Management
The Government Report That Got Turned Into a Hollywood Movie
How Scott Z. Burns tackled his feature directorial debut, a gripping film about the inquiry into the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” program
Oversight
Election Commission Needs More Authority In Face of 2020 Threats, Report Finds
“The federal government regulates colored pencils . . . more strictly than it does America’s election infrastructure,” the nonpartisan Brennan Center notes.
Defense
ISIS Leader Baghdadi Killed Himself During U.S. Special Ops Raid, Trump Confirms
Trump claims, against the evidence, that killing Baghdadi was administration's "top national security priority."
Oversight
IGs Unite Against Justice Legal Opinion That Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint Wasn’t an ‘Urgent Concern’
IG council says the opinion could have a “chilling effect” on future whistleblowers, asks Justice to reconsider.
Management
Analysis: William Taylor Delivers the Smoking Gun
It doesn’t matter what President Trump wants to call it—of course it was a quid pro quo.
Defense
The Intelligence Fallout From Trump’s Withdrawal in Syria
The chaotic withdrawal from Syria will severely weaken U.S. efforts in the country—and could also be a boost for Russia and Iran.
Management
The Experts Strike Back
Donald Trump has spent his presidency belittling and attacking career foreign-policy professionals. Now that he’s asking for their loyalty, they don’t seem to feel any.
Oversight
Viewpoint: The U.S. Government Has a Secrecy Problem
American officials classify too much information, from the trivial to the politically inconvenient. The overreliance on secrecy invites abuse.
Oversight
Whistleblower is Vulnerable to Retaliation Due to Limited Intelligence Community Protections
Under the law, the president is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected, but experts say the law never accounted for a president leading the attack on a whistleblower.
Management
Allies Defend Kurt Volker, Diplomat Caught Up in Ukrainegate
Former officials say that the characterization of Volker that has emerged in some press reports is untrue.
Oversight
Trump’s Intelligence Chief Didn’t Make Anyone Happy
Joseph Maguire did not endorse the explosive allegations of an anonymous whistleblower, but neither did he rise to the president’s defense.
Defense
White House Used Classified System to Hide Trump’s Phone Call: Whistleblower
The IC employee wrote that the July 25 call to Ukraine was not the only time documents had been improperly hidden in codeword-level systems.
Oversight
Viewpoint: The Problem With the Whistleblower System
As the country learned this week, authorities have too much power to decide the fate of whistleblower claims, especially when they involve the intelligence community.
Defense
Trump Approves ‘Defensive’ Deployment to Middle East
The U.S. will increase air and missile defenses from Iran at the request of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Pentagon leaders said.
Oversight
Justice Department Charges Edward Snowden With Violating Non-Disclosure Agreements
Prosecutors are seeking to prevent the former NSA contractor from profiting from his unauthorized release of classified information.
Defense
Analysis: Mike Pompeo Is Bigger Than the Pentagon — For Now
“I think that Pompeo is now running foreign policy in the Trump administration in the way that Cheney ran it in the Bush administration,” said one analyst.
Defense
Viewpoint: U.S. Intelligence Needs Another Reinvention
After failing to detect the 9/11 plot, spy agencies reinvented themselves for an age of terrorism, but a new generation of technological threats requires a new round of reforms.
Oversight
Viewpoint: James Comey Gets a Taste of His Own Medicine
An inspector general says the former FBI director won’t be prosecuted, but scolds him harshly for his handling of documents. Hillary Clinton can probably relate.
Defense
The End of the Dan Coats Era
Whoever takes over from Coats permanently could serve as a needed voice of clarity about America’s biggest challenges—or see the intelligence community further sidelined.
Management
Trump Ousts Would-Be Acting Spy Chief
Deputy DNI Susan Gordon was statutorily required to be elevated after DNI Coats resigned in July.
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