Coming on the heels of McRaven’s public statement, we have:
In a joint statement Thursday, a dozen of the nation’s leading former intelligence officials slammed President Donald Trump’s recent decision to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance.
The officials, who served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, include former CIA Directors Michael Hayden, Leon Panetta, William Webster, Porter Goss, David Petraeus and George Tenet, several of the agency’s former deputy directors and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
“We all agree that the president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances ― and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech,” they wrote. “You don’t have to agree with what John Brennan says (and, again, not all of us do) to agree with his right to say it, subject to his obligation to protect classified information.”
Hey where were these nit-wits while the Bolsheveks were crushing FREE SPEECH at U.C. BERKLEY? Part of the Deep State
Brennan and everyone else is free to say whatever they want. How does him losing his privileged security clearance change that? Was he expecting to, as he did when he was in the CIA, get access to some classified information and report it to the media?
I had no idea people once they leave government service retain their security clearance. But, recall how that worked out with Sandy Berger. He stole documents from the Archives, which I suppose we will never know what they were, in order to protect Clinton.
Once someone is out of government service, their access to government information should be revoked. When there is a need to know or if their assistance is needed, it would be just as easy to reinstate any required clearances as it is to confirm their loyalty has not changed since they left service.
My only complaint is, what is taking so long?
Total Bovine scat, why were these ex spooks handed a script? Pull their clearances too I bet they all could get on TV and use their freedom of speech to bitch about it.
Brennen did not use his clearance wisely when he was active, spying on the Senate, press and SCOTUS for a paranoid POTUS, perhaps the others did too, but were clever enough not to get caught.
Hmmm…. good question.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/08/08/lindsey-graham-rips-fbi-double-standard-feinstein-chinese-spy-and-trump-russia
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/gop-lawmaker-asks-fbi-did-chinese-spy-staffed-by-dianne-feinstein-compromise-classified-intel
Of course, I think we know the answer.
@Deplorable me: The story of the AWAN brothers was smothered, that breech covered up real well by DNC and their media abettors.
@kitt: Meanwhile, there were stories about the Parkland students making the rounds preaching their gun control in lieu of school safety agenda. Any doubts about what the left is really up to?
@Deplorable me: They hate Trump shuffled the stacked deck. He is a direct threat to the NWO, reading the Georgia Guidestones seems a huge genocide must happen to make the NWO happy, they want him booted off twitter just like every other dissenting voice, the purge continues they now want google to purge Alex from all search results. Exactly who is trying to silence who? Yes yank their clearances too, they are not needed put them out to pasture. If they are needed let them reapply.
@kitt: As usual, what the left accuses the other side of doing is ALWAYS what they are up to.
@Deplorable me: What a real hero thinks https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2018/08/17/benghazi-hero-destroys-koolaid-drinking-john-brennan-n2510757?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm&newsletterad=&profileid=
The Rove/Bush Trump haters are still after the President.
A few men who served the leftist President GWB: George Tennent, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, D. Patreaus ..
the GOP left hates Don much more than the Dems do. Always have; always will.
@an ol exjarhead: The leftist deep state must still have dirt on Petraeus to get him to side with those who ruined him before.
The real concern here isn’t stifling free speech, it’s stifling money making opportunities. These folks make the big bucks AFTER they leave government service not while they are serving the country. Those clearances come in real handy when they go to market themselves. They didn’t see the free speech slipping away. They saw this slipping away- $$$$$$$$$$.
Imagine the loss of access to experience, ability and intelligence the government lost when Mueller decided to railroad General Flynn into a guilty plea. Or, do we simply not worry about that?