The FBI Director plans a trip to Russia this fall, hosted by the FSB. Strzok, an ex-FBI special agent who worked on the Russian probe, laid out how foolish a position Patel is putting himself in.
Patel is, at his core, an idiot. His entire approach to the world around him is through the lens of self promotion and obtaining the trappings of power and luxury. He is no match for trained intelligence officers and the timing of this makes me suspicious of these clowns actively inviting interference in the midterm elections.
I despise that the corruption of the current US admin makes me think in conspiratorial directions, but there are so many known links between admin officials and Russian gov that I can’t help but think it’s to discuss upcoming US elections, at least in part. There is no good reason for the head of the FBI to go to Russia at this time.
The FBI Director and his staff would stay at US Embassy accommodation so any illicit DNA material would not be available. You will remember the furore we had in Britain when an analyst at British intelligence suspected Harold Wilson, then Prime Minister, of being blackmailed by the KGB. Wilson had gone to Moscow earlier in his career in the British government and some people thought that was enough evidence that he was being blackmailed by the Russians. There are some people, myself included, who believe Trump has been compromised in some way by the Russians. I expect it will all come out when he is dead and gone and all the transactions are analysed. I agree that the FBI Director, and every other government executive outside of the Diplomatic Corps, should not visit Russia. If they want to know something, there should be either a legitimate source or an undercover source for the information. That two FSB agents visited England and managed an attempted assassination of one of their rogue agents is a mark of shame on British intelligence. That they managed to return to Russia after completing the operation is pure humiliation.
Not sure that Patel would necessarily stay at Spaso House, the Ambassador’s residence ce, which has limited guest quarters, and doubt that Patel would. E happy to stay in an Enbassy TDY apartment, with no bar and no restaurant and no room service! Most big delegations stay at the top hotels in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. But in any case, the trip is a lame-brained idea.
Even if we gave the benefit of the doubt to Kash that his motives for visiting Russia are legitimate (which is a big “if”), he - like so many other members of this administration - has been shown to be incompetent and out of his depth in his role. This is what happens when you have a President that values loyalty far above any other consideration, including basic competence.
Someone like Kash would be ripe pickings for a kompromat operation. It wouldn’t even be that hard - flash some expensive booze and pretty women, and this wannabe would be putty in the hands of the Russian security services.
Trump supporters routinely call Russian interference in the 2016 election a hoax. I’ve read the reports. It was def not a hoax. I never paid much attention to Donald Trump before he ran for president. I didn’t watch The Apprentice. I didn’t think of him as some high-powered business executive. I didn’t think much about him at all.
His campaign style and rhetoric did not appeal to me in the least, but he became a hard no when he asked Russia to hack his political opponent in July 2016. That comment, to me, was treasonous. And we learned about all the illicit communications between his son and Russian officials and his buddies and Russian agents. I have never seen anything as fragrantly un-American by someone seeking the highest office in the land. Kash Patel is another enabler and probably a risk to national security.
*** I think you left something out here, as I did not spot a prior reference to the film mentioned:
“He was at the center of attention last February after being paid $25,000 for contributing to the film’s direction, a payment financed by a Kremlin-linked company.”
I had heard about him being involved in a Russian film, but more information needs to be furnished in this post. It feels like something got cut that should’ve stayed in.
The new rapport between the Trump regime and Putin's Russia. I think Trump and his staff sees themselves as having more in common with Putin than with average people like me.
Such a good reminder of how dangerous even a "tourist" trip to Putin's Russia can be. Kashyap Patel is absolutely overmatched. Even here on US soil, he is over his head and incompetent. I have no doubt Patel will be wined and dined and impressed and arrive back in the US having compromised some of our national security. Not one doubt.
The real question is WHY? Why is he visiting Russia, especially right before our elections, at all?
😱 Two things (at least!) are obvious 1) Kash Patel is not competent to protect himself/the US nation from the superior intelligence craft of the Russians if they choose to target him (and why would they not?) 2) the proximity to the mid-term elections is a giant red flag for a candidate who is desperate for his party to retain the Senate & the House majorities, AND has a history of asking for help from Russia in public. Of course the fact that Patel is a complete dolt doesn't negate the fact he is a high ranking US official which gives legitimacy to Putin on the world stage at a time he should be a pariah 🙇
Peter Strzok is a known liar and not a credible source. Much as I dislike Patel, Strzok is just as corruptly partisan in the opposite direction. Neither of them should be believed.
The efforts of Agent Peter Strzok and his lover, Agent Lisa Page, to subvert the policies of the executive agency they worked for were headline news at the time. A simple search will provide all the evidence a reasonable person might desire regarding the truthfulness of those two. The honorable course they should have followed if they could not in good conscience comply with those policies would have been to submit their resignations.
Strzok & Page got a sweetheart deal for millions in taxpayer money as a reward for their misconduct. It’s the model for Trump’s $1,776 Billion fund for Jan 6 victims.
Patel is, at his core, an idiot. His entire approach to the world around him is through the lens of self promotion and obtaining the trappings of power and luxury. He is no match for trained intelligence officers and the timing of this makes me suspicious of these clowns actively inviting interference in the midterm elections.
The Russians call people like Patel "useful idiots", those who are easily manipulated to do Russia's bidding for free.
What do you think is the purpose of the meeting then?
I despise that the corruption of the current US admin makes me think in conspiratorial directions, but there are so many known links between admin officials and Russian gov that I can’t help but think it’s to discuss upcoming US elections, at least in part. There is no good reason for the head of the FBI to go to Russia at this time.
The FBI Director and his staff would stay at US Embassy accommodation so any illicit DNA material would not be available. You will remember the furore we had in Britain when an analyst at British intelligence suspected Harold Wilson, then Prime Minister, of being blackmailed by the KGB. Wilson had gone to Moscow earlier in his career in the British government and some people thought that was enough evidence that he was being blackmailed by the Russians. There are some people, myself included, who believe Trump has been compromised in some way by the Russians. I expect it will all come out when he is dead and gone and all the transactions are analysed. I agree that the FBI Director, and every other government executive outside of the Diplomatic Corps, should not visit Russia. If they want to know something, there should be either a legitimate source or an undercover source for the information. That two FSB agents visited England and managed an attempted assassination of one of their rogue agents is a mark of shame on British intelligence. That they managed to return to Russia after completing the operation is pure humiliation.
Not sure that Patel would necessarily stay at Spaso House, the Ambassador’s residence ce, which has limited guest quarters, and doubt that Patel would. E happy to stay in an Enbassy TDY apartment, with no bar and no restaurant and no room service! Most big delegations stay at the top hotels in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. But in any case, the trip is a lame-brained idea.
Even if we gave the benefit of the doubt to Kash that his motives for visiting Russia are legitimate (which is a big “if”), he - like so many other members of this administration - has been shown to be incompetent and out of his depth in his role. This is what happens when you have a President that values loyalty far above any other consideration, including basic competence.
Someone like Kash would be ripe pickings for a kompromat operation. It wouldn’t even be that hard - flash some expensive booze and pretty women, and this wannabe would be putty in the hands of the Russian security services.
Trump supporters routinely call Russian interference in the 2016 election a hoax. I’ve read the reports. It was def not a hoax. I never paid much attention to Donald Trump before he ran for president. I didn’t watch The Apprentice. I didn’t think of him as some high-powered business executive. I didn’t think much about him at all.
His campaign style and rhetoric did not appeal to me in the least, but he became a hard no when he asked Russia to hack his political opponent in July 2016. That comment, to me, was treasonous. And we learned about all the illicit communications between his son and Russian officials and his buddies and Russian agents. I have never seen anything as fragrantly un-American by someone seeking the highest office in the land. Kash Patel is another enabler and probably a risk to national security.
*** I think you left something out here, as I did not spot a prior reference to the film mentioned:
“He was at the center of attention last February after being paid $25,000 for contributing to the film’s direction, a payment financed by a Kremlin-linked company.”
I wondered too about the film reference.
I had heard about him being involved in a Russian film, but more information needs to be furnished in this post. It feels like something got cut that should’ve stayed in.
JVG and Don, thank you a lot for pointing this out! We've updated the post to give a clearer explanation now
Well done!
The cat looks concerned. I'm concerned too but for different reasons
Agree. What are you most concerned about, Nahum?
The new rapport between the Trump regime and Putin's Russia. I think Trump and his staff sees themselves as having more in common with Putin than with average people like me.
Such a good reminder of how dangerous even a "tourist" trip to Putin's Russia can be. Kashyap Patel is absolutely overmatched. Even here on US soil, he is over his head and incompetent. I have no doubt Patel will be wined and dined and impressed and arrive back in the US having compromised some of our national security. Not one doubt.
The real question is WHY? Why is he visiting Russia, especially right before our elections, at all?
😱 Two things (at least!) are obvious 1) Kash Patel is not competent to protect himself/the US nation from the superior intelligence craft of the Russians if they choose to target him (and why would they not?) 2) the proximity to the mid-term elections is a giant red flag for a candidate who is desperate for his party to retain the Senate & the House majorities, AND has a history of asking for help from Russia in public. Of course the fact that Patel is a complete dolt doesn't negate the fact he is a high ranking US official which gives legitimacy to Putin on the world stage at a time he should be a pariah 🙇
Peter Strzok is a known liar and not a credible source. Much as I dislike Patel, Strzok is just as corruptly partisan in the opposite direction. Neither of them should be believed.
?? Evidence ?? I followed it all closely at the time so hard disagree, unless you have proof (not reckons) 🤷
The efforts of Agent Peter Strzok and his lover, Agent Lisa Page, to subvert the policies of the executive agency they worked for were headline news at the time. A simple search will provide all the evidence a reasonable person might desire regarding the truthfulness of those two. The honorable course they should have followed if they could not in good conscience comply with those policies would have been to submit their resignations.
Strzok & Page got a sweetheart deal for millions in taxpayer money as a reward for their misconduct. It’s the model for Trump’s $1,776 Billion fund for Jan 6 victims.
Boy the Russian bots have arrived eh?
If you want Ukraine to win you’d do best to distance yourself from partisan hacks like Strzok & Page. These are not credible sources.