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She wrote two more bills that same week supporting Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, who were behind two of the biggest US national security leaks of the 21st Century. Both men are broadly seen as enemies of the state within the intelligence community. Gabbard proposed repealing Patriot ActIf confirmed, Gabbard will be the most markedly anti-surveillance official to lead the intelligence community in the post-9/11 era. Some prominent Republicans like former Trump national security adviser John Bolton and former Trump UN ambassador and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley have come out against her. Scott Olson/Getty ImagesGabbard is in many ways a stranger to the intelligence community.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, spymaster, Tulsi Gabbard, Daniel Ellsberg, Gabbard, ”, Ellsberg, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, It’s, MAGA, Trump, Assange, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, she’s, scot, Jamil Jaffer, George W, Bush, White, George Mason University’s, Snowden, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Assange —, Sen, Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Matt Gaetz, Gabbard’s Snowden, Bill Pugliano, Tulsi, Drew Angerer, Glenn Gerstell, —, Gerstell, ” Gerstell, She’s, neocons, ” “, Vladimir Putin’s, Biden, “, Hannity, Steven Ferdman, cynically, John Bolton, Nikki Haley, DNI, ” Haley, Hillary Clinton, Assad, Obama, Tom Williams, CNN Gabbard, Bashar Assad, Nancy Pelosi, Gabbard’s, we’ve, Trump’s, Qasem Soleimani, ” ‘, Donald Trump, Scott Olson, Democratic Sen, Chuck Schumer, ” Gabbard Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Pentagon, The New York Times, Washington Post, US, National Intelligence, Republican Party, WikiLeaks, National Security Institute, George, National Security Agency, — Democratic, Trump, FBI, Fox, Patriot, Foreign Intelligence, Congress, Capitol, Defense Department, Democrat, Republican, NATO, Fox News Channel Studios, Trump UN, GOP, blindsided, Hawaii National Guard, House Armed Services Committee, Syrian, ISIS, Democratic Party, Lawmakers, Gabbard Locations: Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Alexandria, —, Washington, Detroit , Michigan, Gabbard, Washington ,, China, Hawaii, American, Moscow, New York City, Kremlin, Iraq, Lebanon, Ohio, La Crosse , Wisconsin, United States

Trump’s transition team includes close to 100 people, with some working at Mar-a-Lago and others at the campaign office in Palm Beach and in Washington. Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesInside Trump’s transitionTrump’s transition effort had begun with relatively orthodox choices — including Wiles, who led Trump’s campaign, as chief of staff. Much like his defense secretary pick, Trump had also grown frustrated with his options for attorney general. The role of attorney general has long been viewed by Trump as one of, if not the, most important positions he would fill. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to properly reflect the process by which Donald Trump considered candidates for attorney general.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, —, Trump, firebrands —, elect’s, MAGA, ”, “, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Elon Musk, Tesla, he’d, strode, Chris Christie’s, Susie Wiles, Wiles, Donald Trump, Andrew Harnik, Monday Trump, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Gabbard, Steve Bannon, ” Bannon, Donald Trump Jr, Richard Grenell, Rubio, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated, JD Vance, Vance, Brian Snyder, Department —, Kamala Harris, Mark Paoletta, Andrew Bailey, Justice Department —, Jeff Sessions, William Barr, Department’s, Kevin McCarthy, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Nathan Howard, Gaetz, McCarthy, ” Gaetz, Gaetz’s, “ We’re, ” Johnson, Trump’s, Alaska Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Justice Department . Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Texas Sen, John Cornyn, Thune, Sen, Mike Rounds, ” Rounds, Kaitlan Collins, Annie Grayer, Danya Gainor, Holmes Lybrand, Dana Bash, Haley Talbot, Jeremy Herb, Katie Bo Lillis, Ted Barrett, Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris, Pamela Brown Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Hawaii Democratic, Republican, “, Wednesday, Washington, Hill, South, GOP, Elon, House Republicans, DC, SpaceX, Department of Government, Trump, New, New Jersey Gov, Mar, Hyatt, Monday, Democratic, Army National Guard, US Army Reserve, America, Florida Republican, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated Puerto Ricans, State Department, Base Andrews, Reuters, Department, Justice Department, White House, Republicans, Capitol, U.S . Capitol, Senate, Justice Department ., Texas, South Dakota Republican Locations: Florida, Washington, South Dakota, Trump’s, New Jersey, Palm Beach, Washington ,, Syria, Russia, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated Puerto, Madison, Maryland, U.S, Missouri, Manhattan, Trump, Alaska, Justice Department . Maine

☆ Intelligence agencies, already anxious over Trump, find some solace in Ratcliffe pick for CIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Current and former officials also cautioned not to assume that the intelligence community is uniformly opposed to Trump. Ratcliffe was among a cohort of Trump officials who aggressively sought the release of intelligence related to Russia and the FBI. Telling Trump ‘war stories’Memories of the tumultuous first Trump administration remain fresh in the minds of many career officials. One senior intelligence official said some veterans in his office told “war stories” on the morning after the election. And some fear what they say is the relative inexperience in the intelligence community of the new CIA director.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump, John Ratcliffe, Ratcliffe, ”, “, it’s, Kash Patel, Department of Defense Kash Patel, Justin Sullivan, Patel, Gina Haspel, —, William Barr, there’s, “ That’s, Bill Burns, National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Patrick Semansky, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, CIA, “, Trump, Officials, Trump ’, Republican, Staff, Department of Defense, FBI, ” Trump, White, House, National Intelligence, Marine Locations: Lago, Russia, Minden, Minden , Nevada, declassifying, ODNI, Florida, United States, Iran, Washington , DC, Iraq

☆ CIA: Her case began the agency’s #MeToo movement. A jury found the man she accused of assault not guilty.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Victims’ rights advocates point out that women who come forward with allegations of sexual assault are often not believed. They took frequent walks around agency grounds, and Bayatpour testified that Cuda often seemed to be going through a hard time. Cuda testified that he told her, “This is what I want to do to you,” and leaned in to kiss her. Bayatpour told her he was in love, that he thought he had found the woman he was going to marry. “In the stairwell, I was thinking, I need to do something funny to break the mood,” Bayatpour told the jury.

Persons: Rachel Cuda, “, ”, Somebody’s, Elle, Ashkan Bayatpour, Cuda, ” Bayatpour, — “, Bayatpour, ‘, ’ Cuda, emoticons, ” Cuda, “ lmao, disentangled, Bayatpour “, —, Kevin Carroll, ” Carroll, Bill Burns Organizations: CNN, Capitol, CIA, Skype, Blue Angels, “, Civil Rights Locations: Fairfax County , Virginia, Virginia, Washington, Cuda

☆ Initial investigation into US intelligence leak on Israeli attack planning focusing on who had access to documents
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The FBI is leading the investigation, working with Pentagon investigators and the intelligence community, according to US officials briefed on the matter. In recent days, investigators have worked to authenticate the documents and determine who could have had access to them, the officials said. Both documents were widely accessible products, according to two sources familiar with US intelligence. That could provide investigators with a critical jumping-off point: The Defense Department, like other federal agencies, tracks when employees print classified documents. Highlighting the sensitive nature of the leak, American officials were extremely tight-lipped about the investigation on Monday.

Persons: National Geospatial Intelligence Agency —, John Kirby, Kirby, ”, it’s, Jack Teixeira, Teixeira, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, House, Defense Department, National Security Agency, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, FBI, Pentagon, The Defense Department, National Security, Department of Defense, East Spectator, US, National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, Middle East Spectator, U.S . Department of Defense, National Locations: Iran, American, Israel, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Korea, Ukraine

☆ Leaked documents show US intelligence on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US is investigating a leak of highly classified US intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the documents, which says it was compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, says the plans involve Israel moving munitions around. Any such leak would automatically trigger an investigation by the FBI alongside the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies. The US is already on high alert about Iranian hacking campaigns — US intelligence agencies said in August that Iran had hacked documents belonging to Donald Trump’s campaign. Axios first reported on the leaked documents Saturday.

Persons: ”, Mick Mulroy, Mulroy, Donald Trump’s, Axios, CNN’s Evan Perez, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, East Spectator, US, Iran, National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, FBI, Pentagon, CIA, National Security Council, National Intelligence, National Locations: Iran, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Israel, South Korea, Ukraine

Israeli and US officials often had some sense of the general area where Sinwar was hiding over the long months. The only way in is with an Israeli military escort, which means reporters are only allowed to see what Israel wants them to see. In the moments before his death — which Israeli officials have said was caused by a bullet to the head — Israeli troops flew a drone into the heavily damaged building where he had fled. A video from the drone, released by the Israeli military, offers a silent account of his final moments. To the end, US intelligence officials believed that Sinwar was unconcerned with his own mortality, and determined to continue the fight.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, United States —, Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Israel, Khan Younis, Khan Yunis, Said Khatib, Ibrahim Sinwar, Tal Al Sultan, Tal, — Organizations: CNN, United, Brigade, CIA, IDF, Israeli Defense Forces, Getty, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Washington ,, Israel, United States, Gaza, Doha, Lebanese, Iran, Khan, AFP, Rafah, Tal Al, Washington

A major part of the fears is that the US’ influence with Israel has appeared to be steadily waning over the last year. Israel’s security cabinet has not yet reached a decision on how to proceed, an Israeli official told CNN on Friday. As of last week, Israel had not given any assurances that it would not target Iran’s nuclear facilities, CNN reported. Israel has for decades been planning attacks on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and just two years ago simulated striking them in a military exercise. ‘Our strike will be powerful’Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a strong warning to Iran about his country’s response on Wednesday.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Hassan Nasrallah, ”, “, Israel —, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Jordan, Abbas Araghchi, Al, Netanyahu “, Araghchi, it’s, Ben Gurion, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, Dania Karni, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, Israel, Wednesday, United Arab, US, Israel’s, Iran’s, Zionist Locations: Tehran, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Arab, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, France, cyberattacks, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian, backchannels, Washington, Yom, Tel Aviv

☆ Video: How the CIA is combating claims of sexual assault and harassment within the agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ CIA struggles with its own ‘Me Too’ moment as allegations of sexual assault spill into the open
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In September, a federal judge in Washington, DC, sentenced a former CIA officer to 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women. A stream of female whistleblowers has gone to Capitol Hill recently to testify behind closed doors to congressional oversight committees about other allegations of sexual assault and harassment at the CIA. “I do think the culture part is going to be the hardest and will take the longest,” said a senior CIA officer. CIA facing egregious allegationsThe Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters are pictured in Langley, Virginia, on July 8, 2022. The results are also being publicized internally at a moment when the CIA is facing a handful of particularly egregious allegations.

Persons: Maura Burns, ”, Samuel Corum, Laura Palumbo, Bill Burns –, Bill Burns Saul Loeb, “, —, Palumbo, ‘, Taleeta Jackson, Burns, ’ ”, “ There’s, Daniella Sparks, Jackson Organizations: CNN, CIA, Capitol, Central Intelligence Agency, Getty, Violence, Center, Prevention, Commission, Threat Management Locations: Virginia, Washington, Washington , DC, Langley , Virginia, AFP, Europe

Ukraine has asked for both systems repeatedly, another source familiar with their requests said. Cavoli’s list does not address why the US hasn’t provided systems that he assesses would be of value. Nearly three years into the war, the Ukrainians are still pleading with the US to provide more advanced weaponry and lift restrictions on how long-range missile systems provided by the US can be used. Biden, who has to date prohibited the Ukrainians from deploying the missile systems for deep strikes into Russia, was not entirely dismissive of the request, the sources said. Officials also argue that that the US’ limited supply of long-range ATACMS systems are better used against targets in Crimea.

Persons: Biden, Chris Cavoli, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Zelensky, “ Trump, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Putin “, Bill Burns Organizations: CNN, NATO, Biden, Joint, US, White House, Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Pentagon, Kremlin, CIA Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Zelensky’s, Germany, Crimea, Sea Island , Georgia

Officials are relying on multiple streams of intelligence, and there are divisions among national security officials on how and when Iran’s response might unfold. The relative uncertainty has left the Biden administration in a defensive crouch as it tries to rally allies and pressure Iran not to escalate tensions. The extent of the United States’ further involvement in the war largely depends on how exactly Iran responds to Haniyeh’s death. US destroyers helped shoot down ballistic missiles and drones launched by Iran at Israel in April. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also met with the administration’s national security team in the White House Situation Room later Monday afternoon.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh’s, crouch, Haniyeh –, Fu’ad Shukr, Israel, Majdal Shams, United States ’, Cole, Biden, “, Kamala Harris, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jomana Karadsheh, Michael Conte, Alex Marquardt, Zahid Mahmood Organizations: Washington CNN, Washington, CNN, Biden, United, US Central Command, State Department, US, Command Locations: Tehran, Iran, Washington, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Hezbollah, United States, Majdal, Golan, Gulf, Oman, Jordanian, Syria

☆ Russia pulled back weapons shipment to Houthis amid US and Saudi pressure
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For the Houthis to engage in that kind of weapons transaction, moreover, “would demonstrate to us a lack of commitment” by the Houthis to peace talks, the official said. Currently, the Houthis “appear to be drifting further away from a commitment to a negotiated peace in Yemen,” the official said. And while the imminent weapons transfer was pulled back, Russia did deploy military personnel to Yemen to help advise the Houthis over a three-day period in late July, the sources said. The Russians carried bags with them, but nothing that appeared large enough to carry weapons or weapons components, the sources said. It is not clear whether the Russian ships were carrying the equipment that Russia had been preparing to transfer to the Houthis before the Kremlin abandoned the plan.

Persons: “, Saudi Arabia’s pushback, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Oman — Organizations: CNN, US, Saudi Embassy, Kremlin, US Central Command Locations: Russia, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Moscow, Saudi, Russian, Ukraine, Somali, Shabaab, China, Oman

For more than six months, Russia has been carrying out a sabotage campaign across Europe, largely by proxy. “We’re seeing sabotage, we’re seeing assassination plots, we’re seeing arson. Russia’s sabotage campaign has, at times, smacked of a shotgun approach carried out by amateurs. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Fabian Bimmer, “, ”, Adrienne Watson, “ Russia’s, Oliver Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Donald Tusk, Papperger, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Reuters “, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Rheinmetall, NATO, National Security, NATO Allies, Embassy, intel, US, Reuters, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv, Germany, Berlin, Russia, West, Moscow, Papperger, Unterluess, United States, Washington, Russian, Polish, Lithuania, Poland, Ukrainian, London, Warsaw

☆ US intel chief says Iran is attempting to stoke Gaza protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Iran is attempting to covertly stoke protests in the United States related to the conflict in Gaza, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement on Tuesday, posing as activists online and, in some cases, providing financial support to protesters. “I want to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza — this intelligence does not indicate otherwise,” Haines said. “Americans who are being targeted by this Iranian campaign may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government,” she said. Those protests have been hugely divisive domestically, making them a ripe target for foreign actors — like Iran — interested in amplifying discord within the US. A US intelligence assessment released in December reported that Iran also tried to meddle in the 2022 midterm elections.

Persons: of National Intelligence Avril Haines, ” Haines, ”, “, —, Haines Organizations: CNN, stoke, of National Intelligence, Hamas Locations: Iran, United States, Gaza, Israel, Tehran

☆ Intelligence on Russian sabotage threat prompted increase in security at US military bases in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In April, two German-Russian nationals were arrested for allegedly plotting bomb and arson attacks on targets including US military facilities on behalf of Russia. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow. But a senior NATO official said the sabotage campaign is getting increasingly brazen and aggressive. “We’re seeing sabotage, assassination plots, arson — real things that have cost human lives.”This story has been updated with additional information.

Persons: Dan Day, we’ve, “, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, US, US Army, NATO, Command Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Riga, Latvia, London, Warsaw, Poland, Prague, Czech Republic, Paris, Ukrainian, Russian, Moscow

☆ DHS identifies 400 migrants smuggled into US by network that may be connected to ISIS
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The purpose of the network was to smuggle people, not bring in terrorists, one of the officials said. There was specific “derogatory information” linking those individuals to ISIS, the official said. In the latest case, the 400 migrants under scrutiny – mostly from Central Asian nations – are being screened purely because of their connection to the human smuggling network. The leadership of ISIS-K is mainly made up of Tajik nationals and the group has recruited from both countries. Tajik nationals have carried out a series of recent attacks in Europe on behalf of the group, including the Crocus Hall attack in Moscow in March that killed more than 100 people.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, ”, Mayorkas, CNN’s Evan Perez Organizations: CNN, Department of Homeland Security, ISIS, Central, Homeland, NBC News, Crocus, US, MSNBC Locations: Central, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Europe, Moscow, United States, Kazakhstan

☆ ‘ISIS isn’t done with us’: Arrested Tajiks highlight US fears of terror attack on US
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

By the time intelligence collected on overseas ISIS targets connected the men to the terror group, they had already been vetted by immigration authorities and allowed into the country, officials said. The men remain in federal custody on immigration charges and will eventually be deported following the counterterror investigation into them. US officials and analysts who closely track Islamist terror groups do know that ISIS-K has dramatically ramped up its online propaganda machine. But that’s not necessarily a reliable gauge of the number of actual terrorists who may be trying to enter the United States, US officials argue. Or they could belong to a legacy terror group — like the FARC — that isn’t known for conducting attacks on US soil.

Persons: ”, “ We’re, “, Michael Morell, Christopher Wray, CNN Colin Clarke, ” Clarke, ” Republican Oklahoma Sen, James Lankford, noncitizens, that’s, Clarke, — it’s, ” Said, It’s Organizations: CNN, ISIS, FBI, ICE, Islamic, Crocus, US, Affairs, Foreign Affairs, ” Republican Oklahoma, Jordanian, US Marines Locations: Tajikistan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Europe, Moscow, United States, al Qaeda, Syria, North America, Central, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Quantico

☆ US intelligence suggests Sinwar believes Hamas has upper hand in negotiations with Israel, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The goal for Hamas is to survive, these sources say — that would be victory for the group. Sinwar likely believes Hamas can hold out while Israel’s global standing deteriorates as the war in Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians, continues. For US negotiators pursuing a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, it’s a discouraging assessment. Both Sinwar and Hamas’ top military official, Mohammed Deif, are still alive. He was elected to Hamas’ main decision-making body, the Politburo, in 2017 as the political leader of Hamas in Gaza.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, he’s, it’s, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Sinwar, ” Blinken, ” Sinwar, ”, John Kirby, Mohammed Deif, —, “ Organizations: CNN, Biden, Street, National Security, ’, Hamas, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Gulf, Qatar

☆ US intelligence assesses Houthis in Yemen in talks to provide weapons to al-Shabaab in Somalia, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —US intelligence has learned of discussions between Houthis in Yemen to provide weapons to the Somali militant group al-Shabaab, in what three American officials described to CNN as a worrying development that threatens to further destabilize an already violent region. The Houthis are Zaydi Shiites, and al-Shabaab traditionally has been deeply ideologically opposed to Shiism. “Being able to sell some weapons would bring them much needed income,” the senior administration official said. But a weapons agreement between al-Shabaab and the Houthis would be something new, according to US officials. No matter what the Houthis provide, there’s likely limited opportunity for al-Shabaab to fire directly at US assets in the region.

Persons: ” It’s, Aden —, ”, Christopher Anzalone, “, Anzalone, ” Anzalone, Biden, “ Don’t Organizations: CNN, Marine Corps, East Studies, ”, Somali, ISIS, US Locations: Houthis, Yemen, Somali, Shabaab, Somalia, Iran, al, Aden, United States, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Tehran, Israel

☆ US and allies warn China is intensifying its efforts to recruit Western military pilots
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Western-trained pilots can teach Chinese military personnel everything from air combat tactics to how to land on an aircraft carrier, according to a US official. Former western pilots — which number at least in the dozens — are training Chinese military officials who then return to China and, in turn, train more pilots there, this person said. An indictment in 2017 alleged that Duggan trained Chinese pilots while he was still a US citizen, between November 2009 and November 2012. That same month, the UK Ministry of Defense issued a security alert after several of its military pilots were also found to have been training the PLA Air Force. Last August, two US Navy sailors were arrested for allegedly sending sensitive military information to Chinese intelligence officers.

Persons: “, ”, Michael Casey, Sabrina Singh, Adm, John Aquilino, Charles Q, Brown —, —, ” Brown, Daniel Duggan, Duggan, Matt Olson Organizations: CNN, Western, Wednesday, Liberation Army, National Counterintelligence and Security Center, PLA, Pentagon, National Intelligence, ” Military, Former, US, Pacific Command, PLA Navy, PLA Air Force, ”, Air Force, NATO, People’s Liberation Army, Air Chiefs, US Marine, UK Ministry of Defense, Australian, Export Control, US Army, People’s Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan, Western, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States, South Africa, Singapore, Laos, Australian, People’s Republic

☆ New Iranian foreign minister a familiar face for US officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

One familiar name stood out to US officials: the new acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani. Just last week in Oman, Kani was part of a delegation of senior Iranian officials that met indirectly with US officials, current and former officials said. In the wake of the death of so many of his top officials, US officials believe that Khamenei will work to ensure that replacements adhere to his hardline worldview. “It’s difficult to see there will be any major changes in the way Iran behaves on the world stage,” a senior administration official said. In talks with Iranian officials in Oman last week, US officials once again laid out for their counterparts the consequences of Iran’s destabilizing actions, behavior and policies, according to the senior administration official and a US official.

Persons: Ali Bagheri Kani, Kani, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Ali Khamenei, Raisi, Jonathan Panikoff, ” Khamenei, Khamenei, ”, Panikoff, “, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Vahid, –, Matt Miller Organizations: CNN, US, Supreme, Experts, Tehran ”, State Department Locations: Iran, United States, Oman, Gaza, Washington, Tehran, Israel, Kani

☆ US hopes to maintain some forces in Niger as talks on withdrawal continue, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Haley Britzky | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Officials said a US delegation will travel to Niger over the weekend to discuss how it will be carried out. “Niger is pretty profound in the decision of the government there … to have us depart or at least go to very low numbers,” Maier said. Since the coup in July, airspace has been closed over Niger to foreign militaries who have all had to submit individual requests for airspace to conduct military flights, one US official told CNN. A US military official explained that the withdrawal will come in phases over a period of months. The footprint will continue to shrink in phases as equipment and personnel not deemed necessary are moved out of country.

Persons: “ We’ll, ” Chris Maier, ” Maier, Michael Langley, ”, — Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, US Africa Command, Russian Federation Locations: Niger, West African, “ Niger, Africa, Russia, United States, Chad, Russian, China, Israel

☆ Washington wrestles with ‘new equation’ of direct attacks between Iran and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Throughout the week, US officials had urged Israel not to retaliate for Iran’s unprecedented attack five days prior, when hundreds of missiles and drones were fired from inside Iran at Israel. US intelligence has long assessed that neither Iran nor Israel has any appetite for an outright war. Iranian officials have stated publicly that Iran’s policy toward Israel has changed. Then, on April 1, an Israeli strike on what Iran claims was an embassy in Syria killed seven officials, including two senior Iranian commanders. “Israel and Iran are going to be starting higher on the escalatory ladder for every future moment of conflict and that is incredibly dangerous,” said Panikoff.

Persons: Biden, ”, Hossein, Israel’s, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Israel, Bill Burns, George W, “, Frank McKenzie, ” McKenzie, Maher Al Mounes, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Jonathan Panikoff, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Karim Sadjadpour, Qassem Soleimani, Iran —, Iran messaged, Donald Trump, stridently, —, McKenzie Organizations: CNN, Israel, Iran, US, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, CIA, Bush Presidential Center, Iranian, US Central Command, Getty, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran’s, Carnegie Endowmernt Locations: Washington, Israel, Iran, Tehran, ” Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Dallas, Syria, Syria's, Damascus, AFP, Lebanese, Iran’s, Iraq

☆ Schumer says senators struggling to reach deal to pass FISA before deadline
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ted | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

There is broad support in the Senate for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and it will eventually be approved. We want to get FISA done as soon as we can, because it’s very important for our national security. So, both sides need to fully cooperate, if we want to get FISA done,” Schumer said on the floor. Under FISA’s Section 702, the government hoovers up massive amounts of internet and cell phone data on foreign targets. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also pressed for passage of FISA bill, which he said has a number of changes in it to address past “abuses” by the FBI.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, “ We’re, ” Schumer, Critics, Schumer, ”, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: Washington CNN, Republicans, Foreign Intelligence, FISA, The New York Democrat, FBI, Kentucky Republican Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

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