I didn't think I'd ever leave the CIA. But because of Trump, I quit.

[kpete]

............................

As a candidate, Donald Trump’s rhetoric suggested that he intended to take a different approach. I watched in disbelief when, during the third presidential debate, Trump casually cast doubt on the high-confidence conclusion of our 17 intelligence agencies, released that month, that Russia was behind the hacking and release of election-related emails. On the campaign trail and even as president-elect, Trump routinely referred to the flawed 2002 assessment of Iraq’s weapons programs as proof that the CIA couldn’t be trusted — even though the intelligence community had long ago held itself to account for those mistakes and Trump himself supported the invasion of Iraq.

Trump’s actions in office have been even more disturbing. His visit to CIA headquarters on his first full day in office, an overture designed to repair relations, was undone by his ego and bluster. Standing in front of a memorial to the CIA’s fallen officers, he seemed to be addressing the cameras and reporters in the room, rather than the agency personnel in front of them, bragging about his inauguration crowd the previous day. Whether delusional or deceitful, these were not the remarks many of my former colleagues and I wanted to hear from our new commander in chief. I couldn’t help but reflect on the stark contrast between the bombast of the new president and the quiet dedication of a mentor — a courageous, dedicated professional — who is memorialized on that wall. I know others at CIA felt similarly.

The final straw came late last month, when the White House issued a directive reorganizing the National Security Council, on whose staff I served from 2014 until earlier this year. Missing from the NSC’s principals committee were the CIA director and the director of national intelligence. Added to the roster: the president’s chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, who cut his teeth as a media champion of white nationalism.

The public outcry led the administration to reverse course and name the CIA director an NSC principal, but the White House’s inclination was clear. It has little need for intelligence professionals who, in speaking truth to power, might challenge the so-called “America First” orthodoxy that sees Russia as an ally and Australia as a punching bag. That’s why the president’s trusted White House advisers, not career professionals, reportedly have final say over what intelligence reaches his desk.


the rest:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-didnt-think-id-ever-leave-the-cia-but-because-of-trump-i-quit/2017/02/20/fd7aac3e-f456-11e6-b9c9-e83fce42fb61_story.html?postshare=9771487630191252&tid=ss_tw-bottom&utm_term=.eb8b9aaa7e61

[Stellar]

1. K&R. nt

[Achilleaze]

2. k & r

[annabanana]

3. kick . . .n/t

[ProudLib72]

4. NO NO NO

A thousand time, NO!

We need morally sound individuals in intelligence to stay and stand up to the bully. If that means biting your tongue, so be it. Just as long as it also means we have one more person watching America's back.

[Lucinda]

17. I don't think I would be able to leave for that very reason

But I can see why people would want out.

[ecstatic]

24. +100000. I feel like they're our last hope

Considering the GOP has no interest in investigating Trump's ties to Russia. I'm hoping that the CIA will force the truth out, one way or another.

[appal_jack]

32. I agree with you!

A principled, public resignation letter helps, but what would help even more are a cadre of principled and experienced staff who hold fast to American ideals and their longstanding employee codes of conduct.

k&r,

-app

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Powerful. Thanks for posting. . . .nt

[Initech]

6. Trump is making way more enemies than friends during his time in the WH.

How much more will people take before they say "Mr. Trump, you're fired!"?

[napi21]

7. I respecct your decision to leave, but I' m very sorry to see an ethical servant leave/

I would hope the career employees would be able to fight back against this prez who doesn't seem to care about anything but himself & HIS ideas.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Wow. This is scary stuff.

We don't need to be losing good intelligence people.

[Bill USA]

9. great article. Kpete, I think this deserves posting on Editorials & other articles.

[Fred Sanders]

10. How many Presidents have immediately made an enemy of the CIA and friends with a national enemy?

[ffr]

12. No democrats for sure. Without 24/7 propaganda, like Fox Entertainment, only Rs can.

63 million haters, low information, knuckle dragging, high blood pressure, money greedy motherf*kers make it so.

[bdamomma]

13. none

[yardwork]

15. Can't think of this happening in my lifetime. Eisenhower was president when I was born.

There were conspiracy theories that the CIA might have been involved in JFK's assassination but I've never heard of a CIA agent saying anything against JFK or any other administration.

This is new.

[ffr]

11. Starting the knowledge and experience purge by intention or proxy. Putin Winning

Anything that harms America and our allies is all good in Putin's book. tRump and is low information red voters are excelling mightily for their master.

[Hekate]

14. Science and Intelligence both shown the door. Wonder what the link could be?

[Leith]

16. Is My Memory That Bad?

On the campaign trail and even as president-elect, Trump routinely referred to the flawed 2002 assessment of Iraq’s weapons programs as proof that the CIA couldn’t be trusted — even though the intelligence community had long ago held itself to account for those mistakes and Trump himself supported the invasion of Iraq.

The way I remember it is that intelligence agencies said that Iraq did not have WMDs - at least none that anyone outside of Iraq should be afraid of.

Here's an article from Business Insider (they don't like ad blockers):

The document determines that Saddam Hussein had an active chemical weapons program — although crucially, the CIA couldn't prove that his regime had actually resumed producing chemical and biological agents and cast doubt on the actual extent of Saddam's program.

Anyone remember that self-aggrandizing nutball called "Curveball?" US intelligence said that he was full of excrement, too.

So why is it, whenever I read something about intelligence about Iraq between 2001 - 2003, it always seems to be reported that they were wrong in saying that Saddam had WMDs and the US should attack? Wasn't that just the way that the Bush regime spun it so they could start their stupid fucking war?

[moondust]

22. "Intelligence community" is/was a GOP scapegoat.

George Tenet, head of the CIA, made his "slam dunk" claim about WMD and that was all it took for the GOP to blow it up and mischaracterize it as the "intelligence community." I would guess that Tenet said that to please his GOP political bosses who wanted to invade Iraq (for the oil). Conveniently, the press cannot really get into the intelligence community to interview people and dig up the truth.

[mdbl]

18. Obviously, no intelligence reaches trump's desk

Just listen to what he says.

[not fooled]

19. Bannon is clearly insane

Who would want to work with that?

[mountain grammy]

20. Everyone with any integrity will leave the govenment

leaving the conservative game players who'll sell us and each other out in a heartbeat.

[catbyte]

21. I'm beginning to get paranoid.

Now that Edward Price, ANOTHER competent, career CIA has resigned in disgust, we are one person closer to having the CIA staffed by nobody but a gang of arrogant, willfully ignorant toadies and yes men. It's a goddamn national security nightmare. I'm beginning to think that we're being set up for a major terrorist attack which will give the Republicans just the excuse they need to declare the Constitution null and void, just like Hitler did in Germany after the Reichstag fire in 1933. Dolt 45* isn't smart enough to pull this off, but Bannon sure is. And Pence would love nothing more than to establish a Christofascist Theocracy. I live in Michigan, close enough to Indiana to be very familiar with the shit he's pulled and what he has tried to pull there. He doesn't believe that the Constitution says that there must be a separation of Church and State. I have always tended to scoff at conspiracy theories, but this feels different. There is something dark and dangerous going on. This is beginning to feel like a coup that will end America. I'd really like to think that there are enough Republicans that would try to stop it, but I'm not seeing any serious attempts to buck the WH. Am I being silly? Can somebody talk me down?

[radical noodle]

26. I don't see how they can declare the Constitution null and void

I can see how they might try, but can't see how they could accomplish it. I do think there is a conspiracy, but I think (at least I hope) that it won't work the way they want. Too many people are watching every move trump makes. Seriously, how does one merely throw the Constitution in the ditch? Our courts, our entire system is based on it. There are too many people on the correct side of this.

You are very right about Pence, but it's a dangerous game they're all playing. Whenever they start mixing church and state, they'll find all sorts of weird religions coming out of the woodwork and they will not like that.

The rate at which things are being revealed makes me think that our system will work and this gang of traitors will find themselves just where they belong.

[catbyte]

28. I'm thinking declaring martial law. Look what they to Japanese Americans during WWII

They were American citizens. They can get away with a lot during times of crisis--especially with 30% of the population being behind these fascists.

[radical noodle]

29. Maybe so

but I'm putting my money on the good people of this country. We are less naive than we were in the 1940s and the news gets around more quickly these days.

[catbyte]

30. I hope you're right.

[radical noodle]

31. Oh, me too!

Because it really does scare me but I try to remember all the people protesting what trump has already done. That gives me hope.

[pansypoo53219]

23. who's gonna leak his taxes? you KNOW it has russia all over it.

[murielm99]

27. I'm waiting for that to happen.

Keep your fingers crossed. Those taxes MUST be leaked.

[Javaman]

25. K & R nt