April 3, 2017
Watch | Circa's Sara Carter reports on Susan Rice and her involvement in unmasking intel on Trump associates.
Computer logs that former President
Obama’s team left behind in the White
House indicate his national security
adviser Susan Rice accessed numerous
intelligence reports during Obama's last
seven months in office that contained
National Security Agency intercepts
involving Donald Trump and his
associates, Circa has learned.
Intelligence sources said the logs
Obama’s team left behind in the White
House indicate his national security
adviser Susan Rice accessed numerous
intelligence reports during Obama's last
seven months in office that contained
National Security Agency intercepts
involving Donald Trump and his
associates, Circa has learned.
Intelligence sources said the logs
discovered by National Security Council
staff suggested Rice’s interest in the
NSA materials, some of which included
unmasked Americans' identities, appeared
to begin last July around the time Trump
secured the GOP nomination and
accelerated after Trump’s election in
November launched a transition that
continued through January.3 of 13
staff suggested Rice’s interest in the
NSA materials, some of which included
unmasked Americans' identities, appeared
to begin last July around the time Trump
secured the GOP nomination and
accelerated after Trump’s election in
November launched a transition that
continued through January.3 of 13
The intelligence reports included some
intercepts of Americans talking to foreigners
and many more involving foreign leaders
talking about the future president, his
campaign associates or his transition, the
sources said. Most if not all had nothing to
do with the Russian election interference
scandal, the sources said, speaking only
on condition of anonymity given the
sensitive nature of the materials.
intercepts of Americans talking to foreigners
and many more involving foreign leaders
talking about the future president, his
campaign associates or his transition, the
sources said. Most if not all had nothing to
do with the Russian election interference
scandal, the sources said, speaking only
on condition of anonymity given the
sensitive nature of the materials.
Major US-Russia controversies from recent history
Ordinarily, such references to Americans
would be redacted or minimized by the
NSA before being shared with outside
intelligence sources, but in these cases,
names were sometimes unmasked at
the request of Rice or the intelligence
reports were specific enough that the
American’s identity was easily ascertained,
the sources said.
would be redacted or minimized by the
NSA before being shared with outside
intelligence sources, but in these cases,
names were sometimes unmasked at
the request of Rice or the intelligence
reports were specific enough that the
American’s identity was easily ascertained,
the sources said.
The exact national security justifications for
Rice accessing the reports isn’t clear and
may require additional documentation
that the House and Senate intelligence
committees have requested from the NSA,
America’s lead agency in spying on foreign
powers.
Rice accessing the reports isn’t clear and
may require additional documentation
that the House and Senate intelligence
committees have requested from the NSA,
America’s lead agency in spying on foreign
powers.
How the information was disseminated
beyond Rice will also be a potential focus
of congressional oversight, since lawmakers
may want to know if it was briefed to
Obama or shared with members of her
larger circle of advisers, like deputy
Ben Rhodes.
beyond Rice will also be a potential focus
of congressional oversight, since lawmakers
may want to know if it was briefed to
Obama or shared with members of her
larger circle of advisers, like deputy
Ben Rhodes.
Rice has not returned repeated calls for
comment from Circa. But in an interview
with PBS recently, she said she had no
idea what House Intelligence Committee
chairman Devin Nunes was talking about
when he said Obama officials were
monitoring Trump associates after the
election.
comment from Circa. But in an interview
with PBS recently, she said she had no
idea what House Intelligence Committee
chairman Devin Nunes was talking about
when he said Obama officials were
monitoring Trump associates after the
election.
One intelligence professional with detailed
knowledge of how the NSA and other
intelligence agencies share information
with the White House during transitions
told Circa that U.S. intelligence reporting
on foreign leaders’ perceptions of Trump
spiked after his unexpected election win
in November, creating a trove of information
that could be accessed by the outgoing
White House.
knowledge of how the NSA and other
intelligence agencies share information
with the White House during transitions
told Circa that U.S. intelligence reporting
on foreign leaders’ perceptions of Trump
spiked after his unexpected election win
in November, creating a trove of information
that could be accessed by the outgoing
White House.
“There’s always intelligence reporting on
an incoming president and how the world
is reacting but this election was not like
others, and that reporting spiked,” the
source said. “Whether and how it was
used by the Obama team will have to be
evaluated separate of the fact that the
reporting this time around was richer and
more robust because of the circumstances
of the election.”
an incoming president and how the world
is reacting but this election was not like
others, and that reporting spiked,” the
source said. “Whether and how it was
used by the Obama team will have to be
evaluated separate of the fact that the
reporting this time around was richer and
more robust because of the circumstances
of the election.”
Both the Republican chairman and
Democratic vice chairman of the Housing
Intelligence Committee have been shown
the documents discovered by the NSC
over the last 10 days.
Democratic vice chairman of the Housing
Intelligence Committee have been shown
the documents discovered by the NSC
over the last 10 days.
The NSA can legally intercept foreigners’
conversations without court permission
under Section 702 of the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, but it cannot
target Americans’ conversations overseas.
If an American is accidentally intercepted
or two foreigners are caught talking about
an American, that name is supposed to be
redacted in intelligence reports and
replaced by a description like “U.S.
citizen 1.”
conversations without court permission
under Section 702 of the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, but it cannot
target Americans’ conversations overseas.
If an American is accidentally intercepted
or two foreigners are caught talking about
an American, that name is supposed to be
redacted in intelligence reports and
replaced by a description like “U.S.
citizen 1.”
But Circa reported last week that Obama
opened the door for his political aides
like Rice to more easily gain access to
unmasked Americans’ names in NSA
intercepts through a series of rule changes
beginning in 2011.
opened the door for his political aides
like Rice to more easily gain access to
unmasked Americans’ names in NSA
intercepts through a series of rule changes
beginning in 2011.
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