Exclusive: Barr met with prosecutor now reviewing Russia probe immediately after Mueller investigation ended, documents reveal

CNN)Almost immediately after special counsel Robert Mueller closed his investigation last year, Attorney General William Barr was huddling with the prosecutor he assigned to re-examine the Russia probe -- in a series of meetings that haven't been previously known and appear to highlight Barr's drive to rewrite the legacy of the Mueller investigation.

Barr met at least six times with US Attorney John "Bull" Durham over a 10-week period in spring 2019, including once during the critical days after Mueller submitted his report to the Department of Justice and before it was released to the public, according to Justice Department records released to the transparency group American Oversight and shared with CNN this week. American Oversight sued the Justice Department in August for records of Durham-Barr communications and meetings.

The records could begin to fill in gaps about the start of Durham's review. Barr has been clear about his skepticism of the Russia investigation since even before he became attorney general, yet how the Durham probe began, how closely Barr has directed Durham's work and the full sweep of Durham's investigation isn't known. While it's unclear how routinely Barr was meeting with other prosecutors in Durham's position at the end of the Mueller investigation, the newly discovered details of his meetings with Durham illuminate how the two men communicated at a crucial time.

The newly released records show Barr moved quickly after becoming attorney general in February 2019 to get face time with Durham.

More: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/20/politics/barr-russia-prosecutor-mueller/index.html

Unlike 99.999% of the people commenting on this story I've actually done SIGINT "unmaskings" for NSA, which makes me what @RadioFreeTom would call an Expert, so I have a couple comments on this story...

https://twitter.com/20committee/status/1260662962701905930

1st, Mike Flynn's notorious call to RU Amb Kislyak, which got this whole furball rolling, was on 29 DEC 2016...and a lot of these unmasking requests are wayyyyy before that. Back to 30 NOV, in fact.

Hmmmmm.....

2nd, this looks like a very normal unmasking request list, given what we know Flynn was talking about during the transition and with whom (ie RU, TU). There are all pretty senior policymakers or IC personnel -- some indeed very senior -- not random GS-13s....

3rd, what was so interesting in those NSA mid-DEC SIGINT report(s) that featured Flynn that so many officials wanted his USP ID unmasked ca 14-16 DEC?

Inquiring minds want to know!

We're discussing this big story -- and how it's being misrepresented by Usual Suspects -- over at @thespybrief, for those interested in joining us.

According to the DNI, NSA received these amounts of SIGINT "unmasking" requests per year:

2016: 9200
2017: 9500
2018: 17000
2019: 10000

Something very odd was happening in 2018. Remind me who was in the White House then...

https://twitter.com/20committee/status/1260209013452615680

Wuhan lab phone records show 'possible shutdown' in October

Washington: US intelligence agencies are reportedly examining mobile phone data suggesting there could have been an emergency shutdown in October at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

According to a report, obtained by NBC News, there was no mobile phone activity in a high-security part of the Chinese laboratory complex from October 7 to 24. Previously, there had been consistent use of mobile phones.

The report, carried out by private experts, suggested there may have been a "hazardous event", specifically at the institute's National Biosafety Laboratory, between October 6 and 11. Analysis of mobile phone data from around the institute also suggested roadblocks were in place between October 14 and 19.

... snip

It was unclear which private organisation carried out the leaked analysis of the mobile phone location data. But the 24-page report suggested it "supports the release of COVID-19 at the Wuhan Institute of Virology" and that the pandemic began earlier than thought. The first confirmed case was on November 17.

The document was obtained by NBC News in London and has been seen by the US Senate intelligence committee.

More: https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/wuhan-lab-phone-records-show-possible-shutdown-in-october-20200510-p54rid.html

China refuses international probe on Covid-19 source until ‘final victory’ over disease

China will not invite international experts to investigate the source of Covid-19 until after securing the "final victory" over the virus, Beijing's UN ambassador in Geneva said Wednesday despite mounting calls for an independent probe into China’s handling of the outbreak.

China's priority is first beating the pandemic -- and then countering what Chen Xu called the "absurd and ridiculous" US politicisation of the coronavirus crisis, he added in an online press briefing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is waiting on an invitation from China to take part in its investigations into the animal origins of the virus, first reported in the city of Wuhan in December.

The revelation came amid a growing international backlash against China’s “wolf warrior” diplomats, who have launched an aggressive push-back against governments calling for an independent investigation into the outbreak that has killed more than 250,000 people across the world and plunged economies into a global recession.

... snip

Over the weekend, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was "enormous evidence" showing that the new coronavirus originated in the Wuhan lab.

China on Wednesday once again hit back at Pompeo’s claims, saying he "doesn't have any" evidence.

More: https://www.france24.com/en/20200506-china-refuses-international-probe-on-covid-19-source-until-final-victory-over-disease?ref=tw_i