Spy vs. Spy? A new warning on Russian meddling and a declassified memo about Obama-era surveillance. James Freeman
https://www.wsj.com/articles/spy-vs-spy-1518558696
As it has for most of our lifetimes, the government of Russia will once again be engaged in trying to disrupt and discredit our democracy during this fall’s elections. At a hearing today of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned that the Kremlin could again attempt to use technology to undermine our republic.
The fact that Vladimir Putin’s government routinely conducts such operations against freely-elected governments should not make the United States any less vigilant. The Journal reports:
“Foreign elections are critical inflection points that offer opportunities for Russia to advance its interests both overtly and covertly,” Mr. Coats told the committee during its hearing on world-wide threats facing the U.S., in prepared testimony. “The 2018 U.S. midterm elections are a potential target for Russian influence operations.”
“Influence operations, especially through cyber means, will remain a significant threat to U.S. interests as they are low-cost, relatively low-risk and deniable,” Mr. Coats said. “Russia probably will be the most capable and aggressive source of this threat in 2018.”
Mr. Coats, along with the leaders of the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency, also said they had already seen evidence of Russian intentions to interfere during the 2018 elections, but declined to elaborate, citing the public nature of the hearing. They promised to update the committee in a classified session scheduled for later Tuesday.
Russia’s goal, Mr. Coats said, was to “create wedges that reduce trust and confidence in democratic processes.”
Trust and confidence in democratic processes can also be reduced if an American president uses Russia as a pretext to spy on domestic political opponents. Recent news about Obama administration surveillance of associates of Donald Trump raises important new questions.
On Monday Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and his committee colleague Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) released a copy of a recent letter to Susan Rice, who served as national security adviser in the Obama White House. CONTINUE AT SITE
Comments are closed.
