Spencer Ackerman of Daily Beast calls it “a proxy war.” The nomination of Avril Haines to serve as director of the Office of National Intelligence (ODNI) has set off a power struggle between the center-left and center-right factions of the Democratic policy world. This is a consequential fight, the ODNI overseees–but does not actually run–17...
Category: United States
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All About Avril Haines, Biden’s Pick for the Top U.S. Intelligence Job
Avril Haines is President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to run the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). if confirmed, she will effectively serve as the chairwoman of the U.S. intelligence community. The ODNI doesn’t control the budgets of the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies, but it does coordinate and set direction. It is not as...
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Who Will Biden Pick to Run the CIA?
President-Elect Joe Biden is looking for a CIA director. In CounterPunch.org, former CIA officer Mel Goodman runs down where past directors have gone wrong–and what Biden could do right. The directors who were agency professionals were a particularly motley group. [Gina] Haspel is best known for her leading role in the CIA’s sadistic torture and...
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As Trump Lashes Out, McConnell Protects CIA Director Haspel
President Trump just fired the government’s top cybersecurity official, Christopher Krebs. His offense: he said there were no serious irregularities in the voting that culminated on November 3. No one thinks the soon-to-be ex-president is done. The question in Washington is: Will he fire CIA director Gina Haspel next? Or FBI director Christopher Wray? Last...
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The CIA-Sponsored Coup in Greece Still Inspires Protest 53 Years Later
In April 1967, a group of Greek colonel closely associated with the CIA, staged a military coup. They deposed an elected left-wing government and crushed all opposition in the country. The dictatorship supported by the U.S. government, lasted seven years. In 1973 a student uprising discredited the coup-makers and eventually lead to democratic transition. Greece...