Trump dossier: intelligence sources vouch for credibility of report's author

[Mister Midnight]

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2017, 08:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Guardian (UK)

Nick Hopkins and Luke Harding
Thursday 12 January 2017 13.01 EST

His denials at least some of them were emphatic, even by the standards that Donald Trump has come to be judged by. The dossier, he said, was a confection of lies; he compared it to Nazi propaganda; it was fake news spread by sick people.

At his press briefing on Wednesday, the president-elect dared the worlds media to scrutinise the 35 pages of claims, before throwing down a challenge wheres the proof? Nobody had any. Case closed.

But in the rush to trample all over the dossier and its contents, one key question remained. Why had Americas intelligence agencies felt it necessary to provide a compendium of the claims to Barack Obama and Trump himself?

And the answer to that lies in the credibility of its apparent author, the ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele, the quality of the sources he has, and the quality of the people who were prepared to vouch for him. In all these respects, the 53-year-old is in credit.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/12/intelligence-sources-vouch-credibility-donald-trump-russia-dossier-author

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+ his name is Steele, for Pete's sake!

[yurbud]

1. this is a lot more credible angle than the hacking.

[annabanana]

2. Oh all that salacious stuff is true...

I am convinced.

[OilemFirchen]

3. OT, but I had to check...

Yes, two authors of a Guardian story actually committed this to print:

... even by the standards that Donald Trump has come to be judged by.

Ouch. I think that gave me an aneurysm.

[zentrum]

4. I believe all the

....corrupt financial behavior (buried in tax returns we'll never see) but I can't believe that a hotel developer like T with his history of creepiness doesn't know all about hidden cameras.

Let alone in Russia.

He knows he's vulnerable to blackmail. If only in a divorce court.

Can't believe he'd carry on in this flagrant way in a KGB controlled hotel room

[LeftInTX]

5. He said he didn't do it because he knows hotels are bugged

I heard an excerpt of his press conference on NPR.

But that doesn't mean the report is bogus. Maybe someone told the British agent about this and the info was 3rd hand etc. Since the report is 35 pages long and we're focused on this bright yellow object, there is plenty of other stuff that can be true.

[DeminPennswoods]

11. I can believe it

Trump is so full of himself he has no doubt he can do whatever he wants and get away with it. I knew right away with how combative Spicer and Pence were opeining the presser that there's some "there, there" in the report.

[Mister Midnight]

15. In Addition

When has Trump ever exercised self-discipline and/or control?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Can I just add that Christopher Steele is a kickass name for an undercover agent?

I don't know what he looks like, but you know he's gotta be rocking the tux.

[lunatica]

10. there's a picture of him in the article

He's a cute little chubby guy.

[Mister Midnight]

17. "The name's Steele. Christopher Steele."

"And don't shake it, stir it! That other bloke is utterly uncouth! He might as well be a bloody Yank!"

[world wide wally]

7. I don't doubt the accuracy of this story for even one minute

The man who has everything, driven only by the desire to have more, and having tons of money to do with as he pleases is not beyond paying prostitues to pee for him (in whatever direction it was aimed)
Look at his character and tell me what is to stop him? His lofty principles? Modesty? The fact that he is married? There "may have been cameras (or may not have been).
Seems far more likely it was just another cheap thrill for another billionaire to me. NEVER trust this man about ANYTHING.

[Mister Midnight]

18. Caligula, American Style

A narcissistic hedonist, driven not by reason, but rather the satiation of his base instincts, his twisted sexual lusts, his desire for vengeance---even against those he has already defeated---and the constant propitiation by the damn fools who voted for him of his I-Am-God delusion.

[world wide wally]

20. Exactly!

[GliderGuider]

8. The more I read about this dossier and its author

The more I am inclined to believe that things are almost exactly as it represents. IOW, Steele gave us the keys to a gold mine. It reminds me of Deep Throat, who didn't give all the details, just the outlines, and told Woodward and Bernstein to "follow the money" and dig up the details themselves. I can hear shovels busy all around the world. I pray that they are digging Trump's political grave.

[DeminPennswoods]

12. Another Watergate comparison is

how Agnew (and Buchanan) was Nixon's attack dog on the media, press/tv at the time. Remember "pusillanimous pussyfooters" and "nattering nabobs of negativity"?

[calimary]

14. YEP. Sure do!

What a jerk Spiro Agnew was.

And hey - here's an exercise, for those of us who are old enough to have been around then:

Let's think back to ol' Spiro Agnew.

Now, let's contrast that with what many of us watched just a bit earlier TODAY: As President Obama surprised Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. THIS Vice President, versus THAT Vice President.

There is NO comparison. NONE.

[Mister Midnight]

21. Follow the Tax Returns

They're going to come out eventually, and when they do, it'll be like the release of Nixon's tapes. And that's assuming Trump hasn't already been removed from office for other reasons via other methods.

[shraby]

9. The donald is so narcistic that he was probably flattered that he was being filmed.

Then he could say, "look at how great I am cause I can get people to pee on a bed."

[riverwalker]

13. He is in hiding with his family

4 kids and wife. My hope is he is in a CIA safe house, with copy of the video, signed affidavits and transcripts of intercepts, ready to testify. Especially the parts of conspiracy. I think Cohen WAS in Czech Republic, but maybe not Prague, and maybe dates were wrong. He admits to being in Italy in July, could easily drive there. Ivana Trump has 3 homes there and Trump spawn make frequent trips to see her side of family. Could easily set us clandestine meeting. This Christopher Steele sounds solid, his credentials are impeccable.

[Generator]

16. Amazing amazing article!

It even explains the discrepancy in the language of the dossier.

Again Can I be British now??? Please. No I am too much of a hothead. Recommended!

[SteamAddict]

19. I hope this guy is safe

In one week he will have the full force and power of our govt. hunting him, along with Putin's people. These people are the real heroes.

[Sorceress]

22. I agree. I am concerned that he was outed.

And now, I see he has a family as well. On the other hand, I am very appreciative of his work. Can't believe he is a friend of the head of MI6. Wow.

[ElementaryPenguin]

23. Does not sound like the type to manufacture

FAKE news. But we know Trump certainly is!!