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John Brennan

John Brennan

Jihadists aren't the enemy?

Glenn plays the amazing audio from Counter Terrorism Czar John Brennan, who by definition is supposed to be combating terrorism but says our enemy is not terror. He goes on to say that our enemies are not the jihadists either, because that is a legitimate process of religious purification. Good thing we have someone who understands the nature of the threats facing America today, isn't it? Ref. Source 7

Brennan John

President Barack Obama will nominate Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan to be the next director of the CIA this afternoon, according to a senior administration official.

Brennan will replace Gen. David Petraeus, who stepped down from his post in November amid revelations he had engaged in an extramarital affair with his biographer.

The announcement about Brennan is expected at the same time the president nominates former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel to be the next secretary of defense. Ref. CNN

John Brennan History & Civil Business Politics

John Brennan's nomination as CIA director now moves to the full Senate for consideration. A dispute over access to Justice Department memos on the use of drone strikes had held up Brennan's confirmation. Ref. USAToday

Brennan John

The full Senate has voted 63-34 to confirm John Brennan as CIA director.

Brennan's nomination, which was approved earlier by the Senate Intelligence Committee, had been held up by GOP Sen. Rand Paul, who launched a nearly 13-hour filibuster on the Senate floor on Wednesday. Paul has since told CNN's Dana Bash that he is satisfied with Attorney General Eric Holder's response to him today that the president does not have the authority to use drones to kill an American citizen not engaged in combat on American soil.

Paul said he would no longer block a vote on Brennan's nomination, clearing the way for today's final Senate vote.

In a brief letter responding to Paul's question, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?" Holder responded, "The answer to that question is no." Ref. CNN

Brennan John

CIA Director John Brennan apologized to the Senate Intelligence Committee today and admitted the agency spied on computers used by its staffers who prepared an investigation of the controversial post-9/11 CIA interrogation and detention program.

The episode was the subject of an unusual public dispute between the panel and the spy agency over access to classified information.

The CIA had accused the committee staffers of getting access to internal agency documents and of improperly handling classified material.

The Justice Department looked into it at the request of the CIA and decided there wasn't enough evidence of a crime to warrant further investigation.

But the CIA's inspector general, a watchdog, found that some agency employees "Acted in a manner inconsistent with the common understanding" Reached between the intelligence panel and the CIA in 2009 regarding access to information, the CIA said in a statement. Ref. CNN

John Brennan

CIA Director John Brennan addressed the Senate torture report in a live press conference Thursday. He defended his agency, saying after 9/11 those involved operated with national security in mind, but admitted, "The CIA was unprepared to conduct a detention and interrogation program, and our officers inadequately developed and monitored its initial activities."

The Senate Intelligence Committee spent five years reading and analyzing more than 6.3 million pages of CIA documents to assess the CIA's use of "Enhanced interrogation techniques" In the post-9/11 era.

That review produced a more than 6,000 page review that was condensed into a 525-page summary the committee released Tuesday that delivered a brutal assessment of the CIA's practices. Ref. CNN

John Brennan

Former CIA Director John Brennan told the House intelligence committee Tuesday that Russia "Brazenly interfered" in US elections, including actively contacting members of President Trump's campaign -- but he stopped shy of dubbing it "Collusion."

"I saw interaction that in my mind raised questions of whether it was collusion," Brennan told Rep. Trey Gowdy, saying that he supported the FBI digging further. "It was necessary to pull threads."

Brennan was asked about how Moscow recruits sources "Wittingly and unwittingly."

"Frequently, people who go along a treasonous path do not know they are on a treasonous path until it is too late," he said.

Brennan cautioned lawmakers that although he could not definitively say if those contacts amounted to "Collusion," he knew that Russians were actively cultivating US contacts and, very likely, did not present themselves as Russian spies.

Brennan also said President Trump might have broken protocol if he revealed highly classified information with the Russian foreign minister and Russian ambassador to the US in a White House meeting earlier this month. Ref. CNN.

John Brennan Politics Business Civil & History

So, this is just my opinion, but I don't trust this guy and I never have. He's skilled at talking out of both sides of his mouth. I'm not saying what he said is wrong, I am saying it's conjecture and more than his boss, the old DNI, was willing to commit to.

Also, the bit about protocol… so what? Breaking protocol is well within a president's prerogative. Time to move on and let special investigators investigate. The bad guys just killed over 20 kids yesterday, one only eight years old. Let's worry about that and make sure it doesn't happen again.