Washington – Democrats toasted the leaders of American intelligence agencies on Tuesday for a security violation in which Trump senior officials Included inadvertently A journalist in a group discusses very sensitive plans in the United States to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen.
The director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, appeared before the senatorial intelligence committee to testify to the global threats with which the United States faces the annual hearing, which is generally focused on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, is largely focused on the lance.
The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, the director of the National Security Agency, General Timothy Haugh and the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant-General Jeffrey Kruse, also appeared, but received few questions.
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the best democrat of the committee, addressed the controversy at the top of the hearing, the appellant “breathtaking” that none of the intelligence managers in the cat on the signal encrypted messaging application thought to check who else was included.
“Are these government devices? Are they personal devices? Have the devices been collected to ensure that there is no malicious software?” Said Warner in his opening remarks. “There is a lot of declassified information that shows that our opponents, China and Russia, try to enter encryption systems as a signal.”
Warner’s declaration that Gabbard and Ratcliff that the use of the group cat was part of an “model of an incredible cavalier attitude towards classified information is reckless, sloppy and amazing” have set the tone for democrats at the hearing.
Group cat controversy
On Monday, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor -in -chief of the Atlantic, revealed that he had been added to a group cat on the encrypted messaging application signal on war plans, although the defense secretary Pete Hegseth later denied that war plans were discussed. The accounts seem to be Gabbard and Ratcliffe both participated in the message, according to Goldberg.
In the group chat, which was launched by the national security advisor of President Trump, Mike Waltz, Ratcliffe would have shared information “which could be interpreted as linked to actual and current intelligence operations,” wrote Goldberg.
The National Security Council said in a statement on CBS News on Monday that the message thread “seems authentic”.
“If it is not classified, share the texts now”: Democrats toast on the group cat
Gabbard and Ratcliffe both denied that classified information was shared in the group cat in a fiery exchange with Warner. Faced with Warner, Gabbard initially refused to say if she was part of the cat.
“Because everything is classified?” Said Warner.
“Because this is currently being examined,” replied Gabbard.
“If it is not classified, share the texts now,” said Warner.
Ratcliffe confirmed to Warner that he was a participant over the message, but postponed if the decision to use the signal to communicate was a security forfeiture. Ratcliffe said that Signal was on his CIA computer when he was confirmed as director earlier this year.
“As it is most CIA officers,” he said, adding that the agency considers the “authorized” commercial application for use at work.
Ratcliffe confirmed to Warner that he was a participant over the message, but postponed if the decision to use the signal to communicate was a security forfeiture. Ratcliffe said that Signal was on his CIA computer when he was confirmed as director earlier this year. “As it is most CIA officers,” he said, adding that the agency considers the “authorized” commercial application for use at work.
“It is permissible to use to communicate and coordinate for work, provided that the senator, that all decisions taken are also recorded via formal channels,” said Ratcliffe. “My communications, to be clear, in the group of signal messages were fully authorized and legal and did not include classified information.”
Ratcliffe later said that Senator Martin Heinrich, a new democratic new mexico, that the cybersecurity and infrastructure safety agency has recommended that “senior officials who would be targeted by foreign opponents” use “encrypted applications from start to finish each time”.
The Spy Chiefs also denied that the conversation included information on arms packets, targets or the calendar of strikes, as reported by Goldberg.
“Not that I know,” said Ratcliffe, Gabbard adding “the same answer”.
During the interrogation of the Democratic senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ratcliffe and Gabbard denied having participated in group cat cats in which classified information was shared.
Gabbard told Wyden that she had “no objection” to cooperate with an audit to confirm such, while Ratcliffe said that he would respect any follow -up that the National Security Council deemed appropriate.
But Gabbard later declared to Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona democrat, that “there were discussions on the targets in general”, which, according to Ratcliffe, was in line with his memory. When asked if he had been mentioned in a system of weapons or weapons, Gabbard said that she did not remember “specific weapons systems”. Ratcliffe also said: “I don’t remember.” The two gave similar answers when questioned on the calendar or any mention of military units.
During the interrogation of the Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ratcliffe and Gabbard also denied having participated in any signal group in which the classified information was shared.
Gabbard told Wyden that she had “no objection” to cooperate with an audit to confirm such, while Ratcliffe said that he would respect any follow -up that the National Security Council deemed appropriate.
Another lively moment came in the back and forth between Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat in Colorado, and Ratcliffe. Bennet asked if the CIA director knew that Mr. Trump’s special envoy in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow when the group cat, of which Witkoff was part, according to Goldberg, was in progress. Ratcliffe said he was not aware that Witkoff was in Russia.
“It’s an embarrassment,” said Bennet. “You have to do better.”
The Republicans say that there are “unanswered questions” for a closed session
Mike’s Républicains de Mike du Dakota southern and Ted Budd de Caroline du Nord both declared that they wanted to tackle the violation of the closed session which takes place after the public hearing.
“It seems to me that there are unanswered questions,” said Budd.
