Trump in Dutch (updated)

First, we need to update the preceding post, which discussed the bizarre controversy arising from that FBI "secret society" text -- the one which drove so many rightwingers crazy (or, rather, crazier). I argued that the wording must have been a gag, since members of actual, real-world secret societies have never seriously used the term "secret society" to describe their little clubs.

My post attracted some commentary which proved even more interesting than usual.

Terry Melanson, esteemed author of Perfectibilists (one of the few trustworthy sources about the historical Illuminati), wrote in to report that, in at least one document, the Illuminists did refer to their organization as a "secret society." This information is contained in a very recent book that Melanson brought to my attention, and which I've not yet read.

Reader b also reminded me of a group called the Cambridge Apostles (little-known to most Americans), whose members have jocularly used the term "secret society" to describe themselves. The Apostles play a role in the literature surrounding Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and other British turncoats of the Cold War era. Further studies of this group may prove rewarding, since Cambridge exists at the current intersection of the Russian and British intelligence services. That intersection has a name: Cambridge Analytica.

As for the "Mulder and Scully" text at the heart of this pseudo-controversy: We now have an explanation for the reference to "calendars." As suspected, the whole thing was nothing more than a joke.

And now, on to the Netherlands...

Spying on the spies. Heretofore, most of us have ignored the role of Dutch intelligence in the ongoing Trump/Russia investigation. This, despite the fact that Dutch television produced a hard-hitting expose of Dirty Donnie's dangerous doings.

(I now suspect that Dutch spooks had a hand in that one. I may embed the video at the end of this post.)

We have just learned that AIVD -- the Dutch version of the CIA -- hacked into the Russian hacker group Cozy Bear, and then tried to warn the United States about the underside of the Trump campaign.

Over the course of a few months, they saw how the Russians penetrated several U.S. institutions, including the State Department, the White House, and the DNC. On all these occasions, the Dutch alerted the U.S. intelligence services, Dutch tv programme Nieuwsuur and de Volkskrant, a prominent newspaper in The Netherlands, jointly report on Thursday.

Not only had Dutch intelligence penetrated the computer network of the hackers, they also managed to hack a security camera in the corridor. This allowed them to see exactly who entered the hacking room. Information about these individuals was shared with the US intelligence services. Dutch intelligence services consider Cozy Bear an extension of the SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service, which is firmly controlled by President Putin.

Getting that security camera feed was a master stroke. Facial recognition software should have allowed the Dutch to match faces to known Russian operatives.

Loveliest of all: Our Dutch friends have shared all the relevant information with Robert Mueller.

The Trump/Putin conspiracy has compromised many aspects of American and British intelligence: Michael Flynn ran the DIA, and Cambridge Analytica is largely staffed by MI6 agents. Fortunately, the Russians haven't been able to upend the entire West.

Last Sunday on Dutch television programme College Tour, Rob Bertholee, head of AIVD, said that he had no doubt that the Kremlin was directly responsible for the Russian cyber campaign against U.S. government agencies.

As of now, the AIVD hackers do not seem to have access to Cozy Bear any longer. Sources suggest that the openness of US intelligence sources, who in 2017 praised the help of a Western ally in news stories, may have ruined their operation. The openness caused great anger in The Hague and Zoetermeer.

Damn. I remember that story. At the time, everyone presumed that the "ally" was the UK. The Dutch were not yet on our radar.

In the future, a historian specializing in the Trump era may produce a book titled How the Dutch Saved Civilization.

We are told that the Dutch will no longer share intelligence with the United States. Nevertheless, the Trump cultists remain firm in their inane delusion that Trump has restored America's standing in the world. If Trump told his followers that a banjo is a Stradivarius, they'd believe him.

Late breaking news. Damn, but the lightning keeps striking and striking! While I was writing the above paragraphs, important revelations hit us.

Trump did try to fire Mueller -- way back in June. Why didn't he go through with it? Because White House counsel Don McGahn refused to carry out the task. As an excuse for the firing, Trump had hoped to claim that there was a "conflict of interest" involving golf. Yes: Freakin' golf. I'm not kidding.

Can Mueller use an attempt to fire Mueller as proof of obstruction? I think he can. The prosecutor may now be close enough to the hole to sink the ball with one easy putt.

Interesting question: Where did the NYT get this story? The article references "current and former senior White House officials" interviewed by Mueller. It seems likely that McGahn himself is one of these personages; if not McGahn, then a close associate.

Could Bannon be the "former" official? I hope I hope I hope.

(Update: I just saw video of Anthony Scaramucci -- the Mooch -- responding to this story. He, too, suspects Bannon. Thanks, Mooch!)

We also learn that Trump's lawyer does not want Mueller to interview his client under oath, even though Trump himself has said that he welcomes the opportunity. The problem, of course, is perjury. Trump lies so often, so freely, that he doesn't even realize he's lying.  

I'm still betting that Trump will indeed fire Mueller, and damn the consequences. Why do I think that way? Because I think that Trump is guilty as sin: Guilty of obstruction, guilty of conspiracy, guilty of breaking the emoluments clause, guilty of campaign violations, guilty of money laundering, and, most of all, guilty of treason. Treason is a death penalty offense.

Trump will soon have no choice but to fire Mueller. God help us all.