Russian media report: Russian made telecommunication equipment w supplied encryption installed in WH

[kpete]

Omg!!

Russian media is reporting that Russian made telecommunication equipment w Russian supplied encryption has been installed in the White House w a direct line between Washington-Moscow

Link to tweet

https://ria.ru/world/20180823/1527057874.html

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Time for a raid. Like today.

[Eyeball_Kid]

6. So... When will this tidbit hit the MSM? Tomorrow? How about next week?

[woundedkarma]

40. Maddow will be on it

After numerous communications between trump and putin have only been reported by russian news media... she/her team seems to be watching pretty closely.

[democratisphere]

2. Kremlin, Oval Office Division has been established.

Unbelievable.

[Eyeball_Kid]

3. I'm sure that the GOP is alright with this new development.

Oh. Russians are in the White House. That's just fine. What day is today? Thursday? Let's get a donut and coffee.

[Texin]

16. They probably installed a Cone of Silence Phone Booth. It's where Rand Paul spends most of his day.

[Renew Deal]

4. I doubt this is true

Why would the Russians publicize something like this? Probably to make it look like Trump is subservient to the Russians (which he is). It makes more sense to put this out there if it’s NOT true.

[Girard442]

9. They're bragging. Also, desensitizing the Deplorables to how deep they've penetrated Trump.

And, yes, I know exactly how that sounds.

[Renew Deal]

10. There is another possibility

They are sending a message to stay on board. It may or may not be true.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

27. rather

[Botany]

37. That picture is from Delaware County, Ohio

N/T

[Native]

31. If it is, then it's because Putin has decided to hasten what he thinks is a fait accompli ...

to just put Trump out of his misery before anything more damning re Russia is revealed. I mean, it's not like he didn't think ahead and install a back-up (Pence).

[Renew Deal]

47. Good point

It makes sense from the national interest perspective.

[VOX]

5. If this is true, then it is conspiracy AND treason.

Show no mercy.

[dalton99a]

13. Yep.

[Iliyah]

7. That was approved probably before shithole entered the WH

with GOP congress' approval. As to Russia, it may be true or not or installation at a minimum to the extent. Russia lies openly too.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

8. They went to Jared?

Whole family of crooks. The perverts who gave it all a pass bc of adorable (no) ivanker, need their ass kicked up around their shoulder blades.

[MrsCoffee]

11. Probably the same setup they use at Mar-a-Lago.

And Trump Tower. Pretty sure that’s why he conducted “business” at his resort at the beginning of his term. It took a while to get the White House line set up. Putin has had a direct line with Trump for some time.

Can’t wait to see what the Mueller investigation exposes.

[HipChick]

12. Any other sourcing?

[sinkingfeeling]

14. How can that be? It's like concrete evidence of a US-Russia conspiracy.

[pazzyanne]

15. If this is true, it would explain one thing.

It may be a reason for tRump firing the White House cyber security director.

[flibbitygiblets]

19. Trump: "Here's our new phone system installer guy!"

[ProudLib72]

38. You're missing the caption

[watoos]

17. Unreal

there was no need to set up a back channel, they simply set up a front channel.

Reporters should ask every Republican Congressman if they are ok with this, get them on record.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

18. Wait....whaaaaaaaat???

If this is true, wouldn’t it blow up the innertubez?

[dchill]

20. You don't need a back channel...

If you've got a front channel.

[kentuck]

21. I would not be surprised.

But it's probably standard propaganda.

[watoos]

25. The Russian media

has been more accurate and forthcoming than the Trump liars.

I agree with you though, this could be propaganda, but if it is I don't see how this helps Trump.

I have no idea how this information gets verified?

[workinclasszero]

22. So....

Is there any doubt that Vladimir Putin is the actual ruler of Trump, the GOP and the USA?

The last presidential election was a successful Russian coup.

[NewJeffCT]

23. It's already been said that Trump & Putin speak nearly every day

if I'm not mistaken

[TomVilmer]

24. Are you all afraid the Russians would listen in on their own calls ?!?

[thucythucy]

28. I think the concerns are

1) that Trump and Putin and their cohorts can now communicate with no possibility of being monitored by American intelligence and

2) that Russian made equipment installed in the White House could be used to monitor sensitive communications and conversations that would otherwise be top secret. In other words, a catastrophic breach of national security.

Assuming this is true.

But but but, Hillary's emails!!!!

[TomVilmer]

32. I actually hopes the presidents can talk freely together!

Though nobody expected a Trump inside the WH, it would be even worse if it became routine to let American intelligence services monitor the Presidents. To break the chain of encryption is a really bad idea, since then neither Russia nor USA would trust this very essential connection.

Such deconfliction hotlines has been used for years, and they are of course controlled and protected by both parties involved. This one were installed in cooperation between Russia and USA. It is not phones, but an advanced email service. To use it is a very big deal, since it signals a enormous crisis, which would anyway be widely reported.

[thucythucy]

39. American intelligence has always "monitored" a president's communications

especially with foreign advisories. Such communications are always routinely recorded, not only for historical purposes, but also to ensure that the people on the other end don't distort or even lie about what went on.

What possible reason would a US president have for wanting to conceal his or her communications with a foreign foe? Or even an ally?

All of FDR's cables to Churchill went through American military communications, and when they met in person there was almost always staff on each side in attendance. And this was the protocol for communications and meetings with our closest ally. Whenever FDR communicated or met with Stalin there were always others involved.

Why would we install Russian made equipment in the White House, as opposed to using our own (which would be guaranteed to be secure against covert surveillance)?

Sorry, but if this story is true (and I'm skeptical of anything reported by Russian media) it raises very genuine concerns.

[TomVilmer]

45. Not really...

To monitor a president's communications by standing next to him, and helping with the notes, is not surveillance. Churchill and Stalin was way before the Red Phone system. Etc...

Russia and USA has for more than 50 years used a lot of different communication systems, which they agreed on using. And I do not care who made the systems, as long as these work when it is needed. It is not a phone that can be tapped, it is not in the Oval Office, and it is normally operated by a specially trained secretary.

If Trump would like to communicate in secrecy, all he needs today is a mobile phone with some good apps. There are absolute no way to block any president from communicating, even with Putin - unless you put him in prison.

This OP does not tell anything useful.

[thucythucy]

46. FDR and Churchill either cabled

or used the phone. Most famous example is Churchill calling FDR after hearing the news on the radio about Pearl Harbor. A detailed description of the conversation is in Churchill's memoires, along with copies of most of their cables.

The "red phone" as originally installed was actually a teletype. The US used its own equipment, Russians used their own. On our end it was monitored at all times by DoD staff.

Phone apps can be descrambled, encrypted e-mails can be decrypted. That's why we have a "Situation Room" and secured communications to block foreign surveillance.

No one is talking about "blocking a president" from communicating. We're talking about a president taking extraordinary measures to make sure no one on our side is listening. For instance, a one on one in Helsinki without any staff (on our side) but a single translator, or a presidential son-in-law going to the Russian embassy to request a line to the Kremlin that supposedly can't be monitored by US intelligence. Or a meeting in the Oval Office with the Russian ambassador, with only Russian correspondents there to record the meeting.

Why would any president want to communicate with a foreign leader, especially a strategic opponent, without anyone in our military or intelligence communities or State Dept. knowing about it? Without even his most trusted advisors, people he himself appointed, in on it?

[Achilleaze]

26. republicans are destroying US security and democracy

impeach the whole freaking republican party of traitors

[Freethinker65]

29. Do not believe everything you read, especially online from Russia

[duforsure]

30. Only a treasonous corrupt career criminal would allow this to happen

And welcome a direct line to his russian handler like this in the White House. Everyone should regard this as an attack by trump upon this country, period. How can anyone vote for him or any banana republican knowing they will destroy our country for putin. we can see now they're already protecting trump , and putin, and doing nothing to him for his treasonous actions. Its even more treasonous to allow him to install any judges in this country, and all already done should be reversed since he is illegitimately installed.

[world wide wally]

33. Many, many people are saying Trump is Putin's puppet in the White House

[bjvom]

34. I copied and pasted

I copied and pasted that header into Google® translate. I fully expected it to come back as The Onion."

[TygrBright]

35. Well of COURSE I trust the Russian media! Their credibility is impeccable! n/t

[procon]

36. Lets not spread this claim that began as a tweet from some unknown individual.

It's only being reported on Russia media:

Screenshots of an article that was apparently Google-translated from Russian into English were posted on Twitter by Olga Lautman, who calls herself a freelance investigative journalist.
https://www.rt.com/usa/436645-russian-telecom-white-house/

Like Russia isn't the Czar of Fake News that makes the Kremlin look like they've snookered that idiot Trump and pulled a fast one on a floundering America.

[thucythucy]

41. The amazing thing is that the story isn't

on the face of it entirely unbelievable.

Unlikely, yes, but given the times I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, just as I don't accept it without many grains of salt.

Two years ago I would have thought a presidential son-in-law going to the Russian embassy to establish his own communications link with the Kremlin was a plot line out of LeCarre. But it actually happened.

On second thought, LeCarre would never draft a plot line so outlandish. Truth has indeed become stranger than fiction.

[Enoki33]

42. The Russians are well known for planting false reports after

establishing a record of relative accuracy. This report could be one such case. It is known dotard is owned by the Russian Mafia,and that Putin has control of that criminal organization. Assuming Putin personally took over from his oligarch emissaries after the election, it seems unlikely he would install another direct communication system, and then advertise it. More likely it is simply more psychological warfare. He is once again messing with the minds of the American people.

[sl8]

43. The first iteration of the " hotline", ca. 1963, used East German telecommunication equipment

Looks like the the crypto machine was Norwegian, with US and East German teletypes.
( https://electrospaces.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-washington-moscow-hot-line.html )

Now we have several direct communication channels.
From http://www.cryptomuseum.com/crypto/hotline/index.htm

...
US-Russia communications links

The following official communications links between the US and Russian are currently known:

Hotline
Direct Voice Link (DVL)
Government-to-Government Communication Link (GGCL)
Nuclear Risc Reduction Center (NRRC)
Foreign Affairs Link (FAL)
...

I don't know where all of the equipment used in the various comm links is made, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of it was Russian.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

44. This will make it possible for Trump to talk to his Boss without accountability.

Putin has said that he and Donnie Two Scoops talk regularly. This way there'll be no record of the calls. I also imagine that Russia has a bug in Trump's phone to hear everything he says in the room, as well as some way to sniff the main WH communications system.

How stupid do you have to be to put Russian communications equipment in the WH? Probably someone who calls himself a "stable genius" qualifies.

[dweller]

48. this

https://www.google.com/search?biw=568&bih=82&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=16F_W-XnGMLRjwSIyZz4Cg&q=russian+soccer+ball&oq=russian+soccer+ball&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.12..0l4j0i7i30.33043.42550..44697...2.0..0.446.2162.0j6j3j0j1......0....1.........0i13j0i8i13i30.q7Jv-NEfy_Y#imgrc=IMyxcxw48Jp8HM: