CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced on Friday that he will order the agency to retract or substantially revise 19 intelligence reports. These reports, according to Trump’s political appointees, failed to adhere to established “tradecraft standards” and exhibited political bias. Ratcliffe, who was appointed by former President Trump, stated that the reports “fall short of the high standards of impartiality that CIA must uphold” and emphasized that “there is absolutely no room for bias in our work.”
While the agency did not disclose the full list of the 19 reports, it did reference three specific reports. The two from the Biden administration include “Women Advancing White Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist Radicalization and Recruitment” and “Worldwide: Pandemic-Related Contraceptive Shortfalls Threaten Economic Development.” The third report, entitled “Middle East-North Africa: LGBT Activists Under Pressure,” was released during Barack Obama’s presidency.
The CIA indicated that the decision to retract and revise these reports stems from the need to align with “the President’s expectations that CIA’s workforce remains independent from a particular audience, agenda, or policy viewpoint.” The 19 reports had been identified by the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) following an independent review of intelligence over the past decade.
Political appointees on the PIAB include individuals with close ties to Trump, such as former GOP Representatives Devin Nunes and Brad Wenstrup, as well as former Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus and Katie Miller, a former adviser.
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, condemned the retractions, labeling them as a “politicization” of intelligence work. Warner stressed that while the PIAB has an important advisory role, it should not replace the CIA’s independent analytic processes. He warned that if political appointees start to dictate the validity of intelligence analysis, it could undermine the credibility and independence of the Intelligence Community.
Conversely, Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, commended the PIAB’s involvement and Ratcliffe’s decision. He argued that previous administrations, specifically Obama and Biden, often blurred the lines between intelligence analysis and political motivation, praising Ratcliffe’s efforts to ensure that CIA analyses remain free of political bias.
This move by the CIA highlights ongoing tensions between politics and intelligence, showcasing differing perspectives on the necessary independence of analytical work within the agency.