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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 9 Juli 2022

Biden marks CIA’s 75 years as ‘bedrock’ of national security

(AP) — President Joe to tamp down suggestions
Biden lauded the CIA as that the U.S. is directly help-
the “bedrock of our na- ing Ukraine attack Russia out
tional security” during a of concern that Putin may
Friday visit to the agency, see those suggestions as es-
which also is part of the calations. Biden has said he
wide-ranging intelligence wants to avoid a “third world
effort to support Ukraine’s war.”
resistance against Russia.
As Ukraine repelled Russian
Biden marked the 75th an- forces in the first weeks of
niversary of the agency’s the war, and under pressure
founding after World War from lawmakers in Wash-
II. While at the headquarters ington, the Biden adminis-
in Virginia, he thanked the tration loosened its rules on
CIA for its work in Ukraine sharing intelligence and is
and called America’s intelli- now providing more infor-
gence officers “the best in the mation to the Ukrainians. It
world.” has also committed $7 billion
in weapons systems, ammu-
Predictions that Russia would nition and other military aid
invade Ukraine in Febru- since the war began.
ary provided a public boost
for spy agencies that are of- Ukrainian officials and ob-
ten criticized and facing new dency, he said, was reading cade war. government would hold out servers say Ukraine still is
pressure to deliver insights the President’s Daily Brief, for months, only for Ghani vastly outgunned by Russia
on China and Russia. Biden the compilation of the intel- Douglas London, a former to flee and the Taliban to take in what’s become a grinding
authorized an unprecedented ligence community’s top col- CIA officer who has criti- Kabul as the U.S. was trying war of attrition heavily reli-
campaign to declassify find- lection and analysis. cized the agency’s direction to evacuate. ant on artillery fire. Putin is
ings that have been credited in recent years, said the Rus- Sen. Angus King, a Maine believed by U.S. intelligence
with helping build support “I’ve been involved with your sia-Ukraine war has shown independent who sits on to have not given up on his
for severe Russia sanctions agency for not 75 years, but the CIA is on its way to be- the Senate Intelligence and initial aims to “neutralize”
and the ramp-up of military — I hate to admit it — 52 coming “an elite spy service Armed Services committees, Ukraine in his eyes.
support to Kyiv. years,” Biden said to laughs again.” said he’s pushed intelligence The U.S. also is involved in
from the officers gathered. “Its path to redemption has officials to review why there shoring up the cyber defenses
“It was thanks to the incred- “It’s very hard to say.” really been facilitated by were “two significant break- of Ukraine and other allies
ible work of our intelligence Biden has reestablished a Ukraine,” said London, au- downs in a year.” against Russia’s capabilities
professionals that we were more traditional relationship thor of “The Recruiter: Spy- to hack and steal from digital
able to inform the world what with the CIA and other agen- ing and the Lost Art of Amer- “The quality of the intelli- systems. And agencies are on
Vladimir Putin was planning cies after former President ican Intelligence.” gence pre-invasion was ex- watch for election influence
in Ukraine,” Biden told the Donald Trump repeatedly cellent and absolutely world- or interference from Russia
audience while standing in cast doubt on intelligence Still, the U.S. intelligence class,” King said in a recent amid expectations that Pu-
front of the agency’s memo- findings and attacked what community underestimated interview. “The problem was tin may use U.S. support for
rial wall. he alleged was a “deep state” Ukraine’s ability to resist the the assessment of what would Ukraine as justification for
of opponents. Russian invasion and wrong- happen after the invasion.” another campaign against an
Biden came to the White ly predicted Ukrainian Presi- American election.
House with a long history of Still, there were tensions last dent Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Most of the intelligence com- “Ultimately, the U.S. calculus
receiving intelligence brief- year concerning Afghanistan, government would fall with- munity’s work since the war is this: We want to do every-
ings, having served eight with finger-pointing across in weeks. began has been kept secret. thing we can to support the
years as vice president and 36 the government during the U.S. officials have disclosed Ukrainians while avoiding a
years as a senator from Dela- fall of the American-backed The agencies are reviewing that it is providing Ukraine direct conflict with the Rus-
ware, where he led the Senate government as the Taliban how they assess a foreign with information that Ukrai- sians,” said Dale Buckner, a
Foreign Relations Commit- overran Kabul. Current and government’s perceived “will nian forces have in turn used retired U.S. Army Green Be-
tee and served on the Intel- former intelligence officials to fight” — an issue the U.S. to hit high-value Russian tar- ret who now leads the secu-
ligence Committee when it worked frantically to evacu- also misjudged in Afghani- gets, including the flagship rity firm Global Guardian.
was first created in the 1970s. ate Afghans who had helped stan last year when it believed Moskva.
The thing he missed most the U.S. during the two-de- President Ashraf Ghani’s The White House has tried
after leaving the vice presi-

Feces mailed to Ohio GOP lawmakers; post office investigates

tion by the U.S. Postal In- cluded in the letters, said gardless of their political af-
spection Service, a spokes- Senate GOP spokesperson filiation.”
person for the lawmakers John Fortney. The return ad-
confirmed Friday. dresses on the letters were He said he isn’t aware of any
deemed fake. House members receiving
Mailroom employees in the Fortney called the incident such mail.
Ohio Statehouse and post of- “outrageous” and a serious
fices in Cleveland and Akron health risk. The U.S. Postal Service’s law
intercepted the letters, which “This type of biohazard at- enforcement arm is investi-
never made it to their intend- tack doesn’t just stop with the gating the matter as a federal
ed recipients. people it’s directed towards,” crime. It wouldn’t comment
Fortney said. “This is some- Friday about the ongoing in-
Why they were sent remains thing that could potentially vestigation, including wheth-
unclear. No policy issues or affect every single employee er the waste was human or
(AP) — Feces were mailed state senators this week, certain grievances were in- at the Ohio Statehouse, re- animal.
to Ohio’s 25 Republican prompting an investiga-