Posted on 05/14/2018 2:12:59 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
George Papadopoulos appears to have been targeted by three individuals with ties to British and/or U.S. Intelligence.
Joseph Mifsud Alexander Downer Stefan Halper
George Papadopoulos and Joseph Mifsud reportedly both worked at the London Centre of International Law Practice.
Joseph Mifsud appears to have joined LCILP around November 2015. Papadopoulos appears to have joined LCILP sometime in late February or early March 2016 after leaving Ben Carson’s campaign.
Per reports, Papadopoulos and Mifsud first met on March 14, 2016.
The London Centre of International Law and Practice Limited (LCILP) is an odd institution. From their website:
LCILP training emphasises the practical application of international law as a field inseparable from its geopolitical and global economic context.
On March 22, 2016, the Washington Post noted the following:
Papadopoulos, a 2009 graduate of DePaul University, directs an international energy center at the London Center of International Law Practice.
The Post did not seem to be aware that Papadopoulos had only held that position for a matter of weeks.
How Papadopoulos got the position remains unknown. An article by Medium notes the following:
The Centre for International Energy and Natural Resources Law & Security existed, at least in name, before Papadopoulos’s arrival and it’s unclear why he was chosen to head it. A list on the website of a dozen people associated with it suggests others were better qualified.
Was Papadopoulos attempting to bulk up his resume. Who offered the young analyst the prestigious sounding position.
Indications seem to be that the position was primarily in name only.
In a November 4, 2017 article, the Post noted the following regarding LCILP:
When a Post reporter buzzed the door on several occasions during business hours last week, no one answered.
Until recently, the staff Web page had 33 people listed on it, including Joseph Mifsud. But the page was deleted on Oct. 23, a week before the Papadopoulos plea agreement was unsealed.
Several of those listed as being part of the “team” were only loosely affiliated — if at all.
The link to LCILP’s staffing is no longer functional.
Quartz Media had slightly more success:
When a Quartz reporter visited LCILP’s headquarters inside a handsome Georgian building, he found that the office amounted to four people working in an undecorated backroom, all of whom declined to comment.
Mifsud vanished in early November 2017, shortly after the Papadopoulos story broke. To my knowledge, his whereabouts remain unknown.
I’ve found four different meetings between Papadopoulos and Mifsud:
March 14, 2016 – First known meeting. Papadopoulos met Mifsud in Italy approximately one week after officially joining the Trump team.
March 24, 2016 – Papadopoulos, Mifsud, Olga Polonskaya and unknown fourth party met in a London cafe.
April 18, 2016 – Mifsud introduced Papadopoulos to Ivan Timofeev, an official at a state-sponsored think tank called Russian International Affairs Council.
April 26, 2016 – Mifsud claims to have met with high-level Russian government officials who have “dirt” on Clinton. Papadopoulos told the FBI that Mifsud said “the Russians had emails of Clinton” and “they have thousands of emails.”
Although the common story is that Mifsud is a Russian Agent, many ties seem to lead back to UK Intelligence.
Julian Assange put out a Twitter Thread noting the connection between Mifsud and UK Intelligence.
Disobedient Media has done a series of articles on Mifsud’s strange background – or lack thereof:
All Russiagate Roads Lead To London As Evidence Emerges Of Joseph Mifsud’s Links To UK Intelligence.
A Conversation With Chris Blackburn On The Contradictions Surrounding Mifsud.
Chris Blackburn Discusses Legacy Press Coverage Of Joseph Mifsud.
Chris Blackburn had this to say:
If Mifsud is a genuine Russian asset, he has been enabled by the United States’ most trusted allies. His relationship with senior intelligence and political leaders in Europe should constitute one of the greatest security breaches in decades.
I don’t have enough information to make a determination on Mifsud at this point, but I suspect ties with British Intelligence will prove accurate.
Mifsud was just the opening salvo directed at young Papadopoulos.
Let’s move forward to Papadopoulos and his May 10, 2016 meeting with Alexander Downer.
The Papadopoulos/Downer meeting has been portrayed as a chance encounter in a bar. That does not appear to be the case.
Papadopoulos was introduced to Downer through a chain of two intermediaries.
Papadopoulos knew an Israeli embassy official in London named Christian Cantor who introduced Papadopoulos to Erika Thompson.
Thompson was a counselor to Downer and served in Australia’s London embassy.
On May 4, 2016, Papadopoulos gave an interview to the London Times in which he stated then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron should apologize to Trump for negative comments.
According to the Daily Caller, Thompson reached out to Papadopoulos two days after the story appeared and said Downer wanted to meet with Papadopoulos.
The meeting between Papadopoulos and Downer took place on May 10, 2016:
During the meeting, which TheDCNF is told Thompson attended, Downer ordered Papadopoulos to “leave David Cameron alone.”
Downer has direct ties to UK Intelligence firm Hakluyt where he served on the Advisory Board from 2008-2014. See, Dearlove Connections – UK Intel Firm Hakluyt, Alexander Downer, Stefan Halper & Papadopoulos.
In late-July 2016, Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., Joe Hockey, told his American counterparts about Downer’s claims about the Papadopoulos conversation. The Aussies sat on the information for two months but revisited the Papadopoulos information after WikiLeaks released emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee.
That leak occurred on July 22, 2016. The FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation on July 31, 2016. Peter Strzok, the FBI’s deputy chief of counterintelligence at the time, oversaw the investigation.
Strzok texts suggest he was in London on August 3, 2016:
[Redacted’ talked about the Embassy. It’s the longest continuously staffed establishment in London.
That would be the Australian Embassy…
There was one more significant meeting yet to come.
A meeting with Stefan Halper.
On September 13, 2016 Papadopoulos accepted a meeting with Stefan Halper.
Halper approached Papadopoulos unbidden. Papadopoulos had no prior contact with Halper.
Halper, who has connections to CIA & UK Intelligence, asked Papadopoulos: “George, you know about hacking the emails from Russia, right?”
Stefan Halper is a Cambridge Fellow. He was a Senior Policy Advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford & Reagan (bio here).
Halper has a close association with former MI6 Head Richard Dearlove.
Halper had previously invited Carter Page to attend a July 2016 symposium held at Cambridge regarding the upcoming election. The speaker list was notable:
Madeleine Albright (former U.S. Secretary of State) Vin Weber (Republican Party strategist and former Congressman) Ambassador Peter Ammon (German Ambassador to the UK) Sir Richard Dearlove (former head of MI6) Bridget Kendall (BBC diplomatic correspondent and the next Master of Peterhouse College) Sir Malcolm Rifkind (former Defence and Foreign Secretary)
Page attended the symposium just four days after his July 2016 Moscow trip. Page met with Halper during the London visit. Page’s Moscow trip would figure prominently in the Steele Dossier…
Halper also requested – and attained – a meeting with another, unknown, Trump Campaign member on September 11, 2016 – two days before the Papadopoulos meeting.
Halper “offered to help the campaign” but did not mention the Papadopoulos meeting to the second staffer – nor the staffer meeting to Papadopoulos.
Curiously, despite the offers of campaign help, on November 3, 2016, Halper publicly stated that Clinton would be the best option for US-UK relations.
One other particularly interesting note.
Halper has connections to the UK Intelligence firm Hakluyt through Jonathan Clarke, with whom he has co-authored two books. You can find a June 2004 video of the pair discussing their first book here.
Jonathan Clarke is the U.S. Representative – Director U.S. Operations for Hakluyt. Clarke is a fairly public figure – but it was quite difficult to locate references to his association with Hakluyt.
Given the lengthy association between Halper and Clarke, I expect we will find additional ties between Halper, other members of Hakluyt and members of British Intelligence.
Halper’s association with former MI6 Head Richard Dearlove – via their previous positions at Cambridge Intelligence Seminar – is already known.
Note: For more on Hakluyt see Dearlove Connections – UK Intel Firm Hakluyt, Alexander Downer, Stefan Halper & Papadopoulos.
Halper is still remembered for one other event. From a 1983 UPI article:
The New York Times reported the Reagan campaign headquarters conducted a data-gathering operation to collect inside information on Carter foreign policy and used a number of former CIA officials in the effort.
It said Stefan Halper, a campaign aide who handled communications for Bush and provided news updates and policy ideas to the traveling Reagan party, was in charge of the operation.
Papadopoulos speculated to the Daily Caller that the Downer/Halper meetings may have been a spy operation.
As to questions about Papadopoulos’ complicity in all this, the FBI didn’t bother to interview Papadopoulos until January 27, 2017.
Consider the timeline:
Late February or early March 2016 – Papadopoulos lands a prestigious sounding job that immediately pads his resume.
Early March 2016 – Papadopoulos learns he will become a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign.
March 14, 2016 – Papadopoulos first meets Mifsud in Italy – approximately one week after officially joining the Trump team.
March 24, 2016 – Papadopoulos, Mifsud, Olga Polonskaya and unknown fourth party met in a London cafe.
April 18, 2016 – Mifsud introduced Papadopoulos to Ivan Timofeev, an official at a state-sponsored think tank called Russian International Affairs Council.
April 26, 2016 – Mifsud claims to have met with high-level Russian government officials who have “dirt” on Clinton. Papadopoulos told the FBI that Mifsud said “the Russians had emails of Clinton” and “they have thousands of emails.”
May 4, 2016 – Papadopoulos gives his interview to the London Times. It is not well-received in London.
May 10, 2016 – Papadopoulos meets with Australian Diplomat Alexander Downer. It is Downer who seeks out the meeting.
May/June 2016 – Halper invites Carter Page to July 2016 Cambridge symposium regarding the upcoming election.
July 11, 2016 – Carter Page attends symposium with Halper just four days after his July 2016 Moscow trip.
July 31, 2016 – FBI opens Counterintelligence Investigation into Trump-Russia connections.
August 2-3, 2016 – Strzok travels to London to meet unknown party at Australian Embassy.
September 13, 2016 – Papadopoulos accepts a meeting with Stefan Halper. Halper, who has connections to CIA & UK Intelligence, asked Papadopoulos: “George, you know about hacking the emails from Russia, right?”
My guess is Papadopoulos never knew what hit him. A young man, suddenly thrust into a position beyond his experience, Papadopoulos made for an easy intelligence target.
Carter Page almost certainly discussed the just completed Moscow trip with his host, Stefan Halper, during the London symposium.
It’s now being reported that Devin Nunes has learned the identity of a “top secret intelligence source” that was part of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Investigation.
I think there’s a decent chance that source is Stefan Halper.
Halper had contact with both Papadopulos and Carter Page. Halper has connections to UK Intelligence and US Intelligence. Halper met with Carter Page just days after Page’s Moscow trip.
Stefan Halper would seem a good fit as the “FBI source”.
newer post Grassley Pushes Hard on the Mike Flynn Case
older post Dearlove Connections – UK Intel Firm Hakluyt, Alexander Downer, Stefan Halper & Papadopoulos Follow by Email themarketswork @themarketswork Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Related
Dearlove Connections - UK Intel Firm Hakluyt, Alexander Downer, Stefan Halper & PapadopoulosMay 9, 2018In "All Posts"
A Factual LieFebruary 27, 2018In "All Posts"
The Electronic Communication, Redacted Names & John BrennanApril 12, 2018In "All Posts"
Filed Under: All Posts, Hillary Clinton, Obama, President Trump, Presidential Election, Surveillance & Russian Interference, The Left
Jeff Carlson worked for 20 years as an analyst and portfolio manager in the High Yield Bond Market. He holds degrees in finance and economics.
Jeff Carlson is a CFA® charterholder.
Mifsud vanished in early November 2017, shortly after the Papadopoulos story broke.
I’ve found four different meetings between Papadopoulos and Mifsud:
March 14, 2016 – First known meeting. Papadopoulos met Mifsud in Italy approximately one week after officially joining the Trump team.
March 24, 2016 – Papadopoulos, Mifsud, Olga Polonskaya and unknown fourth party met in a London cafe.
April 18, 2016 – Mifsud introduced Papadopoulos to Ivan Timofeev, an official at a state-sponsored think tank called Russian International Affairs Council.
April 26, 2016 – Mifsud claims to have met with high-level Russian government officials who have “dirt” on Clinton. Papadopoulos told the FBI that Mifsud said “the Russians had emails of Clinton” and “they have thousands of emails.”
Although the common story is that Mifsud is a Russian Agent, many ties seem to lead back to UK Intelligence.
Julian Assange put out a Twitter Thread noting the connection between Mifsud and UK Intelligence.
Disobedient Media has done a series of articles on Mifsud’s strange background – or lack thereof:
All Russiagate Roads Lead To London As Evidence Emerges Of Joseph Mifsud’s Links To UK Intelligence.
A Conversation With Chris Blackburn On The Contradictions Surrounding Mifsud.
Chris Blackburn Discusses Legacy Press Coverage Of Joseph Mifsud.
Chris Blackburn had this to say:
If Mifsud is a genuine Russian asset, he has been enabled by the United States’ most trusted allies. His relationship with senior intelligence and political leaders in Europe should constitute one of the greatest security breaches in decades.
I don’t have enough information to make a determination on Mifsud at this point, but I suspect ties with British Intelligence will prove accurate.
Mifsud was just the opening salvo directed at young Papadopoulos.
October, 2017–Mifsud goes missing.
That leak occurred on July 22, 2016. The FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation on July 31, 2016. Peter Strzok, the FBI’s deputy chief of counterintelligence at the time, oversaw the investigation.
Strzok texts suggest he was in London on August 3, 2016:
“Disobedient Media”. I like that!
Page attended the symposium just four days after his July 2016 Moscow trip. Page met with Halper during the London visit. Page’s Moscow trip would figure prominently in the Steele Dossier…
Halper also requested – and attained – a meeting with another, unknown, Trump Campaign member on September 11, 2016 – two days before the Papadopoulos meeting.
Halper “offered to help the campaign” but did not mention the Papadopoulos meeting to the second staffer – nor the staffer meeting to Papadopoulos.
Curiously, despite the offers of campaign help, on November 3, 2016, Halper publicly stated that Clinton would be the best option for US-UK relations.
keep shining a light on the Swamp. great stuff.
“How Papadopoulos got the position remains unknown.” He was rewarded the position when the FBI mole targeted him when he wormed his way into the Trump Campaign. Classic Black Ops by The CIA and FBI. I always thought Brennan was the ‘fixer’ in all of this. Who was his boss, Jarret, Clinton or Obama himself? Pure speculation of course, but the tapestry is woven and about to be displayed.
Stefan Halper’s father in law was Ray Steiner Cline (June 4, 1918 – March 16, 1996) an official at the United States Central Intelligence Agency best known for being the chief CIA analyst during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
When Egyptian anti-aircraft batteries along the Suez Canal pounded the IAF in the first days of the October 1973 War. At the time, in the summer of 1970, however, when "Israel complained to Washington that the Egyptians had breached the agreement, Ray Cline, the head of the State Department intelligence unit…told the White house that the Israeli complaint was baseless.
When Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin told his military attache, General Eli Zeira, what had happened, Zeira immediately asked Tel Aviv to send him a photographic interpreter and a set of aerial photographs showing the Egyptian deployment. These duly arrived in Washington and Zeira was summoned to the White House, where he laid out the evidence before President Nixon. Nixon, angry with Cline, then ordered the Pentagon to remove its veto on several categories of weapons the Israelis had asked for during the preceding months."
“He was rewarded the position when the FBI mole targeted him when he wormed his way into the Trump Campaign.”
He was supposedly brought in by Sam Clovis, former Air Force pilot, Iowa Republican. Doesn’t seem like a guy that would be manipulated by a worm. I don’t know.
Great article. I read it when Dan Bongino linked to it. The more visibility, the better...thanks for posting it.
There’s more on Halper here:
The short version:
So, what did [Halper] do?
Simple, his job was to locate then dirty-up anyone he could convince: 1) to meet with him; 2) engage in his requests; and 3) engage contacts he set up. Halper was setting up a classic operation to use unknown “useful idiots” to give the appearance of Russian allies/actors.
Halper provided the underlying imaging, the optics needed for the “EC” referral; which Brennan then used to trigger James Comey; who originated the FBI Counterintelligence Operation.
The fraudulent origin, in combination with the October FISA warrant needed for surveillance gathering, would drive the insurance policy that Peter Strzok described to Lisa Page.
Interesting.
I was talking about once the framers saw him with the campaign, they recognized his youthful exuberance and saw him as a potential target. All supposition of course based on the few articles that i have read about him. Had he not been able to “worm himself” into a position, (more important to him than anyone in the campaign thought apparently), he would not have been a target. Spys like Brennan would know how to spot targets for compromise. His weakness was his youth and his need to feel important. It is not surprising that they set him up in a bar.
Also remember that popodaupolis wanted the trump campaign to contact Putin.....sessions shot the idea down quickly.
Just think if the trump campaign had contact with Putin or his allies....
This whole ordeal is just sickening and I seriously doubt the real truth will ever see the light of day
sordid details ping!
Ping
He was a patsy. Chosen specifically for his youth and inexperience.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.