Donald Trump's chief spokesman stated Thursday that there is 'no reality' to a information report describing a plan by the president-elect to downsize the CIA's headquarters and 'restructure' America's intelligence businesses so as to de-politicize them.
The Wall Road Journal reported that Trump and his nationwide safety staff have been set to maneuver extra CIA brokers to overseas posts together with 'streamlining' the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence.
However in a convention name with reporters, Trump's incoming press secretary Sean Spicer fully denied the story, which was based mostly on nameless sources who claimed to have inside information of the transition staff's intentions.
'These experiences are false. All transition actions are for info gathering functions and all discussions are tentative,' Spicer stated.
Donald Trump is not going to be chopping or restructuring the CIA or the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence, his spokesman stated Thursday, denying a Wall Road Journal report
'The president-elect's prime precedence will probably be to make sure the protection of the American individuals and the safety of the nation, and he's dedicated to discovering the most effective and handiest solution to do it.'
'There is no such thing as a reality to this concept of restructuring the intelligence neighborhood infrastructure. It's 100 per cent false,' Spicer reiterated.
The Journal story adopted Director of Nationwide Intelligence John Brennan's announcement that the CIA believes Russia hacked U.S.-based pc techniques to assist Trump win the presidency.
Talking anonymously, a Trump staffer claimed: 'The view from the Trump staff is the intelligence world has grow to be fully politicized.'
'All of them should be slimmed down. The main focus will probably be on restructuring the businesses and the way they work together.'
Which means extra brokers in discipline posts overseas and fewer employees at Langley, the Company's Virginia headquarters, the supply stated.
Trump's employees say that he has lengthy been essential of the CIA, and that he was vocal in 2002 and 2003 about defective intelligence on Iraq-based weapons of mass destruction which led to a U.S. invasion.
Though numerous US intelligence our bodies have expressed issues that Russia was behind hacks on the Democratic Nationwide Committee, and on Hillary Clinton marketing campaign chairman John Podesta, the president-elect has repeatedly rejected the thought.
On Wednesday, the newest swing at intelligence businesses got here when he seized on Julian Assange's rivalry that Russia was not behind the hacking, and that Moscow didn't provide WikiLeaks with 1000's of hacked emails.
He tweeted: 'Julian Assange stated "a 14 12 months outdated may have hacked Podesta" – why was DNC so careless? Additionally stated Russians didn't give him the information!'
His earlier tweet earlier than that recommended that intelligence businesses had did not compile a correct case on the Russian hacks when a deliberate briefing was pushed again to Friday.
'The "Intelligence" briefing on so-called "Russian hacking" was delayed till Friday, maybe extra time wanted to construct a case,' he tweeted. 'Very unusual!'
Trump's antagonistic relationship with the CIA bought worse after its director, John Brennan, stated Russia tried to assist him win the election
In the meantime, Trump has repeatedly talked up Russian premier Vladimir Putin.
Final Friday he tweeted: 'Nice transfer on delay (by V. Putin) - I at all times knew he was very good!'
Trump's apparently blithe enthusiasm for a long-held opponent to America, and his dismissal of the very businesses created to guard his place, the Authorities he'll head and the nation he'll lead, has upset a number of individuals.
On Wednesday Republican Home Speaker Paul Ryan instructed radio host Hugh Hewitt that Assange 'is a sycophant for Russia. He leaks, he steals knowledge and compromises nationwide safety.'
And Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has adopted swimsuit.
'We've two decisions,' he stated, 'some man residing in an embassy on the run from the legislation… who has a historical past of undermining American democracy and releasing labeled info to place our troops in danger, or the 17 intelligence businesses sworn to defend us,' stated Sen.'
'I am going with them.'
In different areas, akin to opposition to the North Korean regime, Trump is extra consistent with US intelligence orthodoxy.
Trump additionally enthusiastically took Julian Assange's phrase that Russia did not provide Wikileaks with DNC emails
The CIA is unlikely to search out a lot solace in Trump's new picks for the highest intelligence slots.
Brennan will probably be making approach for brand new CIA head Consultant Mike Pompeo, whereas Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn would be the new nationwide safety adviser.
Each agree with Trump that claims that Russia tried to assist him win is an try to undermine his victory, an insider stated. Neither man commented to the Wall Road Journal.
This is not the primary time that the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence, which was created in 2004 to enhance coordination between the assorted intelligence businesses within the wake of the 9/11 assaults, has been earmarked for attainable cuts.
In 2010 a White Home panel, The President's Intelligence Advisory Board, beneficial that or not it's downsized and extra tightly targeted, the Congressional Analysis Service stated.
That recommendation was not acted upon, partly due to fears that doing so would possibly destabilize its work on counterterrorism and nuclear proliferation.
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