should be indicted as co conspirators for their roles in aiding and abetting him in the coverup by refusing to open an independent prosecutor.

Worse, the United States is now in a situation that may be unprecedented—where European governments know more about what is going on in the executive branch than any elected American official. To date, the Republican-controlled Congress has declined to conduct hearings to investigate the links between Trump’s overseas business partners and foreign governments, or the activities between Russia and officials in the Trump campaign and administration—the very areas being examined by the intelligence services of at least two American allies.