Here Is The Intel Report Accusing Putin Of Helping Trump Win By "Discrediting" Hillary Clinton

Zero Hedge ^ | 01/07/2017

[SeekAndFind]

The farce is complete.

One week after a joint FBI/DHS report was released, supposedly meant to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Russia intervened in the US presidential election, and thus served as a diplomatic basis for Obama's expulsion of 35 diplomats, yet which merely confirmed that a Ukrainian piece of malware which could be purchased by anyone, was responsible for spoofing various email accounts including that of the DNC and John Podesta, moments ago US intelligence agencies released a more "authoritative", 25-page report, titled "Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections", and which not surprisingly only serves to validate the media narrative, by concluding that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'ordered' an effort to influence U.S. presidential election.

Specifically, the report concludes the following:

We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.

What proof is there? Sadly, again, none. However, as the intelligence agencies state, "We have high confidence in these judgments"... just like they had high confidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

And while the report is severely lacking in any evidence, it is rich in judgments, such as the following:

• We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.
• We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgment. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgment; NSA has moderate confidence.
• Moscow’s approach evolved over the course of the campaign based on Russia’s understanding of the electoral prospects of the two main candidates. When it appeared to Moscow that Secretary Clinton was likely to win the election, the Russian influence campaign began to focus more on undermining her future presidency.
• Further information has come to light since Election Day that, when combined with Russian behavior since early November 2016, increases our confidence in our assessments of Russian motivations and goals.
• Moscow’s influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operations—such as cyber activity—with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or “trolls.” Russia, like its Soviet predecessor, has a history of conducting covert influence campaigns focused on US presidential elections that have used intelligence officers and agents and press placements to disparage candidates perceived as hostile to the Kremlin.
• Russia’s intelligence services conducted cyber operations against targets associated with the 2016 US presidential election, including targets associated with both major US political parties.
• We assess with high confidence that Russian military intelligence (General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate or GRU) used the Guccifer 2.0 persona and DCLeaks.com to release US victim data obtained in cyber operations publicly and in exclusives to media outlets and relayed material to WikiLeaks.
• Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards. DHS assesses that the types of systems Russian actors targeted or compromised were not involved in vote tallying.
• Russia’s state-run propaganda machine contributed to the influence campaign by serving as a platform for Kremlin messaging to Russian and international audiences.
• We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes.

Or, as some have stated, just a regurgitation of already existing opinions and absolutely zero facts.

Some more highlights:

• Moscow’s influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operations—such as cyber activity—with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or “trolls.”
• We assess Russian intelligence services collected against the US primary campaigns, think tanks, and lobbying groups they viewed as likely to shape future US policies. In July 2015, Russian intelligence gained access to Democratic National Committee (DNC) networks and maintained that access until at least June 2016.
• Russian Propaganda Efforts. Russia’s state-run propaganda machine—comprised of its domestic media apparatus, outlets targeting global audiences such as RT and Sputnik, and a network of quasi-government trolls—contributed to the influence campaign by serving as a platform for Kremlin messaging to Russian and international audiences. State-owned Russian media made increasingly favorable comments about President-elect Trump as the 2016 US general and primary election campaigns progressed while consistently offering negative coverage of Secretary Clinton.

Meanwhile, in Russia:

 

There is much more in the full report below, although unfortunately, no actual proof (link).

[Antioch]

Trump should should have refused to even look at that report until they replaced the “we” with actual names of the roomful of hacks who fabricated this farce.

[poinq]

so Putin committed this big crime by showing us evidence that the press was throwing the election, and the DNC was throwing the election, and the debates were rigged, and the polls were rigged, and Hillary and Obama lied to us over and over again about very important international events. And to back up their lie, they threw an innocent man in jail.

wow are we mad at Putin.

[9YearLurker]

“Assess”? “Guess without factual basis”?

[Ray76]

The Russia-hacked-the-DNC narrative originated with Dmitri Alperovitch. His company Crowdstrike is funded largely by Clinton associates.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3511472/posts

[Logical me]

This is pure BS. This desperate bunch of communists rotten democrats are beyond belief. There is no redeeming value to keep these fool in charge of anything over cow manure collection.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

In Hard Choices Hillary portrayed herself as knowledgable about security threats during her tenure as SecState.

What is clear is that she had implicit confidence in Podesta, and Podedsta’s email account leaked like a sieve. And of course Hillary’s clandestine server email is notorious.

If there is one thing we know it is that whatever hacking went on, it did not happen on Donald Trump’s watch.

Barak Obama’s fault.

[Rusty0604]

The media barely covered anything in the emails. Leaking emails wouldn’t have discredited Hillary if there wasn’t anything in them that wasn’t good in the first place.
My question is, the RNC says they weren’t hacked, but everyone else is saying they were hacked, so what is the truth? If the agencies and media are lying, there goes the theory that Russia didn’t leak RNC emails to help Trump. Assumed in that theory is that RNC emails would contain any info discrediting to Trump.

[Trumpisourlastchance]

CIA & FBI are clearly riddled with idiots and foreign agents of Soros/Saudi Barbaria. Both agencies need to be thoroughly purged. Thousands must go. And those that have been arming Jihadists in Middle East must go to prison.

[Rebelrage]

I urge everyone to check under your and your children’s beds tonight for Russians! If this comment saves even one life, it’s worth it. You’re welcome!

[Stopthethreat]

I assess with high confidence that this whole thing is a purely political load of horseshit.

Is this all they have? Seriously

[ETL]

Because Hillary Clinton was bought and owned by the "neo-con" globalists in Washington who have been orchestrating military campaigns against Russian allies for 25 years.

Russian "allies"? You mean like the ChiComs who Hillary Clinton's husband in the 1990s sold and/or gave sophisticated weapons technology to, in part for campaign cash? Or do you mean Russian allies like Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, etc, etc.

[Paladin2]

I’ll note that the CIA didn’t leak to RT, but to the LSM (NBC?)

[Stopthethreat]

“THIS MEANS WAR!!!” sayeth McPain

[Prospero]

This illustrates the problem nicely. The so-called "establishment" is so absolutely tribal that they have lost all context for self-evaluation, like Liberals of the Old School; it isn't so much a balanced perspective of every other point of view. There are no other 'points of view.'

Aside from their leaps to assessments, there is nothing in this report that is new to anyone who has even a cursory understanding of international cyber security, especially the Ukrainian malware and "Guccifer 2.0." Those two factors were widely discussed from out of Romanian sources, at least as early as last summer, for example.

It will be difficult for the "Intelligence Community," to convince me that the mighty RT has had so much influence. But the point here is not to convince the likes of me, anyway.

Instead, this is "boob bait for bubbas," in the words of the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

If Democrats and their power players are genuinely stupid enough to believe Russia's mighty state and propaganda are to blame for Mrs. Clinton's defeat then we should celebrate.

[Robert357]

First thanks for the unclassified report.

(1) The leaked information from the DNC is not stated in this report not doctored. WOW the DNC was that corrupt.

(2) There is not evidence and in the first few paragraphs it says that any evidence is classified and you have to trust them on their conclusions.

(3) Could someone ask the “intelligence agencies” to provide a similar report on DNC Hillary Victory Campaign activities during the Presidential campaign.

Specifically did the DNC/Hillary use paid trolls to try to influence social media and sway public opinion? (Yes)

Did the DNC/Hillary, plant false new stories favorable to Hillary with various journalists and news agencies (like RT did? Well yes we know that DNC wrote certain stories, talking points that “their journalists.

Did DNC maintain contact with certain election boards and try to influence the outcome. Yes, it tried to change dates and other things. In short should we find that the DNC was as evil and corrupt in trying to influence the outcome of the election using similar techniques to what the intelligence community ascribes to Russia? OH, what sanctions are recommended against Hillary and the DNC? NONE? Why? Politics!

[ETL]

Because Hillary Clinton was bought and owned by the "neo-con" globalists in Washington who have been orchestrating military campaigns against Russian allies for 25 years.

Just so you know, Trump has surrounded himself with staunch opponents of your boy Vladimir Putin. Do you seriously think that was an "oversight" on his part? That he didn't know where they stood on this major issue of today.

Here's Pence, from the VP debate on Oct 5, 2016, on the subject of Obama, Putin and Russia:

“When Donald Trump and I observe that, as I’ve said, in Syria, in Iran, in Ukraine, that the small and bullying leader of Russia has been stronger on the world stage than this administration, that’s stating painful facts. That’s not an endorsement of Vladimir Putin — that’s an indictment of the weak and feckless leadership of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.”

______________________________

Also from the Oct 5, 2016 first VP debate...

QUIJANO (Moderator): I want to turn now to Syria. Two hundred fifty thousand people, 100,000 of them children, are under siege in Aleppo, Syria. Bunker buster bombs, cluster munitions, and incendiary weapons are being dropped on them by Russian and Syrian militaries. Does the U.S. have a responsibility to protect civilians and prevent mass casualties on this scale, Governor Pence?

PENCE: The United States of America needs to begin to exercise strong leadership to protect the vulnerable citizens and over 100,000 children in Aleppo. Hillary Clinton’s top priority when she became secretary of state was the Russian reset, the Russians reset. After the Russian reset, the Russians invaded Ukraine and took over Crimea.

And the small and bullying leader of Russia is now dictating terms to the United States to the point where all the United States of America — the greatest nation on Earth — just withdraws from talks about a cease-fire while Vladimir Putin puts a missile defense system in Syria while he marshals the forces and begins — look, we have got to begin to lean into this with strong, broad-shouldered American leadership.

It begins by rebuilding our military. And the Russians and the Chinese have been making enormous investments in the military. We have the smallest Navy since 1916. We have the lowest number of troops since the end of the Second World War. We’ve got to work with Congress, and Donald Trump will, to rebuild our military and project American strength in the world.

But about Aleppo and about Syria, I truly do believe that what America ought to do right now is immediately establish safe zones, so that families and vulnerable families with children can move out of those areas, work with our Arab partners, real time, right now, to make that happen.

And secondly, I just have to tell you that the provocations by Russia need to be met with American strength. And if Russia chooses to be involved and continue, I should say, to be involved in this barbaric attack on civilians in Aleppo, the United States of America should be prepared to use military force to strike military targets of the Assad regime to prevent them from this humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Aleppo.

There’s a broad range of other things that we ought to do, as well. We ought to deploy a missile defense shield to the Czech Republic and Poland which Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama pulled back on out of not wanting to offend the Russians back in 2009.

QUIJANO: Governor, your two minutes are up.

PENCE: We’ve just got to have American strength on the world stage. When Donald Trump becomes president of the United States, the Russians and other countries in the world will know they’re dealing with a strong American president.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/us/politics/vice-president-transcript.html

______________________________

And...

PENCE: What we’re dealing with is the — you know, there’s an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates.

And the truth of the matter is, the weak and feckless foreign policy of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has awakened an aggression in Russia that first appeared a few years ago with their move in Georgia, now their move into Crimea, now their move into the wider Middle East.

And all the while, all we do is fold our arms and say we’re not having talks anymore.

To answer your question, we just need American strength. We need to — we need to marshal the resources of our allies in the region, and in the immediate, we need to act and act now to get people out of harm’s way.

[arthurus]

I refer to the time before Wikileaks and right after the first Wiki revelations. A number of geeks from kids to techie engineers around the country are always exploring for forbidden data fruit. The Dem data was so sloppily protected that it is good bet that much of this stuff had already been hacked. While it was all dripping out there were claims from various sources that they had done it, too.

[Jaded]

Really? These people are more stupid than I thought. What is it they say... rise to the level of incompetence?

[Lorianne]

I was publically against Clinton and didn’t vote for her.

My check from Russia must have gotten lost in the mail somehow.

[ETL]

Senator Jeff Sessions on Putin...

March 26, 2015

Interview with Jeff Sessions: U.S. and Europe "Have to Unify" Against Russia

excerpt...

What do you expect next from Russia?

Sessions: Well, there's a danger that they may continue this overreach. They just solidified power in Georgia, in South Ossetia. That was I think in the last week. Pressure is still on Ukraine. We don't know whether the Minsk Agreement will hold, I don't think it's holding very well now.

We have the Estonians, the Lithuanians, the Romanians, they're very worried. This is reality, I wish it weren't, but I'm afraid it is. It needs to be clear that Russia knows that there will be a high price to pay if this behavior continues.

If Minsk breaks down, at what point does the president have to act and supply Ukraine with lethal weaponry? What is the breaking point? We know from what Victoria Nuland said that the administration hasn't decided yet.

Sessions: From what I understand from this conference, I think it's clear that Germany has said publicly that they will support harsher sanctions and more military support if the Minsk Agreement fails. And that will be key.

Merkel has worked very very hard to establish a relationship with Putin and Russia. It's been a good-faith effort. If it fails, I would hope that Europe and the United States would have to unify and push back more firmly against Russian overreach. ..."

http://www.realclearworld.com/blog/2015/03/interview_with_jeff_sessions_us_and_europe_have_to_unify_against_russia_111076.html

or,

https://web.archive.org/web/20150709024356/http://www.realclearworld.com/blog/2015/03/interview_with_jeff_sessions_us_and_europe_have_to_unify_against_russia_111076.html