With Sally Q. Yates Set To Testify Before Congress, Monday...

This is well-beyond the scope of this blog's subject matter -- such as it is -- but since I have followed the expert blogger quoted below, on matters related to national security and clandestine operations for well-over 15 years, I will (mostly just) point the readership to her blog.

If she is right about her concluding conjecture below -- Monday's testimony on the Hill, from the former (fired by 45) Acting Attorney General (imaged at right) may rock the Trump Administration -- to its core:

. . . .The subtext of taking the two Billingslea stories and the Sergey Gorkov one together is that Flynn — or even the President’s son-in-law — may have provided intelligence to the Russians, in events that led up to the closest thing we’ve seen to a possible quid pro quo. . . .

In any case, the dossier seems either better suited to warning Kushner, not Flynn, of the dangers he was navigating, or a document that, if copied and handed to its subject, would be interesting though not devastating intelligence to share.

One final point: this story helps to explain why both the December 28 sanctions and the early January hack report were so awful; remember, too, when first announced, the press had the wrong location of the Long Island compound in question. At the time, I thought both were designed to be a document, any document, ones that didn’t reveal what the intelligence community actually knew (aside from the identities of the 35 expelled diplomats), particularly regarding who actually conducted the DNC hack. The AP story reveals Obama’s team was particularly worried Trump’s team would warn the Russians in time to dismantle some of the communications equipment at the two compounds. The crummy documents, plus the delay in informing Congress of the scope of the investigation until Flynn had been ousted, are both best explained by a concern that the National Security Advisor would share the information directly with Russia.

So will we learn that Flynn — or Kushner — did share such information?. . .

As Is say -- I trust EmptyWheel -- so you should, too. She may well be right -- with that last bit of conjecture.

Now. . . off to watch the 143^rd running of the Derby -- great story lines are developing (as ever!) there -- then dinner out with dear friends -- smile. . . ..

नमस्ते