Sciutto Continues to Defend Rice: ‘Unmasking Is Not Unusual; It’s Not Illegal’

[excerpt SCIUTTO We have ░░░░░░░░ look at this in ░░░░░░░░ big picture because we ░░░░░░░░ learning about other attempts ░░░░░░░░ back channel negotiations with ░░░░░░░░ involving Jared Kushner meeting ░░░░░░░░ the head of a ░░░░░░░░ bank or an official ░░░░░░░░ a Russian bank that ░░░░░░░░ currently under and still ░░░░░░░░ under U S sanctions ░░░░░░░░ you have this other ░░░░░░░░ brokered by people from ░░░░░░░░ United Arab Emirates via ░░░░░░░░ Prince who founded Blackwater ░░░░░░░░ who happens to be ░░░░░░░░ brother of Betsy Devos ░░░░░░░░ education secretary So you ░░░░░░░░ more than one taking ░░░░░░░░ and some of these ░░░░░░░░ the transition The fact ░░░░░░░░ and you know this ░░░░░░░░ and Poppy all administrations ░░░░░░░░ and Republicans will do ░░░░░░░░ channel negotiations It was ░░░░░░░░ a back channel negotiation ░░░░░░░░ Iran that then led ░░░░░░░░ the Iran nuclear negotiations ░░░░░░░░ can even go back ░░░░░░░░ the Nixon time The ░░░░░░░░ is one you want ░░░░░░░░ keep it secret if ░░░░░░░░ is meant to be ░░░░░░░░ secret back channel Two ░░░░░░░░ you d wait until ░░░░░░░░ were president as opposed ░░░░░░░░ during the transition period ░░░░░░░░ that s raised some ░░░░░░░░ about this idea one ░░░░░░░░ at a time Were ░░░░░░░░ negotiations Were things being ░░░░░░░░ Were discussions being had ░░░░░░░░ Trump was president about ░░░░░░░░ changes in U S ░░░░░░░░ with regards to Russia ░░░░░░░░ s the question We ░░░░░░░░ t know the answer ░░░░░░░░ that question But we ░░░░░░░░ know that there were ░░░░░░░░ contacts there than we ░░░░░░░░ of before BERMAN Jim ░░░░░░░░ is just part of ░░░░░░░░ story overnight There are ░░░░░░░░ that Susan Rice who ░░░░░░░░ national security adviser to ░░░░░░░░ Obama was involved in ░░░░░░░░ names in other words ░░░░░░░░ known internally at least ░░░░░░░░ from surveillance of foreign ░░░░░░░░ that he was involved ░░░░░░░░ that You got some ░░░░░░░░ from people close to ░░░░░░░░ SCIUTTO That s right ░░░░░░░░ denying that she would ░░░░░░░░ requested unmasking but saying ░░░░░░░░ not have done so ░░░░░░░░ or improperly The fact ░░░░░░░░ let s set Susan ░░░░░░░░ s response aside I ░░░░░░░░ spoken to senior U ░░░░░░░░ intelligence officials who served ░░░░░░░░ Republican and Democratic administrations ░░░░░░░░ say a number of ░░░░░░░░ One unmasking is not ░░░░░░░░ Senior national security officials ░░░░░░░░ that to better understand ░░░░░░░░ information behind intelligence reports ░░░░░░░░ receive every day It ░░░░░░░░ not illegal There are ░░░░░░░░ put in place particularly ░░░░░░░░ 9 11 to allow ░░░░░░░░ to happen And it ░░░░░░░░ t happen on the ░░░░░░░░ of one official You ░░░░░░░░ to ask the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ specifically the NSA in ░░░░░░░░ case for permission to ░░░░░░░░ those names and it ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence committee that ░░░░░░░░ a judgment as to ░░░░░░░░ that is appropriate And ░░░░░░░░ requests are meticulously logged ░░░░░░░░ it can t happen ░░░░░░░░ the dark And finally ░░░░░░░░ does not mean revealing ░░░░░░░░ leaking That information is ░░░░░░░░ between the briefer and ░░░░░░░░ national security intelligence official ░░░░░░░░ we don t know ░░░░░░░░ were those identities unmasked ░░░░░░░░ then leaked by Rice ░░░░░░░░ others We don t ░░░░░░░░ that It is possible ░░░░░░░░ with the information we ░░░░░░░░ now we don t ░░░░░░░░ that to be true ░░░░░░░░ seems to be what ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration and officials ░░░░░░░░ Devin Nunes or others ░░░░░░░░ equating here that unmasking ░░░░░░░░ making public That is ░░░░░░░░ true and we don ░░░░░░░░ know that to be ░░░░░░░░ case yet.”