Can the CIA do anything about Bannon?

[fun n serious]

I can not sleep. I am very concerned about a sudden all out war. I do not trust Bannon and worry he will be sending boots to Iraq any minute now.

[MineralMan]

1. No. The CIA's mission is to collect intelligence

on foreign governments. Bannon is the FBI's responsibility, but Comey is installed there. Not much chance of a thorough investigation, I think.

[fun n serious]

3. We're fucked.

I was hoping CIA had something on Bannon but you're right.. they would have to give it to FBI.

[MineralMan]

4. You may well be right.

I'm afraid that legal challenges and public protest are the only things we have available to us.

[still_one]

32. The Senate Democrats can do something about this

"Senate Democrats have a powerful tool at their disposal, if they choose to use it, for resisting a president who has no mandate and cannot claim to embody the popular will. That tool lies in the simple but fitting act of withholding consent. An organized effort to do so on the Senate floor can bring the body to its knees and block or severely slow down the agenda of a president who does not represent the majority of Americans.

The procedure for withholding consent is straightforward, but deploying it is tricky. For the Senate to move in a timely fashion on any order of business, it must obtain unanimous support from its members. But if a single senator objects to a consent agreement, McConnell, now majority leader, will be forced to resort to time-consuming procedural steps through the cloture process, which takes four days to confirm nominees and seven days to advance any piece of legislation — and that’s without amendment votes, each of which can be subjected to a several-day cloture process as well."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/27/democrats-in-congress-can-block-trumps-agenda-if-they-want-to-heres-how/?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-b%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.b5d8c6dc4cc2

[Wounded Bear]

7. Well, they do monitor communications with those foreign entities...

If Bannon's name pops up there, they would "have something" on him that could, and should, be transferred to the other agencies.

Theoretically, of course.

[MineralMan]

9. Well, they do some of that, although that is really the NSA's

job. However, with the FBI in Comey's hands, it's likely that any sullying information will get buried.

[tblue37]

33. Or leaked. They can make it too public for the FBI to bury. nt

[MineralMan]

35. That could happen. However, there are consequences

for leaking from within those agencies. Serious ones.

[Vinnie From Indy]

42. One might offer in response that letting a mentally unbalanced president

and his evil, equally deranged "adviser" bring about the fundamental destruction of our republic and untold death has serious consequences as well!

[tblue37]

45. If you get caught--or if it isn't a command decision accepted by all in the know. nt

[2naSalit]

38. Well, that may turn out to ba a positive thing

in the long run. There is a rift within the FBI so perhaps there is a martyr among them, ya never know. Could be hard to trace. And besides, when the FBI murders someone, the investigation always clears them of any unlawfulness.

[Tatiana]

41. Unless Bannon is directly connected to Russia.

That would offer a window for the CIA to intervene and/or investigate.

But it is, I agree, a long shot.

[bathroommonkey76]

43. He's a Leninist FFS

Link to tweet

[GeorgeGist]

47. Except for droning folks.

[tazkcmo]

2. Boots?

You mean people?

"Boots on the ground" is a great way to not say, "Your mother/father/sister/brother/son/daughter in harms way.".

[fun n serious]

5. Yes, people.

I did not mean to minimize our servicemen and women.

[tazkcmo]

10. And I don't mean to be mean to you!

It's just kind of personal when I see "boots" used instead of "people".

Sorry if I came across as snotty or aggressive to you. We're on the same team.

[fun n serious]

13. I am glad you pointed it out to me.

I agree that it sounds insensitive.

[Wounded Bear]

11. There are already people there....

Unfortunately, "boots on the ground" has morphed into meaning "large scale combat units" and excludes all dark ops and "training" missions. How large the unit involved in has been creeping up too, I think. Now, if it is smaller than a brigade (a combat unit of 2-3000 or so) it doesn't seem to count. A battalion here, a battalion there. All in a day's work.

[HoneyBadger]

26. Exactly

We have had hundreds, maybe thousands of troops in Syria for months, but somehow we are not in Syria.

[bdamomma]

6. they will do anything to distract

I think I'm going to call my senators to say something.

But we can't forget: Say NO TO TILLERSON, NO TO DEVOS, and we need to see Trumps Tax Returns, and to investigate Steele Dossier.

[EarthFirst]

8. I worry far more about boots domestically at the moment... nt

[workinclasszero]

14. I know our Dear Leader would love to occupy Chicago with the National Guard

When will those orders come down?

[HoneyBadger]

29. I thought about that one a bit

My suspicion is that he intends to use RICO against the gangs there. It is not the first time.

[librechik]

12. ok, I'll say it.

assassination. It's not like they never did it before. Numerous times. Even OUR OWN PEOPLE. At least, allegedly. We never got anything to stick on those guys, and then they mysteriously wind up dead too. Old. long story, since the Bible.

So no one can say for sure. The term of art is "high confidence"

[fun n serious]

16. Believe me...

I am hoping and praying the CIA would intervene.

[librechik]

19. yeah

CIA do the right thing for a change. The assassination team was historically always run by true nazis, under Dulles' direct command. Or his heir, whoever that was in the 80s. So urging them on is very very strange--and probably won't happen. This Putin plan is so tight, I am sure the CIA is all moled up to the hilt. He couldn't have pulled it off otherwise. Keep an eye out for the welfare of one Christopher Steele, the leaker.

[pangaia]

37. Putin has gotten just what he wanted...

And the perfect stooge.. a dumb, narcissistic moron.....

[KittyWampus]

44. This is too... pernicious? There are too many people involved to just remove one person.

We're going to have to go through a world of serious hurt until sanity prevails.

Remember, Obama made the decision to go through Institutional process.

[GliderGuider]

20. Yes, that seems to be the only real option. Except

It would need to be a multiple assassination. Just topping Trump wouldn't end the game, just shift the field.

[librechik]

23. OP names White Supremacist KKK publicist Bannon

as the person to be removed. Trump, really, is not even important in this scenario. And most people want him removed by legal means, which should be easy in his case. Right???

[GliderGuider]

24. Easy? Bannon is two or three steps ahead of the play.

He has now sewed up the NSC, so he's probably ready to make his big move - probably within a very few days.

[librechik]

28. I know. He castled right off the bat.

it will be difficult to remove Herr Goebbels from the position he has assumed with executive protection.

Oops, did I say Goebbels? I meant Goebbels.

[GliderGuider]

31. Grin

You're a dab hand with language. And the "Big Lie" parallel is right on the money.

[librechik]

34. -

Thanks!

[MANative]

21. I wouldn't cry. n/t

[Turn CO Blue]

22. We are all thinking it. n/t

[HoneyBadger]

30. Yep, they got away clean with JFK

[Ilsa]

15. I'm worried that President Bannon will have Trump

Sign an EO giving Pres. Bannon authority to order the military around.

[fun n serious]

17. I am genuinely scared to death.

[maryellen99]

39. Me too nt

[handmade34]

40. turn that fear

into righteous anger!! please do not succumb to fear... we need you to call, write, talk to people

[yurbud]

18. Who do you think the CIA works for? Analysts try to play it straight but...

their bosses spin their work to fit a political agenda.

The operations wing is something else. They serve big business, and war is big business.

The only question is whether the oil industry really wants to do deals with Russia or try to steal their lunch.

[librechik]

25. Put yourself in Putin's place, and then think like a chess player

Putin got what he wanted. Why spoil it now with all-out war? He can spend the next 8 years living high off the hog in the Trump Hotel Moscow. His technique has proven highly effective. Twice, if you count the Brexit vote. He's proved he can do it any time he wants and there is no adequate defense.

Yes, there will be sudden, unexpected draconian moves by the dozens. No way to prepare for that, really. We are on the losing side, and we don't have any chess players, let alone good ones.

[LiberalFighter]

27. Maybe. Maybe not. :)

If rumors are spread he might believe them.

[malaise]

36. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! n/t

[uponit7771]

46. Threaten to give his stank as a bath... He'll stop acting up quick