Trump hopes to abolish DNI and reverse CIA reforms

Good news imo and a giant step in the right direction. This will put us down to 16 Intelligence Agencies LOL. Surely that is enough.

I can see some in the agencies feeling threatened by the move. Seems DNI has 1750 employees yet the article stated that DNI actually had no authority over other agencies.


The Intercept

DONALD TRUMP’S NATIONAL security team is discussing plans to dismantle the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the organization that was created in response to the 9/11 attacks, according to an adviser to the president-elect and a former senior intelligence official. The news comes as the current director of national intelligence, James Clapper, announced his resignation Thursday.

The Trump national security team has been meeting in recent days, planning the removal of the cabinet-level position and assessing how to fold parts of the organization into the 16 federal intelligence agencies it oversees, according to both people with knowledge of the plans. If the restructuring is accomplished, it would undo legislation passed by Congress in 2004, dismantle the biggest American intelligence bureaucracy created since the end of World War II, and roll back a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.

The Trump team sees removing the office as an opportunity to reorganize other parts of the intelligence community, something that some career officials have long sought. The transition team, for example, is also contemplating reversing the recent restructuring of the CIA that took place under its current director, John O. Brennan. “Assuming the DNI gets taken apart, they want to undo Brennan’s reorganization of the agency,” the former senior official said.

Honestly, I hoped but never expected this big an overhaul of government. Keep it coming.

He should disband the giant taxpayer money black hole called the drug enforcement agency.DEA.

Its my understanding the DNI is simply a middleman to allow coordination between all the different agencies in order to respond to things like terror attacks and the like in a more efficient manner considering all the different departments don't actually talk to each other.

a reply to: SaturnFX
Yup, it is finally true. A POTUS that is actually scaling back big government instead of growing it obscenely larger.

a reply to: liveandlearn

Sounds great

a reply to: liveandlearn

At-least one thing that I agree with.

Get rid of the CIA too while youre at it, its a shadow government unto itself.

Any downsizing/dismantling of the leviathan known as our federal government/bureaucracy is always a good thing.

Been waiting on this thread, good job guys.
Walking the fine line between legislation, executive orders and memos will be put to the test.
How far will " The Donald " go ??

Buck

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: SaturnFX
Yup, it is finally true. A POTUS that is actually scaling back big government instead of growing it obscenely larger.

o...kay.
but this is like..cutting back spending at a police department by ripping out the phones.

Seems like the one thing you would leave up

a reply to: liveandlearn

Good. Maybe he can do something about the TSA while he is at it as well.

a reply to: SaturnFX

You have to start somewhere. The employees will remain so the manpower for coordinating will still exist. The trick is removing the competition between agencies where they get territorial and non cooperative.

a reply to: Aazadan

I have never understood this competition. They are putting their own resumes and some press highlights for themselves ahead of national interests. Ridiculous.

originally posted by: SaturnFX
Its my understanding the DNI is simply a middleman to allow coordination between all the different agencies in order to respond to things like terror attacks and the like in a more efficient manner considering all the different departments don't actually talk to each other.

Yes, that has been my understanding as well. Can't say it helped much in Boston, Orlando, San Bernidino (assuming they were all real). From the article it says DNI sets the budget for the agencies but has no power of hiring or firing, had little control over personnel decisions or effect espionage operations.

As of 2008 they grew to 1750 employees.

Surely there is a better way to coordinate between agencies.

Lots of departments could be reduced and coalesced into only two or three.

Reminds me of a humorous sticker I saw .... Department of Redundancy Department

a reply to: worldstarcountry

A POTUS that is actually scaling back big government instead of growing it obscenely larger.

Jumping the gun a bit, don't you think?

a reply to: Plotus

Your post prompted me to look up our intelligence agencies. The list comes from Wikipedia but I checked a gov site first.

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Independent agencies
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

United States Department of Defense Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
National Security Agency (NSA)
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency(NGA)
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
Twenty-Fifth Air Force (25 AF)
Army Military Intelligence (MI)
Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)
Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)

United States Department of Energy
Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (OICI)

United States Department of Homeland Security
Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)
Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI)

United States Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of National Security Intelligence (DEA/ONSI)

United States Department of State
Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)

United States Department of the Treasury
Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI)

Interesting CIA is and independent agency...answers to no one???

originally posted by: SaturnFX
Its my understanding the DNI is simply a middleman to allow coordination between all the different agencies in order to respond to things like terror attacks and the like in a more efficient manner considering all the different departments don't actually talk to each other.

The one goddamned good thing the government did in response to 9/11...

a reply to: liveandlearn

If you ask me, we should leave the CIA (international intelligence), the FBI (domestic intelligence), and the four integral with the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

The rest are redundant wastes of money.

TheRedneck

a reply to: gladtobehere

I don't mind the CIA nearly as much as the I.R.S.
I mean really.....most of us are more concerned about the IRS than the CIA.

Any downsizing is good, but dni is nothing but an administrative middleman. Think we could do with about 13 or 14 less intelligence agencies, and as tdawg said, drop the dea and the end the federal drug war. Leave it up to states and local municipalities to decide what makes sense for their area. Though im against prohibition on a variety of grounds.

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

The ISR is most certainly a bastard. That is to be worked on with at least two terms.