Notwithstanding all the allegations of Russian collusion and the insinuations that our commander-in-chief is somehow a marionette puppeted by a superpower, two iconic nation-leaders could and should help each other out when mayhem is destined for their respective population. Geopolitical strain and/or hegemony can be rivaled, as exemplified on December 17, 2017.
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a call to US President Donald Trump recently, extending gratitude for tipping-off the Russian government to intelligence regarding terrorists intending to visit violent means upon the Russian government.
The gesture of our government and intel operatives influencing the salvation of Russian lives went largely unheralded.
It was a relative blip on the screen of mainstream media, hardly receiving the attention it deserves. The gesture of our government and intel operatives influencing the salvation of Russian lives went largely unheralded. Conversely, the ever-reaching accusatory echoes of collusion involving Russia didn’t seem to resound either. Perhaps they are tired of their own feeble game.
Is US/Russia back-scratching major news? Of course, nothing wrong with being global stewards.
Countless lives saved from destruction based on veritable US intelligence-gathering conduits offered to a superpower, one with which we have not always aligned, is astronomical change and a mutually-enhanced feat. That is not to say we ought to forfeit our rightly-placed scrutiny of a nation whose trustworthiness has historically been less than stellar. Like playing chess and its requisite patience, meticulousness and utter concentration, we can honor moves so as to pretext our next maneuver while respecting the competition doing exactly the same thing. Meeting of the minds, you could say.
And that is how I see these two intelli-gents mobilizing the political playing field, although it seems MSM turned a blind-eye to the spike in interrelations. But that is okay. We will likely glean this among President Trump’s “long and beautiful list” of achievements for which he deserves merit:
“The President has accomplished some absolutely historic things during this past year.” Thank you Charlie Kirk of Turning Points USA. Sadly, the Fake Mainstream Media will NEVER talk about our accomplishments in their end of year reviews. We are compiling a long & beautiful list.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017
Mining and Information-Sharing
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) forensic mining unearthed terror attacks planned for St. Petersburg’s Kazan Cathedral and an assortment of other locations throughout Russia. CIA intel proved imperative in foiling the Islamic-State operatives involved in the would-be destruction by sharing information with Russian national security authorities.
A thoroughly-experienced retired counterintelligence officer confidante of mine says “intel swaps” happen “through an intermediary or some other conduit.” No matter how it was circuited, life-saving knowledge captured and shared by US intelligence entities was capitalized by the Russian government.
No matter how it was circuited, life-saving knowledge captured and shared by US intelligence entities was capitalized by the Russian government.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (an equivalent to our Department of Homeland Security) coordinates counterintelligence and ensures information security as a component of Russian federal executive authority. Akin to DHS, the Federal Security Bureau fights terrorism in the field with highly-skilled and superbly equipped SWAT-like personnel to take down terror cells.
Russian federal agents arrested seven individuals, all of whom are said to be members of an Islamic State cell of terrorists. Additionally, five other men were arrested, one of whom admitted to illegally constructing bombs destined for the St. Petersburg cathedral, with destructive intent similar to the suicide bombing attack at the St. Petersburg Metro in April 2017.
According to Army Inside, a graphic illustration depicts how ISIS cells were erased in Dagestan, Russia.
The confidante contributing context to this story added a dynamic which shows President Putin’s tactical prowess: This incident “also shows Putin is willing to act on US Intel and make Putin look tough on ISIS [while] at the same time not an accomplice and ally in the atrocities leveled on the people of Syria by Bashar al-Assad. A win-win for Putin.”
As a token of gratitude, the Kremlin reportedly indicated it will share with the United States any terrorism-related information its investigative and intelligence-gathering entities amass.
As a token of gratitude, the Kremlin reportedly indicated it will share with the United States any terrorism-related information its investigative and intelligence-gathering entities amass.
Peeling Political Layers
Whereas then-President Barack Obama issued sanctions against the Russian Federal Security Bureau before his term was up, President Trump and the US Department of the Treasury lightened those sanctions when the Trump Administration assumed office. Obama’s sanctions stemmed from accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election cycle.
According to the article “Going Down Swinging: Obama Slaps New Sanctions on Russia, Expels Diplomats” published by Sputniknews.com in December 2016, “President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed Washington’s move as an act of ‘predictable aggression by people who have three weeks left to work’ aimed at undermining President-elect Donald Trump, who is taking office on January 20.”
Obama’s sanctions against Russian authorities were revamped shortly thereafter President Trump took office. In February 2017, Sputnik News chronicled, “Russian officials have repeatedly denied the US allegations of election interference, characterizing them as absurd and laughable nonsense. Moreover, they have said such allegations are intended to deflect US public attention from revelations of corruption and other pressing domestic concerns.” Some argue for while others argue against that assertion.
NEW: Source familiar w sanctions says it's a technical fix, planned under Obama, to avoid unintended consequences of cybersanctions
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) February 2, 2017
The mildly ameliorated US/Russia guidelines attest “GL 1 [license] authorizes certain transactions with the Federal Security Service (a.k.a. FSB) that are necessary and ordinarily incident to requesting certain licenses and authorizations for the importation, distribution, or use of certain information technology products in the Russian Federation.” Whether skeptical or accepting of any US/Russia relations, lines of communication and carefully-weighed transactions, like with any other geopolitical entity, can reap dividends for one or more nations.
However trepidatious and cautionary we may be, fissures sometimes allow nefarious behaviors from once-trusted officials to seep. In March 2017, the US Department of Justice announced indictments against a few Russians, two of whom were with Russian Federal Service Bureau capacity at the time, imposing cybersecurity charges (computer hacking, economic espionage and other criminal offenses in connection with a conspiracy).
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary McCord said, “The criminal conduct at issue, carried out and otherwise facilitated by officers from an FSB unit that serves as the FBI’s point of contact in Moscow on cybercrime matters, is beyond the pale. Once again, the Department and the FBI have demonstrated that hackers around the world can and will be exposed and held accountable. State [FSB] actors may be using common criminals to access the data they want, but the indictment shows that our companies do not have to stand alone against this threat.”
Despite the Justice Department’s indictments of two Russian FSB officials, President Trump exhibited humanitarian layers when he conveyed intel with the Russian government. To do anything to the contrary would be un-American and counter what we expect from a statesman and patriot.
It is appealing to witness two superpowers of the world embracing an olive branch, together, especially as it relates to defeating terror cells.
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” No matter that connotation, it is appealing to witness two superpowers of the world embracing an olive branch, together, especially as it relates to defeating terror cells.
As the Russian Embassy Press Secretary Nikolay Lakhonin wrote on December 11, 2017, “Methods used by international terrorists are universally similar. Russia knows them well. Our country was targeted by such attacks in multiple occasions. Only joint and coordinated actions can provide reliable security for the citizens of our countries.” Accurately stated…and a trumpet for unification.
From Russia with Love
Per a statement released by the White House, “President Trump appreciated the call and told President Putin that he and the entire United States intelligence community were pleased to have helped save so many lives. President Trump stressed the importance of intelligence cooperation to defeat terrorists wherever they may be.”
Conversely, President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov conveyed to the Russian News Service, “Certain contacts between the two countries’ special services are sporadic, but in this particular case it was a very useful piece of information that helped save many lives. This cannot but evoke satisfaction and a feeling of gratitude and be interpreted as a perfect sample of bilateral cooperation in the struggle against terrorism. This is precisely the kind of standards worth pursuing in our future course.”
“This cannot but evoke satisfaction and a feeling of gratitude and be interpreted as a perfect sample of bilateral cooperation in the struggle against terrorism. This is precisely the kind of standards worth pursuing in our future course.” –Dmitry Peskov
According to Tass.com, the Kremlin reported that on December 15, 2017 President Putin and President Trump had “discussed pressing bilateral issues and the situation in crisis areas with an emphasis on resolving the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula.”
There is no denying this is major news, albeit ill-reported by MSM. A business associate of mine summarized the deafening silence regarding our nation helping the Russians to avert disastrous terror: “MSM didn’t cover it because it made President Trump look…presidential.” I concur.
How do you see Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump measuring each other? New age of authentic relations? Powerplay?
