U.S. Intelligence Community “Confident” Russian Government “Directed The Recent Compromises Of E-Mails From US Persons And Institutions”

Homeland Security, Office Of The Director Of National Intelligence “Confident” Russian Government Behind Hacks. On October 7, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a joint statement stating that “The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations”:

The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscow—the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities. [Department of Homeland Security, 10/7/16]

Report Trump Plans “Revamp” Of Office Of Director Of National Intelligence Because “Intelligence World [Is] Becoming Completely Politicized”

Wall Street Journal: Individual Close To Trump Transition Claims “View From Trump Team” Is “Intelligence World [Is] Becoming Completely Politicized.” In a January 4 report, the Wall Street Journal revealed Donald Trump “is working with top advisers on a plan that would restructure and pare back the nation’s top spy agency .... prompted by a belief that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has become bloated and politicized”:

President-elect Donald Trump, a harsh critic of U.S. intelligence agencies, is working with top advisers on a plan that would restructure and pare back the nation’s top spy agency, people familiar with the planning said.

The move is prompted by his belief that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has become bloated and politicized, these people said.

The planning comes as Mr. Trump has leveled a series of social-media attacks in recent months and the past few days against U.S. intelligence agencies, dismissing and mocking their assessment that Russia stole emails from Democratic groups and individuals and then provided them to WikiLeaks for publication in an effort to help Mr. Trump win the White House.

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“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.” [Wall Street Journal, 1/4/17]

Trump Administration’s Reported Claim That US Intelligence Is “Completely Politicized” Echoes Right-Wing Media Conspiracies

Breitbart’s Sebastian Gorka: Once Trump Takes Office, “The Politicization Of The Intelligence Cycle Will Be Finished.” In a segment discussing terror attacks in Europe, Breitbart’s Sebastian Gorka told Fox News host Bret Baier that with Trump’s election as president,“the politicization of the intelligence cycle will be finished”:

BRET BAIER (HOST): What do you think specifically changes in the early days of a Trump administration dealing with this threat worldwide?

SEBASTIAN GORKA: I think it's very obvious what's going to change immediately. If you read -- the best advice I can give you as anybody who wants to know what's going to happen, read President-elect Trump's Youngstown speech. Not a lot of people paid attention to it, the Youngstown speech is his rhetorical plan for defeating the jihadi threat that is a global movement.

And the first thing I can guarantee having read that, having read Lt. Gen. Flynn's book, “Field of Fight” -- he is now the national security adviser-designate to Donald Trump, the first thing that's going to happen is the total jettisoning of political correctness. This idea that the enemy calls themselves jihadis, and we're not allowed to call them jihadis, that ends the evening of January 20th. The politicization of the intelligence cycle will be finished. [Fox News, Special Report, 12/19/16]

Charles Hurt: “I Can’t Help But Get The Feeling That [Obama] Has Contributed To The Politicization” Of Hacking Intelligence. In a December 14 appearance on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, the Washington Times’ Charles Hurt argued “you do have a sitting president right now who should be overseeing all of this,” adding “I can’t help but get the feeling that he himself has contributed to the politicization of the intelligence”:

CHARLES HURT: If Russia attempted or succeeded in any way to sort of interfere with our American elections, that's a very serious issue and we need to get to the bottom of it without fear of favor of any politician. But on the other hand, you do have a sitting president right now who should be overseeing all of this and he's not doing much to help add clarity to all of it. And I can't help but get the feeling that he himself has contributed to the politicization of the intelligence. [Fox News, Special Report, 12/14/16]

Conservative Radio Host Sean Hannity: Russia Allegations Are A “Politically Motivated” “Liberal Fake News Story.” Sean Hannity asked the listeners of the December 12 edition of his radio show why we “suddenly believe the CIA is rising above politics, when they helped concoct a false narrative about Benghazi.” Hannity concluded that “this is another liberal media fake news story that they're all falling for, and it's politically motivated,” because the CIA does not like Trump:

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): They manipulated the intelligence on Benghazi for political reasons. You know, why do we now suddenly believe the CIA is rising above politics, when they helped concoct a false narrative about Benghazi?

Then, Sunday's Washington Post, the FBI disagrees with the CIA, I mean, it's almost -- you can't even make this stuff up. And it's hardly breaking news that the FBI doubts the CIA's claims. New York Times reported on this, as I just read to you, FBI's been conducting multiple investigations, even CNN reports, of alleged connections between Russia and Donald Trump, but none so far have yielded proof of criminal connections between the parties.

That investigation included allegations against Roger Stone, a Trump supporter, about a possible connection. I'll tell you this, because I -- I've talked to Julian Assange, on-air, off-air, on TV, on radio, and I've watched him give other speeches, and he categorically denies any of this came from Russia, any of it.

So, you know -- unless, and until we can prove it, I'm just assuming this is another liberal media fake news story that they're all falling for, and it's politically motivated, as evidenced by their lack of concern about hiking -- hacking and cybersecurity over the years. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 12/12/16]

Trump Ally Alex Jones: “Maximum Alert: Rogue CIA Working To Overthrow Trump Election.” In a December 11 video posted to InfoWars.com, Alex Jones, a Donald Trump ally and the site’s proprietor, alleged that the CIA invented the Russian hacking claims because the agency is “charged with lying for whoever’s president at the time, and Obama still has 40 days left in the White House.” Jones concluded that the CIA would “trigger emergency systems under COG [Continuity of Government]” that culminate in “bringing in outside agencies or even mercenaries, to actually try to assassinate the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, before he even gets into office”:

ALEX JONES (HOST): A month ago, within one day of Trump winning a massive victory, despite internal polls showing him ahead, the Dem party said there was Russian meddling in the election. But they couldn’t give any proof. Just yesterday The Washington Post had to retract a story claiming they had proof of Russian bots pushing fake Hillary stories. They had to admit it was totally fake. Suddenly there’s a new secret report comes out, and we hear about it from from Hillary and Obama, but we can’t see the evidence because it’s secret. Ive talked to intelligence agents who read the article and they say “notice they say other intel agencies, and then the CIA gave this new analysis.” That's the big tell-tale that it's fake. And this is the same agency charged with lying for whoever’s president at the time, and Obama still has 40 days left in the White House.

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Why I’m really concerned is that this could be used inside government to trigger emergency systems under COG (continuity of government) that if a major leader like the president is actually a foreign agent they can then reportedly be taken out. And so to have the bold move of implying that a president-elect is being manipulated and controlled by the Russians is a very, very serious telltale sign that they could be thinking about bringing in outside mercenaries or other agencies to actually try to assassinate the 45th president of the United States Donald Trump before he even gets into office. Because remember: they are incredibly desperate right now. [InfoWars, 12/11/16]