Trump may cut CIA and other intelligence agency staff
Mr. Trump plans to cut 1,200 of the CIA's 22,000 employees. In addition, there will be significant staff reductions at other intelligence agencies.
According to TASS news agency on May 3, the Washington Post reported that US President Donald Trump is planning to significantly cut staff at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other domestic intelligence agencies.
Citing sources, the Washington Post said the agency's staff at Langley will be cut by about 1,200 people. According to the publication, the CIA has about 22,000 employees in total.
The US administration has notified Congress of plans to reduce the number of intelligence officers, according to a source familiar with the matter, the Washington Post reported. The newspaper noted that the process is expected to take place over several years and that there are no immediate plans for layoffs. The source added that it is not yet clear which specific CIA units may be affected by the staff reduction.
The article notes that “several thousand” positions are also expected to be eliminated at the National Security Agency (NSA), the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. The NSA is responsible for signals intelligence.
The CIA has indirectly confirmed the authenticity of the Washington Post's information. A CIA spokesperson told the newspaper that the agency's current director, John Ratcliffe, is "moving quickly" to ensure that personnel policies reflect the administration's "national security priorities."
“These moves are part of a comprehensive strategy to reenergize the agency, create opportunities for new leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to carry out its mission,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner – Vice Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, criticized the plans prepared by the Trump administration. The lawmaker said that the issue involved “reckless personnel cuts” that would undermine the country’s security.
The Washington Post recalled that US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also spoke about the recent staff cuts. On the executive side, this agency is considered the coordinating unit of all 18 US intelligence agencies. Mr. Gabbard has also spoken publicly many times about the need to end the politicization of intelligence work.
The new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cash Patel, has set himself a similar task. It was recently revealed that the FBI is conducting polygraph tests on its employees to combat politically motivated leaks.