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Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (view source)
Revision as of 21:26, July 12, 2021
, 21:26, July 12, 2021no edit summary
[[ File:Warner-text-1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Democrat Mark Warner texts show collusion of the Senate Intelligence Committee with the effort to remove President Trump from office in 2017. Warner entered the SCIF at 4:00 PM to read classified material accusing Donald Trump of being a Russian agent; the materials were leaked on Warner's instructions to the ''New York Times'' hours later.]]
[[File:Warner-text-1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Democrat Mark Warner texts show collusion of the Senate Intelligence Committee with the effort to remove President Trump from office in 2017. Warner entered the SCIF at 4:00 PM to read classified material accusing Donald Trump of being a Russian agent; the materials were leaked on Warner's instructions to the ''New York Times'' hours later.]]
The '''United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence''' ('''Senate Intelligence Committee or SSCI''') was created as a supposed post-[[Watergate]] era reform in 1975, originally known then as the "[[Frank Church|Church]] Committee". It is the only committee of congress in which the minority ranking member serves as "Vice-Chair." On no other committee does the ranking member hold the title of vice-chair. In theory, intelligence and [[foreign policy]] matters are handled in a [[bipartisan]] manner. This serves a dual purpose of the parties covering up each other's scandals, with the opposition party able to extract concessions.
The '''United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence''' ('''Senate Intelligence Committee or SSCI''') was created as a supposed post-[[Watergate]] era reform in 1975, originally known then as the "[[Frank Church|Church]] Committee". It is the only committee of congress in which the minority ranking member serves as "Vice-Chair." On no other committee does the ranking member hold the title of vice-chair. In theory, intelligence and [[foreign policy]] matters are handled in a [[bipartisan]] manner. This serves a dual purpose of the parties covering up each other's scandals, with the opposition party able to extract concessions.
When the [[Obama administration]] illegally used the foreign intelligence gathering apparatus for domestic political spying, this presented unique unprecedented problems for the committee. The [[FISA court]]s and intelligence committee oversight were created specifically to deal with [[Nixon]]-era and [[J. Edgar Hoover]]'s [[Fourth Amendment]] abuses of American citizens' rights. The Obama administration exploited loopholes in the [[Patriot Act]] and amendments to target members of an opposing political campaign as a network of "agents of a foreign power."
When the [[Obama administration]] illegally used the foreign intelligence gathering apparatus for domestic political spying, this presented unique unprecedented problems for the committee. The [[FISA court]]s and intelligence committee oversight were created specifically to deal with [[Nixon]]-era and [[J. Edgar Hoover]]'s [[Fourth Amendment]] abuses of American citizens' rights. The Obama administration exploited loopholes in the [[Patriot Act]] and amendments to target members of an opposing political campaign as a network of "agents of a foreign power."
==Origins: Church Committee==
The Church Committee uncovered several foreign coups, assassinations, and attempted assassinations of foreign leaders, often by rogue elements within the CIA without presidential authorization, congressional oversight, or [[advise and consent]] of the Congress.<ref>[https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0005/7324009.pdf - Report on CIA Assassination Plots (1)”], Richard B. Cheney Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library</ref> This marked the beginning of a permanent Senate Intelligence oversight committee.<ref><small>"The Senate acted first in May 1976, creating the Select Committee on Intelligence. The House followed suit a little over a year later, creating the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Both committees were made responsible for authorizing expenditures for intelligence activities (although the Senate was limited to "national" intelligence, whereas the House mandate included both "national" and "tactical" intelligence activities), and for conducting necessary oversight. The resolutions creating both committees recognized that they would be kept "fully and currently informed" of intelligence activities under their purview. Both committees were added to the list of those to receive notice of covert actions under the Hughes-Ryan amendment. The Senate committee also was given responsibility for handling the confirmation proceedings when the DCI and the Deputy DCI were nominated by the President.
While efforts were made in succeeding months to let emotions over intelligence activities subside and to establish more "normal" relationships between the Legislative and Executive branches, the hiatus was relatively short-lived. In 1977, the Senate Committee reexamined the question whether the aggregate intelligence budget should be released publicly. This issue would continue to be debated for the next two decades. The statement of newly-appointed DCI Turner that he had no problem with the release of this figure aroused protests from those who believed disclosure could assist hostile intelligence services in deciphering U.S. intelligence activity.
In August 1977, DCI Turner prompted a more substantial controversy by announcing his intention to reduce the CIA's Directorate of Operations by 800 people. The first reductions occurred on 31 October 1977 (called the "Halloween Massacre" within CIA) when 200 officers were fired. Critics of the DCI charged that he was destroying the CIA's human source collection capability in favor of technical collection programs run by the Department of Defense. (Some in Defense, on the other hand, perceived Turner as attempting to take over those programs.)
On 24 January 1978, President Carter issued a new Executive Order on intelligence which reaffirmed the DCI's Community-wide authority over priorities, tasking, and the budget; contained additional restrictions on collection techniques, participation in domestic activities, and human experimentation; and reiterated the ban on assassinations. Intelligence agencies were specifically required to promulgate procedures to govern the collection of information on U.S. citizens and persons admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence.
Notwithstanding the new presidential order, both congressional committees proceeded to consider bills in 1978 which would have dramatically overhauled the Intelligence Community. Following the suggestions of the Church Committee as well as incorporating various aspects of the Executive branch reforms, the Senate committee developed a comprehensive bill entitled the "National Intelligence Reorganization and Reform Act of 1978."</small> ''[https://fas.org/irp/offdocs/int022.html The Evolution of the U.S. Intelligence Community-An Historical Overview]'', Federation of American Scientists</ref> CIA director [[William Colby]] revealed to Congress the plans to kill [[Fidel Castro]] and the 1953 Iranian coup.<ref>See: [[Clinton_body_count#William%20Colby]]. Some say Dir. Colby was assassinated 20 years later while investigating the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton's]] connections to [[Mena airport]] and the [[cocaine]] smuggling scandal known as [[Iran Contra]] because Colby could not be trusted after ratting-out earlier CIA misdeeds.</ref> [[President Gerald Ford]] signed an [[executive order]] in 1975 banning the CIA from engaging in [[coup]]s and [[assassination]]s on its own without Presidential authorization,<ref><small>This is often mistakenly referred to in [[mainstream media]] and [[academia]] as the "ban on assassinations". More properly, it is a ban on CIA assassinations and coups ''acting on their own'' without presidential authorization. The first generation of CIA command and operatives were of the [[World War II]] generation, accustomed to longterm duty assignments without contact with their superiors, and who felt instinctively they knew how to deal with America's enemies without burdening their commanders for permission.<br>The President still retains the power, under his oath to "preserve protect and defend" the Constitution, to order assassinations and coups. This serves as [[due process]], even against American citizens.</small> [https://www.scotusblog.com/2014/04/drone-killing-policy-withstands-challenge-2/ Drone killing policy withstands challenge], scotusblog</ref> known as a [[Presidential Finding]]. The CIA director now must report to the permanent committee every 30 days on its ongoing activities. The director must inform the committee of all covert operations, including if the CIA has killed anyone within the past 30 days, whether it be authorized by a Presidential Finding or for the purposes of maintaining operational security.<ref>[https://fas.org/irp/eprint/snyder/covertaction.htm Covert Action: the Delicate Balance], Diane C. Snyder</ref>
The committee also learned of [[Operation Mockingbird]], the extent of infiltration and control of American media and the press to influence American public opinion and perceptions about CIA activities.<ref>[https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB222/index.htm The CIA's Family Jewels], National Security Archives</ref>
==Iran Contra==
:{{See also"Iran Contra}}
==Russia collusion hoax==
==Russia collusion hoax==