It's a move that's highly dangerous to members of the intelligence community -- and everyone else.

[ffr]

Former intelligence officials slam Trump for letting his AG declassify whatever he wants


Trump issued an order that lets his attorney general declassify anything he wants about the Russia investigation. It's a move that's highly dangerous to members of the intelligence community — and everyone else.
<snip>

What this means is that Barr — chosen by Trump to protect him from any repercussions of the special counsel's investigation — now has unfettered authority to make public whatever he wants about the origins of the Russia probe.
<snip>

In other words, Barr has the power to unmask and publicize the identities of those people who worked to uncover Russia's backing of Trump. - ShareBlue

This only gets worse from here out folks. Those assets in the counterintelligence field are going to be falling out of tall buildings with regularity.

Trump is scheduled to see his Russian counterpart, Putin, in June at the G-20 Summit. Good timing, right?

[in2herbs]

1. It's my understanding that there are a majority of R's in the FBI and intelligence community. That

being the case they better stand up to democracy rather than political parties. BTW: I think they will do the right thing -- eventually, and only because they are threatened with exposure of their identities.

[ScratchCat]

2. The intelligence community

will not give Barr anything that reveals people, sources or methods. The Trump Admin wouldn't have released that letter if they expected the IC to comply. Further, its clear that Barr can't obtain anything that the CIA/NSA doesn't voluntarily release to him.

[ffr]

3. Then why are former IC people slamming tRump then?

If investigating the investigators won't turn up who these agents are, why are they voicing concerns???

There could be other implications for the intelligence agencies. The C.I.A. considers confidential sources its most highly classified and most protected assets, and any investigation that could possibly force it to reveal those identities is likely to create a standoff. Last year, the agency lost trust in the Justice Department’s ability to keep the names of informants and sources secret after the identity of the F.B.I.’s source in the Trump campaign, Stefan Halper, was revealed as part of congressional investigations, according to former intelligence officials.

Late Thursday, Jeremy Bash, a chief of staff at the C.I.A. under President Barack Obama, said that the president’s move was “a very significant delegation of power to an attorney general who has shown he’s willing to do Donald Trump’s political bidding. - NYT”

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. valerie Plame, anyone?

I think the IC professionals will do what they have to in order to work around this dumb move.

Usually I am all for oversight of the IC, but since trump, not so much.