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August 2nd, 2017 DOJ Letter From Rod Rosenstein To Special Counsel Mueller Outlining Investigative Authorization…
When reviewing new information against the backdrop of existing information it is important not to get so caught up in the weeds that you miss the obvious. This is the important aspect to a new information release from Robert Mueller.
Overnight last night Special Counsel Robert Mueller released an attachment as part of a responsive court pleading. The attachment was a previously unknown letter from Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to Robert Mueller outlining the specific authority of his investigative appointment. The letter from Rosenstein to Mueller is dated August 2nd, 2017.
There are several elements to break down, and one of the best ways to review the information is to first ask “why”?
- Question #1) Why did Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein deliver a non-public outline of investigative authority to Mueller on August 2nd, 2017?
- Question #2) Why would Robert Mueller be seeking a signed more specific outline of his investigative authority on August 2nd, 2017; a full three months after he was assigned the role of Special Counsel?
- Question #3) Why would Robert Mueller need to redact the content of an official outline of his investigative instructions from the Asst. Attorney General?
First, it is important to put the Rod Rosenstein releases into context.
On Wednesday May 17th, 2017 Rosenstein announced the following:
Notice no-where in this public announcement does AAG Rosenstein mention President Donald Trump.
Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein today announced the appointment of former Department of Justice official and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to serve as Special Counsel to oversee the previously-confirmed FBI investigation of Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and related matters.
The “previously-confirmed FBI investigation … efforts” is apparently code-speak for the counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign confirmed by FBI Director James Comey on March 20th, 2017 to congress.
The simultaneous release of investigative intent then includes a more specific and formal outline, which does include Donald Trump:
So there we have the three areas of direct authority: ¹Links or coordination between the Russian Government and the campaign of Donald Trump. ²Matters that may arise from the investigation of the Russian government and the campaign of Donald Trump. And ³other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. § 600.4(a). [<- ie. ‘Jurisdiction‘]
So there’s the instructions to Robert Mueller and his team on May 17th, 2017.
Now, as we previously discussed: “Robert Mueller didn’t necessarily appoint or select a team of lawyers and investigators…. the previously assembled team of lawyers and investigators selected him.” The key player in that assembly was FBI Chief-Legal-Counsel and personal confidant to Robert Mueller, James Baker. (pictured right)
Remember, the “small group”, career officials inside the DOJ and FBI needed to continue their group effort after the election. Therefore they needed to stay assembled as a group; they needed to stay on task, to facilitate the original intent of their association. The Special Counsel was merely a way, an approach, a tool for this specific team to continue their efforts after the 2016 presidential election, nothing more – nothing less.
The team already existed. The objectives already existed. The only thing they needed was a willfully-blind leader and an excuse to continue their ideological efforts. Robert Mueller became their selected willfully-blind leader because the small group already knew him and they knew they could manipulate/use him.
Their ideological association is why the same people behind Phase 1 (Clinton Exoneration ’15, ’16), and Phase 2 (opposition research, counterintelligence and surveillance against Trump ’15, ’16, ’17), became the same people in Phase 3, the post-election vast Russian-Trump Collusion Conspiracy; also known as “The Insurance Policy”. In many ways Phase 3 was/is more of a continued opposition research endeavor, part of the “resistance” per se, with a good dose of self-preservation binding them all together.
Robert Mueller could technically shut down the official Special Counsel tomorrow and for the ‘small group’ nothing would change much. The ‘group’ shifts back out of government work and reconnects with Fusion GPS (or similar). They inform their media allies to change the official name of their tasks from ‘investigation’ back to ‘opposition research’. Sans Mueller all group tasks remain consistent, and three days from now it’s just another Friday.
If it is a paradigm shift to understand that Mueller didn’t select his team, but rather the team selected him…. then a similar paradigm shift will be found in the following motive behind Robert Mueller requesting Rosenstein to outline his investigation on August 2nd, 2017:
Mueller wasn’t asking Rosenstein to expand the focus of the endeavor; team Mueller was asking Rosenstein to NARROW the focus of their investigation.
Why would Team Mueller be asked to narrow the focus?
Because Inspector General Michael Horowitz just informed him/them of his discovery of the conspiracy behind the DOJ and FBI plan against Donald Trump.
On July 20th, 2017 IG Horowitz gets the Page/Strzok text messages. Horowitz informs Mueller there is evidence of a conspiracy evident within his team. That had to be an ‘oh, shit’ moment for the “small group”; and for Robert Mueller.
The investigation was going on for more than two months and the team was already moving on Paul Manafort. Quickly, the investigative team needs Rosenstein to narrow the investigation. The last thing the Special Counsel team needed, was an open door to investigate corrupt officials within their own ideological ranks. Lord knows where that would end-up.
On August 2nd, 2017, Rosenstein does exactly that.
Now, before getting to #3 (why the redacted memo from Mueller last night), and retaining the bigger picture, take a look at a few aspects that need to fall into place within this timeline.
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was was interviewed about his media leaks in May 2017. He denied. Notice what comes next… “a couple of months later” he was interviewed by IG Horowitz. And he again denied. Now think! That conversation would be around July of 2017. What happened right after/amid this period? Answer: Horowitz gained the Peter Strzok and Lisa Page text messages.
- •May 2017 McCabe denies leaking for WSJ story (to FBI).
- •July 2017 McCabe denies again (to IG Horowitz).
- •July 20th, 2017 Horowitz gets Strzok/Page text messages. Proving McCabe constructed the WSJ story and lied to FBI investigators and Inspector General.
- •August 2017: After Horowitz gets the proof McCabe was lying – McCabe follows up on the two denials saying “he may have allowed FBI officials to speak with the newspaper”.
- •August 2017: FBI re-interviews McCabe based on new admissions.
- •November 29th 2017: One day before SC Mueller indicts Michael Flynn, IG Horowitz interviews McCabe again. Apparently this time McCabe admitted to constructing the leak.
Apply Occam’s razor.
Lisa Page is likely also questioned about the Wall Street Journal article and she told the truth. However, now her story conflicts with Andrew McCabe. So to prove her side of the story, Lisa Page provides the text messages July 20th, 2017 to investigators. That’s where the “Page was already disenfranchised with the SC Mueller assignment” and the “removed earlier” aspect comes from.
Andrew McCabe lied in May and July 2017. Lisa Page likely gave a statement that conflicted with McCabe and used the text messages to back up her side. That’s how IG Horowitz gained the original access to the Page/Strzok messages. The rest is history.
The ‘good guys’ inside the investigative FBI unit have a motive to be angry.
♦Think about it…. McCabe admits to lying to the FBI on November 29th, 2017. On November 30th, Michael Flynn is forced to sign a sketchy guilty plea for *presumably* lying to the FBI. On December 1st the media pushes the Flynn lying guilty plea. On December 2nd *some entity* within the process hits back against the corrupt insiders (around McCabe) and begins blasting out information about Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Bruce Ohr and Nellie Ohr… That’s where most people began to take notice.
Additionally, think about the time-frame knowing IG Horowitz informed SC Mueller about Strzok and Page and the potential criminal conduct outlined within their text messages.
In between the time McCabe lied to the FBI (May ’17), and then lied to Horowitz (July ’17), and then attempted to clean up his lie (Aug ’17), and then McCabe’s November 29th re-interview with Horowitz…. Prosecutor John Huber was brought on board.
There’s obviously a history of White Hats and Black Hats inside the DOJ and FBI while the entire operation against Trump was taking place. There’s White Hats -vs- Black Hats playing out inside the intelligence apparatus (Rogers -vs- Clapper/Brennan). In 2017 there’s White Hats and Black Hats inside dueling investigative units (Horowitz -vs- Mueller). And with Huber added there’s now White Hats -vs- Black Hats as prosecutors.
So lets look at a few interpersonal and organizational dynamics for examples. [Forgive my plain-speak]. Taking some cues from inside the text messages already reviewed:
♦DOJ Attorney assigned to the FBI effort, Lisa Page, was willing to go along with the plans in 2015/2016 because she’s ideologically aligned with the political objectives to aid Hillary Clinton. However, after the election she ain’t stupid. By late spring she can see the writing on the wall… the intended outcome ain’t working. Nervous already, with McCabe lying about the media leaks in July, she’s had enough… she shoots down “Andy’s” lies and exits.
♦FBI Asst. Director in charge of counterintelligence, Bill Priestap, was already likely not comfy with the entire scheme, and his #2 Deputy FBI Counterintelligence Agent Peter Strzok was too far out-of-bounds. Priestap likely never agreed to ‘Phase-3’. He’s also rich with a well-off spouse and too much to lose.
♦FBI Chief Legal Counsel James Baker did his earnest best to support the operation through Phase #1, Phase #2 and helped set up Phase #3… but after he found out congress was going to subpoena him, the next day something happened and FBI Director Christopher Wray removed him. The ‘something’ was likely Baker realizing Phase-3 wasn’t working, and began working toward self preservation.
♦FBI Agent Peter Strzok is just all around FUBAR. He’s busted all over the place… ‘where do I sign’? Halp.
♦Comey’s former Chief-of-Staff James Rybicki knew his goose was cooked as soon as he saw the Page/Strzok text messages surfacing in December 2017. But his loyalty to his former boss, and the actual physical risk to life and limb precluded his ability to help. He quit.
FBI Communications Director Michael Kortan was caught within the media leaks and also inside the spin machine from the Clinton investigation the ‘small group’ intentionally sunk and he sold as valid. Kortan decides to give the team the last help he can and releases an unauthorized FBI media statement in January, slamming the Nunes memo and undermining the official FBI position. It was his parting shot to attempt cover for the remaining crew. A few days later he was resigned by Director Wray.
On the Main Justice side:
♦DOJ-NSD Deputy Bruce Ohr was in too deep. Demoted twice in between a series of twelve, yes twelve, FBI investigative interviews… Obviously Bruce knew too much, and the collaboration/connection with his wife Nellie and Fusion GPS just put a massive target on his back. Bruce Ohr and Nellie Ohr connect the activity from the DOJ (national security division) and FBI (counterintelligence division) together with Fusion GPS (Nellie’s 2016 employer, Glenn Simpson) and Christopher Steele (the recipient of the unwashed intelligence product).
Nellie and Bruce didn’t exactly have an option… no doubt that’s why all the FBI investigative interviews from Horowitz and Huber. Tick.Tock on the IG report.
♦DOJ-NSD Deputy AAG David Laufman sat in on the Clinton investigations and was part of the collaborative effort to construct the fraudulent FISA application. In his former position, Laufman would have been involved and hold knowledge of the FISA “Title-1” surveillance program initiated on target Carter Page and the “incidental” Trump campaign officials. Laufman would also have close contact with former Asst. Deputy Attorney Bruce Ohr; husband of Fusion GPS employee Nellie Ohr. Laufman quit in February, 2018.
♦DOJ-NSD Asst. Attorney General John P. Carlin quit in October 2016 immediately after notifying the FISA court of the misuse of FISA(702)(16)(17) database search queries by contractors within the FBI and DOJ-NSD apparatus. Carlin admitted misrepresentations to the FISA court and then immediate resigned.
♦DOJ-NSD Principle Deputy Asst. Attorney General Mary McCord replaced John Carlin in October 2016 and assisted Sally Yates in Phase-3 along with the Flynn scheme. Mary McCord accompanied Yates to the White House. Three things happened right before McCord resigned at the DOJ-NSD in April 2017. First, Sally Yates was fired. Second, the #2 re-authorization of the Page surveillance warrant occurred; and Third, IG Michael Horowitz gained oversight over the DOJ-NSD.
Sally Yates had blocked OIG oversight over the DOJ-NSD for the previous years. In 2015 the OIG requested oversight and it was Sally Yates who responded with a lengthy 58 page legal explanation saying, essentially, ‘nope – not allowed.’ (PDF HERE) All of the DOJ is subject to oversight, except the NSD. In April 2017 all of that changed.
Not coincidentally the first White Hat arrives at the DOJ-NSD leadership ranks when Dana Boente shows up, also in April 2017, from his prior position as U.S. AG for the Eastern District of Virginia. Boente acted as interim Attorney General after Yates was removed. Boente left Main Justice in October 2017 and in January joined Christopher Wray at the FBI as Chief Legal Counsel to replace the removed James Baker.
OK, so that’s a long and rather exhaustive summary of the key inside-players without going directly into the White House (Obama), CIA (Brennan) and ODNI (Clapper) roles.
Why is this pertinent to Robert Mueller and the August 2nd, 2017 request to Rod Rosenstein for a clarification/narrowing of investigative authority?
Because Mueller’s team, the small group of political officials and lawyers, know all of these people inside the DOJ apparatus. These are their peers, their comrades in ideology… this is their crew and social circle. The last thing their legal endeavors need is to be put in a position of intel or information about their brethren.
And for Team-Leader Robert Mueller, against the back-drop of this information; and with IG Horowitz giving him details about Page/Strzok messages; there’s a strong motive to ask for a signed letter from Rosenstein prior to continuing to investigate the President of the United States knowing President Donald Trump was also a target of this plan – and these details were going to surface at some point.
Lastly, and specifically about Rod Rosenstein, perhaps at a certain point in the spring and early summer 2017 he might have thought there was a substantive way for the assembly to carry out their plan. Perhaps he even believed the popular leftist narrative and thought there might be something to these ‘Trump-Russia-Collusion’ claims. Perhaps that’s why he directed the Muller investigative mandate in May 2017 to the exclusivity of President Donald Trump with no mention of any other campaign (Hillary Clinton) contact with Russian entities.
However, by August 2017 with full information coming from IG Horowitz about the likelihood of criminal conduct by FBI and DOJ officials; at the time Rosenstein wrote the more carefully detailed outline; he had to know the investigation into Trump was heading no-where.
Prequel – Specific Instructions From Rod Rosenstein to Robert Mueller Surface…
Overnight last night Special Counsel Robert Mueller released an attachment as part of a responsive court pleading. The attachment was a previously unknown letter from Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to Robert Mueller outlining the specific authority of his investigative appointment. The letter from Rosenstein to Mueller is dated August 2nd, 2017.
The revelation of the content within the letter, in conjunction with the specific date of transmission to Robert Mueller, substantively changes my review of Rod Rosenstein’s 2017 motives and intents surrounding his authorization of the Special Counsel appointment.
Before getting to the Rosenstein letter to Mueller, it is important to review the origin of a specific fact that will be a key component in the next post. To establish an important and needed time-frame. See Page 18, Item #3, second paragraph of Interim Congressional Report:
“The FBI’s conduct in relation to supplying the text messages between Strzok and Page only heightens concern about actions and intentions at the highest echelons of the FBI. The DOJ OIG obtained the initial batch of text messages on July 20, 2017.“
Inspector General Horowitz gained the Page/Strzok text messages on July 20th, 2017.
President Trump Contemplates Use of U.S. Military at Southern Border…
I don’t know how many people are connecting the dots of President Trump’s border security proposals, and the increased urgency therein, to the upcoming -almost guaranteed- outcome of the Mexican election… but the connection is too brutally obvious to be ignored by the intellectually honest.
With a commanding -and growing- 18 point lead, it is almost a certainty our closest Southern neighbor is going to be run by a far-left Marxist ideologue, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. It is against this backdrop, and the certain conflict with the U.S. economy, where we see a renewed sense of urgency from President Trump today:
WASHINGTON DC – President Trump on Tuesday said that the U.S. will secure the southern border with the military until a wall can be built, calling the move a “big step.”
Trump made the remarks during a meeting with Baltic leaders, where he said he had discussed the matter with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
“Until we can have a wall and proper security, we’re going to be guarding our border with the military,” he said. “That’s a big step, we really haven’t done that before, or certainly not very much before.”
At a news conference later, he confirmed the plan, saying the border is unprotected by “our horrible, horrible and very unsafe laws.”
“We don’t have laws, we have catch-and-release,” he said. “You catch and then you immediately release and people come back years later for a court case, except they virtually never come back.” (read more)
Concerns With Fraudulent Justice Department FISA Application Highlighted by New Page/Strzok Text Messages…
Sara Carter has a new ‘exclusive’ report from congressional sources who are sharing new text messages with her surrounding the timeline of the Justice Department’s National Security Division compiling the FISA Title-1 application that was eventually authorized to conduct FBI surveillance on Carter Page and the Trump Campaign.
A note of caution within the story as outlined by Carter, there’s some granular details -subject to interpretation- that she appears to be misconstruing. Additionally, it is important for emphasis to remember the Main Justice side of the scandal stems from rogue officials within the DOJ national Security Division [DOJ-NSD].
According to Carter, Peter Strzok was expressing frustration about the FISA application being challenged. DOJ Attorney Lisa Page, assigned to Andrew McCabe by the DOJ ‘small group’ leadership, was explaining to Strzok who, how and where the slowdown was coming from.
Sara Carter – […] Text messages obtained by investigators reveal that FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok and his colleague Lisa Page were discussing the FBI’s difficulty in obtaining the warrant to spy on Carter Page, who worked for a short stint with the Trump campaign. The FBI obtained its first warrant to spy on Page on Oct. 19, 2016, and there would be three subsequent renewals every 90 days for the warrant on Mr. Page.
[…] In one of the September 2016 text message chains, Strzok tells Lisa Page about an argument that occurred with former DOJ prosecutor David Laufman. Laufman, who was then chief of the DOJ’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, oversaw the probe into former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, as well as the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. Laufman left the DOJ earlier this year citing personal reasons for leaving his post, according to news reports.
Here’s where Sara Carter gets “BOMBSHELL” sideways:
In the text message, Strzok complains that Laufman told him the hold-up for the application “EDVA is/was the delay.” The EDVA is the Eastern District of Virginia, a court that had issued several FISAs in the early days of the investigation, congressional investigators said. (read more)
There is no Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) within the FISA Court (See Here). I believe Sara Carter, and her congressional sources, are misinterpreting the text message; and/or Carter’s congressional sources are manipulating the messenger (more likely).
The slowdown from the “EDVA” does not pertain to a court. The slowdown text message “EDVA”, as outlined, pertains to a person, Dana Boente.
Dana Boente was the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Dana Boente was likely not ok with the entire sketchy presentation of the underlying evidence, the Clinton-Steele Dossier, assembled by Strzok and crew for the FISA application; and, in hindsight, Boente had every reason to be concerned about it.
Boente’s professional integrity would later be on display when President Trump selected him to run the DOJ in the interim phase when Attorney General Jeff Sessions was not yet confirmed and holdover Deputy AG Sally Yates was fired.
Washington (CNN) – The United States acting attorney general — for the next few days, at least — is a little-known, but longstanding federal prosecutor.
Dana Boente, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was sworn in as acting attorney general at 9 p.m. Monday evening after President Donald Trump fired the former acting head, Sally Yates, for her unwillingness to defend the administration’s executive action on immigration. A few hours later, Boente issued a statement rescinding Yates’ order, instructing DOJ lawyers to “defend the lawful orders of our President.”
Boente’s tenure as the head of the Justice Department will only last a few days, pending attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions’ approval by the Senate. But Boente has instantly been thrown into the winds of a revealing political storm just 10 days into his presidency.
Boente has served the Justice Department for 31 years, according to his official biography, and has been the permanent US attorney for the Virginia court since December 2015. He served in the same role from October 2008 to September 2009, and as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana from December 2012 to September 2013, at which point he was appointed to the acting US attorney role back in Virginia.
“I am honored to serve President Trump in this role until Senator Sessions is confirmed,” Boente said in a statement produced by the White House in announcing the appointment. “I will defend and enforce the laws of our country to ensure that our people and our nation are protected.” (link)
After a short time as acting Attorney General Boente then took over the DOJ-NSD within Main Justice. However, he resigned in October of last year, and then in January 2018 he was hired for a very important role inside the FBI. Boente went to help another white hat, FBI Director Christopher Wray, fix the chaos.
Dana Boente is now the FBI Chief Legal Counsel (link)…. a very important role when you recognize the scale of the corruption involved, and that former FBI chief legal counsel James Baker was one of the ‘small group’ conspirators who was removed from his position.
Remember, Baker is holding down a chair somewhere within the FBI as investigative action by IG Horowitz and Prosecutor Huber continues.
Another key official still in place is Bill Priestap, FBI Deputy Director in charge of Counterintelligence Division, aka. Peter Strzok’s former boss. Priestap plays a part of this angle from his prior on-the-record statements to investigators that backs up the issue of the DOJ-NSD rushing to use a sketchy dossier to gain a fraudulent FISA warrant.
Remember this from inside the Nunes Memo:
It is not a matter of opinion if the FISA application was rushed in October of 2016, because it was rushed as admitted by Priestap and confirmed by the concerns of Dana Boente. The underlying evidence supporting the FISA Title-1 application, the Steele Dossier, was entirely uncorroborated.
Even on January 11th of 2017, three months after the DOJ-NSD used it for their fraudulent FISA application, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper admitted the Clinton-Steele Dossier was still not vetted, and the intelligence community had not judged it to be reliable.
Hopefully everyone can see how tentacled the DOJ-NSD side of the conspiracy is. It’s the DOJ-NSD side that will likely lead to the White House; it’s also due to the issues within any investigation of the DOJ-NSD where a Special Prosecutor might be needed.
Example: The person who was in charge of the DOJ-NSD during the lead-up to the fraudulent and manipulated FISA application was John P Carlin. Carlin was Robert Mueller’s former chief-of-staff…. etc.
You can see how the conflicts quickly arise.
President Trump Joint Press Conference With Baltic State Leaders – 1:30pm Livestream…
You might remember in July of 2017 when President Trump attended the “Three Seas Initiative” in Warsaw Poland. The bigger goals and objectives were/are building relationships with Baltic nations aligned with the same freedom outlook. President Trump committed his administration to free, fair and equitable trade with the Baltic partners.
2017 – “Let me be clear about one crucial point. The United States will never use energy to coerce your nations, and we cannot allow others to do so,” President Trump said at a press conference flanked by European leaders. “You don’t want to have a monopoly or a monopolistic situation.” (NBC article link)
Today President Trump is hosting many of the same leaders at the White House. There will be a press conference at approximately 1:30pm EST.
UPDATE: Video Added
WH Livestream Link – ABC Livestream Link – Alternate Livestream Link
Victor Davis Hanson Discusses the Downstream Effects of Corruption Within Obama’s FBI and DOJ…
Victor Davis Hanson appears on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs for an excellent interview on the topic of DOJ and FBI political corruption. In the first response from Mr. Hanson he instinctively and accurately outlines the scale of the challenge that was/is faced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Mr. Hanson frames the context of the myriad of issues very well, and as such represents himself as one of the few big-picture-brains who really gets it. Hanson gets the totality of it… all of it. Everyone should pay attention to how Hanson is able to look at the specific examples and details, and yet remain at the 30,000/ft level… Rare skill:
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Expanding below:
If you take a few minutes and contemplate the discussion, the bigger part of the big picture, you begin to understand what direction AG Sessions is going with IG Horowitz, Federal Prosecutor John Huber and an upcoming special counsel. Three visible prongs:
♦ #1 – The issues surrounding the Clinton Uranium One and Pay-to-play scandals, potential criminality and investigations, are stand alone issues unrelated to the work of Horowitz and Huber.
♦ #2 – The Horowitz/Huber issues specifically focus on corruption within the FBI and DOJ as it pertains to their investigative corruption in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Their targets are mostly former FBI officials: Comey, McCabe, Kortan, Rybicki and potentially Baker (with Strzok, Page, Ohr and Priestap).
There are also two bridge officials between the DOJ National Security Division and FBI Counterintelligence Division. Lisa Page and Bruce Ohr. That jumps the Horowitz/Huber investigation over to #3.
♦ #3 – The need for the special prosecutor arises within the former DOJ-NSD activity. Remember, Horowitz had no oversight access into the action of the DOJ National Security Division until Trump took office. The DOJ-NSD was a rogue agency and all of the members within the apparatus fled, quickly. Only Bruce Ohr and Lisa Page remain as the connective tissue to the prior likely criminal conduct.
To target the former officials inside the DOJ-NSD is where the Special Prosecutor is needed. AAG Sally Yates, AAG John Carlin, AAG Mary McCord, AAG David Laufman, etc. Along with the DOJ-NSD insiders who were abusing the FISA(702) system (2015, 2016) and the same insiders who created the FISA Title-1 application fraud (2016).
The FISA fraud, investigative carve-out, will fall upon targeting the officials who filed the application with the FISA court. That’s the DOJ-NSD (Main Justice).
In the bigger picture the DOJ-NSD officials (Lynch/Yates) directed the FBI officials (Comey/McCabe) and counterintelligence team (Priestap/Strzok) on what they needed run the three stage operation. (1. exonerate clinton, 2. surveillance on trump, 3. ‘muh russia’).
The instructions within the overall 2016 election scheme came from the planning group within Main Justice (DOJ-NSD). It is the Main Justice investigation that will likely connect to the White House. It is the Main Justice investigation that will likely need a Special Prosecutor. It is within Main Justice where the tentacles are deepest.
It is also within “Main Justice”, and any investigation therein, where most of the conflicts-of-interest come into play. That’s why the DOJ-NSD aspect of the DOJ investigation is likely to need a Special Counsel; and likely why AG Jeff Sessions noted his willingness toward that approach in his four page letter.
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Two Examples of Mexican Government Officials Blackmailing U.S. by Threatening Flood of South American Immigrants…
With the migrant march from South America, mostly Hondurans, gaining more media attention, it is also important to revisit last year’s threats -from Mexican officials- which preceded their current year complicity.
♦ In August of 2017 President Trump and Commerce Secretary Ross were discussing their trade efforts within NAFTA and renegotiation with Mexico/Canada on a trilateral basis. However, the U.S. administration said if it doesn’t work, they’d scrap the 3-way NAFTA deal and go one-on-one with individual bilateral agreements. In response, Mexican Economic Minister Ildefonso Guajardo threatened to flood the U.S. with South American illegal aliens, criminals and gang members as leverage:
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico could pull back on cooperation in migration and security matters if the United States walks away from talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Mexican economy minister said in a newspaper report published on Thursday.
“If they do not treat [us] well commercially, they should not expect us to treat them well by containing the migration that comes from other regions of the world and crosses Mexico,” Guajardo said. “Or they should not expect to be treated well in collaboration with security issues in the region.” (LINK)
However, Mexican Minister Ildefonso Guarjardo’s threat was mild compared to a threat in January 2017, when another Mexican official promised to flood the U.S. with South American drugs and gang violence:
♦ In a stunning segment on Fareed Zakaria’s CNN broadcast January 29th, 2017, Mexico’s former foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda, states the Mexican government was willing to counter U.S. President Donald Trump policy by unleashing drug cartels upon the U.S. border.
Watch, and more importantly LISTEN, to his words at 02:10 below (Prompted):
This was the most politically explosive admission by the Mexican government in the past decade. Even Fareed Zakaria realized what was being threatened and quickly attempted to redirect the conversation.
Mr. Castaneda was openly admitting a willingness to promote drug trafficking. Additionally, Jorge Castaneda is so proud of the threat, he posted a video of the discussion on his own YouTube page.
White House Trade Director Peter Navarro Discusses China, NAFTA and Wall Street…
CTH takes a little flak for pointing out the obvious; that’s ok, it doesn’t change the reality: When you confront the manipulated multinational trade system – the multinational Wall Street entities who have historically benefited from that system will lose.
It is impossible for Wall Street corporations invested overseas not to lose some financial position. This is reality, and this is also necessary. Meanwhile U.S-centered corporations will gain valuation in direct proportion to the amount of investment they hold inside the U.S…
White House Trade Director Peter Navarro discusses the ongoing trade initiatives, China, Wall Street and NAFTA. President Trump has indicated a strong preference for U.S.T.R. Lighthizer to make a determination about NAFTA as soon as possible. WATCH:
China Announces $3b Tariffs on U.S. Imports – Pork, Scrap Aluminum, Wine and Fruits…
In retaliation for $50 billion in U.S. trade tariffs against Chinese imports, China laughably hits back with $3 their own billion tariffs against the U.S. According to most reporting Beijing has selected U.S. pork and scrap aluminum as targets for a 25% tariff, along with wine and fruit tariffs around 15%.
It should be emphasized the approach by China is rather ridiculous considering the Chinese government purchased the largest U.S. pork manufacturer Smithfield in 2013 for $5 billion; at the time the purchase price was 30% more than the company was worth. Smithfield, now a Chinese company, represents 25% of all U.S. pork products.
Do you really think China is going to not import it’s own pork products… or subject them to a domestic tax? Think about it. It’s ridiculous. China knows they have ZERO leverage in a trade-dispute with the U.S., they cannot afford to lose access to the U.S. market.
The example of Smithfield foods is exactly what we have outlined in how China cannot sustain itself and needs to control the assets of foreign countries. Hence, their one-road/one-belt program for securing products and raw materials. China is a dependent economy, they need to exploit global trade to survive. China cannot feed itself. This is the inherent flaw within their short-sighted authoritarian government-controlled economic model.
Again, for emphasis, the Chinese government underwrote the purchase of Smithfield foods in 2013. They paid 30% more than the company was worth because they were securing access to food just like they would any other raw material (uranium, minerals, etc). China also purchases U.S. politicians to retain their ability in this regard.
Now look at the cartoon from the unofficial Chinese state-run media today:
Remember THIS is the position of the Chinese Government:
[…] China’s latest countermeasures target fruit, pork and other US goods totaling some $3 billion, the equivalent of China’s losses caused by US tariffs. The list indicates China will never compromise and will always retaliate against unreasonable tariffs.
For every single move against Chinese interests, the US can expect retaliation. It is time for Washington to bid farewell to the delusional, make-believe world whereby it imagines China an unresponsive, over-tolerant nation.
China does not want a trade war, but it will not retreat should one emerge. Monday’s announcement is hardly a subtle hint. China will show its strength through action.
Recent White House statements have revealed a tough stance on Sino-US trade disparities while some have even shown a level of optimism at resolving trade conflicts through negotiation. But it is not hard to realize that such self-contradictory behavior reveals that the US knows its actions are unjustifiable. China’s attitude toward a trade conflict has been consistent and Beijing will carefully handle all challenges from the US.
There are always a few Western politicians who think China might step back and concede. But they are wrong. The Chinese government only cares about what is in the best interest of its people rather than elections.
Washington must be reasonable dealing with China. Threats will fail as China is not afraid of the US, plus the Chinese have zero tolerance for political weakness. (read more)
Nuance and subtlety is everything in China. Culturally harsh tones are seen as a sign of weakness and considered intensely impolite in public displays between officials; especially within approved and released statements by officials representing the government.
There is no doubt in my mind that President Trump has a very well thought out long-term strategy regarding China. President Trump takes strategic messaging toward the people of china very importantly. President Trump has, very publicly, complimented the friendship he feels toward President Xi Jinping; and praises Chairman Xi for his character, strength and purposeful leadership.
To build upon that projected and strategic message – President Trump seeded the background by appointing Ambassador Terry Branstad, a 30-year personal friend of President Xi Jinping.
To enhance and amplify the message – and broadcast cultural respect – U.S. President Trump used Mar-a-Lago as the venue for their visit, not the White House. And President Trump’s beautiful granddaughter, Arabella, sweetly serenaded the Chinese First Family twice in Mandarin Chinese song showing the utmost respect for the guests and later for the hosts.
Why the constant warm messaging?
What is the purpose?
What does all this have to do with a trade confrontation?
Historic Chinese geopolitical policy, vis-a-vis their totalitarian control over political sentiment (action) and diplomacy through silence, is evident in the strategic use of the space between carefully chosen words, not just the words themselves.
Each time China takes aggressive action (red dragon) China projects a panda face through silence and non-response to opinion of that action;…. and the action continues. The red dragon has a tendency to say one necessary thing publicly, while manipulating another necessary thing privately. The Art of War.
President Trump is the first U.S. President to understand how the red dragon hides behind the panda mask.
It is specifically because he understands that Panda is a mask that President Trump messages warmth toward the Chinese people, and pours vociferous praise upon Xi Jinping, while simultaneously confronting the geopolitical doctrine of the Xi regime.
In essence Trump is mirroring the behavior of China while confronting their economic duplicity.
China has no cultural or political space between peace and war; they are a historic nation based on two points of polarity. They see peace and war as coexisting with each other.
China accepts and believes opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Flowing between these polar states is a natural dynamic to be used -with serious contemplation- in advancing objectives as needed.
Peace or war. Win or lose. Yin and Yang. Culturally there is no middle position in dealings with China; they are not constitutionally capable of understanding or valuing the western philosophy of mutual benefit where concession of terms gains a larger outcome. If it does not benefit China, it is not done. The outlook is simply, a polarity of peace or war. In politics or economics the same perspective is true. It is a zero-sum outlook.
Therefore, when you see China publicly use strong language – it indicates a level of internal disposition beyond the defined western angst. Big Panda becomes Red Dragon; there is no mid-status or evolutionary phase. Every American associated with investment, economics and China would be well advised to put their business affairs in order accordingly.
President Trump will not back down from his position; the U.S. holds all of the leverage and the issue must be addressed. President Trump has waiting three decades for this moment. This President and his team are entirely prepared for this.
We are finally confronting the geopolitical Red Dragon, China!
The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace and war. The symbol in any figure’s right hand has more significance than one in its left hand. Also important is the direction faced by the symbols central figure. The emphasis on the eagles stare signifies the preferred disposition. An eagle holding an arrow also symbolizes the war for freedom, and its use is commonly referred to the liberation fight of righteous people from abusive influence. The eagle on the original seal created for the Office of the President showed the gaze upon the arrows.
The Eagle and the Arrow – An Aesop’s Fable
An Eagle was soaring through the air. Suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt the dart pierce its breast. Slowly it fluttered down to earth. Its lifeblood pouring out. Looking at the Arrow with which it had been shot, the Eagle realized that the deadly shaft had been feathered with one of its own plumes.
Moral: We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction.
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Leverage… We have it, China doesn’t.
China is no longer hiding their alignment with their proxy province of North Korea. Meanwhile President Trump has cultivated a very close relationship with Shinzo Abe of Japan, and to a lesser extent Prime Minister Modi of India.
Two teams preparing for the economic conflict:
China/North-Korea/Russia and Pakistan.
-VS-
U.S./South-Korea/Japan and India.
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That’s the big picture. The rest is chaff and countermeasures.
Centinel2012 