© Wall Street Journal
Carter Page
Carter Page's nightmare began exactly two years ago this week.
On July 26, 2016, a reporter with the
Wall Street Journal sent him a text, asking the then-Trump campaign advisor about his ties to Russia, including alleged meetings with Kremlin officials: he responded that the suggestion was "ridiculous." But other media calls followed. Page, a Ph.D. and Naval Academy graduate, rebuffed the inquiries and continued to go about his business as a global energy financier.
What Page did not know at the time is that - aside from unwittingly becoming the latest human slab tossed into the Clinton machine's meat grinder - his own government was already watching him, perhaps even
setting him up. As Team Clinton, the DNC, and the Obama White House ratcheted up the Trump-Russia collusion fairy tale before the presidential election, Page emerged as the villain.
In October 2016, at the behest of Jim Comey's FBI, a secret court gave the government permission to spy on Page. The surveillance lasted one year, during which time his personal and professional life
imploded; he was the target of persistent media harassment and even death threats.
Now, thanks to the partial release of
documents submitted by the Justice Department to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in 2016 and 2017, we know that Page is far from a villain:
He was framed by Democratic Party operatives (with their own ties to Russia); had his constitutional rights stripped away by the government; was forced to testify before Congress, and to submit to questioning from the FBI and perhaps a special counsel; and endured painful, humiliating public scrutiny while most of the media ignored - even cheered - his plight.
Comment: This is the eighth such attack this month:
- Russian military downs unidentified drones near Khmeimim Airbase in Syria - UPDATE: Militants launch third drone attack (July 1-3)
- Russian air force launches massive attack on jihadists after Hmeymim attack - UPDATE: Russia's airbase comes under heavy attack again (July 5-6)
- Unidentified drones attack Russian airbase in Syria two days in a row (July 21-22)
According to Elijah Magnier, these attacks are one reason why Russia is eager to retake the territory still held by al-Qaeda in eastern Latakia: