Tulsi Gabbard’s Revocation of the Security Clearances : A Reckless Action Based on a False Narrative.The Steady State | Authors' Names Withheld
Tulsi Gabbard’s revocation of security clearances from 37 officials involved in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) is a direct attack on the professional integrity of career intelligence officers and a profound act of politicization. In her memo, Gabbard claimed that the clearance system exists to ensure integrity, objectivity, and stewardship in the protection of classified information. Yet her actions embody the opposite. By using the clearance process to punish perceived opponents on the basis of a specious narrative, she has again demonstrated both her lack of experience and her recklessness in handling sensitive matters. Her publication of the clearance information of 37 intelligence officers was not only irresponsible and unethical, but also a possible violation of the Privacy Act. Of more concern, this action contributes to the continuing erosion of trust in U.S. intelligence and the loss of expertise in the intelligence community that have been core themes of this administration. This body of experience took decades to build, and the security of our nation depends on its strength and integrity every single day. Not only does this action undermine our national security, it plays directly into Putin’s hand. The administration’s sustained campaign to discredit the ICA and promote the fiction of a “Russia hoax” has long been a defining feature of Trump’s presidency. Gabbard’s use of the findings of the document as “cause” for revocation not only serves to further distort its conclusions, but highlights that her actions reek of hypocrisy: Gabbard accuses others of fabricating intelligence, citing known Russian propaganda narrative as her proof. We feel compelled to repeat that the 2017 ICA on which these officers worked was a rigorously vetted assessment, reflecting the intelligence available at the time. Its conclusions that Russia attempted to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 elections were validated by multiple investigations, including the bipartisan 2020 Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) report, all of which found no evidence of “weaponization” in its production. The only offense of those who worked on the ICA was that their professional judgments did not align with the political interests of the current president. This attack on a sound and validated intelligence product and the vilification of those who produced it serves only to amplify proven Russian disinformation themes. The Administration's continual repetition of this narrative, and their targeting of those they see as enemies, seem to align with Putin's worldview. As KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov warned decades ago, “The true enemy of the American people is not a foreign power, but the enemy within.” The author is a former senior intelligence officer with two decades of service specializing in counterintelligence and security. The author is a retired CIA Chief of Station and former member of the National Intelligence Council. Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 300 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs and law, we advocate for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and the preservation of America’s national security institutions. |