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THREAD – What were @GenFlynn’s post-retirement activities with DIA? Ask @DHWise007.
Part III: Office of Counterintelligence, Special Activities Division, Jan 15* – 30 Nov 16
* FIG est
@sidneypowell1 @adamhousley @IvanPentchoukov @IgnatiusPost @nickschmidle @TheLastRefuge2
Part III: Office of Counterintelligence, Special Activities Division, Jan 15* – 30 Nov 16
* FIG est
@sidneypowell1 @adamhousley @IvanPentchoukov @IgnatiusPost @nickschmidle @TheLastRefuge2
Part I put together a puzzle showing Flynn participating in OVERT HUMINT collection activities on behalf of the DIA’s Defense Debriefing Service. The only piece missing is declassifying the “key information” that @ChuckGrassley is seeking from DIA. https://twitter.com/REMFtweets/status/1261853647647969283?s=20
Part I also wondered if Flynn worked with the Office of Counterintelligence, Special Activities Division. https://twitter.com/REMFtweets/status/1262002150160416769?s=20
Part II began answering that question by showing how Flynn covertly targeted Kislyak in part by assuming “non-official cover” around the edges of several campaigns, including @realDonaldTrump. Flynn followed intel rules-- he was never an official member of any campaign.
Flynn’s brilliant spy tradecraft opened the door for him to stealthily gather info for DIA as a “cooperating source” yet protect the gov’t from claims of political interference.
@GenFlynn had penetrated Kislyak’s suspected networks in Washington. BOTH clandestine and covert activities had commenced.
NOTE: Part V will cover Flynn’s participation in clandestine ops aimed at Kislyak and his agents, including the 'special collection techniques' used, specifically electronic surveillance, plus exactly how James Baker of ONA leaked info re: Flynn-Kislyak calls to @IgnatiusPost .
Here in Part III, we will only look at Flynn’s COVERT activities.
What is the DIFFERENCE between CLANDESTINE and COVERT activity?
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43848.pdf
What is the DIFFERENCE between CLANDESTINE and COVERT activity?
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43848.pdf
Next it’s crucial to understand what is a ‘presidential finding’.
Essentially, it’s a notification to the Gang of 8 (intel) in Congress along with the rationale for conducting covert activities undertaken by the CIA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_finding
Essentially, it’s a notification to the Gang of 8 (intel) in Congress along with the rationale for conducting covert activities undertaken by the CIA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_finding
This means @DevinNunes and @AdamSchiff get briefed along with @SpeakerPelosi and @GOPLeader as well as their Senate colleagues.
What does a ‘presidential finding’ allow? https://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/31/libya.presidential.finding/index.html
‘Special Activities’ are COVERT operations authorized by a ‘presidential finding’.
What are ‘Special Activities’ specifically according to the EO 12333 and DODI 5240.01 as interpreted by the Defense Intelligence Law Handbook?
What are ‘Special Activities’ specifically according to the EO 12333 and DODI 5240.01 as interpreted by the Defense Intelligence Law Handbook?
‘Special Activities’ are conducted for the purpose of achieving foreign policy objectives; the role of the US gov’t is hidden; 'Special Activities' should not... ahem... influence US politics or public opinion.
Again, it’s IMPORTANT to note ‘Special Activities’ differ from intelligence collecting activities, which are clandestine in nature, but not covert.
Only the CIA is authorized to conduct ‘Special Activities’ unless the President directs DoD participation.
‘Special Activities’ must be conducted pursuant to a ‘presidential finding’.
In summary, ‘Special Activities’ are COVERT engagements, not clandestine.
Examples may include cyber attacks and information operations aimed at Russia as well as supplying weapons to Syrian rebels...
Examples may include cyber attacks and information operations aimed at Russia as well as supplying weapons to Syrian rebels...
Ok, what was @GenFlynn's involvement in the world of ‘Special Activities’?
My guess is he was participating in information ops, countering Russian cyber activities... things of that nature...
My theory is supported by the available evidence as will be seen in the coming tweets.
My guess is he was participating in information ops, countering Russian cyber activities... things of that nature...
My theory is supported by the available evidence as will be seen in the coming tweets.
Who was Flynn working with at DIA regarding participation in ‘Special Activities’?
ANSWER: Ezra Cohen-Watnick
ANSWER: Ezra Cohen-Watnick
Recall @DevinNunes “peculiar midnight run” to the White House where he was shown evidence of rampant “unmasking” during the transition in Obama PDBs. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/26/trump-russia-investigation-house-intelligence-devin-nunes
ECW was implicated as the one providing the intelligence, although that story was not entirely correct. (Later it was explained that ECW provided the reports to the White House staff who alerted Nunes.) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/us/politics/devin-nunes-intelligence-reports.html
Either way, the Left found somebody new to hate in ECW.
He was supposedly Trump’s “invisible man” in the White House. https://web.archive.org/web/20170421225027/http://www.newsweek.com/ezra-cohen-watnick-donald-trump-devin-nunes-russia-barack-obama-wiretap-susan-583904
He was supposedly Trump’s “invisible man” in the White House. https://web.archive.org/web/20170421225027/http://www.newsweek.com/ezra-cohen-watnick-donald-trump-devin-nunes-russia-barack-obama-wiretap-susan-583904
Not even McMaster could fire him… not initially at least. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/ezra-cohen-watnick/534615/
COMMENT: ECW’s background is CI. No way Flynn brought in someone as young and inexperienced as Ezra to be NSC Sr Dir for Intel if he didn’t enjoy a close working relationship w him.
Not possible...
That Flynn was working w ECW post-retirement is the only logical conclusion.
Not possible...
That Flynn was working w ECW post-retirement is the only logical conclusion.
IMPORTANT: Flynn was coordinating covert activities w his protégé Ezra Cohen-Watnick in DIA’s Office of Counterintelligence, Special Activities Division.
@DHWise007 all but admits it.
(Mr. Wise, you forgot to mention ECW’s family ties to Michael and Barbara Ledeen.)
@DHWise007 all but admits it.
(Mr. Wise, you forgot to mention ECW’s family ties to Michael and Barbara Ledeen.)
Ok, what were the ‘presidential finding’ plus ‘Special Activities’ involving Flynn and the DIA’s Office of Counterintelligence?
Look no further than Ezra Cohen-Watnick… and Fiona Hill... for the answer.
Recall Flynn and @realKTMcFarland hired Fiona. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/30/fiona-hill-russia-trump-adviser-228758
Look no further than Ezra Cohen-Watnick… and Fiona Hill... for the answer.
Recall Flynn and @realKTMcFarland hired Fiona. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/30/fiona-hill-russia-trump-adviser-228758
Remember the following:
People on the LEFT despise ECW but love Fiona Hill.
People on the RIGHT despise Fiona Hill but love Ezra Cohen-Watnick.
Ok, brace yourselves for something really strange…
People on the LEFT despise ECW but love Fiona Hill.
People on the RIGHT despise Fiona Hill but love Ezra Cohen-Watnick.
Ok, brace yourselves for something really strange…
Fiona Hill and Ezra Cohen-Watnick WORKED TOGETHER on… countering (alleged) RUSSIAN TROLL FARMS! https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kremlin-trolls-burned-across-the-internet-as-washington-debated-options/2017/12/23/e7b9dc92-e403-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html
Yes! Troll farms...
Months after being attacked in the press, Ezra Cohen-Watnick suddenly re-emerged in a WaPo article-- without any hint of something negative about him nor relating to involvement w @DevinNunes.
Months after being attacked in the press, Ezra Cohen-Watnick suddenly re-emerged in a WaPo article-- without any hint of something negative about him nor relating to involvement w @DevinNunes.
In Dec 2017, WaPo resurrected ECW as one of the good guys working alongside Fiona Hill on a covert op targeting (alleged) “army of trolls” who were NOW targeting @realDonaldTrump!!!
ECW and Fiona Hill were operating under the “road map” Obama left for Trump.
Although the Obama administration considered issuing a presidential finding specific to Russia they fell back on an earlier finding for cyber operations worldwide, supplementing it with a planning order specifically authorizing covert action against Russia.
This ‘presidential finding’ appears to be Presidential Policy Directive 20 on “cyber operations” that was previously leaked by Edward Snowden.
https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=814897
https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=814897
NOTE: Trump replaced this directive with a more aggressive one in August 2018. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/16/trump-cybersecurity-cyberattack-hacking-military-742095
The WaPo story reports that FBI had been conducting Operation NorthernNight since late 2015 targeting the (alleged) Russian troll farms.
Given that there were a "half-dozen" cyber ops involving US spy agencies, I’m going to make an educated guess that DIA was one of them and involved some type of covert activity targeting Russian cyber ops beginning around 2015.
For example, Flynn and Ezra Cohen-Watnick were possibly members of the Pentagon’s “counter-disinformation team”, and probably targeting Kislyak.
NOTE: The FBI is the lead agency for domestic counterintelligence, so anything Flynn and ECW were doing was known to the FBI.
NOTE: The FBI is the lead agency for domestic counterintelligence, so anything Flynn and ECW were doing was known to the FBI.
Recall US-Russia intelligence engagement started increasing in 2012; then Flynn began cultivating a relationship w his Russian intelligence counterpart Igor Sergun, GRU commander.
GRU owns the Russian arm for offensive cyber ops.
Certainly the disinfo games were beginning anew... https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2016/02/death-gru-commander/125567/
Certainly the disinfo games were beginning anew... https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2016/02/death-gru-commander/125567/
GRU controlled the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA), which was blamed for carrying out Russian “election interference” in the US. https://www.wired.com/story/cyber-command-ira-strike-sends-signal/
Sometime between Oct 2014 and Jan 2015, Flynn founded his private intelligence firm, Flynn Intel Group (FIG), which eventually opened a subsidiary named FIG Cyber, Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Flynn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Flynn
Recall Flynn’s public speaking engagement w Russia Times, incl being photographed dining with Putin. Flynn accepted payment for two additional speaking engagements paid for by Russian companies, including the Kremlin-linked cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
https://www.theguardian.com/us-
Were Flynn’s speaking engagements actually part of the disinfo ops he was conducting?
What about his contact with Kislyak and Sergun?
Was Flynn indirectly targeting Putin while directly targeting Kislyak and Sergun?
What about his contact with Kislyak and Sergun?
Was Flynn indirectly targeting Putin while directly targeting Kislyak and Sergun?
There is an alternative theory that these troll farms were actually FBI created and we will discuss the possibility of that when we consider the geopolitical environment, and specifically, foreign policy towards Syria in Part IV.
Stay tuned…
///End.
Stay tuned…
///End.
ADDENDUM
I failed to add the link for Part II of this thread series. Here it is: https://twitter.com/REMFtweets/status/1262917150097977344?s=20
I failed to add the link for Part II of this thread series. Here it is: https://twitter.com/REMFtweets/status/1262917150097977344?s=20
