I was chatting last night with a retired CIA colleague, a person well connected to many folks still working at our former employer, and he dropped a bombshell--he had learned that John Brennan set up a Trump Task Force at CIA in early 2016.
...
I am also hearing that CIA Director Gina Haspel is cooperating. She was the CIA Chief of Station in London when this Task Force was up a running but my friend says she was kept out of the loop. She and Brennan have a history and it is not friendly. Brennan blocked her from getting a top assignment in what used to be known as the "Directorate of Operations." So no love lost between the two.
This goes somewhat counter to what we've been hearing, which is that Haspel and Brennan were close. Of course, it's also possible that for her own reasons Haspel has turned on Brennan. That's acceptable, too.
ADDENDUM: That was just too short, so ... from Babylon Bee
Motorcyclist Who Identifies As Bicyclist Sets Cycling World Record
October 25th, 2019
NEW YORK, NY—In an inspiring story from the world of professional cycling, a motorcyclist who identifies as a bicyclist has crushed all the regular bicyclists, setting an unbelievable world record.
In a local qualifying race for the World Road Cycling League, the motorcyclist crushed the previous 100-mile record of 3 hours, 13 minutes with his amazing new score of well under an hour.
Professional motorcycle racer Judd E. Banner, the brave trans-vehicle rider, was allowed to race after he told league organizers he's always felt like a bicyclist in a motorcyclist's body.
"Look, my ride has handlebars, two wheels, and a seat," he told reporters as he accepted a trophy for his incredible time trial. "Just because I've got a little extra hardware, such as an 1170-cc flat-twin engine with 110 horsepower, doesn't mean I have any kind of inherent advantage here."
Banner also said he painted the word "HUFFY" on the side of his bike, ensuring he has no advantage over the bikes that came out of the factory as bicycles.
Some critics say he needs to cut off his motor in order to make the competition fairer, but he quickly called these people bigots, and they were immediately banned from professional cycle racing.
IIRC, Brennan's task force was not a secret, it was organized (supposedly) to counteract Russian election meddling (however described). I presumed that was a cover story for compartmentalizing personnel into surveillance, analysis, investigation of all things related to Trump.
ReplyDeleteI don't precisely recall when this was disclosed, but there was a (G7/G20?) meeting in 2016 where Obama apparently chastised Putin regarding election meddling. I think it was follow-on reporting addressing a Langley unit organized to address this issue.
Right. It was the task force that I was referring to.
DeleteObama was said to have considered little Matteo Renzi his protege and a champion of his globalist ideas in Europe where populism/nationalism have been growing. Coddled and cuddled him, jogged with him, and threw a State Dinner for him. Obama’s Man in Europe.
DeleteIn recent years when the dominoes began to fall, Obie paid calls on Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Marcon, and most recently Matteo Renzi. At least one journalist - a good one - deduced that this could be a “let’s get our stories straight” tour… Monica Showalter wrote:
Former President Obama's weird careening around Europe is starting to have the look of a spygate rationale.
Following his earlier meetings, publicly known, with President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, he's now meeting secretly with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, in what might just be a bid for the two of them to get their stories straight.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/06/dictator_in_exile_medici_edition_is_obama_secretly_meeting_with_italys_renzi_to_get_their_stories_straight.html
It appears that my last Reply, on Obama’s trips to see Renzi et al, may have ended up in the wrong place on this thread. It belonged after Mark’s 7:18am Reply to Cassander. Apologies.
DeleteMark --
ReplyDeleteYour excellent blog has been so jam-packed with news the last few days that I am not sure I have kept up with everything.
So apologies in advance if this is something you have already reported on.
https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/10/25/the-italian-job-spygate-probe-goes-criminal/
J.E. Dyer's post yesterday connected some of the dots relating to Barr and Durham's trips to Italy, the handover of Mifsud's blackberries and developments on the Italian political scene.
In so doing, she reminds us that Barack Obama has made two trips to Italy since leaving office.
Curious.
It seems impossible to imagine that in the real world the POTUS didn't know what his director of the CIA was up to involving Italian intelligence. But I suppose anything is possible.
Obama's two in-person visits certainly make the anything is possible hypothesis less likely.
No, I didn't read it, but will. It's hard to cover everything--I can't--and still have a semblance of a life, so I rely on help from readers like you.
DeleteTGP has been all over the Obama trips and meetings with Renzi. Dyer is shrewd and knowledgeable.
I've cited Dyer a number of times in this regard. I like her timeline very much--I'm a big fan of timelines. I see that back in June I was talking about the timing of Salvini's trip and Obama's meeting with Renzi, but the bigger picture of a timeline is very helpful.
Deletehttps://meaninginhistory.blogspot.com/2019/06/barr-and-durham-are-focused-on-cia.html
My ability to comment was compromised by bad internet and I am back to normal. I am getting caught up.
ReplyDeleteYou do a great job of keeping track of stories. You're like the new Drudge, not that he has turned on Trump.
I see that Brennan is very fidgety lately. I think that he knows the walls are closing in on him. He and his buddies Clapper and Comey.
Obama is probably sweating a little, too. I'm excited for the headlines that surely have to be coming by the end of the year. "(Fill in the blank) arrested and charged with conspiracy."