Barr probe sets up showdown between Obama intelligence chiefs, dissenters

By Rowan Scarborough - The Washington Times - Thursday, July 18, 2019

Attorney General William P. Barr’s review of the Obama-era conclusion that Russia interfered in the election to help Donald Trump sets up a struggle between the nation’s top spies and Mr. Trump’s skeptical Republican allies.

But there are dissenters, and they are close to the White House.

Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the ranking Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a report last year that found no Russian-Trump conspiracy. Special counsel Robert Mueller confirmed the finding in March.

Mr. Nunes made a less noticed finding. He said intelligence chiefs violated good tradecraft by writing the assessment section on Mr. Putin’s intentions. What’s more, Fred Fleitz, who served inside the White House as National Security Adviser John R. Bolton’s chief of staff, has written a series of columns casting doubt on the section about Mr. Putin’s role in the election.

Mr. Fleitz is being considered as a possible replacement for Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, whose job is in jeopardy because of testimony this year on North Korea, a White House adviser told The Washington Times.

Former intelligence officials told The Times that Mr. Barr wants to determine whether there was any political influence to skew the conclusions of the intelligence community assessment.

Mr. Coats seemed to confirm that Mr. Barr is conducting a wide-ranging investigation of intelligence agency activities. After Mr. Trumpannounced in May that he had granted Mr. Barrwide powers to collect information and declassify material, Mr. Coats issued his own statement in response.

Casting a wide net

Mr. Barr’s search for material on “intelligence activities related to Russian interference” indicates that he is casting a wide net.

Mr. Nunes has said he found great fault in how the Obama appointees wrote the intelligence community assessment on Mr. Putin’s intentions.

“While the committee found that most ICA analysis held up to scrutiny, the investigation also identified significant intelligence tradecraft failings that undermine confidence in the ICA judgments regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategic objectives for disrupting the U.S. election,” his 2018 report said.

“CIA analysts and their draft was subjected to an unusually constrained review and coordination process, which deviated from established practice.”

https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jul/18/william-barr-probe-pits-obama-intelligence-chiefs-/