[quote] Spy world is vexed by Trump choice of Gabbard as US intelligence chief
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard as U.S. intelligence chief has sent shockwaves through the national security establishment, adding to concerns that the sprawling intelligence community will become increasingly politicized.
Trump's nomination of Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who lacks deep intelligence experience and is seen as soft on Russia and Syria, is among several high-level picks that suggest he may be prioritizing personal allegiance over competence as he assembles his second-term team.
A Western security source said there could be an initial slowdown in intelligence sharing when Trump takes office in January that could potentially impact the “Five Eyes,” an intelligence alliance comprising the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Inside and outside the U.S. intelligence network, much of the anxiety focuses on Trump's choice of Gabbard, 43, as director of national intelligence, especially given her views seen as sympathetic to Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Wednesday’s announcement of Gabbard, an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, surprised even some Republican insiders.
Gabbard has stirred controversy over her criticism of President Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine, which has prompted some critics to accuse her of parroting Kremlin propaganda.
She also spoke out against U.S. military intervention in the civil war in Syria under former President Barack Obama and met in 2017 with Moscow-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with whom Washington severed all diplomatic ties in 2012.
The selection of Gabbard has raised alarm in the ranks of intelligence officers unsure of how tightly she holds some of her geopolitical views, whether she is misinformed or simply echoing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” followers.
A European defense official described Gabbard as "firmly" in the Russia camp.
"But we have to deal with what we have. We will be attentive,” the official said.
A British government official said they would be watching to see whether Gabbard's nomination was confirmed.
Philip Ingram, a former intelligence officer in the British military, said her past comments about Russia "will set alarm bells ringing around the world" and her appointment could impact how intelligence is shared between allies.
Intelligence officials could be "more selective in the level of detail they are willing to pass on", including in how they protect sources and phrase information, he said.
Some analysts said concerns about Gabbard could be tempered by Trump’s choice to head the CIA: John Ratcliffe, a former congressman who served as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump’s first term.
Though close to Trump and expected to offer little pushback against his policies, Ratcliffe is not seen as an incendiary figure and could act as a counterbalance to Gabbard in his post atop the No. 1 spy agency among the 18 that she would oversee.
But some analysts said that by attempting to install Gabbard with other controversial loyalists, including congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Fox commentator and military veteran Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, Trump is showing he wants no guardrails to his efforts to remake federal institutions.
Democratic critics were quick to pounce not only on Gabbard’s views but what they see as her lack of qualifications and the potential the new administration could deploy intelligence for political ends.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks to fix what was seen as a lack of coordination between those organizations.
“She isn’t being put in this job to do the job or to be good at it. She’s being put there to serve Donald Trump’s interests,” U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN on Thursday.