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Former CIA Covert Operations Officer Mike Baker tells Tom that classified documents may be revealed in the email investigation of correspondence betwe...
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-- -- joining me now is former CIA Covert operations officer and president of global intelligence.
And security firm diligence LLC Mike Baker invite.
We're what -- was talking about his business about where Paul abroad will may have gotten classified information she's an intelligence officer.
There was -- CIA -- Director who had to resign because he had some classified documents on his personal right beyond big don't know up yet John -- And yeah it didn't obviously the investigation did did lead to them and to -- bureau searching her home.
It would certainly right at the outset I mean in people were asking -- what's at all about -- you had to assume at that point that there was searching for additional classified documents they may have found something during the course of their.
Email forensic review that led them to believe that there were additional dot -- there was additional information stored at the home.
It's speculation this point as to what they may have found.
But yes certainly that's a problem -- the whole the whole reason behind the escalation of this started out as a cyber crimes issue cyber bullying harassment how we -- to refer to it.
But as soon as they identified Petraeus as soon as -- identified there was undisclosed.
Unauthorized access to the director of the CIA some real with the top level of intelligence -- classified information becomes a counterintelligence.
Investigation.
That's a very serious matter whether you're talking about a junior officer you're talking about the director.
-- -- -- How that.
It's gotta be an ongoing huge battle for the CIA is how to keep.
Information secret but at the same time distributed to the people that need to know and the ones comment to give coming about Paula -- what was that -- -- she gave it it in Denver.
And where she talked about the back -- you know there were these prisoners Libyan prisoners at the annex.
Well.
That was brand new information was that classified and that brings up the question.
Of did.
General Petraeus.
Talk about the the the movie being the cause does he did not want to bust the CIA.
For having prisoners when the executive -- said you can't take prisoners well -- -- I think there's there's an issue here -- it is that it is an inference -- in a big pretty big leap.
In in in what you just what you just -- highlight in this important issue obviously because yes you had yet Paul abroad while making the speech in Denver.
And she refers to.
The prisoners now whether she was just referring to chatter that she heard because during the course of this battle that went on for several several hours.
You know so would some of the militants were taken captive -- not all of them were were killed -- ran away right so.
That is significantly different.
Then the inference that you're hearing in some quarters that somehow the agency had broken and the executive order signed in 2009 that -- were out of the detention business.
The any agency that very clear about that.
There aren't that not in the detention business so use your to your -- and sort of -- to say that somehow they gotten back into that game it.
If you read the executive border there is a loophole in the -- says basically the CIA can -- -- apprehend somebody you can break -- keep the home.
But not for long term and is kind of vague about defective me you know basically bring a minute hold and then try -- -- worded.
Border her authority does it there really is an interim period there where you can detain somebody does a dead there's that but that it's it's a very.
Understood an established process as to what that means if I take you off the battlefield.
Or I'm involved in an operation were suddenly that high value target because we -- -- and let him go because you know the executive orders that you can't hold anybody.
But you were also not in the business of undisclosed facilities overseas as -- -- I mean it it would be short term memory loss remember how badly.
The agency got kicked in the Bush Administration got kicked around Capitol Hill.
Because of the detention problem which by the way.
Was a very -- part of the war on terror and gitmo is still open I'll go back even further I'll go back to frank church of senator from Idaho who had the church commission right.
And and and said the CIA.
You can't do all of these things anymore.
But later raw and under the 9/11 commission they said because of that the CIA and the FBI didn't talk to each other and -- we had to -- intelligence failure by the church committee commission was it was a devastating.
Over a period of time on the -- the ability of the CIA to do their job primarily because.
It it created a risk averse environment that you always have to within that they've weathered CA -- or any part of the Intel community you always have to be looking at that risk vs gain equation.
And and I think.
People should have if they were paying attention over the past few years and understating isn't as.
As even more information about the CI does -- business was revealed they -- come away together that's that they're they're pretty judicious about what they do.
But you know that's not how people norm if you think they'll -- the same time you don't want people who know how you do you know of course not absolutely not -- But I say this time and time again and and all the conspiracy theorists out there in the people that read the beach books and wants -- films don't believe me.
But we have the most transparent.
Intel organization on the planet and but there are there's a line that you -- -- -- sources methods classified information at a certain point it is need to know.
And you know I'm sorry if that offends those people who think everything should be out in the open he should have no -- that's not the world that we operated it would be a decidedly more dangerous place if that was the case and that's the rule that we followed here in the states alright Mike.
