Every Code Word program needs a Code Word, so why not call President Obama and his National Security Director’s effort to target surveillance of their political opponents exactly what it is—“Operation Destroy Trump.”
Hard evidence of an Intel-op is already in the public domain regardless of the current best efforts by the Mainstream Media to put the entire surveillance effort in a memory hole even before it hits our memory.
This is flat out wrong on so many levels; legally, ethically and even practically, because in America we have elections and parties in power change.
The evidence presented to date in public makes the case that the Obama White House was using Intelligence/ Counterintelligence practices and procedures against innocent Americans, for political purposes.
In undertaking such an effort one of the most import aspects of any intelligence collection effort is to build out the “social network” of your targets and then send out that “work in progress’ of social network analysis to others to continue to expand one’s knowledge base of “who is connected to who.”
Content analysis is the parallel part of that equation and NSC Director Susan Rice’s spreadsheet accomplishes both those objectives.
The revelations about the growth of the Surveillance State should be of huge concern to all Americans, Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Thankfully Lars Larson was concerned enough to allow me on his radio program to discuss the growth of the surveillance state and discuss an article I wrote four years ago:
Is America on the Eve of an Electronic Wave of Terror?
http://www.larslarson.com/america-edge-electronic-wave-terror/
While serving as Director Technology Assessment, International Technology Security, Office of the Secretary of Defense (2003-2008) I engaged with both Vice Admiral Poindexter and also Major General Keith Alexander.
Admiral Poindexter was leading the DARPA, Total Information Awareness (TIA) effort, and General Alexander then CG of US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) and was creating his “Cities of Information.”
Both efforts were designed to use state-of-the art computer data mining algorithms in anticipation of the huge metadata collection on all Americans.
Both men, patriotic to their core and brilliant, were dedicated to the best of their considerable abilities to build information systems that harnessed powerful machine based analytics to filter actionable intelligence in order to make America and our Allies safer.
I personally saw the power of their vision being merged with the power of information age technology and was hugely impressed with the technology.
However, back in our ITS office, we then had a series of discussions about employing such metadata collection and analytical efforts for our Counterintelligence (CI) mission.
I saw both TIA and “Cities of Information” as tremendously powerful new tools.
But, during our ITS office robust discussions, a very smart co-worker flagged his deep concerns about proceeding down this path.
This colleague pointed out that it was way too much power to give to the government.
He was exactly right, because in those days we trusted ourselves as the good guys.
However, he astutely pointed out things can change in our Democracy, so I countered what could possibly go wrong?
Well, America now knows exactly what can go wrong when everything changes, parties change but the system continues to grow.
There is a pervasive and pernicious bipartisan consensus, which has unleashed information intrusion and government out of control.
http://www.sldforum.com/2013/06/is-america-on-the-eve-of-an-electronic-wave-of-terror/
It is evident that the former administration was creating a target list of political opponents under the false flag of National Security. It is a perfect time of opportunity to say stop and enough! Please all just remember the rule of law and the constitution especially the 4th Amendment.
Former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice ordered U.S. spy agencies to produce “detailed spreadsheets” of legal phone calls involving Donald Trump and his aides when he was running for president, according to former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova.
Let us now look at the state of play into what is rapidly turning out to be not only a very ugly “political dirty tricks” campaign butit is about committing felonies in the IC collection efforts and distribution and unauthorized disclosures directly violating Donald Trump team’s 4th Amendment rights.
We now know NSC Director Rice pushed “unmasked” names throughout the IC.
Consequently there is an opportunity to have a focused effort to find out what exactly occurred, by looking at the US Department of Defense.
DOD by budget is both the largest “collector” of classified Intel but also the largest consumer by Cabinet size and mission.
DOD takes this mission with such concern that there is an Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence or USD (I) directly reporting to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.
There is also a significant and very professional CI component of USD (I);
- Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for HUMINT, Counterintelligence and Security
Additionally, all three services have organizations that I worked with as the DOD liaison to the National Counterintelligence Executive Committee which was co-chaired by FBI.
They are: Naval Criminal Investigative Service–NCIS, Army G-2 part of US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) and USAF Office of Special Investigations (OSI).
All are very impressive in the performance of the CI component of their mission
American citizens have seen damning comments on abusing the trust and confidence of having access to highly classified information being made by a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD), Dr Evelyn Farkas, who reports through the Undersecretary for Policy, USD(P). Her Pentagon reporting Chain-of-Command was just like USD(I) a direct report to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.
Dr. Evelyn Farkas, former Obama Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine, has said:
“I was urging my former colleagues (she left in 2015) and frankly speaking the people on the Hill—it was more actually aimed at telling the Hill people—get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can before President Obama leaves the administration.”
Secretary of Defense Mattis, in a good government continuity of National Security leadership move, inherited President Obama’s Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work. The Honorable Robert Work was offered the opportunity to stay as DepSecDef until his replacement was confirmed.
This fortuitous personnel event allows direct insight by a person who was operational in both Administrations in a very senior National Security position.
DepSec Work is serving in a very significant position to know exactly what happened when NSC Director Rice was building her “spreadsheets” and engaging throughout the Intelligence Community, remember—“..
DASD Farkas stated,
“I was urging my former colleagues…” who?
“It was more actually aimed at telling the Hill people—get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can …”-
Which Members and Staff?
The Deputy Secretary could really bring sunlight on this evolving breach of the Constitution. He could tell those engaged in damage control counterintelligence (CI) investigation important answers to important questions:
When was DOD first made aware of the surveillance of members of the Trump Campaign and Donald Trump?
Were any other Republican Presidential Candidates or their staff part of an unmasking of “TS (SCI) intercepts/surveillance intelligence originating from Obama WH?
Who in DOD was made aware of the NSC Director’s efforts and what did anyone do with the information?
Was there any reporting at the highest levels in the Department of Defense about any possible illegal actions involved with such an efforts and was any investigation asked for?
Is there now an internal investigation that Congress should be informed about?
Did any individuals in DOD distribute classified information in any way to open additional continuous surveillance of American citizens?
Were the names of any members of the media on any White House “spreadsheets” sent over?
Were any individuals in the Legislative Branch in receipt of classified message traffic with unmasked names?
Finally –Specifically since General Flynn had been Director of DIA and his name was “unmasked” in public from code word protected intelligence collection efforts did Secretary Carter; prior to President Obama leaving office, initiate any action to stop the felony violations of a American citizen’s name being made public using highly classified collection efforts?
Fortunately as this true Orwellian Horror story plays out some good may come from it all.
Strong thoughtful yet decisive actions originating from the Trump Administration could send a very powerful life altering signal to those in the USG that ” crossed a National Security Red Line.”
If an individual is found to have willfully violated their legal responsibilities and special trust and confidence in being part of such an effort and/or they did not report the security violations-immediately PULL their security clearance.
This requires very experienced and seasoned judgment because many (how many unknown) will be innocent employees just doing their job as part of “another day at the office,” albeit with Top Secret (Special Compartmented Intelligence) access.
It is those who willfully “followed-orders” to violate the law or knew what was happening and did nothing to stop it that must be held accountable.
Pulling Security Clearances will send a major wake-up to all Rs, Ds and Independents in USG who would consider playing ugly political games.
This action could be just the beginning of huge lessons-learned in how to stop surveillance state abuse.
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