Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released previously classified emails Wednesday evening that detail internal discussions among Obama administration intelligence officials regarding the creation of the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian election interference.
The declassified documents show communications from December 22, 2016, revealing how then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper directed intelligence agencies to align behind the Russia investigation findings despite concerns raised by other officials.
Gabbard stated that the newly released materials demonstrate how Clapper “demanded the IC fall in line behind the Russia Hoax” and acknowledged the assessment required “compromise on our ‘normal’ modalities.”
The emails show then-NSA Director Michael Rogers raising significant concerns about the expedited timeline for producing the intelligence report ordered by President Obama.
Rogers contacted his colleagues directly after returning from overseas travel to express reservations his staff had communicated to him about the rushed process.
In his email, Rogers explained that he had specifically asked his team whether they possessed adequate access to underlying intelligence materials and sufficient time to conduct thorough reviews.
Rogers wrote that his team “raised concerns” on both points and were not “fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments.”
The NSA director emphasized he wanted clarity for future accountability, stating he wanted to ensure “when we are asked in the future whether we can absolutely stand behind the paper, that we don’t have any reason to hesitate because of the process.”
Rogers clarified he was not indicating substantive disagreement but wanted to address procedural concerns regarding the assessment’s development.
Clapper responded the same day, acknowledging Rogers’ concerns while emphasizing the need for unified intelligence community support.
In his reply, Clapper stressed it was “essential” that CIA, NSA, FBI, and ODNI present a coordinated position, describing this approach as following “the highest tradition of ‘that’s OUR story, and we’re sticking to it.’”
Clapper’s email referenced an “ad hoc fusion cell” created by then-CIA Director John Brennan, which intelligence officials told Fox News was a small team assembled specifically to draft the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment.
The former DNI acknowledged that standard procedures would need adjustment, writing that “more time is not negotiable” and “We may have to compromise on our ‘normal’ modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule.”
Clapper characterized the assessment creation as “one project that has to be a team sport,” indicating the collaborative nature required for the intelligence product.
The December 2016 email exchanges occurred after intelligence officials had already provided Obama with earlier assessments regarding Russian activities and the 2016 election, the Post Millennial previously outlined.
Documents previously declassified by Gabbard in July showed that in early December 2016, intelligence officials informed Obama that “Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure.”
That earlier assessment detailed various unsuccessful attempts at interfering with voter registration databases and concluded that “Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes.”
The December document expressed “low-to-moderate confidence in the Russian Government’s involvement” due to uncertainty about utility for state actors, lack of observed effects, and overlapping tactics with criminal actors using similar methods.
The post Explosive: Declassified Emails Reveal Obama Officials Rushed Russia Report Despite NSA Warnings About Insufficient Review Time appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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