CIA: Senate briefed in September on Russian efforts to deliver a Trump victory

[Syt]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/09/person-of-the-year-trump-putin-dreams-brexit-us-election-aleppo-post-truth

Person of the year shouldn't be Donald Trump – it's clearly Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump should not have been named Time magazine's Person of the Year. That's not to make the schoolboy error of presuming the award to be a badge of moral approval: I know it merely recognises the individual who has dominated the previous 12 months, for good or ill. (It's why Time has no reason to regret handing the 1938 accolade to Adolf Hitler.)

Even so, and even though Trump was clearly the biggest news story of 2016, he still should not have won. For there is another figure who looms larger over this annus horribilis, albeit from the shadows. He ends this year with a wolfish grin, content that almost all his dreams have come true. That man is Vladimir Putin.

He surveys the global landscape and sees almost every sign pointing his way. From Aleppo to the White House, from post-truth to Brexit, this is the year the world was reshaped in his image. He may not have been the guiding hand behind every shift, though he certainly gave several of them a nudge, but together they made him 2016's biggest winner.

Start with Syria, which even in this year of horrors surely merits a special infamy of its own. The leaders of western nations ritually condemn the catastrophe that has been visited upon the people of Aleppo, eloquently denouncing the bombing of hospitals, including makeshift clinics hidden in basements, the flattening of civilian areas, the killing of children, the denial of food and medicine. And yet Putin knows he need not listen. Because the important fact is the one on the ground: no one has stopped him or his Syrian vassal, Bashar al-Assad, from continuing the slaughter.

Plenty have warned that Aleppo will be the Guernica of our generation, remembered among the greatest crimes against humanity. Future historians will ask all the same shaming questions. Why was there not more outrage? Did people not know – or just not care? Why did they not act? But there is another comparison. For Aleppo has received the treatment Putin once meted out to Grozny, when Chechnya dared rebel against Moscow. In 1999 it too was bombed into what the UN called a "devastated wasteland", an act of destruction tolerated because it was deemed to be taking place on Russia's turf.

But the de facto permission granted to Putin's smashing of Syria counts as an even greater victory for the Russian dictator. Not only has he advanced his narrow, strategic interests, maintaining a presence in the Middle East and, in Tartus, a deep-water port with access to the Mediterranean. He has won a less tangible but more valuable prize. He has proved that it is possible to kill or dispossess millions of civilians with impunity.

Of course, some will say George W Bush proved that with his invasion of Iraq in 2003. But until now, Moscow might have felt constrained by the precedent of Slobodan Milošević, fearing that there were limits to how much blood you could shed before, eventually, the west or the US or Nato would act. Now Putin has established beyond doubt that there are no limits. Partly because of Iraq, and the fatigue it left behind, he has seen that once-serious international talk of a "responsibility to protect" endangered civilians is a dead letter. You can kill hundreds of thousands and no one will do a thing.

But 2016 has provided Putin with other reasons to be cheerful. He now has friends in high places, or in places about to get higher. The most obvious is Trump, but there are others, both near and far. Indeed, November was a banner month for the Russian leader, bringing pro-Putin candidates to power in Moldova, Bulgaria and Estonia, as well as teeing up a win-win French presidential contest in 2017. There is a good chance the final round will pit two Putin fans against each other: François Fillon v Marine Le Pen.

Like most on the European far right, Le Pen has long revered Putin as a nationalist strongman and was happy to take a €9m (£8m) loan from a Russian-backed bank. Less predictably Fillon, who will be the standard bearer of the centre-right, also gazes moon-eyed at Putin. Fillon wants to see the lifting of sanctions imposed on Moscow over Ukraine and believes Putin, the conqueror of Crimea, is the injured party, since it was all the western powers' fault that Russia invaded in the first place.

Wherever he looks, Putin can see allies – whether it's Nigel Farage on the right or US Green party presidential candidate Jill Stein on the left. (Stein boasted during the campaign that she had dined with Russia's leader, even sitting at the same table.) Indeed, given the regimes now ruling Hungary and Poland, Putin can smile at the emergence of what political scientist Yascha Mounk calls "the illiberal international", an arc of states led by people who, like him, regard the free press or an independent judiciary as unnecessary irritants.

Yet democratic votes have been good to Putin this year. Brexit was an early gift to a man who has long seen the weakening of the European Union as a strategic goal. Ideally, he'd like to see the EU break up: then he could make a series of bilateral deals with Europe's nations, picking them off one by one. That's the long game; but just to have the EU weakened, distracted and destabilised will do for now. And with Britain's departure, the EU will lose one of its loudest Putin-wary voices.

But of course the sweetest victory came on 8 November. Donald Trump veered wildly during the campaign, but one of the few stances he maintained with iron consistency was his admiration for Putin. The autocrat certainly did all he could to return the favour. As one Kremlin ally puts it, "Maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks." They certainly did.

Few credible sources doubt that Russia was behind the hacking of internal Democratic party emails, whose release by Julian Assange was timed to cause maximum pain to Hillary Clinton and pleasure for Trump. As a former KGB man, Putin must be proud of what is surely the most successful espionage operation in history, one that succeeded beyond even Moscow's expectations – installing an admirer and sycophant in the White House.

The benefits are obvious. Given Trump's lukewarm commitment to Nato and the defence of its members, Putin will now have all but a free hand. As one Russia expert observes: "Seen from Moscow, the west has not been in such inviting disarray since the Suez crisis of 1956. Whatever constraints Putin may now feel upon his land-grabbing instincts, Nato is no longer one of them."

As the year closes, each day brings new delights for the master of the Kremlin. The US is about to be led by a serial, if not compulsive liar; the public conversation of the west is polluted by fake news. This new, post-truth world is pure Putinism. For years his propaganda effort, typified by his TV channel Russia Today, has been aimed not so much at pushing a single message as sowing confusion, making even solid facts seem unsteady. As a mission, it once seemed futile when pitted against the solid framework of fact and reason, carefully constructed during the two centuries since the enlightenment. But those timbers have proved alarmingly easy to rot.

He may not have done all this himself. But it counts as a historic achievement nonetheless. If 2016 has been an awful year, and it has, then its true face belongs to Vladimir Putin.

[Syt]

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/10/politics/donald-trump-response-russian-hacking/index.html

Donald Trump takes aim at US Intelligence

(CNN)President-elect Donald Trump's transition team slammed the CIA Friday, following reports the agency has concluded that Russia intervened in the election to help him win.

In a stunning response to widening claims of a Russian espionage operation targeting the presidential race, Trump's camp risked an early feud with the Intelligence community on which he will rely for top secret assessments of the greatest threats facing the United States.

"These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction," the transition said in a terse, unsigned statement.

"The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It's now time to move on and 'Make America Great Again.'"

The sharp pushback to revelations in The Washington Post, which followed an earlier CNN report on alleged Russian interference in the election, represented a startling rebuke from an incoming White House to the CIA.

The transition team's reference to the agency's most humiliating recent intelligence misfire — over its conclusion that Iraq under Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction — threatens to cast an early cloud over relations between the Trump White House and the CIA.

The top leadership of the agency that presided over the Iraq failure during the Bush administration has long since been replaced. But the comments from Trump's camp will cause concern in the Intelligence community about the incoming President's attitude to America's spy agencies. CNN reported this week that Trump is getting intelligence briefings only once a week. Several previous presidents preparing for the inauguration had a more intense briefing schedule.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation into Russia's hacking told CNN last week that the US intelligence community is increasingly confident that Russian meddling in the US election was intended to steer the election toward Trump, rather than simply to undermine or in other ways disrupt the political process.

On Friday, the Post cited US officials as saying that intelligence agencies have identified individuals connected to the Russian government who gave Wikileaks thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta.

Trump has repeatedly said there is no evidence to suggest that President Vladimir Putin's Russia, with which he has vowed to improve relations, played a nefarious role in the US election.

"I don't believe it. I don't believe they interfered," Trump said in an interview for the latest issue of Time magazine, adding that he thought intelligence community accusations about Russian interventions in the election were politically motivated.

Trump has also been highly sensitive to any suggestion that he did not win the election fair and square, including claiming that he is only trailing Clinton in the popular vote because of a huge trove of illegal votes -- a claim for which he has provided no evidence.

Earlier Friday, the White House said that President Barack Obama had ordered a full review into hacking aimed at influencing US elections going back to 2008.

Russia has demanded evidence of its alleged involvement in the election and denied any wrongdoing.

[Eddie Teach]

Of course, some will say George W Bush proved that with his invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Some are crackpots.

[jimmy olsen]

Good.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/12/08/republicans-ready-to-launch-wide-ranging-probe-of-russia-despite-trumps-stance/?utm_term=.a5219894be44

Republicans ready to launch wide-ranging probe of Russia, despite Trump's stance

By Karoun Demirjian December 8 at 6:55 PM

Leading Senate Republicans are preparing to launch a coordinated and wide-ranging probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the U.S. elections and its potential cyberthreats to the military, digging deep into what they view as corrosive interference in the nation's institutions.

Such an aggressive approach puts them on a direct collision course with President-elect Donald Trump, who downplays the possibility Russia had any role in the November elections — arguing that a hack of the Democratic National Committee emails may have been perpetrated by "some guy in his home in New Jersey." The fracture could become more prominent after Trump is inaugurated and begins setting foreign policy. He has already indicated that the country should "get along" with Russia since the two nations have many common strategic goals.

But some of Trump's would-be Republican allies on Capitol Hill disagree. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (Ariz.) is readying a probe of possible Russian cyber-incursions into U.S. weapons systems, and he said he has been discussing the issue with Senate Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (N.C.), with whom he will be "working closely" to investigate Russia's suspected interference in the U.S. elections and cyberthreats to the military and other institutions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been apprised of the discussions. Burr did not respond to requests for comment.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) also said he intends to hold hearings next year into alleged Russian hacking. Corker is on Trump's shortlist for secretary of state, according to the Trump transition team.

Trump transition officials could not be reached for comment.

The loudest GOP calls for a Russia probe are coming from McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Both have taken a hard line on Russia and have been highly critical of Trump, particularly his praise of President Vladimir Putin.

"They'll keep doing more here until they pay a price," Graham said of Russia. He plans to spearhead legislation and hold a series of investigative hearings next year into "Russia's misadventures throughout the world," including Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.

"I'm going after Russia in every way you can go after Russia. I think they're one of the most destabilizing influences on the world stage. I think they did interfere with our elections, and I want Putin personally to pay the price," Graham said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

McCain said his Armed Services Committee will launch a probe in the 115th Congress into Russia's cyber-capabilities against the U.S. military and weapons systems, "because the real threat is cyber," he explained.


But McCain said he expects the investigation will also dovetail with the topic of Russia's suspected hacking of the DNC and state-based election systems — which include a hack that took place in McCain's home state of Arizona.

"See, the problem with hacking is that if they're able to disrupt elections, then it's a national security issue, obviously," McCain said Thursday.

He added that the Armed Services Committee was "still formulating" exactly how to address the issue during hearings. But despite Trump's dismissal, McCain said that "there's very little doubt" Russia interfered in the U.S. elections, which he called "very worthy of examination."

The U.S. government in October officially accused Russia of hacking the DNC's emails during the presidential campaign. The emails were posted on websites such as WikiLeaks and embarrassed the party, notably forcing Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) to resign as DNC chairwoman.

And U.S. military officials officials are concerned about Russia's capacity to steal military secrets and corrupt operations: Officials already suspect that Russian hackers were behind a major email breach at the Pentagon last year. And the military could be a target for backlash, after an NBC News report widely circulated by Russian media said that U.S. military hackers were ready to launch cyberattacks against Russia in the event of an obvious election hack.

Trump continued to downplay Russian involvement in the elections in an interview released this week for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" feature. In the interview, the president-elect disputed the Obama administration's accusation that Russia interfered in the election.


"I don't believe they interfered," Trump said of Russia. "It could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey. I believe that it could have been Russia and it could have been any one of many other people. Sources or even individuals."

Some Republicans delicately demurred, while still defending Trump's ability to negotiate with Putin.

"The Democratic National Committee ... the intelligence community is of pretty much one mind that Russia was involved in that, was behind that," Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) said in an MSNBC interview. King is a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and chairman of the House Homeland Security subcommittee on intelligence and counterterrorism.

King added that he was "confident" Trump "will not be taken in by Putin."

Democrats have also taken issue with Trump's desire to pursue more friendly relations with Moscow, as well as his affinity for Putin.

"The primary area of discomfort for the Republicans here and the Trump administration, in foreign policy and national security, is over Russia," said Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the House Intelligence Committee's ranking Democrat. He accused Trump on MSNBC this week of becoming "a propaganda piece for the Kremlin," adding: "They may be giving him breathing space right now, but I don't expect that to last."


Since the election, Republican lawmakers have voted to reestablish a U.S. hard line against Russia's global ventures. The House has passed measure to sanction anyone who supports the Syrian government in its ongoing civil war, a category that primarily includes Russia and Iran. There is also language in the annual defense policy bill to provide millions of dollars in lethal aid to Ukraine, where the government in Kiev is engaged in open hostilities against Russian-backed separatists.

But many Democrats are impatient with Republicans for not taking faster and more concrete steps against Russia after the Obama administration officially accused Moscow of meddling in the elections.


Corker expressed early interest in holding hearings on Russia. But months later, those hearings have not been held. "We're getting no pressure from anyone — we just feel like it's something we should do," Corker said in an interview Wednesday, when asked if the president-elect had pressured him not to raise the topic. "As a matter of fact, we attempted to set a classified briefing up this week."

Obama administration officials maintain that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other officials were ready to brief senators about Russia's suspected role in the DNC hack on Thursday. Administration officials said that at the last minute, the committee dramatically broadened the scope of the hearing, forcing them to cancel.

A spokeswoman for Corker said the hearing was postponed because State Department officials were unavailable due to previous travel commitments. She added that Corker and Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (Md.), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ranking Democrat, received a classified briefing on cyberthreats prior to the election.

Corker pledged Wednesday that hearings investigating Russia's role in the elections would be forthcoming next year. "We're definitely going to look at it," he said.

An aggressive probe of Russia's activities may not extend to the House, where leading Republicans say they have already been investigating Russia and will continue their efforts regardless of Trump's stance.

"[Russia]'s always been a priority for me, and it will remain a priority for me," House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, stressed that his committee has been looking at Russian cyberthreats to the military for the last two years.

"We're going to have to all pay more attention to cyber and to Russian activities to influence things through cyber," Thornberry said.

Democrats, meanwhile, are going to use whatever power they have to ensure that suspected Russian activities in the elections and beyond get attention.

Seven top-ranked Democrats sent a letter to President Obama on Tuesday asking for classified briefings "regarding Russian entities' hacking of American political organizations," including the DNC hack, emails released by WikiLeaks and fake news.

"Regardless of whether you voted for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or anyone else, Russia's attacks on our election are an attempt to degrade our democracy and should chill every American — Democratic, Republican, or Independent — to the core," said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Relations Committee.

[Grinning_Colossus]

Russia is conservative Christian, not commie, you morons. It's hardly unpatriotic to help them help us. 

To celebrate this development, I'm going to buy a portrait of Donald Trump and hang it on my wall. Next to the rug.

[LaCroix]

I'm not sure what you guys think Obama should have done. It isn't as though Russia trying to meddle in the election was a secret pre election. Obama getting on a soapbox and screaming about it doesn't seem like a strategy that would persuade many eventual Trump voters.

yeah, I think this is another instance of the languish echo chamber. the russian hack stuff just wasn't convincing (edit -- to the people), and hillary's insistence on it rather than discuss the contents of the leaks really hurt her.

[CountDeMoney]

Donald Trump takes aim at US Intelligence

The CIA's first and foremost customer is the President of the United States. 


THE HOT LIST FOR 2017

OUT: CIA
IN: INFOWARS

[CountDeMoney]

I'm not sure what you guys think Obama should have done. It isn't as though Russia trying to meddle in the election was a secret pre election. Obama getting on a soapbox and screaming about it doesn't seem like a strategy that would persuade many eventual Trump voters.

yeah, I think this is another instance of the languish echo chamber. the russian hack stuff just wasn't convincing, and hillary's insistence on it rather than discuss the contents of the leaks really hurt her.

Save it for the basket, Deplorable.

[LaCroix]

  edited my post. the evidence is there that it probably happened, but that doesn't mean it was convincing to the american public

[Legbiter]

The Russians hacked the Democratic Party and forced it to nominate Hillary Clinton.

[Razgovory]

I'm not sure what you guys think Obama should have done. It isn't as though Russia trying to meddle in the election was a secret pre election. Obama getting on a soapbox and screaming about it doesn't seem like a strategy that would persuade many eventual Trump voters.

yeah, I think this is another instance of the languish echo chamber. the russian hack stuff just wasn't convincing (edit -- to the people), and hillary's insistence on it rather than discuss the contents of the leaks really hurt her.

She should have spent more time talking about what people found convincing, insane conspiracy theories involving satanists and pizza.

[LaCroix]

she should have owned up

[FunkMonk]

The CIA is getting so gutted. So gutted! Sad!

[frunk]

Trump is just making their job easier.

Things to spy on:
China
Iran
North Korea
Russia

[grumbler]

she should have owned up

Disagree.  She should have doubled down on the lying.  Trump did that, and that was the secret to his success.

Clinton lost because she believed that the truth mattered.