• Newly Confirmed CIA Director Ratcliffe Promises Aggressive Approach to Intelligence Gathering and Countering U.S. Adversaries

  • Feb 9 2025
  • Durée: 3 min
  • Podcast

Newly Confirmed CIA Director Ratcliffe Promises Aggressive Approach to Intelligence Gathering and Countering U.S. Adversaries

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  • Résumé

  • John Ratcliffe has been confirmed as the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in a Senate vote of 74-25, making him the 25th director of the agency. This confirmation came just three days after President Donald Trump took the oath of office, following a push from Senate leaders for a speedy vote on Ratcliffe’s nomination.

    Ratcliffe, who previously served as Trump's Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 until January 2021, has faced scrutiny over his qualifications and loyalty to Trump. However, he garnered support from some Democrats, including Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, who voted in favor of his confirmation.

    During his confirmation hearing, Ratcliffe emphasized his commitment to eliminating politicization and "wokeness" within the CIA workforce. He pledged to deliver insights free of political bias and assured lawmakers that he would not lead a purge of employees based on their perceived political views or loyalty to Trump. Ratcliffe also vowed to focus on human intelligence collection, stating that the CIA would collect intelligence "in every corner of the globe, no matter how dark or difficult"[1][2][5].

    Ratcliffe's vision for the CIA includes a more aggressive approach to collecting human intelligence and countering U.S. adversaries, particularly China. He has expressed concerns about the CIA's ability to keep pace with technological advancements in the private sector and has promised to reinvigorate the agency's use of technology, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing[1][2][4].

    One of his immediate actions as the new CIA director has been to offer buyouts to the entire CIA workforce. This move is part of a broader strategy to align the agency with President Trump's national security priorities. The buyouts, which include seven months of salary for those who opt to resign by February 6, aim to "infuse the Agency with renewed energy" and provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge. Additionally, the CIA has frozen the hiring of job applicants who had already received conditional offers[4].

    Ratcliffe has also committed to reinvigorating investigations into the cause of Havana Syndrome, a series of brain injuries and other serious health ailments affecting U.S. diplomats and intelligence officials. He has voiced support for maintaining controversial U.S. surveillance authorities under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which he considers an indispensable tool[1][5].

    Despite the support, Ratcliffe's confirmation was not without controversy. Critics have accused him of defying Congress and withholding information, particularly regarding the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his handling of Russian intelligence assessments during the 2016 U.S. presidential election[1][2].

    As Ratcliffe takes the helm of the CIA, his leadership is expected to bring significant changes to the agency's operations and culture, reflecting a more assertive and technologically driven approach to intelligence gathering and national security.
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