Internal Emails on Russia’s Election Influence
- Internal emails released by Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, indicate issues with the assessment of Russian election influence.
- After President Obama ordered an intelligence assessment on Russia's influence, a top ODNI official delayed the release of a report that concluded Russia did not hack the 2016 election.
Key Findings of the Intelligence Report
- A 7-page draft of the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) dated December 8, 2016 stated that Russian actions did not affect the election outcome through cyber activities.
- The report was pulled hours before publication, allegedly due to "new guidance. "
- Declassified emails suggest the report was suppressed to allow for contradictory assessments on Russian interference.
Analyst Perspectives and Recommendations
- On December 8, 2016, multiple analysts believed the PDB should be released to clarify the understanding of election events.
- Key intelligence agencies involved included EEMC, NIO for Russia, CTIIC, NSA, FBI, and CCI.
- There was concern that delaying the PDB would postpone essential information by a month.
Publication Delays and Issues
- The day before, the ODNI had prepared talking points asserting no evidence of Russian cyber manipulation of election infrastructure.
- However, the FBI notified the intelligence team of a dissenting opinion on the PDB, surprising the Department of Homeland Security officer managing the publication.
Last-Minute Changes
- The FBI's dissent led to confusion regarding the differences in viewpoints with DHS over the PDB.
- Ultimately, the ODNI's deputy director halted the publication of the PDB, reverting to plans made a day earlier.
Implications of the Decision to Pull the PDB
- The decision to cancel the PDB publication suggests upper-level manipulation in line with political narratives.
- This action coincided with a meeting where the proposed intelligence assessment on Russian interference was discussed among top officials.
Overall Concerns of Corruption
- The attempt to suppress the PDB contradicts prior agreements and raises questions of corruption within the intelligence community.
- Following the meeting, misleading information about Russian interference was leaked to the press.
- Evidence has emerged that the intelligence community under President Obama manipulated the assessment process.
- The release of these internal communications sheds light on alleged conspiracies within the intelligence community regarding the narrative of Russian election interference.
- There are growing concerns regarding accountability for actions taken by intelligence officials during this period.
No comments:
Post a Comment