A new report indicates that foreign leaders are wary to trust the United States‘ security apparatus due to a pattern of faulty information subject to “political manipulation.” A recent tweet from a former top member of the intelligence community implying that Republicans are worse than Islamic extremists and other radicals gives fodder to such beliefs.
According to the Washington Post, our nation’s allies doubted U.S. intelligence that Russia would invade Ukraine due to several previous failings like “emphatic U.S. claims about intelligence on Iraq.” Others felt that President Joe Biden and the Pentagon “had vastly overestimated the resilience of Afghanistan’s government as the U.S. military was withdrawing” only to have the government collapse within days as the Taliban took over with ease.
“American intelligence is not considered to be a naturally reliable source,” François Heisbourg, a security expert and veteran advisor to French officials told The Post. “It was considered to be prone to political manipulation.”
Heisbourg’s concerns seemed to manifest themselves this week due to the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Administration (NSA), General Michael Hayden.
Hayden wants you to believe that the current Republican Party — which represents roughly 28% of registered voters — is the most “nihilistic, dangerous & contemptible” force that he has ever seen. He agreed with a journalist who said as much Wednesday evening.
Friday evening, Financial Times Associate Editor Edward Luce tweeted, “I’ve covered extremism and violent ideologies around the world over my career. Have never come across a political force more nihilistic, dangerous & contemptible than today’s Republicans. Nothing close.”
“I agree,” Hayden responded.
“And I was the CIA Director,” he added as if to show his bona fides for making such a claim.
I agree. And I was the CIA Director https://t.co/LRAHDDyy4n
— Gen Michael Hayden (@GenMhayden) August 17, 2022
In reaction to the general’s claim, Green Beret and Virginia state delegate Nick Freitas retorted, “Really General? Worse than the Taliban? Worse than Al Qaeda?”
“Please explain,” he continued. “Specifically to those of us who were sent all over the world to fight these groups based on intelligence your agency provided. You owe us at least that much you arrogant ass.”
Really General? Worse than the Taliban? Worse than Al Qaeda? Please explain. Specifically to those of us who were sent all over the world to fight these groups based on intelligence your agency provided. You owe us at least that much you arrogant ass. https://t.co/hGQ2rR5fHs
— Nick Freitas (@NickJFreitas) August 18, 2022
Journalist Matt Taibbi had a similar response. “So ‘today’s Republicans’ are more dangerous than ISIS, Al-Qaeda, etc?”
“Given that you used drones to assassinate members of the latter groups, do you think that’s indicated here?” he pondered.
So “today’s Republicans” are more dangerous than ISIS, Al-Qaeda, etc? Given that you used drones to assassinate members of the latter groups, do you think that’s indicated here? https://t.co/3BTL1sDFJ0
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) August 18, 2022
It is a good question, but so far Hayden has not answered.
He does not need to, because even if he does not support droning Americans we know that he supports using the intelligence community to interfere with American elections. He personally has used his résumé to help cast doubt on accurate news stories that harmed Democrats and Republican opponents.
Hayden was one of the 51 members of the vaunted intelligence community who signed a letter saying that the New York Post’s 2020 story about Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop — which has since been verified — was Russian disinformation. Americans, as well as social media sites, trusted that folks like Hayden were making such claims out of interest in protecting democracy.
Now, it seems obvious that the folks who signed the letter were merely interested in protecting Democrats and thwarting President Donald Trump’s re-election. No apologies have been issued from the intelligence community for their bogus letter about the laptop.
It is stories like that — alongside the Russia hoax and more — which could explain why recent polling indicates that a majority of both Republicans and Independents “believe Trump’s political enemies are behind the FBI raid on President Trump’s private home.”
The FBI, a part of the same community as Hayden, also appears to be “prone to political manipulation” as the French security expert Heisbourg said of America’s foreign intelligence team.
Of course, America’s information was correct about Russia’s invasion (which begs the question as to why Biden didn’t prepare for the “Putin Price Hike“).
The lesson here is not to say that our security experts never get it right, but comments like Hayden’s certainly fail to help sow confidence domestically or abroad.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
