December 8th 2024.
A group of nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and officials from the intelligence and national security community have joined forces to urge the Senate to hold closed-door hearings regarding the government's files on former Representative Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard has been chosen by President Donald Trump to serve as the national intelligence director, overseeing all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.
The former officials, who have served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, expressed their concern over Gabbard's ability to provide unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and the entire national security apparatus. They believe that her past actions raise questions about her suitability for this important role.
In response to this appeal, a spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team has denounced it as an "unfounded" and "partisan" attack. However, Avril Haines, the current director of national intelligence, has emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relationships with allies in the intelligence sharing community, regardless of changes in administration.
The former officials who wrote the letter to Senate leaders include high-ranking individuals such as former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, and former national security adviser Anthony Lake. They have requested that the Senate committees consider all available information in closed sessions when reviewing Gabbard's qualifications for this position.
One particular concern raised by the letter is Gabbard's 2017 meetings with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russian and Iranian forces in a 13-year-long war against Syrian opposition forces. The U.S. has cut ties with Assad's government and imposed sanctions due to his conduct in the war, and currently maintains around 900 troops in opposition-controlled northeast Syria.
Gabbard, who was a Democratic member of Congress from Hawaii at the time of her Syria trip, faced heavy criticism for meeting with an adversary of the U.S. and a brutal leader. Her statements on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have also aligned with Russian talking points, deviating from the official positions and policies of the U.S.
Throughout her political career, Gabbard has advocated for limiting military involvement abroad, apart from fighting against extremist groups. She has defended her trip to Syria by stating that it is necessary to engage with U.S. enemies. In addition, she has confirmed on social media that she was placed on a secret terror watch list by the U.S. government earlier this year, which she believes was politically motivated. However, neither she nor U.S. authorities have provided further details on the matter.
In response to the letter and its allegations, a spokesperson for Gabbard with the Trump team, Alexa Henning, has called it a perfect example of why Trump has chosen Gabbard for this position. She believes that these attacks are unfounded and come from individuals who have a history of using classified government information as a weapon to smear their political enemies.
The request from the former officials has been directed towards both Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune. However, there has been no immediate response from Thune's spokesperson regarding the request.
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