Why would any foreign actor go through all the trouble to rob a bank and yet take nothing?…

This is the metaphor for U.S. officials noticing the backdoor to our national cyber-network was found wide open, and yet not a single organization attached to the SolarWind’s Orion network points to any negative impact other than the existence itself of the originating malware. It just doesn’t add up.

Keep in mind… this “malware” has been in place since May and only recently identified.

DNI John Ratcliffe announced there was “foreign interference” in the election, and while citing Russia, China and Iran the DNI said the report on election security would be delayed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo points to Russia as the source of the SolarWinds’ intrusion; but there is no specific evidence outlined. Today, following a briefing on the issues President Trump noted it could be Russia, but it could also be China.

There seems to be a coordinated effort to blame Russia by government officials and a host of media groups.  Russia is a favored scapegoat, and given how the media falsely blamed Russia for 2016 election interference/collusion, corporate media carry a self-interest in perpetrating that narrative.

Any suggestion it was *not* Russia is then used to weaponize a Russia-apologist narrative. However, considering most of our institutions have a financial relationship with China, the self-serving hypocrisy of China-apologists carries a particularly deafening tone.

Accepting that no-one really knows, yet, who originated this intrusion, here is a Big Picture notation from the Rebel Alliance:

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With increased attention on how U.S. politicians are purchased by Chinese influence it is worth revisiting a speech made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo directly to an assembly of U.S. Governors who were on the 2020 CCP influence list.

Pompeo’s remarks were made to the National Governors Association (NGA) Feb 8, 2020; and there’s an interesting segment where Pompeo reveals his awareness of a list of U.S. governors compiled by China’s communist party; and their alignment with China’s interests. A transcript of the key excerpt from his speech is provided. WATCH:

[Transcript at 01:45] […] “Last year, I received an invitation to an event that promised to be, quote, “an occasion for exclusive deal-making.” It said, quote, “the opportunities for mutually beneficial economic development between China and our individual states [are] tremendous,” end of quote.”

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Obviously the White House message is solidifying within current administration officials.  This election controversy is quite likely to become very ugly; not only because there is transparent fraud surfacing by the hour, but also because 71 million+ verifiable Americans voted for President Trump.  The reality of that vote is stunning.  The scale of fraud needed to overcome that monster vote is the problem for those who carried out the scheme.

Subtract the fraudulent and manipulated ‘mail-in’ ballots from the Biden operation and you have a reality of 71.4 million MAGA army members staring toward an opposition front containing multiple battalions of cardboard cutouts. No amount of media spin is going to change the reality of that political landscape.

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Earlier today President Trump signed an executive order targeting members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who have engaged in corrupt activity.   The XO bars entry into the U.S. and seizes property belonging to the targets.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Attorney General Bill Barr and National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien explain why these measures are needed.

 

[White House] As part of President Donald J. Trump’s steadfast commitment to protecting American service members and defending our national sovereignty, the President has authorized economic sanctions against International Criminal Court officials directly engaged with any effort to investigate or prosecute United States personnel without the consent of the United States. The President has also authorized the expansion of visa restrictions against International Criminal Court officials and their family members.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss current events surrounding China and their aggression toward Hong Kong.

Within the discussion Secretary Pompeo outlines how the Trump administration is currently in the process of changing multiple levels of cabinet regulations (treasury, trade, state and commerce) and U.S. policy as it pertains to the new geopolitical threat presented by a new and more hostile Chinese Communist Party approach.

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Earlier tonight President Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell met with the Joint Chiefs’ and National Security Team. [Video and Transcript Below]

Mark Meadows (Chief of Staff), Robert O’Brien (NSA), LTG Keith Kellogg (National Security Advisor to the Vice President), Secretary Mike Pompeo (State), Secretary Steven Mnuchin (Treasury), Secretary Mark Esper (Defense), Director Richard Grenell (ODNI).

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[Transcript] –  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. This is the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and we’ve had a very productive meeting. It’s going to continue after you leave. But we’ve had a very, very productive meeting.

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With an increased awareness of how some U.S. politicians appear to be reacting to the COVID-19 challenges; and with a new American perspective toward the way media outlets, some businesses and many politicians appear to be influenced by China; it’s worth revisiting a recent speech by Secretary of State Pompeo that might have been overlooked.

Pompeo’s remarks were made to the National Governors Association (NGA) Feb 8, 2020; and there’s an interesting segment where Pompeo reveals his awareness of a list of U.S. governors compiled by China’s communist party; and their alignment with China’s interests. A transcript of the key excerpt from his speech is provided. WATCH:

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[Transcript at 01:45] […] “Last year, I received an invitation to an event that promised to be, quote, “an occasion for exclusive deal-making.” It said, quote, “the opportunities for mutually beneficial economic development between China and our individual states [are] tremendous,” end of quote.”

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Quite a bit to unpack here, and most of it is very good news.  First, this re-nomination was almost predictable when you look at the totality of the landscape:

President Trump needed to generate an official DNI nomination in order to retain the current acting DNI authorities for Richard “Ric” Grenell; so that’s one aspect.
However, beyond the procedural move there’s the larger background of the FISA reauthorization; and, in my opinion, that larger dynamic is the majority consideration.
The FISA reauthorization and the need for President Trump to support any type of reauthorization that eventually gets through the complex political dynamics within congress; and considering Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell traveled to the White House to discuss this issue yesterday; the outcome is considerable leverage for Trump.
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CTH held off reporting on this explosive story until we could see if a tell-tale consequence surfaced; perhaps it has.   On Friday the National Security Council senior director for European and Russian affairs, Andrew Peek, was escorted from the White House grounds and is currently under a security investigation.
There are few details about why Peek was physically removed and is under a very serious investigation; however, some of Andrew Peek’s professional background details tell a story.  The connection to Gen. John Allen is a MASSIVE warning flare.
Andrew Peek, the senior director for European and Russian affairs at the National Security Council, has been placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation, people familiar with the situation tell Axios.
First the Daily Mail:

[…] Peek had been in the NSC role for just two months, after most recently working as a deputy assistant secretary of state with responsibility for Iran and Iraq.
[…] Peek had been expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland next week with Trump and other top aides. However, he is currently on leave pending a security-related investigation, people familiar with the situation told Axios.

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Earlier today Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin held a press conference in the White House to announce new sanctions against Iran. The secretaries also took questions from the press pool. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Good morning, everybody. Thank you for being here today. I’d just like to make a brief comment before we talk about Iran sanctions. I’m sure everybody saw that the DOW hit 29,000. The President’s economic plans are clearly working. We’re looking forward to the China signing, USMCA, and a very strong economy this year.
As previously announced by the President, we are announcing additional sanctions against the Iranian regime as a result of the attack on U.S. and allied troops.
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