DragonI

Your refusal to accept the unanimous assessment of U.S. Intelligence on Iran, No. Korea, ISIS, Russia, & so much more shows the extent of your intellectual bankruptcy. All Americans, especially members of Congress, need to understand the danger you pose to our national security.

— John O. Brennan‏  @JohnBrennan - Jan 30, 2019

Who Needs Career Intelligence Officials When You Have Fox News?

The president bashed the intelligence community on Twitter, questioning their assessments of Iran, ISIS and North Korea

www.rollingstone.com|Ryan Bort

Trump’s tweets Wednesday morning came in the heart of Executive Time, each morning’s hours-long stretch wherein the president harvests energy from various Fox News programs. Lou Dobbs, one of the president’s favorite on-air sycophants, had some thoughts about Coats and his cronies in the intelligence community the previous night. 

Along with guest Fred Fleitz, the former chief of staff to National Security Adviser John Bolton, Dobbs was in a state of shock over Coats’ brazen attempt to dispense information that contradicted the president’s version of reality, which is based on nothing other than ego and political convenience.

“What in the hell is he thinking about?” fumed Dobbs. “I want to understand what he’s thinking, and why he should be tolerated.”

Fleitz then suggested the president should fire Coats.

'Go back to school': Trump assails U.S. intel chiefs after they contradict him on Iran, North Korea

The heads of various branches of U.S. intelligence testified before Congress on Tuesday about the threats the country faces from foreign powers.

www.nbcnews.com

"The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong! When I became President Iran was making trouble all over the Middle East, and beyond. Since ending the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal, they are MUCH different, but a source of potential danger and conflict," Trump said on Twitter.

"They are testing Rockets (last week) and more, and are coming very close to the edge. There [sic] economy is now crashing, which is the only thing holding them back. Be careful of Iran. Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!"

U.S. officials previously told NBC News that Pyongyang has continued to develop ballistic missiles at undeclared sites and researchers have discovered as many as 20 undisclosed missile sites in the country.

During Tuesday's hearing, [Dan] Coats contradicted the president when he noted that U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons because "its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival."

Despite Trump's claim that Iran continues to work on building nuclear weapons, the intelligence chiefs said Tehran was complying with the 2015 agreement to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

[Dan] Coats also refuted Trump's previous claim that ISIS is defeated in Syria. He testified that the group was "nearing" military defeat in Iraq, but has returned to its "guerrilla warfare roots while continuing to plot attacks."

"ISIS is intent on resurging and still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria," he said.

It is a credit to our intelligence agencies that they continue to provide rigorous and realistic analyses of the threats we face. It’s deeply dangerous that the White House isn’t listening.

Adam Schiff‏  @RepAdamSchiff - Jan 30, 2019