Pentagon officials stunned by White House decision to block Ukraine aid, new emails show

[spanone]

Updated 12:01 PM ET, Wed February 5, 2020

Washington (CNN) - Days before the July 2019 call between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, US officials were still working to expedite the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles to the country, according to emails and other internal documents reviewed by CNN.

The new information underscores how the July 18th decision to hold the military aid stunned officials, who had already assessed Ukraine deserved to receive it and were preparing a Javelin missile order as well. The decision reverberated across the government for weeks. Officials grew so concerned over the deferrals by the Office of Management and Budget that they noted the aid was at "serious risk," and questioned if the move was illegal.

In an email to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who was in his first week on the job, a top Defense official communicated his concern over Trump's "reported view that the US should cease providing security assistance" to Ukraine and its impact on national security.

Defense officials hoped Esper might be able to persuade the President to drop the hold, and included their rationale in briefing notes provided to him for an August meeting at the White House.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/05/politics/emails-pentagon-alarm-ukraine-aid/index.html

[uponit7771]

1. K, so why didn't they speak up to someone? Someone had to know this was illegal

[spanone]

2. I wonder who they would go to, he's the commander-in-chief....

they had probably never been confronted by anything like this?

[uponit7771]

3. Maybe, if there's no system or way to speak up then this should be changed quick fast ...

... I don't care who's in office they shouldn't be able to take tax payer money and do what they want with it like Red Don has done

[Tweedy]

4. Somebody did

The whistleblower notified two authorities, within CIA & the DOI IG. We know what happened with the second complaint -- Bill Barr tried to bury it at DOJ; yet, it became the basis of today's removal vote.

The first one was also buried.

Looks like somebody from DOD rose this with the DOD IG who sent it to the DOJ to be hidden by Bill Barr.

In addition, we have resignations everywhere. It is curious, for example, that Dan Coats and his deputy Sue Gordon both resign on August 15, after the July 25 phone call. There are OMB folks who resign over this, as well. Did they tell higher ups about their concerns?

If so, those concerns were buried first by the Trump kleptocratic administration and then by the GOP senate who refused (with 2 exceptions) to look.

Senator Collins is either the most incredulous person on Earth (believing the president has "learned" from this to not do it again), a coward or a crook.

[uponit7771]

5. This is good to know, I pray Barr is put in jail and no one says "don't look back" when it comes to

... justice for these people.

Collins is best a coward

[crickets]

6. This. Excellent post. nt