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**Hugh** · 09-05-2017, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by passingbat

Why weren't his security credentials revoked? Politicians can fire people because their views don't align and give 'advice' for political reasons.

If Obama had security doubts about him, he should have requested that the relevant authorities suspend and revaluate his clearance.

Because that's not how it works....

Jim Wright, ex-US Navy Chief Warrant Officer, who spent his career in Naval Intelligence, explained it on his FB feed

https://www.facebook.com/Stonekettle...31344410234292

Quote:

A) There are two parts to this: clearance and access.

Clearance means you've been vetted to see certain levels of classified material. Depending on the level, that vetting process can be very detailed and extensive -- Flynn's level of clearance would be that kind.

Access means you have a need to know. Just because you have a clearance, doesn't mean you get to see everything. I spent more than 20 years with the very highest level of clearance, far above the ordinary even for my particular community. But my access was limited to my area of military responsibility. For example, while I might have full access to foreign intelligence materials, I couldn't access materials on say US Naval nuclear reactor systems. I wasn't a nuke, it wasn't my job, even though I was cleared for material at that level.

One of the most obvious ways to spot a mole in your organization is when somebody with clearance starts seeking information that he has no need to know. See John Walker et al.

B) So, when Flynn left active duty and was no longer employed by the US government, he had NO NEED TO KNOW.

He still had a SECURITY CLEARANCE, but no ACCESS.

Flynn's clearance would have been INACTIVE at the date of his retirement in JPAS (the national security system). And it would stay that way until a certain amount of time had passed, before becoming outdated automatically and expiring. Unless it was renewed by a need to know (i.e. federal employment, or civilian employment under government contract as described in para 4 above).

Unless Flynn did something wrong during that period, there would be no reason for his clearance to be revoked. Or even examined. It would simply sit inactive in JPAS until it expired.

C) A common response to this post, here and on Twitter, is: Yeah, but Obama "renewed" Flynn's clearance in 2016!

No. Wrong.

After Trump won the election, Flynn became the incoming National Security Advisor. His clearance was already in JPAS. But he needed to do another background check (a NACI) because too much time had passed since his last periodic update (typically every 5 years, but for certain levels of access it can be more often). And because as National Security Advisor next to the President, he would need a much more thorough background check than he required as DNI (which was VERY thorough).

Because he was the incoming National Security Advisor and because AT THAT TIME there was no reason not to grant him access, Flynn was given an INTERIM clearance so that he could do his job.

Interim clearance is a temporary clearance typically granted to supposed trustworthy people (which Flynn was at that time), in critical positions, so that they can do their job while the final clearance is processed. Typically limited access is also granted under the interim clearance, just the bare minimum necessary to do a specific job.

In a number of cases, the background check turns up a problem and final clearance is not granted. Interim clearance is normally revoked immediately at that point along with any access. (An example: Wayne Shelby Simmons, Fox's supposed former CIA agent and national security expert. The guy faked his background, and he did it so well that he managed to get a job with a defense contractor as a Terrain Analyst. He was granted an Interim Clearance and sent to Afghanistan -- because we were at war and we needed people. When the background check turned up evidence that Simmons was a fraud, his interim clearance was immediately revoked and he was fired and sent home. He ended up on Fox, but eventually the FBI caught up to him and he was tried and convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison where he is right now).

Granting of Interim clearance is perfectly normal and a necessary part of the process for these kinds of situations. Without it, the government would grind to a stop. More: without an interim clearance, Flynn couldn't have been briefed by the outgoing National Security Advisor -- because when Susan Rice left office, her access was suspended because she no longer had a need to know, she was no longer a federal employee. There has to be some overlap. So, Flynn was given an interim clearance so he could be brought up to speed by Rice.

Flynn was granted interim clearance and access while he updated his security background check, which begins with him filling out an SF-86. Yes, this WAS done under the Obama Administration, but again at that point there was no reason not to.

So, Flynn has an interim clearance and he is now required to update his permanent clearance. And during that process, he failed to disclose foreign contacts.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM. THAT'S THE CRIME, RIGHT THERE. That happened AFTER he was granted the interim clearance.

And when that discrepancy came to light (by now, under the new administration), HIS ACCESS WAS REVOKED and his clearance suspended pending investigation.

At which point he was fired/resigned/what have you and now he NO LONGER HAS A NEED TO KNOW.