Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

bananas

(27,509 posts)
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 02:29 AM Mar 2017

House Intel Committee seeks names of Obama officials who requested 'unmasking' of Americans picked u

Source: CNN

The leaders of the House Intelligence Committee asked the three leaders of the intelligence community Wednesday about any time during the last seven months of the Obama administration whenever any of its agents and officials improperly named, or "unmasked," and disseminated the identities of American citizens picked up in intelligence collection.

Chairman Devin Nunes, R-California, and Ranking Member Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, wrote that they were concerned that members of the intelligence community have not been sufficiently honoring previously established "robust 'minimization procedures'" to protect the identities of US citizens, including "masking" their names. The letter they sent refers to the disclosure to the public that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had several conversations with the Russian Ambassador.

<snip>

An informed source told CNN that if Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak was being surveilled, Flynn's name should not necessarily have been included on the intelligence report. Rather, "American Citizen 1" or a similar anonymous term should have been used.

"However, as recent news stories, seem to illustrate, individuals talking to the media would appear to have wantonly disregarded these procedures," Nunes and Schiff wrote. The congressmen also asked the names of individuals or agencies who "requested and/or authorized the unmasking and dissemination" of these identities.

<snip>

Read more: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/03/15/politics/house-intelligence-committee-unmasking/index.html

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
 

Tiggeroshii

(11,088 posts)
1. Still acting like there is somebody else in charge they could hold accountable.
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 02:33 AM
Mar 2017

Sorry buddy, just you guys. Get used it.

still_one

(92,381 posts)
2. So let me understand this, they don't want to "unmask" Americans who have
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 02:38 AM
Mar 2017

betrayed America because?????????

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
6. Well.....it's a fair point.....
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:42 AM
Mar 2017

What say you pick up the phone to call Joe's Pizza. You're drunk....you're off by a couple numbers and you call the line of a person who's currently under Federal wiretap.

Now the agents have no idea if ordering a large white with extra feta means any God damn thing..... but until they know that you're a actual wrongdoer, they should mask your identity from public records.

In fact unless you're charged with an actual crime, even if they suspect you of some dastardly motive in the extra feta, they should mask your identity. It's only fair, because being under investigation carries a stigma. It can affect your life your job your family.

However, with Michael Flynn leading the chants of lock her up at the RNC this is sweet Karma.

bananas

(27,509 posts)
4. Some of us will remember the Iran-Contra Hearings
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 02:44 AM
Mar 2017

and the references to "Country Number 1" and "Country Number 2" etc.
Some of us will also remember references to "another lawsuit" that witnesses had to schedule their testimony around.
The other lawsuit was not broadcast live on C-Span, and most people were unaware of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christic_Institute

<snip>

Iran-Contra Affair[edit]

Six months before the Iran-Contra affair was publicly exposed, the Christic Institute filed Avirgan v. Hull. The Institute did so in response to a bombing in La Penca, Nicaragua that killed eight people and injured twelve others, including a journalist from ABC. Investigation of the incident by Christic employees revealed involvement in the bombing by former intelligence officials and private "soldiers of fortune" who were supplying arms for the Contra war against Nicaragua. Acting under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO),[1] the Christic Institute was granted broad investigative powers by the court. The Christic Institute's suit and public education campaign created broad public awareness of the Iran-Contra Affair. The government appointed Special Counsel Lawrence Walsh. Using these powers to compel testimony and subpoena evidence, the Institute revealed:[2]

1. Drug trafficking to finance the Contra war against Nicaragua: with the knowledge of officials in the White House, Justice Department and the Central Intelligence Agency, key figures in the covert Contra supply operation smuggled cocaine and other drugs from Colombia to the United States through contra-controlled bases in Central America.[3][page needed][4]

2. A pattern of criminal activity in the conduct of covert operations: major figures implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal have a criminal history dating back to covert operations in Cuba, Southeast Asia and the Middle East that included drug trafficking, gun running, money laundering and political assassinations.[3][page needed][5][6]

3. Existence of a lawless "secret government" fighting covert wars worldwide: elements of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council are operating outside the effective control of Congress and the American people, enlisting the services of narcotics traffickers and professional assassins, hiding behind dummy corporations and secret bank accounts, operating independent of democratic oversight and with impunity.[3][7][8]

<snip>

underthematrix

(5,811 posts)
5. No one in US intel had to out Flynn. European intel
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 02:45 AM
Mar 2017

agencies had the same information and some shared their intel with US intel.

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)
9. when Mr. Trump waved around that letter/list of "Generals for trump" he outed him to the world.
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 01:20 PM
Mar 2017
Mr. Trump go find out who created that "letter of Generals" and sent it to YOUR campaign. about the same time Russia sent Manafort to work as a unpaid! volunteer on your campaign.

Justice

(7,188 posts)
7. No illegal to acquire or use US Person personal info collect during FISA but subject to rules
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 11:53 AM
Mar 2017

FISA does not prohibit listening to both ends of a conversation when the USIC is conducting court-authorized surveillance of a communication facility used by an agent of a foreign power.

FISA restricts how the USIC can use any US person information acquired as result of FISA warrant.

FISA "minimization” procedures that FBI/CIA/NSA must follow to protect retention and dissemination of US persons' private information.
--- Don't circulate non-publicly available information of an unconsenting US person without masking/minimizing.
--- A fair amount of executive and judicial oversight in minimization.

Exception on requirement to mask/minimize US person's private information:
-- meets the statutory definition of “foreign intelligence,”
-- is necessary to understand foreign intelligence or is evidence of a crime.
-- USIC can use and disseminate to officials “unminimized” information, including the identity of a US person, if exception met.
-- exception does not allow public disclosure of US person's identity

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)
8. 3/20 hearings should probably have Flynn over for a deposition and start to charge him with crimes.
Thu Mar 16, 2017, 01:03 PM
Mar 2017

offer him immunity to turn in the others in Republican party who "worked" with Russians and who KNEW they were paid through the "Russian pension money" system.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»House Intel Committee see...