I don't remember who pointed me at the link--perhaps AVI--but the author brought up an aspect I hadn't considered, which seems convincing. Presuming that Epstein was cooperating/coordinating with other intelligence agencies(*), the lists could have included people those other agencies were working with and didn't want to give up on yet. We do rely on sharing information with other country's agencies, and if e.g. France says "Ne divulguez pas ces informations si vous vous attendez à ce que nous coopérions avec vous" or something like that, I think we'd consider cooperation with France as a national security issue. A little bit of bare-face lying is merely a small political price. And it doesn't matter what political party is involved. Everybody will hide the lists.
And, of course, the other country's real objections might be trivial, but if they dig in their heels to protect somebody, what are you going to do?
I wish I remembered the author's name: credit where due.
(*) I don't think blackmail was key; helpful people who keep your image clean seems more likely. If he'd been blackmailing people word would have gotten around and he'd have been out of business. Just provide fresh-looking pliable girls at the island and the opportunity for conversations with famous people and let the real agents work.
I don't recall it, so it wads not me. I have not been much interested in the story. It is unfair when the powerful can conceal their crimes.
ReplyDeleteYou are probably roughly correct about the motivations behind both the operation and the coverup. That doesn't change the fact that this will have a very serious -- and deserved -- negative effect on the credibility of the Trump administration, the US government as a whole, and the intelligence community in particular. Seeing it proven that the IC can force the government to engage in a blatant lie even when it's Trump and his team lets us know where the real power is. It isn't with us, or even with those we elect -- even the most unacceptable candidate successfully elected in our lifetime ultimately has to bend the knee, and does.
ReplyDeleteThat should be worrisome.