State secrets just a Petraeus blowjob away from leaking

[bigtree]

Sam Sacks ‏@SamSacks Mar 16
Confirming that Petraeus is advising admin., Earnest says he's unaware of any "security precautions" taken by WH. https://www.districtsentinel.com/w-h-praises-criminal-cia-leakers-expert-advice/ …

W.H. Praises Criminal CIA Leaker’s “Expert” Advice

Administration spokesman Josh Earnest confirmed that former CIA Director David Petraeus is advising the White House, despite the former general’s legal troubles stemming from his illicit disclosure of state secrets and his decision to mislead FBI agents about the matter.

“He is, I think, legitimately regarded as an expert when it comes to the security situation in Iraq,” Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday. He also said, “it makes a lot of sense for senior administration officials to, on occasion, consult Petraeus for advice.”

Over the weekend, Newsweek reported that Petraeus was advising the White House on matters related to the Islamic State (ISIL), only weeks after the former top spy pleaded guilty to charges that he revealed top secret information to a biographer. The author, Paula Broadwell, and Petraeus, were having an extramarital love affair.

Court records showed that Petraeus not only disclosed state secrets, he also lied about it to FBI agents, who questioned him about operational security at his office.

When asked if the White House was considering any “security precautions” given Petraeus’s “legal entanglements,” Earnest said he wasn’t aware of any...

An ABC News report last week on atrocities committed by US-backed Iraqi military units could, however, challenge the White House’s orthodoxy. It has been reported that Petraeus and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld were fully aware, in the middle of last decade, that Iraqi troops, under the guidance of US military advisers, were committing acts of torture and other war crimes.


read: https://www.districtsentinel.com/w-h-praises-criminal-cia-leakers-expert-advice/


emptywheel @emptywheel
So David Petraeus had TS convos w/Obama, shared them with his mistress, and now O continues to have TS secrets w/Petraeus w/no precautions

emptywheel ‏@emptywheel
Govt has issued zillion "Exec Privilege" denials, plus withheld 9,000 torture docs. Same secrets just Petraeus-blowjob away fr leaking.

[Oktober]

1. Which precautions would you suggest...?

Do you think that he still has similar motivations to disclose information inappropriately given what the last bout cost him?

[bigtree]

3. I prefer to point out the hypocrisy of prosecuting and imprisoning some for doing much less

...this man's privileged immunity not only allows him to escape prison time, but he's immediately welcomed back into the WH inner circle to 'advise' the president on sensitive security matters. I guess disclosing a covert officers' ID to a mistress looking to use the info for a profit-making book is less important that the administration asserted the act of revealing info like that is when they prosecuted Chelsea Manning, now serving 35 yrs in prison.

[riderinthestorm]

21. +1000 nt

[hatrack]

4. Maybe not involving him in Top Secret discussions?

He has, after all, proven his incompetence and/or indifference with the handling of classified information.

[Oktober]

9. The circumstances under which he disclosed it were certainly unique...

... and don't seem likely to reappear so why waste the resource?

I absolutely understand why the White House is asking for his input. Extremely low risk...

[bigtree]

15. Petraeus Mistress Got Black Books Full of Code Words, Spy Names, and Obama Briefings

___While he was commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, Petraeus “maintained bound, five-by-eight inch notebooks that contained his daily schedule and classified and unclassified notes he took during official meetings, conferences and briefings,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina writes in a statement of fact regarding the case.

All eight books “collectively contained classified information regarding the identifies of covert officers, war strategy, intelligence capabilities and mechanisms, diplomatic discussions, quotes and deliberative discussions from high-level National Security Council meetings… and discussions with the president of the United States.”

The books also contained “national defense information, including top secret/SCI and code word information,” according to the court papers. In other words: These weren’t just ordinary secrets. This was highly, highly classified material.

Instead, Petraeus kept the black books in a “rucksack” in his home, according to a conversation recorded by biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell in 2011.

“They are highly classified, some of them… I mean there’s code word stuff in there,” Petraeus said. Nevertheless, he emailed her and agreed to provide the black books.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/03/petraeus-mistress-got-secret-black-books-full-of-code-words-spy-names-and-briefings-with-obama.html


...did he double-dutch swear to the President to never do it again?

[riderinthestorm]

18. Really? You don't think a guy who cheats on his wife won't cheat again? Nt

[Oktober]

22. Not if he is trying to reset his career path...

... Which it seems he may be doing.

[riderinthestorm]

24. He's continuing along the SAME career path. That's exactly the point

he got off with a misdemeanor charge. A slap on the wrist.

He's demonstrated that all it takes is a little ego stroking and he's a cheating, lying, secret spilling kinda guy.

And he'll suffer very little consequence.

I'd say he's even MORE primed to repeat his performance. That's the nature of cheaters.

At least Chelsea Manning, Snowden, Drake, Binney etc all had higher motives with their actions. Petraeus only has his dick to fall back on for an excuse.

[Oktober]

26. The administration would seem to disagree with you...

... but I'm sure you know better than they do with your years of experience in dealing with classified information and complete understanding of risk management at the highest levels of government coupled with a dispassionate and objective point of view.

Why are you here behind the keyboard?! Get to the the White House! They need your input right the hell now!

GO! Your people need you!

[riderinthestorm]

28. The Administration is confirming what many of us already know

theres a two tier justice system in the US.

The Admin doesn't need me to tell them that. They're living proof of it. While Manning rots for 30 years in Leavenworth after being tortured, Petraeus gets to have personal chats with the President.

THAT'S the takeaway on this imo.

[Oktober]

29. What was manning's torture again?

[JonLP24]

30. 23 hour lockdown

Similar to Maximum Security in California state prisons which psychiatrists describe that sort of isolation as "torture". What makes it different in Chelsea Manning's case is he was a pre-trial defendant

[riderinthestorm]

39. Also she was kept naked in solitary confinement. Wasn't allowed anything to read or write

was made to stand in a corner whenever anyone approached her cell...

It was far more than solitary confinement - these are some of the same techniques used on Guantanamo prisoners to break them.

[JonLP24]

40. Tried to answer the question best I can without digging for links

Something I know international monitors verified which was the solitary part.

[riderinthestorm]

41. No worries! I happen to have the Amnesty links on her treatment bookmarked

[Oktober]

53. If I remember correctly didn't most of that start after he made a suicidal comment...

... and then later claimed it was a joke?

[riderinthestorm]

57. Nope. It started as soon as he was arrested. Spent 2 months in an 8x8x8 ft wire cage

with just a toilet and no free time, like an animal.

The harsh treatment only escalated when he got to the states, especially when Obama, his CIC, declared him guilty on teevee a year or more before his trial.

Can I ask you, even if he was suicidal how 23 hours in solitary confinement, stripped naked, forced to stand in a corner facing the wall when approached, not allowed outside materials etc etc...exactly how any of that would have prevented him from committing suicide?

Because it doesn't unless you have a method for committing suicide with a book?

It was putative utilizing some of the same techniques used to break prisoners at Guantanamo.

You really are going to continue to defend this? Not even the UN or Amnesty doubt that he was tortured.

Feel free to have the last word. Some convos are better left alone for all to see...

[Oktober]

59. Naked for years eh...

It's all a bit fuzzy but I think I remember he finally ended up with the suicide smock...

As for suicide by book all I can say is that you would be surprised what prisoners can come up with... Even if he didn't have the gusto to kill himself then he absolutely could self harm and that is unacceptable.

It's like telling a 9/11 joke in the TSA line... You might not mean it in a malicious way it but at that point no one is willing to put their ass on the line for you. No second chances there...

Better safe than sorry was the theme for that whole case...

[riderinthestorm]

38. Even the UN special counsel on torture believes it

https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2014/07/usa-one-year-after-her-conviction-chelsea-manning-must-be-released/


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/amnesty-international-condemns-inhumane-treatment-bradley-manning/

[whathehell]

33. Thank you..

"reset his career" my ass.

[elias49]

10. What the 'last bout cost him.'?

You're kidding, right? What did that last bout cost him? Virtually nothing.
It was treated like a misdemeanor.

[Oktober]

23. Do you think that was the only price he paid?

[bigtree]

31. rank does have its privileges

[Oktober]

32. Did you respond to the right post?

Didn't seem to address the question in any way...

[bigtree]

35. what 'price' do you think he's paid?

[frylock]

44. i'm sure he was a little embarrassed

[TwilightGardener]

50. He has no security clearance. The WH would be breaking the same laws

he broke by discussing anything other than unclassified info with him. Petraeus is getting special VIP treatment to buy his silence. The WH doesn't need his expertise of paying off Sunni warlords, LOL.

[Oktober]

52. I guess they disagree with you

I refer you to post #26

[TwilightGardener]

54. Well, I disagree with them. Obama does some stupid and sleazy things

sometimes. This is one of them. It's obvious that General All-In isn't needed to provide counsel on Iraq--CENTCOM is full of military expertise on Iraq, the State Dept. is full of diplomatic expertise on Iraq, and Obama let Gen. John Allen fail upward after his disgrace and "retirement" into the ISIS coalition envoy job. Obama is keeping Petraeus and Allen quiet for some reason. Obama is genuinely afraid of the military and what they will say about him. He's also afraid of the CIA and John Brennan.

[Orrex]

2. Sounds like a great way to get around FOIA roadblocking.

Strategy!

[Fred Sanders]

5. What road blocking? Codifying settled law is now "road blocking"?

[Orrex]

11. I'll bet you're a laugh riot at parties.

[Fred Sanders]

13. Indeed, being in grasp of the facts and legal history does attract a lot of attention and discussion

[Orrex]

16. As opposed to your abject humorlessness and your drab hyper-literalism

Did you see the film American Sniper by the way?

[Fred Sanders]

19. Not everyone agrees with me, if most folks did that would concern me the most..

No humor? That hurts me the most...

[Fred Sanders]

6. Who is "O"? There is no evidence any information "leaked" to anyone...speculation is not evidence.

[bigtree]

7. I guess they have his word on that at the WH

...promises the President he'll never, ever do that naughty thing again!

[Fred Sanders]

8. Is there evidence of any leaks? Yes or no? The military information the man has was not also ejaculated.

Please do not refer to the twice election President as "O", as if on some other "sites" - that is my other critique...demonization does not become you and serves no purpose in advancing speculation.

[bigtree]

12. weak

[Fred Sanders]

14. Ditto, "B".

[bigtree]

17. hey!

...you reduced my screen name to another screen name. Weaker, still.

[Fred Sanders]

20. Reducing President Obama's ACTUAL name to that used on certain other sites...how weak is that?

Why some at DU are forwarding demonization attempts on your own President and Party leader......let the RW do that.

Please.

What is the evidence of leaks? Anything at all? Anything?

Anyway, enough of kicking a weak thread.

[bigtree]

25. it's abbreviated for twitter, for gawd's sakes

...get a grip.

[whathehell]

36. Please stop with the gross,

gratuitous sexualized terminology. Your consideration gets ours.

[Fred Sanders]

37. Words have different meanings in different contexts..for example...

say something quickly and suddenly.

"“Indeed?” ejaculated the stranger"
synonyms: exclaim, cry out, call out, yell, blurt out, come out with

"“What?” he ejaculated"

...........


ejac·u·lat·edejac·u·lat·ing
Full Definition of EJACULATE

transitive verb
1
: to eject from a living body; specifically : to eject (semen) in orgasm
2
: to utter suddenly and vehemently

[whathehell]

42. LOL..You can put that dictionary back on its shelf now

as I'm SURE your use of the word "ejaculate" had everything to do

with a desire to utilize an expanded vocabularly rather than to

continue with the sleazy blow job metaphor.

Try again, bro.

[Fred Sanders]

43. Bro, some folks just like to trash dictionaries. And metaphor.....free country, no offence taken.

Words have different meanings in different contexts and different sentence construction...why do we even have dictionaries and thesauruses if that is not true?
And metaphor is more effective than emoticons....

[whathehell]

47. LOL!

Yeah, that's me -- The Dictionary Trasher! I'm in dire need of

an expanded vocabulary, even though my GREs put me in the

92nd percentile of Language Users. Give it up, bro. it's a sad, and obvious fail.

[Fred Sanders]

48. I am in the 101st percentile......!! On the Internet comment boards folks can be anything they want!

LOL?.......what dictionary is that in?

[whathehell]

58. Goody Goo for you, dear!

Now go back to the UK where you will NOT have to pretend

you actually understand the terminology.

You wouldn't know a GRE from the NRA if you're life depended on it.

[Autumn]

27. TS convos w/Obama, shared them with his mistress, and now O continues to have TS

secrets w/Petraeus w/no precautions

At least Snowden shared his TS's with a reporter, not his GF for BJs
You can't make this sht up.

[whathehell]

45. I'm on your side here, Autumn

but please..Is there anything that literally said this was done

by his "gf for BJs"?...If not, and it's being used as a "metaphor",

could we put a moratorium on it?...I ask, because it's gratuitous and sexist.

[Autumn]

49. Yes it is gratuitous and sexist. Above all, what is offensive to the very core of

my being that this man, who shared top secret confidential information with his mistress and lied to investigating agents about it and his reward for that is he advises the President on matters of what amounts to OUR national security.


I used the BJ because of this in the article

emptywheel ‏@emptywheel
Govt has issued zillion "Exec Privilege" denials, plus withheld 9,000 torture docs. Same secrets just Petraeus-blowjob away fr leaking.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. Demoted up the ladder.

[FairWinds]

46. Veterans For Peace . .

finds it hard to believe that some folks here are defending
Petraeus while denigrating Manning. The latter is a hero, the former is not.
Why would the White House want advise from ANYONE who was a part of
the incredible fiasco that was/is Iraq?

[Thinkingabout]

51. Peehaps Snowden could advise them on hackers.

[Rex]

55. OF COURSE he gets treated like royalty, never mind the fact that others of lesser rank

rot in prison for the same offense. Watch that traitorous bastard turn out to be a double agent. He has proven himself to be unreliable, I guess Obama wants to take the risk on the disgraced general being honest now...but since he lied to the FBI, who knows really?

Sad that rank has those kind of privileges, but expected in a plutocracy. Had he been E4 Nobody, he would be rotting away in prison right now. He should be rotting in prison right now.

I wouldn't trust the man with a wooden nickle.

[Sienna86]

56. If he lost his security clearance, how can he be an advisor!?

Maybe it's not official until the paperwork is done.

[TwilightGardener]

60. He's not really an advisor. The WH is afraid of what he'll say if they piss him

off too much. But yeah, his security clearance is gone. They can't share anything important with him. This is a ruse.

[greatlaurel]

61. POTUS is keeping this enemy close.

The Obama administration ruins Petraeus for the GOP by claiming he is working with Obama. As usual, Obama is way far ahead of us all. Can you imagine the backlash on any GOP candidate from the GOP base when it is leaked they are taking advice from Obama's adviser, Petraeus?

Patraeus was scheming with the GOP. He failed to realize the GOP was not going to protect him when their scheme fell apart.

The POTUS and SOS were livid when Stevens was murdered in Libya. The look on their faces when they spoke after his murder was chilling. There were an awful lot of top military brass who ended up retired after that in very short order. It is no wonder the GOP hate Obama and HRC so much. Those two must terrify the crooks and corporate welfare queens who act against the American people every chance they get. Mittens could not have bothered to watch Obama and HRC when they spoke that first time after that terrible tragedy. No one explained it to him that the trap the GOP tried to set for Obama and HRC failed and turned into a trap for Mittens. The Benghazi stuff the GOP keeps trying to slime HRC with will come back to haunt them. Proceed, Governor.