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Seth Abramson @SethAbramson
, 3 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
BREAKING: Did Tillerson's firing trigger the October 2017 "suicide pact" between Tillerson, Mattis, and Mnuchin? And if not, why not? The three agreed to all quit *together* if any one of them was fired. Media needs to check in with Mattis and Mnuchin now. google.com/amp/www.dailym…
2/ The "TMM" suicide pact (Tillerson, Mattis, and Mnuchin) was reported originally by Buzzfeed in October 2017. Hard to believe the media isn't frantically following up on it today. buzzfeed.com/johnhudson/til…
3/ This is *exactly* the sort of sudden, inexplicable firing that Tillerson, Mattis, and Mnuchin agreed would trigger their pact to all quit their posts at once.
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(THREAD) Yesterday's NBC reporting about Rod Rosenstein's impending departure from DOJ, and what it may mean for the Mueller investigation, already seems to be coming apart at the seams. In this thread I take a look at why yesterday's breaking news was neither breaking nor news.
1/ First, here's the NBC News report from Pete Williams—a talented journalist. (What he's not—as far as I know—is an attorney or an expert on the Trump-Russia probe, and, like many journalists, has been using dubious sources to get info on Mueller's work.) nbcnews.com/politics/justi…
2/ Williams' lede: "Rosenstein plans to step down after Mueller finishes his work." But in the fourth graf, he obliterates that lede: "But others familiar with his thinking said there’s no firm timeline and Rosenstein would work out a departure plan once the new AG is confirmed."
Read 29 tweets
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Per CNN reporting just now, William Barr before today told the White House that he would be bringing in his own Deputy Attorney General if confirmed, so the news that Rosenstein will step down if Barr if confirmed should not have led to *any* of the hysteria it seems like it has.
2/ Rosenstein previously said he'd serve two years—so his departure around now isn't surprising anyway, and (in fact) will make it easier for him to coordinate with Mueller as a witness rather than a supervisor. Too many people are reading way too much into his pending departure.
3/ I'll go further: Rosenstein is friendly with Barr, used to work with him, and recommended him for the Attorney General spot—all of which indicates that his comfort level with Barr taking over the Mueller probe has *nothing* to do with an assessment of when that probe will end.
Read 14 tweets
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*ONE WEEK IN 2016*

July 27, 2016: Trump asks for Kremlin help
August 2, 2016: Manafort meets Deripaska agent Kilimnik in NYC
August 3, 2016: Trump Jr. meets Deripaska agent Zamel in NYC

NOTE: Deripaska calls himself "one with the State [Kremlin]."

(h/t @ZevShalev/@TheAtlantic)
@ZevShalev @TheAtlantic *ANOTHER WEEK IN 2016*

August 17, 2016: CIA tells Trump Kremlin is attacking US
August 19, 2016: Trump fires Manafort

NOTE: In January 2018, NBC reports Trump is privately telling friends Mueller can't get him *because* Manafort won't "flip" (he already knew Trump Jr. wouldn't)
@ZevShalev @TheAtlantic 3/ A reasonable conclusion: after he and Flynn left the room the CIA briefed them in on August 17, 2016, Trump realized that it was entirely possible Manafort's contacts with the Russians had been picked up by American intelligence, and he could therefore no longer work with him.
Read 4 tweets

Related threads

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Thread: On Firing Mattis – a Contrarian View

1. A number of my retired military pals (including some Marines) have opinions contrary to all the gushing praise of SecDef Mattis these days.
2. Before we start, it is always good to remember this axiom. When all of official Washington sings the praises of someone – with almost no dissent – your political antenna should be quivering BIGLY! Here’s just one red-flag example:
3. I don’t remember Democrats praising Mattis before his recent letter of resignation, do you? And they only praised McCain and Bush 41 after their deaths because those two were used as political battering rams-of-the-moment against @POTUS, too.
Read 51 tweets
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#BREAKING: It is now confirmed that following to an agreement between #Syrian authorities & #SDF/#YPG, #Syrian Arab Army will quickly take control of city of #Manbij upon withdrawal of last #US troops. #Russia will not provide air support, but #SAADF will establish No fly zone.
#BREAKING: Large convoy of #Syrian Arab Army waiting for withdrawal of last #US troops from #Manbij to take control of the city & not let it to be occupied by #Turkey's Ahrar al-Sharqiya terrorists (all ex-#AlQaeda). #Syria Air Defense Force has deployed Buk-M2 SAM batteries too.
These are the terrorists mobilized by #Turkey to take control of #Manbij, kill hundreds of civilians and start ethnic cleansing there. Coalition of #YPG #Syrian Arab Army will confront #FSA, Ahrar al-Sharqiya (former #AlQaeda terrorists) & Islamofascist Turkmen militias.
Read 9 tweets
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#BREAKING
August 10
Tehran, #Iran
Azadi Stadium - Soccer/football match between teams of Tehran & Tabriz
Fans are chanting:
"DEATH TO THE DICTATOR"
Referring directly to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali @khamenei_ir
#IranProtests
August 10
Tehran, #Iran
Azadi Stadium - Soccer/football match between teams of Tehran & Tabriz
Security unit seen attacking the protesters who are growing in numbers.
#IranProtests
August 10
Tehran, #Iran
Azadi Stadium
Video of another angle showing the intense clashes.
#IranProtests
Read 14 tweets
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#IranProtests
(1)
 June 30
Abadan, SW #Iran
Crowd protesting water shortage, unemployment, skyrocketing prices & ...
"Abadan, enough is enough; show your pride"
#IranProtests
(2)
 June 30
Tehran, #Iran
Apadana shopping center is seen to be empty & no customers in sight.
#IranStrikes
#IranProtests
(3)
 June 30
Abadan, SW #Iran
Protesters chanting:
"Stupid officials, the water is salty"

#QAnon
Read 69 tweets

Trending hashtags

#FBI #corruption #champselysees #FLAG #ProtectMueller #Syria #champsélysées #Sessions #Haiti #WeThePeople #Marrakech #ChampsElysées #UPDATE #Macron #POTUS #migrants #Iran #RaminHosseinPanahi #Twitter #ReleaseTheMOAB #CNN #Bundestag #IranianProtests #Putin #UN

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