A Spy by Ellis Nadler Friday evening N.Y. Times reported that the FBI had opened a counterintelligence investigation into President Trump. Because of Trump’s ties to Russia and his firing of FBI Director, James Comey, counterintelligence investigators became so concerned; they opened an investigation. The next day, the Washington Post reported that Trump had gone to such extreme lengths to keep the content of his meetings with Putin secret, he seized his translator’s notes.
Many of us are reassured that Trump has not wounded the FBI to such an extent that it would ignore his actions benefitting Russia. But we are not really surprised by this investigation. After all, we know how the Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling handed his country to Hitler during World War II or more recently how Viktor Yanukovych, although the President of Ukraine, actively worked for Vladimir Putin’s Russia. And from what we know about Donald Trump, there is no sliver of duty or obligation in him that would deter him from satisfying his own needs at the expense of his country.
What is remarkable about this investigation is that it is counterintelligence. Unlike a criminal investigation conducted to find the perpetrator of a past crime, counterintelligence investigations are undertaken to detect, penetrate, and neutralize a foreign threat to the U.S. in the present or future. Counterintelligence investigations do not necessarily lead to prosecutions, may take years to conduct, and may include all the Trump friends, acquaintances, or family members.
We all know Trump has acted in ways to benefit Russia. We still need to know if those actions were done because Trump is a fool (or genius), has allowed Putin to influence him because of his naiveté (an unwitting idiot), or received rewards from Putin for engaging in specific actions (an agent). Presumably, Mueller’s report will answer this question. Maybe Trump should have let Mueller interview him to clarify his motives.
Many of us are reassured that Trump has not wounded the FBI to such an extent that it would ignore his actions benefitting Russia. But we are not really surprised by this investigation. After all, we know how the Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling handed his country to Hitler during World War II or more recently how Viktor Yanukovych, although the President of Ukraine, actively worked for Vladimir Putin’s Russia. And from what we know about Donald Trump, there is no sliver of duty or obligation in him that would deter him from satisfying his own needs at the expense of his country.
What is remarkable about this investigation is that it is counterintelligence. Unlike a criminal investigation conducted to find the perpetrator of a past crime, counterintelligence investigations are undertaken to detect, penetrate, and neutralize a foreign threat to the U.S. in the present or future. Counterintelligence investigations do not necessarily lead to prosecutions, may take years to conduct, and may include all the Trump friends, acquaintances, or family members.
We all know Trump has acted in ways to benefit Russia. We still need to know if those actions were done because Trump is a fool (or genius), has allowed Putin to influence him because of his naiveté (an unwitting idiot), or received rewards from Putin for engaging in specific actions (an agent). Presumably, Mueller’s report will answer this question. Maybe Trump should have let Mueller interview him to clarify his motives.
| https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad | https://wapo.st/2STVLGt  |