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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> spike@rainier66.com <spike@rainier66.com> <br><br><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>…Government officials could request “unmasking” which is declassification of the identity of an American citizen on either end of {any international} call, while the requesting official’s identity would remain classified. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>…Yesterday the head of National Intelligence carried out what Assange wanted over 20 years ago and declassified a list of 39 US government officials who requested unmasking of General Michael Flynn (who is that?) The names are obscure, I don’t think I have heard of the other four, but one name I definitely heard of, and that name is Ambassador Bass. What a shock to see Ambassador Bass right there ....<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img width=693 height=396 style='width:7.2187in;height:4.125in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D62A10.5A929ED0"><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I didn’t even realize Ernest T. Bass was still with us. …spike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>OK I have an idea.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Being revealed on a list of those who requested unmasking of Michael Flynn is harming the political future of Ambassador to Turkey Ernest T. Bass, even though what he did was legal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If the government can intercept our calls, and a select few may request to find out who are the participants, we can keep this power (which appears to violate Amendment 4) in check by always making every request for unmasking public domain.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This would provide reciprocal transparency, and may discourage government officials from abusing this authority. Note that Ambassador Bass made a request that remained classified for nearly three and a half years. Now of course his political future is likely damaged by the revelation, and brings up the obvious question: why did Ambassador Ernest T. Bass want to know this information? Clearly he had a strong reason for wanting to know that information. So… I propose we maintain our 4<sup>th</sup> amendment rights by forcing the identity of every official requesting any unmasking into the public domain.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>