SPY GAMES

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse…

I was still trying to wrap my head around Trump’s boorish behavior toward our NATO allies when the Washington Post published what may be one of the most explosive stories in our modern history.

The Washington Post is reporting that US intelligence agencies in their normal surveillance of Russian officials, intercepted communication between Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the Kremlin.  In the communication Kislyak is informing the Kremlin of a meeting with Trump’s senior adviser, son-in-law Jared Kushner, in which Kushner proposes that a covert communications operation be set up between the Trump transition team and the Russian government and that the communications be run through the Russian cryptographic facilities housed in the Russian embassy to avoid the prying eyes of the US government.

WTF?!#*!!!!!

If this reporting is correct…we have an individual who is the president’s most trusted senior adviser…a 36 year old son-in-law with unfettered access to the president in both the Oval Office and in private moments in the residence…a man with zero experience in politics, government or international affairs much less clandestine operations…proposing to the ambassador of one of our most dangerous rivals…that a covert back channel operation be created using the Russians cryptographic facilities…so that the Trump transition team can communicate with the Russians without the knowledge of the US government.

According to the reporting Kislyak was taken aback that Kushner would suggest that such communications be run on Russia’s communication facilities because if discovered the blow back would have serious repercussions for both the Trump transition team and the Russians.

To be fair…if this story is accurate…we do not know if Kushner’s motivation for broaching this subject was rooted in naiveté, ignorance, stupidity or something far more nefarious.

We do know that Kushner’s excuse for leaving this contact with Kislyak off of his application for his security clearance…an innocent oversight…is implausible.

We have already heard from Trump enablers that previous administrations have set up back channel communications with foreign countries to avoid the bureaucratic red tape that often impedes sensitive and critical communications.  This is not that.  We know this is that because to the best of my knowledge previous administrations never suggested that these back channel communications be covertly housed within the facilities of a foreign actor for the stated purpose of hiding them from the federal government.

How serious is this?

Malcolm Nance, a seasoned former CIA operative and clan destined operations expert offered a very emotional analysis.  Paraphrasing…Nance said that thousands of CIA intelligence operatives around the globe are watching this story knowing that if they had acted in the manner that Jared Kushner has reportedly acted their security clearance would have been revoked and they would be facing charges of espionage.  Nance called for the immediate revocation of the security clearances of both Kushner and his staff while a thorough investigation of the matter is conducted by the appropriate authorities.

Donald Trump returns from his nine day foreign policy trip to find his White House embroiled in a in a multitude of accusations, controversies, scandals and investigations.  It has been reported that over this weekend the administration will begin to set up what they are calling a “war council” to combat the mounting list of is issue threatening to end this administration before it barely gets started.

The president has repeatedly denied any wrong doing.  He has called the whole “Russian thing” a “ruse” and a” hoax.”  He has flatly denied any collusion between members of his campaign and the Russians.  If this story is true you can yet another falsehood to the president’s voluminous resume of lies.

Most people who are falsely accused of wrong doing will offer the authorities full co-operation in order to clear their name.  This president has decided to do just the opposite.  This president has decided to form a war council to take the offensive and attack any person or institution that would question his veracity.

Heading up the organization of the president’s “war council”…Jared Kushner.

Reading this bombshell story gave me pause to reflect back to the days of the Trump campaign.

Remember the days when candidate Trump learned of the FBI investigation into Hillary’s emails.

Remember how he bemoaned the prospect of a Clinton presidency under FBI investigation.

Remember how Trump would incite his crowds into raucous chants of “LOCK HER UP!  LOCK HER UP!”