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Posted on 08/02/2018 4:31:08 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
President Trump has been criticized for politicizing the intelligence community by threatening to strip the security clearances of former top officials including John Brennan and James Clapper. But numerous past and present senior intelligence officials say the Obama administration started that politicization -- and revoking the clearances of those who abuse the privilege for partisan purposes may help right the ship.
“As is often the case with the Trump administration, the rollout of the policy is bad, but the idea driving the policy is sound,” said one senior intelligence official who, like others interviewed for this article, spoke to RealClearInvestigations only on condition of anonymity. “Under some Obama-era intelligence chiefs, intelligence was used as a political weapon. We need to root that out, not reward it.”
It is not clear if the White House is moving forward on Trump’s threats last month to revoke those clearances. After Brennan’s continued media attacks on Trump following the Helsinki summit with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Sen. Rand Paul advised the president to strip him of his clearance. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
*snip*
Brennan has used his current position as contributor to NBC News and MSNBC, as well as his social media presence, to wage a rhetorical assault on Trump. He described Trump’s meeting with Putin in Helsinki last month as “nothing short of treasonous.” From his perch at CNN, Clapper has launched like-minded barrages against the White House. The networks did not respond to requests for comment from or about Brennan or Clapper.
Security clearances are commonly extended for the top leaders of the intelligence community after they leave their jobs, on the rare chance that they should be called upon to consult with their successors.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearinvestigations.com ...
What’s taking so long? If this were the 0bama White House and there were republicans from previous administrations with security clearance who were critics of the Manchild, they would have been gone on day 1.
This guys comment is right on with what I have heard in the intelligence community.
60% are deep state, HRC supporters, while the other 40% might agree with Trump or are neutral, but have to apologize every time they express their assent.
Not only should their clearance be pulled, Brennan and Clapper should be on trial instead of Manafort.
At the corporation I worked for, when the CEO retired (real retirement) his badge and keys were taken at the end of his last day and his access to the company computer systems was ended. The next time he entered the building for a meeting he came as a former employee and was admitted through the normal security procedures. The only thing he received from the company after his last day on the job was his pension. The same was true for other executives.
There is no reason for any government employee - President, Congressman, Senator, bureaucrat, etc - to retain a clearance after employment ends. They should be just like any other citizen. If they return to work, they can then be requalified for clearances and access.
Trump should simply issue an executive order to that effect, not singling out Brennan and Clapper. Any rational citizen will understand the validity of such an order and will agree with it. The press and the Democrats will go crazy.
Security 101 dictates that you keep the circle of people with a need-to-know as small as possible.
They no longer have a “need to know”!
“President Trump has been criticized for politicizing the intelligence community...”
By the criminals who politicized the intelligence community.
Having the clearance is one thing but having “a need to know” is quite another. These ex mucky mucks have zero need to know.
interesting, i’d not heard of that before
They do not need their clearance anymore. If, in the future, information they had about any secure item needs to be had, they can be re-authorized at that time. The idea that every person with clearance has it forever is absurd. I think it only refers to the higher ups, but that means, at this time, unless it’s been revoked, Hillary still has clearance, and could still get secure information if she wanted, if she could find someone still in intelligence, willing to give it to her. Now, what do you suppose, are the chances of THAT happening? Slim, right?/S.A.R.C.
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