Wednesday, June 7, 2017

U.S. Intelligence Chiefs Give U.S. Senate Testimony On Russia, President Trump, And The FBI Probe

From left to right: Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe; Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers arrive to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 7, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein



Reuters: U.S. lawmakers press intelligence chiefs on Russia ahead of Comey hearing

Top U.S. intelligence officials faced questions on the FBI probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and fallout from the firing of the bureau's former director, James Comey, when they appeared at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's open hearing featured officials closely tied to President Donald Trump's abrupt firing last month of Comey, which sparked accusations the Republican president was trying to hinder the FBI investigation and stifle questions about possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The top Democrat on the committee said media reports that Trump tried to intervene in probes of possible Russian meddling in the election are jarring.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: When I heard this .... Intelligence officials Rogers and Coats said they won’t discuss specifics of private conversations with Trump (Washington Post) .... and then I heard this .... Top intel officials Coats and Rogers say they've never been 'pressured' on Russia investigations (USA Today) ....I said to myself that the main stream media will immediately lose interest in covering this hearing. Checking the news cable networks now .... and yes .... they are now shifting their focus to tomorrow's James Comey testimony.

Update: The main stream media are now stretching .... Coats and Rogers refuse to say if Trump asked them to sway Russia probe (Politico)

Update #2: You can watch the testimony live here.

More News On The U.S. Intelligence Chiefs Giving U.S. Senate Testimony On Russia, President Trump, And The FBI Probe

Coats, Rogers both tell Senate they never felt 'pressured' on investigations -- CNBC
Intelligence director Coats testifies he has 'never been pressured' and NSA boss emphatically says he wasn't directed to do anything 'illegal' or 'inappropriate' – after they get get grilled on Trump talk about FBI's Russia probe -- Daily Mail
NSA Director Michael Rogers Tells Senate He Never Felt 'Pressured' by White House to Influence Russia Probe -- Newsweek
Coats on Russia Probe: ‘I Have Never Been Pressured’ to Shape Intelligence -- Washington Free Beacon
US intelligence chief 'never felt pressured' by Trump -- BBC
Before Comey testifies, US intel chiefs have their say -- AFP
Coats, Rogers Won’t Discuss Talks With Trump About Russia Probe -- NBC
U.S. Spy Chiefs Refuse to Say If Trump Pressed Them on FBI Probe -- Bloomberg
Intelligence chiefs won't say if Trump asked them to downplay Russia probe -- CNN
U.S. spy chiefs are ducking questions about Trump and Russia -- VICE News

11 comments:

fred said...

Dear editor:
you are right. there will be disappointment tomorrow if one expects explosive stuff. But we know this in advance. What remains more important is where these various investigations are going...till such time, grab a six pack and stay calm. Intel guys today clearly stonewalling, not claiming exec privilige nor answering questions directly. So: let us see, when all is fully developed and given the public

War News Updates Editor said...

Fred. This has now been ongoing for almost 10 months. If there was something we would have known about it before the election. The intel guys were also not stonewalling .... my other computer has been live streaming the hearing .... and they were very clear .... "they have not been under any White House pressure" .... which was the entire point that the media was pushing before today's testimony. Now .... with nothing to show for it .... the media have moved on. But that has always been the story about Russia-gate .... and I have repeated to you and others ad-nausea .... A big media buildup .... nothing happens .... everything then moves on .... and then repeated again a month or two later.

Anonymous said...

I can not understand why he does not fight back?

fred said...

Every respectable person involved in the background of this stuff has said in public that it will take a very long time, perhaps a year, possibly two years.. Thus, for you to suggest that there is nothing there since they announce nothing contradicts what they say about their ongoing work. I do not see any senator, from either party, saying Enough. nothing there. Disband...why is that? Todatym, the intel guys (Trump appointees) said they would not answer the question. Asked if they knew of executive privilige or not they would not answer. If they do not have ex priv. then why would they not anwser? This part is far from over.

B.Poster said...

Fred,

The creation of "Russia-gate" solely for partisan political purposes has upset and possibly destroyed a very careful diplomatic process that took months and very likely years to carefully put together and your suggestion is "grab a six pack and stay calm?!!?"



Jay Farquharson said...

Yup,

What Officials can comment on, in an ongoing criminal investigation, is extremely limited.

Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can sink the investigation.

Public statements, ( testimony, or you know, Trumps tweets) can later be used as evidence in court, which can be used to demonstrate bias, intent, etc.

Most investigations like these, by the time they come to Court, 2, 3 years down the road, rely on "coerced" testimony by members of the criminal organization. Myrad lesser charges, convictions and plea deals are used to get lower ranked members of the conspiracy to testify against the higher ups.

When we see the DOJ start to lay charges against, for example, Flynn, or start getting reports of say Manifort making a plea deal, we know that the investigation is nearing the halfway mark.

People making the "but it's been 10 months" know this.

They are actively engaging in trying to try the case in the Court of Public Opinion, playing on partizan divides and American willful ignorance, to try to further the Russian maristroika.

The Russian plan was to undermine American Democracy and it's Institutions, by working the divides in the US to undermine American's faith in it's Democracy and Institutions.

By now, you would think that Russia's "Useful Idiot's" would have realized that if they are going to "push" and sell Russian maristroika, they should at least get paid for it.

Unfortunately, a large number of Trumpista's, arn't even smart enough to qualify as "Useful Idiots". Most of them are doing quite well, but they are angry, that the modern World , where a Woman can be a Superhero, an African American can be President, the 'Mo's can have Parades,

Hurts their sensitive little snowflake fee-fee's.

And for that they are willing to burn the whole world down.

War News Updates Editor said...

I go back to what I have said repeatedly .... no evidence. More to the point .... what is the crime? Flynn not reporting his earnings. Same thing for Manifort. Maybe. But for the bigger story .... collusion .... I hear a lot of talk .... a lot of innuendo and breathless discussion on who talked to who .... but evidence of crimes .... nothing. Maybe something will pop-up in a year or two .... maybe. But for the moment .... as I keep on repeating my line that there is no evidence and everyone keeps on saying that something will pop-up in the future .... I still see nothing.

And while progressives are pushing conspiracy theories that Russia undermined the U.S. election process .... I am hearing the exact opposite from top Democrats who are becoming more and more afraid that they may not be able to deliver on what the left really wants .... the impeachment of President Trump .... http://thehill.com/homenews/house/336741-dem-leaders-reject-impeachment-push

James said...

https://youtu.be/aiEbDsh0NIg

fred said...

Stay calm...the show is merely beginning....much much more to come. Again: If there is NOTHING, why don't the GOP Senators and Congressmen call a halt to proceedings? If the Dems are playing apolitical game and all is clear and ok, then this will backfire on them and they will be seriously injured in forthcoming elections...isn't that a reason to linger a while and hope for that outcome? Again, 6 pack...or, in keeping with the issue: Russian vodka

War News Updates Editor said...

Fred. Wine and Johnny Blue :)

Jay Farquharson said...

"what is the crime?"

Like with the HSBC Drug Cartel money laundering case, we will find out what the charges are when charges are laid.