© Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesActing Director of U.S. National Intelligence Richard Grenell
Director Grenell's success has infuriated President Trump's political opponents who want U.S. intelligence agencies to continue to violate its mandate by meddling in domestic politics to undermine the president.
Grenell hit the ground running his first week on the job by removing a top Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) official and requesting the intelligence behind a discredited January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election
He later replaced the head of the bloated ODNI National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), announcing plans for staffing reductions, a move that will reduce the NCTC's overlap with the more capable CIA Counterterrorism Center.
Richard Grenell also reopened proposals under consideration for the past two years on how to streamline and reduce the huge ODNI staff, now in the thousands.
In addition, Director Grenell set the groundwork for President Trump's decision to fire ODNI Inspector General Michael Atkinson who helped instigate the Democratic impeachment effort last September when he informed Congress of a complaint against President Trump by a supposed CIA whistleblower.
Republican congressmen believe Atkinson was out of line making this referral because (1) the complaint was not an intelligence matter — and was therefore not in Atkinson's jurisdiction — and (2) the CIA officer was not a whistleblower at all, but a political operative who tried to help Congressman Adam Schiff and other Democrats manufacture a case for impeachment.
I recently explained in a New York Post op-ed why the decision to fire Atkinson was the right call for these reasons and because he committed a cardinal sin for a U.S. intelligence officer — meddling in domestic politics.
Grenell's appointment as acting DNI was widely condemned by the foreign policy establishment as well as current and former intelligence officers who claimed he would politicize the ODNI.
But they were really concerned that Grenell would depoliticize American intelligence, uncover intelligence community's political efforts to undermine the Trump administration, and make U.S. intelligence more efficient.
As a result, it's no surprise that Grenell's loudest critics are Trump's political opponents who have used U.S. intelligence as a weapon to destroy the Trump presidency: former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, former DNI James Clapper former CIA Director John Brennan, as well as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff.
Rice, who called Grenell a "hack," accusing him of turning the intelligence community into a Trump re-election tool, undoubtedly is worried he will look into how senior Obama officials — including the Obama administrationcNational Security Council — leaked sensitive National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence.
These leaks were intended to damage Michael Flynn and Jeff Sessions during the transition. Obama's NSC under Rice made hundreds of requests to "demask" the names of Trump campaign staff from NSA reporting so they could leak them to the press.
Similar criticism of Grenell by Clapper and Brennan reflects their concern that he will explore their roles in promoting the false narrative of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
This includes likely efforts by Brennan to press intelligence officers to use the discredited Steele Dossier in their analysis of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, the misuse of FISA warrants to spy on Trump campaign staff, and their roles in skewing the discredited January 2017 "Intelligence Community Assessment" on Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has condemned Grenell for all of the above reasons but is probably more worried that the acting DNI will sharply curtail Intelligence Community cooperation.
Grenell has reason to act, as the U.S. House Intelligence Committee under Rep. Schiff has made unprecedented efforts to politicize the committee's work to undermine President Trump — and drive him from office.
Some Republicans have called for the Trump administration to cease providing classified material to Schiff because this committee no longer performs meaningful intelligence oversight. More worrisome is that classified information is frequently leaked from the committee to damage President Trump politically.
Grenell may act on this call.
Schiff recently sent a letter to Grenell accusing him of undermining "critical intelligence functions," keeping Congress in the dark about ODNI organizational changes, and admonishing Grenell that it "would be inappropriate for you to pursue any additional leadership, organizational or staffing changes to ODNI during your temporary tenure."
Grenell will likely ignore Schiff's letter.
If confirmed by the Senate to be the new DNI, Congressman John Ratcliffe is certain to continue and expand Grenell's efforts to depoliticize and streamline the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Because of the coronavirus crisis, Ratcliffe probably will not get a confirmation vote in the Senate any time soon.
In the meantime, Richard Grenell should stay the course in his efforts to make sure America's intelligence operates efficiently and provides President Trump with the best possible intelligence to keep our nation safe.
Sniping from Rice, Brennan, Schiff and other Trump opponents will not slow Grenell down.
Fred Fleitz, president of the Center for Security Policy, served in 2018 as deputy assistant to the president and to the chief of staff of the National Security Council. He previously held national-security jobs with the CIA, the DIA, the Department of State, and the House Intelligence Committee. Twitter: @fredfleitz. Read more reports from Fred Fleitz — Click Here Now.
Reader Comments
Seriously Your smart, no question... this is what saddens me, what gives?
Your comment is full of assumptions and insults and yet you provide no argument or counter argument. You could say a counter argument is implicit in your comment, but that is really giving too much credit I reckon. More like a ''fill in the blanks'' comment! That, I leave to you. Actually I do, otherwise I wouldn't write it, is that so hard to understand?... That is an assumption and an insult. Another comment loaded with assumptions and insults. So, I am ''a gifted intellectual''? Seriously, whatever gives you that idea?
''Intellectual cognitive dissonance must be a bitch' ' ? Where is the evidence in my comment that shows intellectual cognitive dissonance? Where is it? Show me? Do not include your comment, which does show it.
Also, based on what you say, I have to ask...do you know what cognitive dissonance is? Wishful thinking perhaps? The only person standing in your light is you . If you cannot see beyond your own shadow, that is your problem pal. Seriously...What is this, violin's at dawn?
What gives? Perhaps you should ''subject'' your comment, or (opinion if that applies) to a reappraisal and ask yourself, what gives?
Just to be clear, my views on Trump have been pretty consistent, so if you have a better argument regarding that, I am all ears. However, you should provide an argument to that effect.
I guess what I am saying is, there is nothing constructive in your comment whatsoever. If you cannot offer a constructive argument, why bother?
Someone who observes the currents and trends in the great river of life upon which all of this flows and wrongly builds sand castles to represent it, while remaining in the missguided assumption of comfortable distance from both the great river the and sand castle while it exists in its short ass duration.
The US govt is waging psychological and economic warfare on the people. They are terrorizing the people with this virus psyop and have stolen all of our rights and freedom. They are not waging war on the virus, they are waging war on the people!!
Trump and the other WHORES in the US govt just gave the bankers and corporations $6 trillion, with more trillions on the way!! We the people are being set up for destruction! People in this nation are being destroyed- people are losing their jobs and businesses, while Trump the banker WHORE and the other BANKER WHORES in DC just enriched the 1%---they already had a stranglehold on this nation, and now they have $6 trillion more to increase their strangle hold.
The rule of law is DEAD!!! See John Titus The Veneer of Justice in a Kingdom of Crime [Link]
The central bankers are buying up the world with dollars--they are deliberately destroying the value of the dollar and setting us up for hyperinflation. And when the dollar loses all value the central bankers will usher in their new digital financial system and Agenda ID2020 adn we will be slaves!!!
The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is “Agenda ID2020” -Peter Koenig (former World Bank economist) What is the infamous ID2020? It is an alliance of public-private partners, including UN agencies and civil society. It’s an electronic ID program that uses generalized vaccination as a platform for digital identity. [Link]
"Another hypothesis, at this point only a hypothesis, but a realistic one, is that along with the vaccination – if not with this one, then possibly with a later one, a nano-chip may be injected, unknown to the person being vaccinated. The chip may be remotely charged with all your personal data, including bank accounts – digital money. Yes, digital money that’s what “they” are aiming at, so you really have no control any more over your health and other intimate data, but also over your earnings and spending. Your money could be blocked, or taken away – as a ‘sanction’ for misbehavior, for swimming against the stream. You may become a mere slave of the masters. Comparatively, feudalism may appear like a walk in the park."
This is the agenda!!! They are plotting our destruction and enslavement!!
How big a task is giving everyone on Earth a digital identity? [Link]
This is what's coming:
Digital Totalitarianism
[Link]
The wealthy are ending cash & moving everyone towards Decentralized IDs & Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), which is of course entirely imaginary money, that they no longer have to print or require bank buildings for.
Universal Basic Income (UBI), after they force crushing poverty, will be offered, but it will require the Biometric ID Implants. (See Below)
They will soon force Decentralized Biometric Identity known as Self Sovereign Identity, here is more information about SSI.
When we switch to a cashless & the digital totalitarian police state, with live 5G video & tracking everywhere on everyone live, many things will change, & I prefer to call it Global eSlavery or ePrison.
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We need to be thinking about what to do when the dollar collapses. We need to find a way to resist the digital financial system and Agenda ID2020 and we need to come up with a monetary system that is NOT under the control of private central bankers.
Everything else is driven by this wealthy elite to protect their wealth, their lifestyle, their freedoms; governments and media are just their puppets.
It is my belief that this wealthy elite on earth is being influenced, directed by a very large group of spirits in very poor condition who want to see humanity in general, Impoverished, controlled, depopulated, restricted, enslaved to the elite master class.
Trump is bringing in the NWO and the American people are about to be destroyed.
But don't worry, Greg Mannarino says they will give Trump another 4 because he's the best friend the bankers ever had!!! Trump is a total banker,Neocon puppet!!
And Trump mocks his followers--he knows they're dumb and he mocks them at the rallies b/c they cheer for anything he says, including negative rates, even if it's to their own detriment b/c they are too stupid to understand what's going on.
Wake the bloody hell up!! The bankers are running the show. Trump's 666 son-in-law is busy working on the surveillance grid for the slave class. We are in the process of being enslaved, and thanks to brainwashed,moronic Q TARDS like you, the bankers will surely WIN. And I'm sure as you Q TARDS are getting chipped, you'll think you're winning b/c you are braindead MORONS!!!. And I'm sure when the hyperinflation hits, Q will convince you morons that that's winning too! Humanity is doomed b/c of braindead morons like you!