This is encouraging. With China, North Korea, and Iran acting the way they’ve been, we need to step up our offensive game. Giving the CIA and other members of the Intelligence Community (IC) (i.e. NSA, NGA, DIA, etc,) expanded powers to go after our adversaries like this is a good thing. After all, they’ve been doing it to us for years, even decades, and we’ve been sitting on our hands and taking it like suckers. Kudos to President Trump and his administration for not taking it anymore and being proactive in this area. Excellent!! 🙂
Intelligence
Senate confirms John Ratcliffe as the next Director of National Intelligence
CENTCOM analysts reportedly claim to have lost jobs over Syria warnings
This story is of particular interest to yours truly, as I was a senior intel analyst for CENTCOM several years ago. Thankfully, I left right about the time Obama became President, and wasn’t subjected to this sorta thing. But, I AM aware of others who have experienced this sorta crap. IF this indeed happened, then hopefully the IG (inspector general) will uncover it and present its findings to Congress, and to the American public. The job of intelligence professionals is to get accurate information to decision makers, regardless of whether they like it or not. And, if that intelligence is altered to support some arbitrary preconceived agenda, then it’s not intelligence. It’s propaganda.
Dozens of intelligence analysts reportedly claim assessments of ISIS were altered
James Clapper: Islamic State could infiltrate U.S., West through migrants fleeing from Syria
I’m not a big fan of Lt Gen James Clapper, personally. His lying under oath during the whole NSA hearings before Congress, and the fact that he’s clearly an Obama lap dog with his support for the dreadful nuke deal with Iran when he knows better, makes him lose ALL credibility with yours truly. He has an integrity/character deficiency. That said.. The retired 3 star Air Force General (Lieutenant General) IS corect with his assessment about the refugees coming out of Syria, and the potential threats they could cause America and her national security interests. It may seem cruel or heartless.. But, it is in our national security interests to NOT allow them to come to America. America is NOT some big refugee center for the planet’s problems. While it is certainly heartbreaking to see what ISIS/ISIL is doing to the people (especially Christians) of Iraq and Syra (and elsewhere in the Middle East), it is NOT sufficient reason to bring those displaced by that conflict here to America. The far better solution is for us to actually defeat ISIS there in Iraq and Syria and help these people take their country back.
South Korea, US, Japan agree to intelligence pact
Very interesting… Something to definitely keep an eye on…
DIA: North Korea Planned Attacks on US Nuclear Plants in the ’90s, Documents Reveal
Opinion: CIA interrogations report: Feinstein offers aid and comfort to enemy, stabs heroes, allies in the back
An EXCELLENT op/ed by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters. LTC Peters is exactly right, and echoes much of what we addressed yesterday (see below).
Senate Dems Politicize Intelligence Oversight – Their report on enhanced interrogation will damage U.S. credibility with allies
This is the most shameless, disingenuous, irresponsible, and damaging grandstanding by that self-righteous, sanctimonious, liberal, Democrat, fascist, blow-hard, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), I have seen yet. How’s that for a mouthful of adjectives. Trust me, I cut a few out. Yeah, she is an anti-gun Nazi and we all know that. But, once upon a time, she actually had SOME credibility in the intelligence community, for a Democrat, that is. However…THIS shatters ALL of that. Her creds are no more. Dianne, along with Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO), who lost his re-election bid and will be unseated next month (thank God), and the other liberal Dems on this committee (along with their ideologically-driven staffers), put this whole phony charade together just to embarrass certain folks in the intelligence community, and take some political swipe at former Pres. George W. Bush, and his administration. But, it was totally disingenuous. After all, they were ALL briefed on the interrogation programs, and knew all along what was going on. So, why wait a decade to come out with this report? Politics. That’s all this was; pure politics. Here is the consequence.. Not only will this set back our relationships with certain key allies in the war on Islamic terror…and make us look bad. BUT, it’ll put the lives of many in the intelligence community at grave risk. Having spent some time in that world, I wouldn’t be surprised if this has, or will, cost us many American lives. And, btw. Shame on Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for supporting this partisan bs!! I’ve never been a big fan of his. But, he should know better.. After all, he was a former Naval officer, and a POW himself. I saw him on the Senate floor today supporting this crap, and was totally blown away. I guess he’s been in D.C. for too long, and made friends with the likes of former Sen. Ted Kennedy, and now Dianne Feinstein. Its time for him to retire.. It’ll take years, if not decades, for the intelligence community (which works tirelessly 24/7 to protect us) to recover from the damage that this partisan show has caused.
Report: Obama Has Missed over Half His Second-Term Daily Intel Briefings
This tracks with what we’ve been reporting here at The Daily Buzz..