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Newer News: August 2017

July 2017 Intelligence News

• Is the covert CIA program to arm Syrian rebels still secret? by Deb Riechmann, Associated Press, July 25. "President Donald Trump seemed to blow the lid on the cancellation of a covert CIA program in Syria when he tweeted about it this week. But, intelligence agencies still won't talk about it."
• A tipping point for Washington's investigative culture? by Peter Grier and Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, July 25. "Congress has been investigating since George Washington's day. But there's something about the Russia probes -- anywhere from three to nine, depending on how you count them -- that seems different."
• CIA Plans to Destroy Some of Its Old Leak Files by Aliya Sternstein, Daily Beast, July 18. "The National Archives has tentatively approved a proposal to let the agency get rid of files that don't have historical value."
• Fate of Kushner's security clearance could ultimately lie with Trump by Austin Wright and Josh Dawsey, Politico, July 16. "The president's son-in-law and adviser has come under fire for initially failing to disclose meetings with Russian officials."
• Minnesota veterans of the CIA's 'secret war' seek an honorable burial by James Eli Shiffer, Star Tribune, July 16. "The plight of Insixiengmay and thousands of other Lao and Hmong veterans demonstrates a human cost of the runaway system of classification that perpetuates federal secrecy."
• The CIA's Secret 2009 Data Breach, Revealed For The First Time by Jason Leopold, Buzzfeed, July 13. "The Inspector General's 2010 report, obtained by BuzzFeed News through a Freedom of Information lawsuit, details an incident that 'could have caused irreparable damage'."
• Trump's leaks crackdown sends chills through national security world by Ali Watkins and Josh Dawsey, Politico, July 7. "National security officials across the federal government say they are seeing new restrictions on who can access sensitive information, fueling fears in the intelligence and security community that the Trump administration has stepped up a stealthy operation to smoke out leakers."
• 17 intelligence organizations or 4? Either way, Russia conclusion still valid by Lauren Carroll, Politifact, July 6. "Four out of the 17 were involved in the January assessment about Russia: CIA, FBI, NSA and the ODNI, which is an umbrella agency that oversees all 17 organizations. This doesn't mean the remaining 13 intelligence organizations disagree with the January assessment, nor does it mean the report was insufficient, according to multiple national security experts."