“WikiLeaks wants to take down America and will work with anyone to do so. We now need to understand that threats come from different sources like them.” CIA Director Mike Pompeo

CIA director Mike Pompeo spoke in a wide-ranging conversation at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual gathering of intelligence and national security officials and experts in Aspen, Colorado. Bret Stephens, columnist for The New York Times, moderated the discussion. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

The speech will be analysed in a later post but I wish to point a rather odd incident which occurred at the 28’24 mark.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo blasted the New York Times for publishing the name of the ‘undercover officer’ in charge of the agency’s Iran operations.

“I find that unconscionable.”

The audience applauded his statement after a brief period of silence. When Bret Stephens asked Pompeo if he were talking about Philip Agee, Pompeo seemed lost and replied: “I don’t know that name.”

There is little doubt that Pompeo was actually talking about Mike D’Andrea.

COMMENT: As I have written, the “Intelligence Identities Protection Act” does NOT apply to Mike D’Andrea. The 1982 ACT is very clear on who is a ‘covert agent’. And D’Andrea does NOT fit the profile. He has been a bureaucrat since at least 2006! The Act requires an active agent or an agent active in the last 5 years. [i.e. serving outside the United States or has within the last five years served outside the United States]

About Russia

Pompeo reiterated his belief that Russia interfered in the US presidential election and described the US-Russia relationship as “complicated”.

“I think they find any place that they can make our lives more difficult, I think they find that’s something that’s useful.”

About Bashar al-Assad

He said it was difficult to imagine a stable Syria with the president, Bashar al-Assad, still in power.

“Assad a “puppet of the Iranians who now have a significant foothold in Syria”.

Russia would stay in Syria, he said, because of its naval port in Tartus, off the Mediterranean Sea.

About Iran

Pompeo continued his criticism of the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran. The Trump administration recently confirmed that Iran had met its obligations under the deal but warned it would face consequences for breaching “the spirit” of the accord — a reference to Iran’s continued pursuit of a ballistic missile program.

“When we have our strategy in place, I’m confident you will see a fundamental shift in policy” towards Iran, Pompeo said.

About North Korea

While some people believed North Korea’s leader was irrational, Pompeo said he was convinced Kim Jong-un understood his core mission – “which is to keep himself in power”.

“It is one thing for North Korea to have a missile that could harm the United States and another for it to have an arsenal of such weapons, he said, adding that things could be done to narrow its capacity to develop a stockpile.” “I am hopeful that we will find a way to separate that regime” from its nuclear capabilities. “The North Korea people – I’m sure are lovely people – and would love to see him go as well. You know they don’t live a very good life there.”

About WikiLeaks

Mike Pompeo said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange portrays himself as a crusader but in fact helps enemies of the United States, including Russia

About Mike D’Andrea

CIA Director Mike Pompeo blasted the New York Times for publishing the name of the ‘undercover officer’ in charge of the agency’s Iran operations.Pompeo said the decision to publish the operative’s name was “unconscionable.”

The operative’s name was published in a June 2 story. The Times said it was publishing the name because “the officer had previously been identified in other news reports and because the operative is leading an important new administration initiative against Iran.”

CIA Director Mike Pompeo FULL Interview

REFERENCES

CIA director: Russia loves to meddle and ‘stick it to America’ — Guardian

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Aspen Security Forum 2017 — CIA Director Mike Pompeo FULL Interview