Analyzing the Trump/Russia Intelligence Story

[GURPS]

Analyzing the Trump/Russia Intelligence Story



So, let's have a little analytical look at the story.

First of all, every U.S. person in the room denies it, specifically saying no "sources and methods" were disclosed. Remember that, it's important.

Apparently, the Trump people did report to the NSA and CIA what they talked about with the Russians, and that some of it was highly classified. Following that, the story was leaked by "current and former U.S. officials," speaking anonymously, of course.

One thing we know -- since we know exactly who was in the meeting -- is that these "current and former officials" were not in the meeting. The second thing we know is that -- well, let's work backward a bit. "Current officials" work for the current administration. "Former officials" must have worked for some previous administration. Those would be the Obama administration, the Bush administration, the Clinton administration, and the previous Bush administration. Of course, of that list, only Obama administration officials are likely to still be cleared for anything like this, so it's a fair guess "former officials" means "former Obama administration officials."

So, rewriting the lede with this, we have: "President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, as reported by unnamed sources who are current officials, or who were Obama administration officials, and who were not present at the meeting."

[clip]

So, now what we know is that these anonymous sources were so alarmed about what Trump told the Russians that they immediately got in touch with Washington Post reporters and ... revealed the same information to them?

Okay, so now I'm getting a little bit suspicious.

 

[Hijinx]

Analyzing the Trump/Russia Intelligence Story



So, let's have a little analytical look at the story.

First of all, every U.S. person in the room denies it, specifically saying no "sources and methods" were disclosed. Remember that, it's important.

Apparently, the Trump people did report to the NSA and CIA what they talked about with the Russians, and that some of it was highly classified. Following that, the story was leaked by "current and former U.S. officials," speaking anonymously, of course.

One thing we know -- since we know exactly who was in the meeting -- is that these "current and former officials" were not in the meeting. The second thing we know is that -- well, let's work backward a bit. "Current officials" work for the current administration. "Former officials" must have worked for some previous administration. Those would be the Obama administration, the Bush administration, the Clinton administration, and the previous Bush administration. Of course, of that list, only Obama administration officials are likely to still be cleared for anything like this, so it's a fair guess "former officials" means "former Obama administration officials."

So, rewriting the lede with this, we have: "President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, as reported by unnamed sources who are current officials, or who were Obama administration officials, and who were not present at the meeting."

[clip]

So, now what we know is that these anonymous sources were so alarmed about what Trump told the Russians that they immediately got in touch with Washington Post reporters and ... revealed the same information to them?

Okay, so now I'm getting a little bit suspicious.

These leakers need to be found and the leaks plugged.

Too bad they cannot plug some of the leakers.

 

[Bird Dog]

......but let me get this straight. Trump gave the Russians information that might prevent them from letting ISIS blow up one of their commercial airliners. Oh the horror.

Then some Sh!tbird staffer leaks to Wapo and Wapo has a hissy fit and the the fact that the illegal leak and the fact that Russia's commercial aviation is safer mean nothing.

OK....

 

[This_person]

......but let me get this straight. Trump gave the Russians information that might prevent them from letting ISIS blow up one of their commercial airliners. Oh the horror.

Then some Sh!tbird staffer leaks to Wapo and Wapo has a hissy fit and the the fact that the illegal leak and the fact that Russia's commercial aviation is safer mean nothing.

OK....

I don't quite get even the worry here....they're saying it wasn't the information you're talking about, but rather that information-gathering (sources/techniques) is what was the issue. I would assume, since WaPo reported on the whole laptop thing a month and a half ago, that's not a worry (unless WaPo is leaking classified information, too).

So, we're left with sources/techniques. Yet, they can't tell us who told them he said anything about that, and they're quoting - literally - FORMER government officials. Are we to believe that there were FORMER government officials in the room, who then leaked this leak? I mean, the report fails on every level.

 

[Lurk]

I don't quite get even the worry here....they're saying it wasn't the information you're talking about, but rather that information-gathering (sources/techniques) is what was the issue. I would assume, since WaPo reported on the whole laptop thing a month and a half ago, that's not a worry (unless WaPo is leaking classified information, too).

National Security Advisor and Secretary of State were in the room and say "It didn't happen"

 

[vraiblonde]

National Security Advisor and Secretary of State were in the room and say "It didn't happen"

Doesn't matter. The progbots were all there and they heard it and they know. WashPo said so.

 

[GURPS]

Doesn't matter. The progbots were all there and they heard it and they know. WashPo said so.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

......but let me get this straight. Trump gave the Russians information that might prevent them from letting ISIS blow up one of their commercial airliners. Oh the horror.

Then some Sh!tbird staffer leaks to Wapo and Wapo has a hissy fit and the the fact that the illegal leak and the fact that Russia's commercial aviation is safer mean nothing.

OK....

That's some of it, yes. But at the heart of it, it wasn't our intel to give away. He also, depending on who you believe, gave Russia the area where the intel was gathered, putting our intel partner in danger.

Trump went on to discuss aspects of the threat that the United States learned only through the espionage capabilities of a key partner. He did not reveal the specific intelligence-gathering method, but he described how the Islamic State was pursuing elements of a specific plot and how much harm such an attack could cause under varying circumstances. Most alarmingly, officials said, Trump revealed the city in the Islamic State’s territory where the U.S. intelligence partner detected the threat.

The identification of the location was seen as particularly problematic, officials said, because Russia could use that detail to help identify the U.S. ally or intelligence capability involved. Officials said the capability could be useful for other purposes, possibly providing intelligence on Russia’s presence in Syria. Moscow would be keenly interested in identifying that source and perhaps disrupting it.

At a more fundamental level, the information wasn’t the United States’ to provide to others. Under the rules of espionage, governments — and even individual agencies — are given significant control over whether and how the information they gather is disseminated, even after it has been shared. Violating that practice undercuts trust considered essential to sharing secrets.

The officials declined to identify the ally but said it has previously voiced frustration with Washington’s inability to safeguard sensitive information related to Iraq and Syria.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...9_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.0e54e1f19d74