At a affirmation listening to final week, Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas and a member of the Intelligence Committee, repeatedly questione
At a affirmation listening to final week, Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas and a member of the Intelligence Committee, repeatedly questioned Avril D. Haines, a former C.I.A. deputy director who’s now the director of nationwide intelligence, about her work for WestExec Advisors, a consultancy co-founded by Antony J. Blinken, the brand new secretary of state.
Ms. Haines mentioned she did no work on the consultancy for international governments.
In her letter admonishing former officers to consider their public feedback, Ms. Patel didn’t cite any specifics that put labeled materials in jeopardy. However the company is nervous that quite a lot of public feedback by former officers could possibly be stitched collectively to disclose labeled info.
“The danger of unintended disclosure of labeled info, or affirmation of labeled info by our adversaries, will increase with every publicity exterior of established U.S. authorities channels,” Ms. Patel wrote.
Periodically in C.I.A. historical past, the company has been annoyed with former officers speaking with the press or writing books. The primary such wave of frustration got here after reporters printed articles essential of the company after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. The subsequent wave got here within the 1970s, when numerous company memoirs have been printed, some with out present process a evaluate earlier than publication, which the C.I.A. calls for.
“What’s modified now is just not the phenomenon of formers speaking,” mentioned Nicholas Dujmovic, a former C.I.A. historian who’s now a professor on the Catholic College of America. “What’s modified is with the digital revolution, the web and social media, all people’s obtained a platform. It’s unattainable for the company to even concentrate on, a lot much less actively monitor, each time a former says one thing.”
The C.I.A. requires op-ed essays and different writing to be submitted to a evaluate workplace for approval earlier than publication. However the company can’t evaluate social media posts, tv appearances, panel discussions or podcasts.
Whereas any such program in regards to the intelligence businesses has a threat of discussing labeled occasions, Dr. Dujmovic mentioned some have been exactly the sorts of retailers the company ought to be encouraging, not discouraging.