“That trust that the American people have provided to us [is] central to us achieving our mission.” CIA Director Mike Pompeo

January 23 2018 — Exactly one year into his tenure at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Director Mike Pompeo took the stage at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) to reflect on his first year leading the Agency and discuss hot topics with AEI Resident Fellow Marc Theissen. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

In his remarks to nearly 200 AEI members and guests, Director Pompeo highlighted his approach to leading the Agency and his strong belief that the CIA workforce should be positioned to execute our mission free from unnecessary obstacles and overbearing bureaucracy.

One way he’s been able to achieve this goal is by encouraging decisions be made by the experts. “If [the decision] had significant risk– cost, political, military risk to lives of officers – that’s [an] important [decision] for the Director to [make]… but if it’s just coming to me because I was the next fellow in the chain of command – then that’s a mistake because I would inevitably slow it down and I would not be in a position to add any value to that decision-making process,” Pompeo said. Looking ahead to 2018, Director Pompeo highlighted his plans to continue empowering the men and women of CIA to be agile, creative, speedy, and adaptable while ensuring that we preserve the American people’s trust. “That trust that the American people have provided to us [is] central to us achieving our mission,” Pompeo said. Director Pompeo’s remarks were followed by a moderated discussion with Mr. Theissen covering a range of topics including President Trump’s daily engagement with the intelligence community, the pending threat of North Korea, and how Director Pompeo will position the Agency to take calculated risks to defeat America’s adversaries. [CIA Official Website]

Director Pompeo’s remarks at AEI (January 23 2018)

The United States carries into 2018 many of the most pressing national security challenges of the previous year. The North Korean nuclear and missile programs now threaten not only the region but also the US mainland. China, Russia, and other revisionist powers are working to shape global events and landscapes to conform to their interests, to the detriment of those of the United States. And the terror threat from groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda remains potent throughout the world. In this global threat environment, America’s intelligence community is working hard to ensure the homeland remains safe. One year into his tenure, CIA Director Mike Pompeo joins AEI’s Marc Thiessen to discuss the Trump administration’s response to these challenges and his vision for the agency’s future.

REFERENCES

CIA Director Marks One-Year Anniversary in Public Address at American Enterprise Institute — CIA Official Website

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CIA Director Marks One-Year Anniversary in Public Address at American Enterprise Institute