Did the Awans Ever Have Security Clearance?

So several people have been poking around trying to establish connections related to the Awans and what they were up to, and it has been wondered more than once how they ever got security clearances in the first place.

Interestingly enough, I was poking around and uncovered some things that point to a possibility that they may not have had to.

I was doing some Google searches related to Awans and VISAs and turned up this tidbit from the Congressional Record. It's part of a floor speech by Congressman Gohmert.

So it is extremely disconcerting. All of us have to hire people to
help us with our jobs, and most all of us need computer assistants. I
can't help but reflect back, there is a new policy last year that was
instituted that requires every employee that may have access to the
computer systems, the massive databases and emails of Members, such
confidential information, they need a background check, but at the same
time, there was the requirement that had to be certified by the Member
or the administration officer in a congressional office, you either
certify that this person has had the required background check to be
allowed to access this confidential information on computers in the
congressional offices. Some of these Members were part of the
Intelligence Committee having access to top secret information. So this
is quite serious.
There was another--there were two possibilities. One, you certify
this person had the proper background check done. And, number two--it
was an ``or in the alternative''--if this person works for more than
one person--which computer personnel often do because you don't need
them full-time, you just need them when something goes wrong or perhaps
when they're needing to break into your computer and steal your data--
you could sign and certify that this person works for more than one
Member of Congress. Therefore, I don't believe the background check is
necessary.
So I hope all of my colleagues will make note that there may be
people on the Hill that don't have the best intentions with our
computer data, including access to classified information. So no matter
who they are, even if somebody is worried, because of their background
or where they were born, that somebody might scream bias or prejudice,
we just need to have everyone who has access to classified information
to have a background check even if they work for multiple people. We
just need to do that. Lessons, apparently, are still being learned in
that regard.

Did you get that? He's basically saying that while technically they were supposed to have background checks in order to work on those systems, if they were part-time employees (as the Awans were) and employed by multiple people on the Hill, then that requirement could be gotten around through a loophole. You just had to certify that they worked for more than one member of Congress with the assumption made, I guess, that they had a background check in there somewhere.

So he could skate without one because he worked for multiple members of Congress through this loophole.

I am getting conflicting reports about whether or not he actually did get clearance, but it is certain that Jackie Speier wrote a letter to Wasserman-Schulta and Tom Graves seeking access to classified information for personal staffs, which included the Awan brothers at that time.

So, this is what they wanted to give their staff access to:

The letter was asking for funding concerning security clearances for authorization to access Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information Security (TS/SCI). It is known that three members of the intelligence panel and five members of the House Committee of Foreign Affairs were among the dozens of members that had employed them, and signed the letter asking for the funds.

...

The SCIF Room holds highly classified information. You are never allowed to take a computer, phone, anything able to capture information into this room. The only computers allowed in this room are ones that conform to rules established by ICD 503. According to en.em.wikipedia.org: Computers operating within such a facility must conform to rules established by ICD 503. Computers and telecommunication equipment within must conform to TEMPEST emanations specification as directed by a Certified TEMPEST Technical Authority (CTTA).

So now we circle back to the beginning ... did they receive personal clearances? If not, was it enough to slide by through the loophole Gohmert talked about above? And if they did access any of this stuff, did it have to happen through willing complicity of some of the members of congress for whom they worked? Was it willing espionage or blackmail that leveraged that?

As I said, I am unable to find a definitive source on whether or not they actually did have security clearance.

Incidentally, while I was poking around ...

I even found a weird connection between Awan and Paul Wolfowitz. This one goes into the way-back machine!

Apparently, Wolfowitz met regularly with a group of Iraqi expatriates who convinced him that if they liberated Iraq, the US would be hailed as great liberators. I think we are familiar with this.

The head of that group was a Dr. al-Attar who headed a medical group that later got investigated by the FBI for large-scale fraud. He fled to the Middle East and remains a fugitive from justice to this day. The fraud involved false insurance claims for employees enrolled on the group plan through the Egyptian Embassy. One employee visited three clinics every 26 days and would have the same tests done. Doc would get paid $55,000 by the companies. Bank was made.

Now here's the possible connection:

Al-Attar fled the United States after the indictment to avoid arrest and imprisonment and is now considered a fugitive from justice. Late in 2012 he was observed in Beirut, Lebanon, conversing with a Hezbollah official. Al-Attar is of interest in this case because he appears to have been a friend of Imran Awan and also loaned him $100,000, which was never repaid. The FBI is currently looking into any possible espionage involving the two men as Awan and his associates clearly had access to classified information while working in the House of Representatives.

And I will leave you with this:



As the text box with the photo points out, isn't it strange the Awans were making plans to flee even as everyone in the world simply knew the Clintons were coming back into power? Isn't it strange how every rabbit hole digs up a Clinton eventually.

What the heck is an Awan?

a reply to: ketsuko

First, I have to say kets, I love you... Really...


But that avatar you have now is down right creeptastic!

Isn't it strange how every rabbit hole digs up a Clinton eventually.

It sure is. It's almost as if they're at the center of a web of influence that they've built up over the years beginning way back before Bill was president. Oh, wait...

a reply to: Sillyolme

Ah, Silliness is as Silliness does.

Meet Hillary's IT 'Blackberry' phone guy Asad (Asadullah) Yousof (Red hoodie).



Is he connected to the Awans?
Was he involved with the Podesta Phishing scam?

www.thesmokinggun.com...

a reply to: IAMTAT

Brief interlude to pause and give a moment of silence for the brave couch that gave its life for her ... is that a blazer? Mandarin coat? Extremely stiff tunic?

a reply to: ketsuko

Reality Winner had clearance ...I think , :>)

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: IAMTAT

Brief interlude to pause and give a moment of silence for the brave couch that gave its life for her ... is that a blazer? Mandarin coat? Extremely stiff tunic?

Herculon seat fabric from a 1974 Toyota Corolla

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Meet Hillary's IT 'Blackberry' phone guy Asad (Asadullah) Yousof (Red hoodie).

Is he connected to the Awans?

How about you tell us instead of asking vague and leading questions trying to spur people to jump to certain conclusions? That link you posted certainly doesn't make that conclusion. The name "Awan" isn't even mentioned in the article.

a reply to: Sillyolme

And who the F%&# is George Webb

originally posted by: Sillyolme
What the heck is an Awan?

At this point, I believe that we can use it as synonym for Pakistani spy.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Meet Hillary's IT 'Blackberry' phone guy Asad (Asadullah) Yousof (Red hoodie).

Is he connected to the Awans?

How about you tell us instead of asking vague and leading questions trying to spur people to jump to certain conclusions?

How about you do some research and find out for yourself, since you're apparently interested in the answers?

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Meet Hillary's IT 'Blackberry' phone guy Asad (Asadullah) Yousof (Red hoodie).

Is he connected to the Awans?

How about you tell us instead of asking vague and leading questions trying to spur people to jump to certain conclusions?

How about you do some research and find out for yourself, since you're apparently interested in the answers?

I did. I read the link you provided and the conclusion I reached was no. You are just muddying the waters with tabloid level reporting (ask a question with the obvious answer of no just to obfuscate the issue).

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Meet Hillary's IT 'Blackberry' phone guy Asad (Asadullah) Yousof (Red hoodie).

Is he connected to the Awans?

How about you tell us instead of asking vague and leading questions trying to spur people to jump to certain conclusions?

How about you do some research and find out for yourself, since you're apparently interested in the answers?

I did. I read the link you provided and the conclusion I reached was no. You are just muddying the waters with tabloid level reporting (ask a question with the obvious answer of no just to obfuscate the issue).

So just reading the link I posted is what you consider doing your own research?
Explains a lot.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Interesting.
The guy on the right side of the photo was a gamer known as Fishstickz, and he was the one that told Podesta that the phishing email was a valid email and go ahead and click on it.
She obviously vetted her staff carefully.

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Meet Hillary's IT 'Blackberry' phone guy Asad (Asadullah) Yousof (Red hoodie).

Is he connected to the Awans?

How about you tell us instead of asking vague and leading questions trying to spur people to jump to certain conclusions?

How about you do some research and find out for yourself, since you're apparently interested in the answers?

I did. I read the link you provided and the conclusion I reached was no. You are just muddying the waters with tabloid level reporting (ask a question with the obvious answer of no just to obfuscate the issue).

So just reading the link I posted is what you consider doing your own research?
Explains a lot.

Well yeah. When someone makes a claim and posts a link I read their link to see what they are saying. I don't however do their research for them. If you want me to believe that silly question is true then you need to provide the information showing it is. I'm not a gullible tabloid reader dupe. I don't let myself get distracted by silly questions that people ask and don't have the answers or evidence to back up. My answer to your question is "No" until you can demonstrate otherwise.

What you did is what tabloids do. They ask a question then write an article where the answer is buried at the bottom (usually no) or isn't fully given. I learned as much from your post as I would reading the National Enquirer. Nothing.

Awan had administrator privileges and off-site access to congressional information, even after he was banned from congress... right up until the day he was arrested trying to flee the country with piles of smashed hardware in his house.

I have no doubt that he was blackmailing either DWS or the DNC. We'll see what comes out when the official investigation starts.

I was stationed in DC for almost 4 years. We had a subcontractor from Nigeria on a student visa to order food for our dining facility. She had no access to anything classified and could only place orders with pre-approved vendors.

It still took 7 months to get her a basic clearance to access the unclassified network.

Someone went to great lengths to get the Awans access to the congressional networks.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: IAMTAT

Interesting.
The guy on the right side of the photo was a gamer known as Fishstickz, and he was the one that told Podesta that the phishing email was a valid email and go ahead and click on it.
She obviously vetted her staff carefully.

thesmokinggun.com...

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: IAMTAT

Brief interlude to pause and give a moment of silence for the brave couch that gave its life for her ... is that a blazer? Mandarin coat? Extremely stiff tunic?

I thought the chain around her neck was a nice subtle hint. And I think she is taking fashion advice from someone I've seen before....