Trump White House Weighing Plans for Private Spies to Counter “Deep State” Enemies

[timosman]

https://theintercept.com/2017/12/04/trump-white-house-weighing-plans-for-private-spies-to-counter-deep-state-enemies/


Matthew Cole, Jeremy Scahill, December 4, 2017

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is considering a set of proposals developed by Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a retired CIA officer — with assistance from Oliver North, a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal — to provide CIA Director Mike Pompeo and the White House with a global, private spy network that would circumvent official U.S. intelligence agencies, according to several current and former U.S. intelligence officials and others familiar with the proposals. The sources say the plans have been pitched to the White House as a means of countering “deep state” enemies in the intelligence community seeking to undermine Trump’s presidency.

The creation of such a program raises the possibility that the effort would be used to create an intelligence apparatus to justify the Trump administration’s political agenda.

“Pompeo can’t trust the CIA bureaucracy, so we need to create this thing that reports just directly to him,” said a former senior U.S. intelligence official with firsthand knowledge of the proposals, in describing White House discussions. “It is a direct-action arm, totally off the books,” this person said, meaning the intelligence collected would not be shared with the rest of the CIA or the larger intelligence community. “The whole point is this is supposed to report to the president and Pompeo directly.”

Oliver North, who appears frequently on Trump’s favorite TV network, Fox News, was enlisted to help sell the effort to the administration. He was the “ideological leader” brought in to lend credibility, said the former senior intelligence official.

Some of the individuals involved with the proposals secretly met with major Trump donors asking them to help finance operations before any official contracts were signed.

The proposals would utilize an army of spies with no official cover in several countries deemed “denied areas” for current American intelligence personnel, including North Korea and Iran. The White House has also considered creating a new global rendition unit meant to capture terrorist suspects around the world, as well as a propaganda campaign in the Middle East and Europe to combat Islamic extremism and Iran.

“I can find no evidence that this ever came to the attention of anyone at the NSC or [White House] at all,” wrote Michael N. Anton, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, in an email. “The White House does not and would not support such a proposal.” But a current U.S. intelligence official appeared to contradict that assertion, stating that the various proposals were first pitched at the White House before being delivered to the CIA. The Intercept reached out to several senior officials that sources said had been briefed on the plans by Prince, including Vice President Mike Pence. His spokesperson wrote there was “no record of [Prince] ever having met with or briefed the VP.” Oliver North did not respond to a request for comment.

According to two former senior intelligence officials, Pompeo has embraced the plan and has lobbied the White House to approve the contract. Asked for comment, a CIA spokesperson said, “You have been provided wildly inaccurate information by people peddling an agenda.”

At the heart of the scheme being considered by the White House are Blackwater founder Erik Prince and his longtime associate, CIA veteran John R. Maguire, who currently works for the intelligence contractor Amyntor Group. Maguire also served on Trump’s transition team. Amyntor’s role was first reported by Buzzfeed News.

Michael Barry, who was recently named the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, worked closely with Erik Prince on a CIA assassination program during the Bush administration.

Prince and Maguire deny they are working together. Those assertions, however, are challenged by current and former U.S. officials and by Trump donors who say the two men were collaborating.

As with many arrangements in the world of CIA contracting and clandestine operations, details of who is in charge of various proposals are murky by design and change depending on which players are speaking. An Amyntor official said Prince was not “formally linked to any contract proposal by Amyntor.” In an email, Prince rejected the suggestion that he was involved with the proposals. When asked if he has knowledge of this project, Prince replied: “I was/am not part of any of those alleged efforts.”

The former senior intelligence official with direct knowledge of the efforts scoffed at Prince’s denials. “Erik’s proposal had no company names on the slides,” this person said, “but there is no doubt that Prince and Maguire were working together.”

Prince and Maguire have a long professional relationship. Maguire recently completed a stint as a consultant with Prince’s company, Frontier Services Group, a Hong Kong-based security and logistics company partially owned by the Chinese government. FSG has no known connections to the private spy plan.

Prince has strong ties to the Trump administration: His sister Betsy DeVos is secretary of education, he was a major donor to the Trump election campaign, and he advised the transition team on intelligence and defense appointments, as The Intercept has previously reported. Prince has also contributed to Vice President Mike Pence’s campaigns.

...

[Swordsmyth]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlmeBW5tVHM

[nikcers]

Trump being a bond villain makes so much sense because he has so much of that "hollywood psychopath" personality anyways. Can someone who understands what agenda of Trump's the deep state is trying to stop? Is this fake news or is Trump creating a Men In Black to go after his political enemies? Can he do that?

[Todd]

What are the implications of this? The Intelligence communnity shenanigans are creating some unintended consequences that I don't think anyone fathomed. By sidestepping the intelligence community, does this set a very alarming precedent or is it a good thing?

https://theintercept.com/2017/12/04/trump-white-house-weighing-plans-for-private-spies-to-counter-deep-state-enemies/


The Trump administration is considering a set of proposals developed by Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a retired CIA officer — with assistance from Oliver North, a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal — to provide CIA Director Mike Pompeo and the White House with a global, private spy network that would circumvent official U.S. intelligence agencies, according to several current and former U.S. intelligence officials and others familiar with the proposals. The sources say the plans have been pitched to the White House as a means of countering “deep state” enemies in the intelligence community seeking to undermine Trump’s presidency.

The creation of such a program raises the possibility that the effort would be used to create an intelligence apparatus to justify the Trump administration’s political agenda.

“Pompeo can’t trust the CIA bureaucracy, so we need to create this thing that reports just directly to him,” said a former senior U.S. intelligence official with firsthand knowledge of the proposals, in describing White House discussions. “It is a direct-action arm, totally off the books,” this person said, meaning the intelligence collected would not be shared with the rest of the CIA or the larger intelligence community. “The whole point is this is supposed to report to the president and Pompeo directly.”

Oliver North, who appears frequently on Trump’s favorite TV network, Fox News, was enlisted to help sell the effort to the administration. He was the “ideological leader” brought in to lend credibility, said the former senior intelligence official.

Some of the individuals involved with the proposals secretly met with major Trump donors asking them to help finance operations before any official contracts were signed.

The proposals would utilize an army of spies with no official cover in several countries deemed “denied areas” for current American intelligence personnel, including North Korea and Iran. The White House has also considered creating a new global rendition unit meant to capture terrorist suspects around the world, as well as a propaganda campaign in the Middle East and Europe to combat Islamic extremism and Iran.

“I can find no evidence that this ever came to the attention of anyone at the NSC or [White House] at all,” wrote Michael N. Anton, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, in an email. “The White House does not and would not support such a proposal.” But a current U.S. intelligence official appeared to contradict that assertion, stating that the various proposals were first pitched at the White House before being delivered to the CIA. The Intercept reached out to several senior officials that sources said had been briefed on the plans by Prince, including Vice President Mike Pence. His spokesperson wrote there was “no record of [Prince] ever having met with or briefed the VP.” Oliver North did not respond to a request for comment.

According to two former senior intelligence officials, Pompeo has embraced the plan and has lobbied the White House to approve the contract. Asked for comment, a CIA spokesperson said, “You have been provided wildly inaccurate information by people peddling an agenda

[Raginfridus]

Hiring a rich man to spend his own wealth on informants and saboteurs is far wiser. You can dispense with them at any time. Whoever thought of nationalizing the Pinkertons was a prog retard. Of course, national identity, even if Murka had one, means less now than ever before in our history, and Oliver North is untrustworthy to begin with. The whole idea sounds like Deep State spying on Deep State, which is pointless: abolish the damn agencies already.

[shakey1]

https://img00.deviantart.net/bae4/i/2004/255/1/0/spy_vs_spy_bust_by_daveigo.jpg

[Swordsmyth]

If this rumor is true I say go for it, the more of them there are to fight among themselves the better.

I would prefer a world in which they didn't exist but that is not going to happen so keeping them busy with infighting is a good alternative.

[Raginfridus]

Oliver North's a compromised piece of shit. The only thing Deep State and Deep State will be fighting over is employee of the month parking.

[Swordsmyth]

Oliver North's a compromised piece of $#@!. The only thing Deep State and Deep State will be fighting over is employee of the month parking.

I don't like North either but when there are too many dogs and not enough bones the dogs fight whether or not they are litter-mates, and that fighting is good for us.

[enhanced_deficit]

If some lowly Hollywood movies producer can has his own private crew, why can't the greatest leader of the free world?

Harvey Weinstein used ex Mossad Israeli agents to spy on actresses and journalists (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?516606-Harvey-Weinstein-used-ex-Mossad-Israeli-agents-to-spy-on-actresses-and-journalists&)

[bunklocoempire]

The Deep State's most useful tool?

LOL
(lack of liberty)

Wake me up when the Trump White House (any White House) starts weighing in on how my rights, when promoted and protected, are more useful and cost effective than any new/old scams pulled out their collective ginormous control freak ass.

[Raginfridus]

I don't like North either but when there are too many dogs and not enough bones the dogs fight whether or not they are litter-mates, and that fighting is good for us.
Or you shoot all the motherfucking dogs.:cool:

[Swordsmyth]

Or you shoot all the motherfucking dogs.:cool:

Let me know when that becomes possible.

[TheCount]

I can't think of anything more beneficial to liberty than the President having secret kill squads accountable only to him and available to black-bag his personal enemies upon his whim.

[Swordsmyth]

I can't think of anything more beneficial to liberty than the President having secret kill squads accountable only to him and available to black-bag his personal enemies upon his whim.

So that is why you wanted Hitlery for president?

It all makes sense now.


On a more serious note:

If you think that there aren't already people with the power you describe in D.C. you are nuts.

As I said above I would rather be rid of all of them but until that becomes possible it would be better to have them divided and fighting one another.

[r3volution 3.0]

Cheka (Russian: ЧК, IPA: [tɕɪˈka]) was the initialism for the first of a succession of Soviet secret police organizations. Established on December 5 (Old Style), 1917 by the Sovnarkom[1], it came under the leadership of Felix Dzerzhinsky, a Polish aristocrat-turned-communist. By late 1918, hundreds of Cheka committees had sprung up in various cities at the oblast, guberniya, raion, uyezd, and volost levels.

In 1921 the Troops for the Internal Defense of the Republic (a branch of the Cheka) numbered at least 200,000.[3] These troops policed labor camps; ran the Gulag system; conducted requisitions of food; subjected political opponents to secret arrest, detention, torture and summary execution; and put down rebellions and riots by workers or peasants, and mutinies in the desertion-plagued Red Army.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheka

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/88681/image-w856.jpg?1445905684
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheka)

[Swordsmyth]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheka

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/88681/image-w856.jpg?1445905684
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheka)

We've had those for years, the duties are divided among different agencies but it makes no real difference.

[timosman]

We've had those for years, the duties are divided among different agencies but it makes no real difference.

Well, at least they were out of sight.:cool:

[r3volution 3.0]

We've had those for years, the duties are divided among different agencies but it makes no real difference.

In principle, but you'd be surprised at what actually happens in practice with such organizations in times of chaos.

It's looking to me like both you and I will be "former people (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_people)" in the not too distant future.

[timosman]

In principle, but you'd be surprised at what actually happens in practice with such organizations in times of chaos.

It's looking to me like both you and I will be "former people (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_people)" in the not too distant future.

I find your lack of faith disturbing. The state of the union is strong and nothing like this will happen here.:cool:

[r3volution 3.0]

^^^First to sell his sister for bread

[Danke]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMzASKwtIBw

[oyarde]

I have my own informants .

[timosman]

^^^First to sell his sister for bread

You might be projecting.

[Swordsmyth]

I have my own informants .

How many are assigned to watch Danke?

[TheCount]

So that is why you wanted Hitlery for president?

Executive-controlled secret police would be More Hitler Than Hitlery, which was an alternate title briefly considered by Rob Zombie.



If you think that there aren't already people with the power you describe in D.C. you are nuts.

Not with sole unaccountable authority. The closest thing to that is the CIA, but even they are accountable to Congress.



As I said above I would rather be rid of all of them but until that becomes possible it would be better to have them divided and fighting one another. The constant refrains of "government should smaller but that's impossible so instead let's make it bigger" are entirely unconvincing. This is the argument of a statist who pretends to be for the limitation of government power when their opponents are in power.

Action to create an entirely new spy agency is not more difficult than action to eliminate an agency... It's just that statists want more power rather than less, and they just can't bear the thought of abdicating power.

[camp_steveo]

If I were Trump, I would have done this from day 1.

[r3volution 3.0]

If I was Trump, I would have done this from day 1.

*were

[Swordsmyth]

Executive-controlled secret police would be More Hitler Than Hitlery, which was an alternate title briefly considered by Rob Zombie.

So you have never heard of Arkancide?




Not with sole unaccountable authority. The closest thing to that is the CIA, but even they are accountable to Congress.
LOL, the official CIA has demonstrated that they are accountable to nobody, the "black budget" operations aren't even acknowledged to exist.



The constant refrains of "government should smaller but that's impossible so instead let's make it bigger" are entirely unconvincing. This is the argument of a statist who pretends to be for the limitation of government power when their opponents are in power.

Action to create an entirely new spy agency is not more difficult than action to eliminate an agency... It's just that statists want more power rather than less, and they just can't bear the thought of abdicating power.

When I am President I will follow my principles, as long as Trump is President all I can do is comment on whether his actions improve our situation and by how much.
Trump being President is one reason more aggressive reform in simply not possible for now.

[Swordsmyth]

*were
Day 1 of the Trump Presidency is in the past so "was" is acceptable assuming that the described state of being him was temporary.

[r3volution 3.0]

When I am President I will follow my principles, as long as Trump is President all I can do is comment on whether his actions improve our situation and by how much. Trump being President is one reason more aggressive reform in simply not possible for now.

http://static.echonest.com/BoilTheFrog/images/frog.jpg

[r3volution 3.0]

Day 1 of the Trump Presidency is in the past so "was" is acceptable assuming that the described state of being him was temporary.

No, it's the subjunctive: were.

[Swordsmyth]

No, it's the subjunctive: were.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive_mood

The subjunctive is a grammatical mood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_mood) (that is, a way of speaking that allows people to express their attitude toward what they are saying) found in many languages. Subjunctive forms of verbs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb) are typically used to express various states of unreality such as wish, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, obligation, or action that have not yet occurred;

The events described would have already occurred since their specified time was in the past.

[r3volution 3.0]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive_mood

The subjunctive is a grammatical mood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_mood) (that is, a way of speaking that allows people to express their attitude toward what they are saying) found in many languages. Subjunctive forms of verbs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb) are typically used to express various states of unreality such as wish, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, obligation, or action that have not yet occurred;

The events described would have already occurred since their specified time was in the past.

No my friend, you're mistaken.

If I were inclined to be a serious grammar NAZI, I'd elaborate.

[Swordsmyth]

No my friend, you're mistaken.

If I were inclined to be a serious grammar NAZI, I'd elaborate.


The English subjunctive also occurs in counterfactual dependent clauses, using a form of the verb that in the indicative would indicate a time of action prior to the one implied by the subjunctive. It is called the past subjunctive when referring counterfactually to the present, and is called the pluperfect subjunctive when referring counterfactually to the past. It occurs in that clauses following the main-clause verb "wish" ("I wish that she were here now"; "I wish that she had been here yesterday") and in if clauses expressing a condition that does not or did not hold ("If she were here right now, ..."; "If she had been here yesterday, ...").


Was=had been/have been, as in:

I was king for a day/I had been king for a day/I have been king for a day

[r3volution 3.0]

Was=had been/have been, as in:

I was king for a day/I had been king for a day/I have been king for a day

v.

If I were king for a day/If I'd been king for a day/If I have been king for a day (I've probably whipped some proto-bolshevik peasants).

The subjunctive is a hypothetical. It has nothing to do with time, it has to do with unreality.

e.g. If I were Trump's shoes, I'd trip the shit out of him.

were, because I'm not Trump's shoes

...these are the finer points of English grammar that I, a future former person, will teach them before they shoot me.

[timosman]

v.

If I were king for a day/If I'd been king for a day/If I have been king for a day (I've probably whipped some proto-bolshevik peasants).

The subjunctive is a hypothetical. It has nothing to do with time, it has to do with unreality.

e.g. If I were Trump's shoes, I'd trip the shit out of him.

were, because I'm not Trump's shoes

...these are the finer points of English grammar that I, a future former person, will teach them before they shoot me.

I don't think it will be required in ESL classes.

[Swordsmyth]

v.

If I were king for a day/If I'd been king for a day/If I have been king for a day (I've probably whipped some proto-bolshevik peasants).

The subjunctive is a hypothetical. It has nothing to do with time, it has to do with unreality.

e.g. If I were Trump's shoes, I'd trip the $#@! out of him.

were, because I'm not Trump's shoes

...these are the finer points of English grammar that I, a future former person, will teach them before they shoot me.
But is possible to speak of a hypothetical past as opposed to a generic hypothetical.

Thus the examples given in the quote:
"I wish that she had been here yesterday"..."If she had been here yesterday, ..."

Was means "had been"/"have been", therefore you can substitute it for them in those sentences.

[r3volution 3.0]

But is possible to speak of a hypothetical past as opposed to a generic hypothetical.

Thus the examples given in the quote:

Was means "had been"/"have been", therefore you can substitute it for them in those sentences.

No, "had been" is used just because it's the pluperfect.

If I were Trump's shoes, I'd trip him.

If I had been Trump's shoes, I would have tripped him.

If I will have been Trump's shoes, I will have tripped him.

etc

You can use any time you want.

The first example, with were, is the only correct form for that time; "was" is wrong.

[timosman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc

[shakey1]

Or you shoot all the motherfucking dogs.:cool:


Let me know when that becomes possible.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/fe/3a/1afe3a2cecde4f0779663cf5b15ebb93.jpg

[oyarde]

How many are assigned to watch Danke?

He is very shifty , easiest to jut catalog the damage of where he has been .

[Swordsmyth]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/fe/3a/1afe3a2cecde4f0779663cf5b15ebb93.jpg

That doesn't mean it is wise or possible to launch a shooting revolution right now.

[shakey1]

That doesn't mean it is wise or possible to launch a shooting revolution right now.

I agree... jus' sayin'

[parocks]

Trump being a bond villain makes so much sense because he has so much of that "hollywood psychopath" personality anyways. Can someone who understands what agenda of Trump's the deep state is trying to stop? Is this fake news or is Trump creating a Men In Black to go after his political enemies? Can he do that?

look at 4 chan / pol / calm before the storm - cbts - or do a search for qanon on twitter.


Trump has the same problems as Ron or Rand Paul would have.

[nikcers]

look at 4 chan / pol / calm before the storm - cbts - or do a search for qanon on twitter.


Trump has the same problems as Ron or Rand Paul would have.
No Ron didn't get a chance because Trump tweeted and went on all of the news outlets telling people not to vote for Ron Paul in the Iowa Caucus because its a wasted vote and that he would run 3rd party if Ron Paul was the nominee. Rand didn't get a chance because people didn't take him seriously, because Trump was telling people he shouldn't even be allowed on the debate stage because of fake polls. Trump spent zero dollars on the primaries that should be clue #1 that he is part of the club. Clue number 2 is they gave him 2 billion dollars in free political advertising on the MSM. You should google how much Ron Paul was on the MSM compared to other candidates.

[r3volution 3.0]

No Ron didn't get a chance because Trump tweeted and went on all of the news outlets telling people not to vote for Ron Paul in the Iowa Caucus because its a wasted vote and that he would run 3rd party if Ron Paul was the nominee. Rand didn't get a chance because people didn't take him seriously, because Trump was telling people he shouldn't even be allowed on the debate stage because of fake polls. Trump spent zero dollars on the primaries that should be clue #1 that he is part of the club. Clue number 2 is they gave him 2 billion dollars in free political advertising on the MSM. You should google how much Ron Paul was on the MSM compared to other candidates.

You clearly hate America

...everyone knows things are better now, swamp drained, wars continuing but somehow different, spending continuing but somehow different

[kpitcher]

Is this the answer to our educational problems? Find the problematic students and send them to a private military. And here I thought the whole education role was just a way to get every schoolkid selling Amway.

[Swordsmyth]

Is this the answer to our educational problems? Find the problematic students and send them to a private military. And here I thought the whole education role was just a way to get every schoolkid selling Amway.

What in the world?
https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/UYVYBYBhtmiFBvZ4nVdLFw--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD0xMDc7cHlvZmY9MDtxPTk1O3c9MTkwO3NtPT E7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/homerun/techcrunch_350/df947bc2b94e00f3460897f16cefd1ea


Seriously, what does that have to do with the OP?

[kpitcher]

What in the world?
https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/UYVYBYBhtmiFBvZ4nVdLFw--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD0xMDc7cHlvZmY9MDtxPTk1O3c9MTkwO3NtPT E7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/homerun/techcrunch_350/df947bc2b94e00f3460897f16cefd1ea


Seriously, what does that have to do with the OP?
What I find amusing late at night doesn't always carry over when I'm fully awake...

Although I do find it strange that the Sec of Education has a brother trying to create a private CIA. With the wealthiest cabinet in history, I'm curious if that helped any opening of dialog or as a wealthy guy who already had military ties Prince could just get a meeting without any problems?