The heads of the intelligence and law enforcement agencies that comprise the United States Intelligence Community (USIC) all agree president Donald Trump's ignorant views on national security are fantasies devoid of truth, and a present a clear danger to the United States.
They also pointed out Trump's major foreign policy positions, such as his personal view North Korea no longer represents a nuclear threat to the U.S., aren't based on reality but on incoherent assumptions.
The scathing assessment of Trump's unfitness as regards national security and foreign policy issues were the consensus opinion agreed upon in the latest "U.S. Worldwide Threat Assessment," which is an annual briefing plus a report given to members of the Senate Intelligence Committee by USIC.
This briefing, which has taken place since 2006, "reflects the collective insights of the Intelligence Community" about the biggest security threats currently facing the United States. As Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Dan Coats heads USIC. He led other top intelligence officials in presenting the threat assessment report to the Senate on Tuesday.
USIC is a federation of 16 separate U.S. intelligence agencies and a 17th administrative office, which cooperate to conduct intelligence activities that support the foreign policy and national security of the USA.
Refuted by USIC were Trump's baseless claims that ISIS has been totally defeated; North Korea no longer presents a nuclear threat to the U.S.; Russia never meddled in the 2016 presidential election; Iran was developing nuclear weapons in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and that climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese.
USIC emphasized ISIS still has "thousands" of fighters in Syria and Iraq, hence Trump's unilateral decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria without even consulting USIC was both unwise and dangerous. Coats said "ISIS is intent on resurging."
He warned this murderous group will "seek to exploit Sunni grievances, societal instability, and stretched security forces to regain territory in Iraq and Syria in the long term."
The intel community also reiterated that North Korea is "unlikely to give up all of its (nuclear) stockpiles, delivery systems, and production capabilities." North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un sees nuclear weapons as the guarantors of his regime's survival, and without which the U.S. and South Korea will invade his country.
Coats told the Senate North Korea has no plans of abandoning its nuclear weapons because "its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival." CIA Director Gina Haspel said Kim's regime has continued to develop a long-range missile, despite their claims they had begun denuclearizing.
Russia not only meddled in the 2016 elections (and helped Trump get elected president), it will also meddle in the 2020 elections via social media "to focus on aggravating social and racial tensions, undermining trust in authorities, and criticizing perceived anti-Russia politicians," said the USIC 42-page report.
Trump was wrong to withdraw the U.S. from JCPOA. "Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device," said USIC in its report. Iran still abides by the terms of the JCPOA and is still complying with the deal.
Haspel said Iran is less of a threat than Trump claimed when he withdrew from the JCPOA, and "at the moment, technically they're in compliance."
USIC again pointed out climate change is a danger to U.S. national security. The U.S. will have to contend with the security challenges posed by "the negative effects of environmental degradation and climate change" around the world.
USIC affirms the greatest foreign threats are technological in nature and are not illegal immigrants crossing over the U.S. border from Mexico, as most Republicans believe. These tech threats include the risk of fake news, disinformation, and cyber-hacking, especially by China and Russia.
