Since we were looking at timelines the other day, I was wondering whether either of you looked at how the unmasking list released yesterday fits in the timeline. Check out these dates (pulled from several timelines):
12/15/16 DNI Clapper executes “Procedures for the Availability or Dissemination of Raw Signals Intelligence Information by the National Security Agency Under Section 2.3 of Executive Order 12333.”
12/28/2019 DNI Clapper and Ambassador to Turkey Bass make the LAST unmasking requests before the 12/29/2019 Flynn-Kislyak calls.
12/29/2019 The 12/29/2019 Flynn-Kislyak calls.
1/3/2017 AG Loretta Lynch executes the “Procedures for the Availability . . .” document, indicating her approval.
1/3/2017 - FBI DD McCabe calls Asst. AG Mary McCord to tell her FBI had been planning to close investigation of Flynn before discovering his phone calls with Kislyak. McCord’s notes indicate those aware at FBI/ODNI were Clapper, Bob Litt, Jim Baker, and Tricia Anderson.
1/4/2017 2:11 p.m. Strzok email - If you have not closed [the Flynn investigation] don’t do it yet.
1/5/2017 Obama Chief of Staff (McDonough) makes the FIRST unmasking request after the 12/29/2019 Flynn-Kislyak calls.
So — How did Clapper, Bob Litt, Jim Baker, Tricia Anderson, Strzok, and the 7th Floor at FBI all know about the 12/29/2019 Flynn-Kislyak calls, without making an unmasking request?
Because they likely were waiting for their depth charge to take hold - the sanctions. Obama implemented some pretty draconian sanctions against Russia on 12/29/2016, including the immediate expulsion of diplomats and the closure of two Russian facilities in the US.
They had to know that this drastic action would prompt Russia to overreact in return, which Trump would worry about, so they probably implemented the sanctions to entice a call from Flynn to the Russian ambassador. Then, they waited a few days for Flynn to take the bait. No need to seek an unmasking until you’re sure the call you were hoping would happen did actually happen.
It would have been much easier for the plotters if Flynn would have told Kislyak “wink, wink....don’t respond because we’re going to remove the sanctions after we take power.” But Flynn didn’t do that. He simply asked that the Russians not overreact.
That’s what I suspect, anyway.