I don't count myself as a huge fan of the Central Intelligence Agency, but the rumors about what's about to become of it are rather disturbing. For better or worse, the folks at the CIA are generally just people trying to do their jobs.
Lest we forget, when Republicans were beating their breasts and bleating about the Benghazi!!! non-scandal, the largely untold story was that there were CIA operatives working out of that mission at the same time Ambassador Stevens was there. Those who died were protecting the CIA folks just as much as they were the Ambassador.
But no matter, because that's Benghazi under the bridge now. We are about to enter the era of Trump, where he disbands, defunds, and otherwise hobbles agencies he simply doesn't agree with. The first one on the block appears to be the CIA, according to the Wall Street Journal.
One of the people familiar with Mr. Trump’s planning said advisers also are working on a plan to restructure the Central Intelligence Agency, cutting back on staffing at its Virginia headquarters and pushing more people out into field posts around the world. The CIA declined to comment on the plan.
“The view from the Trump team is the intelligence world [is] becoming completely politicized,” said the individual, who is close to the Trump transition operation. “They all need to be slimmed down. The focus will be on restructuring the agencies and how they interact.”
I'm sure this has nothing to do with their participation in the intelligence review indicating that Russia interfered with our elections? Of course not.
Or maybe so.
Among those helping lead Mr. Trump’s plan to restructure the intelligence agencies is his national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who had served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency until he was pushed out by DNI James Clapper and others in 2013. Also involved in the planning is Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), who Mr. Trump selected to be his CIA director.
Flynn, as you may recall, was pictured alongside Dr. Jill Stein at a dinner Russian President Vladimir Putin gave to celebrate RT's tenth anniversary. He is also no fan of the CIA, but he is a fan of Putin's. Just like his boss.
If Trump is really worried about politicized intelligence agencies, why isn't he looking at the FBI, hmmm?
