US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Monday defended his pick to run the CIA after US&nbsp;media reports surfaced that she had sought to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cia-nominee-gina-haspel-tried-to-withdraw-over-torture-allegation-report-135024">withdraw from the nomination</a> over concerns about her involvement in the agency's interrogation program.

Gina Haspel is expected to face a brutal confirmation hearing in the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, and the Washington Post reported this weekend that she had offered to withdraw her nomination for fear the hearing would damage the CIA.

"My highly respected nominee for CIA Director, Gina Haspel, has come under fire because she was too tough on Terrorists ... Win Gina!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

Critics of Haspel's nomination have taken issue with her role in a defunct program in which the CIA detained and interrogated al Qaeda suspects in secret prisons abroad using techniques, including waterboarding, widely condemned as torture.

Many details of Haspel's work remain classified.

Politico reported on Monday that Haspel will meet with a trio of Democratic senators on the intelligence panel ahead of her confirmation hearing.

Trump nominated Haspel, who would be the first woman to lead the intelligence agency, to succeed Mike Pompeo, who has become the secretary of state.

US media reports had said Gina Haspel had sought to withdraw from the nomination over concerns about her involvement in the agency's interrogation program

US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his pick to run the CIA after US media reports surfaced that she had sought to withdraw from the nomination over concerns about her involvement in the agency's interrogation program. Gina Haspel is expected to face a brutal confirmation hearing in the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, and the Washington Post reported this weekend that she had offered to withdraw her nomination for fear the hearing would damage the CIA. "My highly respected nominee for CIA Director, Gina Haspel, has come under fire because she was too tough on Terrorists ... Win Gina!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. Critics of Haspel's nomination have taken issue with her role in a defunct program in which the CIA detained and interrogated al Qaeda suspects in secret prisons abroad using techniques, including waterboarding, widely condemned as torture. Many details of Haspel's work remain classified. Politico reported on Monday that Haspel will meet with a trio of Democratic senators on the intelligence panel ahead of her confirmation hearing. Trump nominated Haspel, who would be the first woman to lead the intelligence agency, to succeed Mike Pompeo, who has become the secretary of state.

'Win Gina,' says Trump, defending his pick for CIA director

Ahead of her Senate <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-nominee-gina-haspel-faces-us-senate-hurdle-in-bid-to-lead-cia-35745">intelligence committee appearance</a> on Wednesday, Gina Haspel who was picked by Trump to be the next CIA chief has reportedly informed the White House that she may not attend the confirmation hearing over her intelligence records which allegedly involves "waterboarding" technique which is condemned as torture.

A US media report said she has told the White House that she may step aside from the hearing than be subjected to hard grilling by the Senate committee who are reportedly set to ask several uncomfortable questions about her tenure in the CIA.

However, the White House has apparently said she will not withdraw. Haspel, 61, would become the first woman CIA chief if she confirmed by the Senate committee.

The White House reportedly wanted to hear her version ahead of Senate confirmation hearing with several controversial topics set to be&nbsp;discussed.

Haspel's work in the CIA has been shrouded in mystery. She is widely believed to have used waterboarding techniques as a brutal form of interrogation on at least two terror suspects.

The al Qaida suspects were allegedly interrogated in secret prisons outside the US in what many believe was a form of "torture".

Although Republicans hold a narrow majority, her confirmation could become a close affair with several questions being raised about her work and techniques she followed during her time as a field officer in the aftermath of 9/11.

Former President George Bush had authorized the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation Program after the 2001, September 11th terror attacks on the New York trade towers and the Pentagon.

Haspel is due to succeed Mike Pompeo, who became secretary of state last month.

The al Qaida suspects were allegedly interrogated in secret prisons outside the US in what many believe was a form of "torture".

Ahead of her Senate intelligence committee appearance on Wednesday, Gina Haspel who was picked by Trump to be the next CIA chief has reportedly informed the White House that she may not attend the confirmation hearing over her intelligence records which allegedly involves "waterboarding" technique which is condemned as torture. A US media report said she has told the White House that she may step aside from the hearing than be subjected to hard grilling by the Senate committee who are reportedly set to ask several uncomfortable questions about her tenure in the CIA. However, the White House has apparently said she will not withdraw. Haspel, 61, would become the first woman CIA chief if she confirmed by the Senate committee. The White House reportedly wanted to hear her version ahead of Senate confirmation hearing with several controversial topics set to be discussed. Haspel's work in the CIA has been shrouded in mystery. She is widely believed to have used waterboarding techniques as a brutal form of interrogation on at least two terror suspects. The al Qaida suspects were allegedly interrogated in secret prisons outside the US in what many believe was a form of "torture". Although Republicans hold a narrow majority, her confirmation could become a close affair with several questions being raised about her work and techniques she followed during her time as a field officer in the aftermath of 9/11. Former President George Bush had authorized the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation Program after the 2001, September 11th terror attacks on the New York trade towers and the Pentagon. Haspel is due to succeed Mike Pompeo, who became secretary of state last month.

CIA nominee Gina Haspel tried to withdraw over 'torture' allegation: Report

Dr Shakil Afridi, a doctor who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound and had been imprisoned at a Peshawar prison for the past several years, has been moved out of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp

An official of the Central Prison Peshawar confirmed that in the afternoon a large number of policemen as well as army contingent reached the prison and took Dr Afridi away with them amid tight security.

Shakil Afridi has been languishing in a prison in the city of Peshawar for almost seven years after his fake vaccination programme helped US agents track and kill the Al-Qaeda leader.

Jamil Afridi, the doctor's brother, confirmed that he had been informed by government officials that "Shakil has been moved to a safer place".

Afridi was sentenced to jail for 33 years in May 2012 after he was convicted of ties to militants, a charge he has always denied.

Some US lawmakers said the case was revenge for his help in the search for the Al-Qaeda chief.

In 2016, a US threat to cut aid to Pakistan saw a tribunal slice 10 years off his sentence -- but since then US pressure for his release has tapered off.

Afridi had been imprisoned in the Central Prison Peshawar for almost seven years after he ran a phoney vaccination campaign in Abbottabad city to help the CIA track down and kill the former Al Qaeda chief in a controversial raid on May 2 2011.

Dr Shakil Afridi, a doctor who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound and had been imprisoned at a Peshawar prison for the past several years, has been moved out of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. An official of the Central Prison Peshawar confirmed that in the afternoon a large number of policemen as well as army contingent reached the prison and took Dr Afridi away with them amid tight security. Shakil Afridi has been languishing in a prison in the city of Peshawar for almost seven years after his fake vaccination programme helped US agents track and kill the Al-Qaeda leader. Jamil Afridi, the doctor's brother, confirmed that he had been informed by government officials that "Shakil has been moved to a safer place". Afridi was sentenced to jail for 33 years in May 2012 after he was convicted of ties to militants, a charge he has always denied. Some US lawmakers said the case was revenge for his help in the search for the Al-Qaeda chief. In 2016, a US threat to cut aid to Pakistan saw a tribunal slice 10 years off his sentence -- but since then US pressure for his release has tapered off.

Doctor who helped CIA track down Osama bin Laden, moved to undisclosed 'safe location'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-should-come-under-rti-recommends-law-commission-of-india-131199">BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India</a>

Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-theresa-may-meet-for-breakfast-talk-trade-and-climate-change-131172">PM Modi, British PM Theresa May meet for breakfast, talk trade and climate change</a>

PM Modi met UK prime minister Theresa May at her official residence in 10 Downing Street. The UK PM was quick to greet the Indian prime minister, "very welcome to London, Prime Minister," she said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cia-chief-pompeos-meeting-with-kim-went-smoothly-good-relationship-was-formed-trump-131205">CIA chief Pompeo's meeting with Kim went smoothly, tweets Trump</a>

After reports emerged of CIA chief Mike Pompeo meeting top North Korean officials including Kim Jong Un, President Trump today confirmed the meeting. In a tweet, the US president said: "Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed."

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/modi-in-uk-prince-charles-greets-pm--131178">After breakfast with Theresa May, PM Modi meets Prince Charles</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/head-of-chemical-weapons-watchdog-un-security-team-was-shot-at-in-douma-131212">UN security team was shot at in Douma: Head of chemical weapons watchdog</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India. PM Modi, British PM Theresa May meet for breakfast, talk trade and climate change PM Modi met UK prime minister Theresa May at her official residence in 10 Downing Street. The UK PM was quick to greet the Indian prime minister, "very welcome to London, Prime Minister," she said. CIA chief Pompeo's meeting with Kim went smoothly, tweets Trump After reports emerged of CIA chief Mike Pompeo meeting top North Korean officials including Kim Jong Un, President Trump today confirmed the meeting. In a tweet, the US president said: "Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed." After breakfast with Theresa May, PM Modi meets Prince Charles Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology. UN security team was shot at in Douma: Head of chemical weapons watchdog Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The former Russian double agent and his daughter, who are recovering in a UK hospital from a deadly nerve agent poisoning, will be offered new identities and repatriated to the US with the help of the CIA, a media report has claimed.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal are said to no longer be in a critical condition at a hospital in Salisbury, where they have been treated since being discovered slumped on a bench in the Wiltshire town in south-west England on March 4.

British intelligence officials at MI6 have had discussions with their counterparts in the CIA about resettling the father and daughter, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

"They will be offered new identities," the newspaper quoted a senior figure from the UK political establishment as saying.

Both victims are said to be conscious and ready to help investigators with their inquiries into the nerve agent attack, which the UK government believes was masterminded by the Kremlin.

For Britain to help the pair, a senior police officer is expected to issue the Skripals with a so-called "Osman warning", a formal notification that intelligence suggests there is a real and immediate "threat to life".

They could then be placed under a witness protection programme on the basis that the pair hold key evidence about a possible motive for the attack.

That could involve moving them to a "safe house" and being given round the clock armed police protection as well as new identities.

Security sources told the newspaper that Britain would want to ensure their safety by relocating them with one of the "five eyes" countries, the UK's intelligence-sharing partnership which includes the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Yulia, 33, a Russian citizen, has reportedly rejected demands by the Russian embassy in London to offer her and her father with consular support, a move that has convinced British officials she might move to the West permanently, the report said.

While her 66-year-old father is also awake now, British officials have warned that life for the Skripals "would likely never be the same again" and that they could have injuries that would "require ongoing medical care".

Meanwhile, UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson accused Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn of being "the Kremlin's useful idiot" for refusing to blame Russia for the poison plot.

Johnson said the Labour leader was playing "Putin's game" by refusing to say "unequivocally&nbspthat the Russian state was responsible".

"There is only one thing that gives the Kremlin succour and lends false credibility to its propaganda onslaught. That is when politicians from the targeted countries join in. Sadly, I am driven to the conclusion that Jeremy Corbyn has joined this effort," he wrote in 'The Sunday Times.

A Labour party spokesperson hit back, claiming that the minister had "made a fool of himself and undermined the government" by misrepresenting the findings of the Porton Down laboratory on the source of the nerve agent.

The lab had said last week it was not the scientists' responsibility to pinpoint the origin of the military-grade Novichok but only its type, contradicting Johnson's claim that scientists were "categorical" the deadly nerve agent came from Russia.

"Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly said the evidence points to Russia being responsible, directly or indirectly, and that the Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of evidence," the Labour spokesperson said.

The Russian government has repeatedly denied being responsible for the poisoning of the Skripals, as diplomatic relations between Moscow and the West took a turn for the worst with a number of countries expelling Russian diplomats as a show of support for the UK.

Moscow has said it wants the UK to "engage constructively" with the request for its UK ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to hold face-to-face talks with Johnson.

But the UK Foreign Office has branded the move as a "diversionary tactic".

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic. We will, of course, consider their request and respond in due course," a Foreign Office spokersperson said.&nbsp

The former Russian double agent and his daughter, who are recovering in a UK hospital from a deadly nerve agent poisoning, will be offered new identities and repatriated to the US with the help of the CIA

The former Russian double agent and his daughter, who are recovering in a UK hospital from a deadly nerve agent poisoning, will be offered new identities and repatriated to the US with the help of the CIA, a media report has claimed. Sergei and Yulia Skripal are said to no longer be in a critical condition at a hospital in Salisbury, where they have been treated since being discovered slumped on a bench in the Wiltshire town in south-west England on March 4. British intelligence officials at MI6 have had discussions with their counterparts in the CIA about resettling the father and daughter, 'The Sunday Times' reported. "They will be offered new identities," the newspaper quoted a senior figure from the UK political establishment as saying. Both victims are said to be conscious and ready to help investigators with their inquiries into the nerve agent attack, which the UK government believes was masterminded by the Kremlin. For Britain to help the pair, a senior police officer is expected to issue the Skripals with a so-called "Osman warning", a formal notification that intelligence suggests there is a real and immediate "threat to life". They could then be placed under a witness protection programme on the basis that the pair hold key evidence about a possible motive for the attack. That could involve moving them to a "safe house" and being given round the clock armed police protection as well as new identities. Security sources told the newspaper that Britain would want to ensure their safety by relocating them with one of the "five eyes" countries, the UK's intelligence-sharing partnership which includes the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Yulia, 33, a Russian citizen, has reportedly rejected demands by the Russian embassy in London to offer her and her father with consular support, a move that has convinced British officials she might move to the West permanently, the report said. While her 66-year-old father is also awake now, British officials have warned that life for the Skripals "would likely never be the same again" and that they could have injuries that would "require ongoing medical care". Meanwhile, UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson accused Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn of being "the Kremlin's useful idiot" for refusing to blame Russia for the poison plot. Johnson said the Labour leader was playing "Putin's game" by refusing to say "unequivocally&nbspthat the Russian state was responsible". "There is only one thing that gives the Kremlin succour and lends false credibility to its propaganda onslaught. That is when politicians from the targeted countries join in. Sadly, I am driven to the conclusion that Jeremy Corbyn has joined this effort," he wrote in 'The Sunday Times. A Labour party spokesperson hit back, claiming that the minister had "made a fool of himself and undermined the government" by misrepresenting the findings of the Porton Down laboratory on the source of the nerve agent. The lab had said last week it was not the scientists' responsibility to pinpoint the origin of the military-grade Novichok but only its type, contradicting Johnson's claim that scientists were "categorical" the deadly nerve agent came from Russia. "Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly said the evidence points to Russia being responsible, directly or indirectly, and that the Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of evidence," the Labour spokesperson said. The Russian government has repeatedly denied being responsible for the poisoning of the Skripals, as diplomatic relations between Moscow and the West took a turn for the worst with a number of countries expelling Russian diplomats as a show of support for the UK. Moscow has said it wants the UK to "engage constructively" with the request for its UK ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to hold face-to-face talks with Johnson. But the UK Foreign Office has branded the move as a "diversionary tactic". "Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic. We will, of course, consider their request and respond in due course," a Foreign Office spokersperson said.

Poisoned Russian spy, daughter to be offered new identities: Report

An article published in The New York Times with a headline 'Is Putin a CIA agent'&nbsp;became a butt of jokes on Twitter on Thursday.

American journalist and author, Thomas Friedman wrote a column in which he discussed&nbsp;US President Donald Trump and his reluctance to say anything 'negative' about Russia and how James Clapper a former director of National Intelligence had reportedly said that the way Putin manages Trump as if he were a "Russian intelligence asset".

Fridman in the article asked&nbsp;that if he were a Russian citizen, he'd be asking "Is Putin a US agent?"

"Why? Because Putin has undertaken so many actions in recent years that contributed to the weakening of Russia’s economy and human capital base that you have to wonder whether he’s secretly on the CIA’s payroll," the article reads.

The article further hit out against&nbsp;Russia's intervention in Syria which Friedman said was "another short-term sugar high for his base."

After the article was&nbsp;published, Friedman was slammed by his fellow journalists calling it "breathtakingly stupid"&nbsp;and "dumb".

The Twitterati also ridicule the article in the most savage way possible:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I seriously hope the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> didn’t actually pay <a href="https://twitter.com/tomfriedman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomfriedman</a> for writing this sh*te. <a href="https://t.co/2k5YwjyfWu">pic.twitter.com/2k5YwjyfWu</a>
— Bryan MacDonald (@27khv) <a href="https://twitter.com/27khv/status/981862408837914624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It's worth reading this, perhaps 8 to 10 of the dumbest paragraphs ever printed in the New York Times, and seriously asking what possible social benefit the underlying concept of a columnist brings the world. 
 
Thomas Friedman, with: "Is Putin a CIA Agent?" <a href="https://t.co/OSVGpiXUH9">pic.twitter.com/OSVGpiXUH9</a>
— nuke, the baghwan (@k_delamont) <a href="https://twitter.com/k_delamont/status/981366568897609730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Thomas Friedman on Russia is —&nbsp;SHOCK —&nbsp;insufferable.
— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiriamElder/status/981559835375341575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I think Thomas Friedman eats meth covered cornflakes for breakfast. <a href="https://t.co/58VL5cYNMc">pic.twitter.com/58VL5cYNMc</a>
— Fire Joy Reid (@FireJoy_Ried) <a href="https://twitter.com/FireJoy_Ried/status/981665484805419008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Report: Thomas Friedman somehow makes ruling class politics dumber, asks “Is Putin a CIA agent?” in NYT headline.
— Rainer Shea (@rainer_shea) <a href="https://twitter.com/rainer_shea/status/981982286043213824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Friedman&nbsp;also called&nbsp;Putin "insecure"&nbsp;about his popularity because&nbsp;he did not allow&nbsp;any independent candidate to run against him in the latest presidential election.&nbsp;

"Why is Putin so insecure about his real popularity in Russia that even after nearly 20 years at Russia’s helm, he was afraid to allow a single credible independent candidate to run against him in the latest presidential election?"

"Here’s the real truth: Putin consistently acts like a farmer who sells his most valuable beef in return for cubes of sugar," Friedman's article said.

An article published in The New York Times with a headline 'Is Putin a CIA agent' became a recent butt of jokes on Twitter on Thursday

An article published in The New York Times with a headline 'Is Putin a CIA agent' became a butt of jokes on Twitter on Thursday. American journalist and author, Thomas Friedman wrote a column in which he discussed US President Donald Trump and his reluctance to say anything 'negative' about Russia and how James Clapper a former director of National Intelligence had reportedly said that the way Putin manages Trump as if he were a "Russian intelligence asset". Fridman in the article asked that if he were a Russian citizen, he'd be asking "Is Putin a US agent?" "Why? Because Putin has undertaken so many actions in recent years that contributed to the weakening of Russia’s economy and human capital base that you have to wonder whether he’s secretly on the CIA’s payroll," the article reads. The article further hit out against Russia's intervention in Syria which Friedman said was "another short-term sugar high for his base." After the article was published, Friedman was slammed by his fellow journalists calling it "breathtakingly stupid" and "dumb". The Twitterati also ridicule the article in the most savage way possible: I seriously hope the @nytimes didn’t actually pay @tomfriedman for writing this sh*te. pic.twitter.com/2k5YwjyfWu — Bryan MacDonald (@27khv) April 5, 2018 × It's worth reading this, perhaps 8 to 10 of the dumbest paragraphs ever printed in the New York Times, and seriously asking what possible social benefit the underlying concept of a columnist brings the world. Thomas Friedman, with: "Is Putin a CIA Agent?" pic.twitter.com/OSVGpiXUH9 — nuke, the baghwan (@k_delamont) April 4, 2018 × Thomas Friedman on Russia is — SHOCK — insufferable. — Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) April 4, 2018 × I think Thomas Friedman eats meth covered cornflakes for breakfast. pic.twitter.com/58VL5cYNMc — Fire Joy Reid (@FireJoy_Ried) April 4, 2018 × Report: Thomas Friedman somehow makes ruling class politics dumber, asks “Is Putin a CIA agent?” in NYT headline. — Rainer Shea (@rainer_shea) April 5, 2018 × Friedman also called Putin "insecure" about his popularity because he did not allow any independent candidate to run against him in the latest presidential election. "Why is Putin so insecure about his real popularity in Russia that even after nearly 20 years at Russia’s helm, he was afraid to allow a single credible independent candidate to run against him in the latest presidential election?" "Here’s the real truth: Putin consistently acts like a farmer who sells his most valuable beef in return for cubes of sugar," Friedman's article said.

Twitter ridicules 'Is Putin CIA agent?' headline by New York Times

Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden on Tuesday slammed the Trump administration over picking Gina Haspel as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Snowden attacked Haspel for her role in the 2002 torture of detainees at a secret CIA prison in Thailand which is dubbed as a &quot;black site.&quot;

&quot;Interesting: The new CIA Director Haspel, who &quot;tortured some folks,&quot; probably can&#39;t travel to the EU to meet other spy chiefs without facing arrest due to an @ECCHRBerlin complaint to Germany&#39;s federal prosecutor,&quot; Snowden tweeted.

Haspel, who is a career intelligence officer and joined the CIA in 1985, reportedly oversaw a black site prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were tortured.

She briefly ran the prison in 2002, according to the Guardian.

Haspel oversaw the torture of two terrorism suspects and her name was on a cable giving instructions to destroy video evidence documenting their interrogations, according to the Times.

One of the suspects was reportedly waterboarded 83 times in one month.

Haspel, who would be the first female director of the agency, if the US Senate confirms, will likely face questioning in her Senate confirmation for her involvement in the Thailand incident.

In an another Twitter post, Snowden, the whistleblower, who fled the country after exposing classified information in 2013 about US surveillance programs, wrote, &quot;Are these really the values the US should be promoting? The CIA might as well start issuing uniforms decorated with skulls and lightning bolts.&quot;

On Tuesday, Trump made an announcement that Haspel would replace CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Pompeo is set to take over for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whom Trump has fired.

&quot;Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State,&quot; Trump wrote, &quot;He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!&quot;

Snowden attacked Haspel for her role in the 2002 torture of detainees at a secret CIA prison in Thailand which is dubbed as a 'black site'

Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden on Tuesday slammed the Trump administration over picking Gina Haspel as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Snowden attacked Haspel for her role in the 2002 torture of detainees at a secret CIA prison in Thailand which is dubbed as a "black site." "Interesting: The new CIA Director Haspel, who "tortured some folks," probably can't travel to the EU to meet other spy chiefs without facing arrest due to an @ECCHRBerlin complaint to Germany's federal prosecutor," Snowden tweeted. Haspel, who is a career intelligence officer and joined the CIA in 1985, reportedly oversaw a black site prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were tortured. She briefly ran the prison in 2002, according to the Guardian. Haspel oversaw the torture of two terrorism suspects and her name was on a cable giving instructions to destroy video evidence documenting their interrogations, according to the Times. One of the suspects was reportedly waterboarded 83 times in one month. Haspel, who would be the first female director of the agency, if the US Senate confirms, will likely face questioning in her Senate confirmation for her involvement in the Thailand incident. In an another Twitter post, Snowden, the whistleblower, who fled the country after exposing classified information in 2013 about US surveillance programs, wrote, "Are these really the values the US should be promoting? The CIA might as well start issuing uniforms decorated with skulls and lightning bolts." On Tuesday, Trump made an announcement that Haspel would replace CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Pompeo is set to take over for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whom Trump has fired. "Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State," Trump wrote, "He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!"

Snowden slams Trump's CIA pick over 'black site'

Gina Haspel broke another glass ceiling in her illustrious career in the CIA running over more than three decades when US President Donald Trump announced that she would become the first woman to lead the agency.

In a surprise move, Trump yesterday announced that he was removing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and elevating Haspel, who was his deputy.

The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel&#39;s confirmation to succeed Pompeo. If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would be the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/973540316656623616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

However, influential lawmakers yesterday indicated that they are unlikely to give her a pass. In fact, they are gearing up to grill her over her role in torture programme.

&quot;Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I&#39;ve worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA. She&#39;s an outstanding person who also I have gotten to know very well,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House.

Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats, said Trump has made a strong choice in his nomination of Haspel to serve as the next Director of CIA.

Haspel is a career intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. She has extensive overseas experience and has served as Chief of Station in several locations, he said. She is the winner of George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism and also the Intelligence Medal of Merit.

On a flip side, Haspel once reportedly ran a secret prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding.

According to &#39;The Wall Street Journal&#39;, she was part of a team that oversaw the CIA&#39;s detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, using techniques that many experts and lawmakers since have described as torture.

Top senators were yesterday quick in pointing at her role in the torture programme.

Republican Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said the torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history.

&quot;During the confirmation process, Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA&#39;s interrogation programme. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel&#39;s record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law,&quot; McCain said.

Senator Dianne Feinstein said Haspel has been a &quot;good&quot; deputy director but mentioned that she had her reservations about the CIA&#39;s torture programme.

&quot;It&#39;s no secret I&#39;ve had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture programme and have spent time with her discussing this. To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again,&quot; she said.

Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the nomination of Haspel and called for total transparency about her background.

&quot;Ms. Haspel&#39;s background makes her unsuitable to serve as CIA director... If Ms. Haspel seeks to serve at the highest levels of US intelligence, the government can no longer cover up disturbing facts from her past,&quot; he said.

Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump&#39;s decision to nominate Haspel to serve as CIA Director is &quot;deeply troubling&quot;.

&quot;Her record makes her unsuitable for a leadership role at the agency, let alone to serve as the director. We should not be asked to confirm a nominee whose background cannot be publicly discussed and who cannot then be held accountable for her actions. The American public deserves to know who its leaders are,&quot; Heinrich said.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler said the Senate owes it to the American people to take a hard look at Deputy Director Haspel, &quot;whose career at the CIA coincides with some of the darkest moments in recent American history&quot;.

&quot;She oversaw a black site prison in Thailand.? She approved interrogation techniques that were clearly unlawful at the time, and ordered the destruction of evidence of those practices,&quot; he alleged.

&quot;The Senate already rightly denied Deputy Director Haspel a post as head of the clandestine service because of the role she played in the Bush administration&#39;s enhanced interrogation programme. The Senate should not confirm Deputy Director Haspel to lead the CIA,? Nadler said.

However, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell got behind Haspel&#39;s nomination, calling her &quot;an outstanding choice&quot;.

&quot;The president has made an excellent choice in asking Gina to take on the responsibilities of leading the CIA and I look forward to working with her,&quot; he said.

Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committe would continue its &quot;positive relationship&quot; with the CIA under her leadership.

The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel's confirmation to succeed Pompeo.

Gina Haspel broke another glass ceiling in her illustrious career in the CIA running over more than three decades when US President Donald Trump announced that she would become the first woman to lead the agency. In a surprise move, Trump yesterday announced that he was removing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and elevating Haspel, who was his deputy. The Senate must vote on 61-year-old Haspel's confirmation to succeed Pompeo. If confirmed by the Senate, Haspel would be the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018 × However, influential lawmakers yesterday indicated that they are unlikely to give her a pass. In fact, they are gearing up to grill her over her role in torture programme. "Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I've worked with very closely, will be the first woman director of the CIA. She's an outstanding person who also I have gotten to know very well," Trump told reporters at the White House. Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats, said Trump has made a strong choice in his nomination of Haspel to serve as the next Director of CIA. Haspel is a career intelligence officer who joined the CIA in 1985. She has extensive overseas experience and has served as Chief of Station in several locations, he said. She is the winner of George H W Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism and also the Intelligence Medal of Merit. On a flip side, Haspel once reportedly ran a secret prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects were allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding. According to 'The Wall Street Journal', she was part of a team that oversaw the CIA's detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, using techniques that many experts and lawmakers since have described as torture. Top senators were yesterday quick in pointing at her role in the torture programme. Republican Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said the torture of detainees in US custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history. "During the confirmation process, Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA's interrogation programme. I know the Senate will do its job in examining Ms. Haspel's record as well as her beliefs about torture and her approach to current law," McCain said. Senator Dianne Feinstein said Haspel has been a "good" deputy director but mentioned that she had her reservations about the CIA's torture programme. "It's no secret I've had concerns in the past with her connection to the CIA torture programme and have spent time with her discussing this. To the best of my knowledge, she has been a good deputy director and I look forward to the opportunity to speak with her again," she said. Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the nomination of Haspel and called for total transparency about her background. "Ms. Haspel's background makes her unsuitable to serve as CIA director... If Ms. Haspel seeks to serve at the highest levels of US intelligence, the government can no longer cover up disturbing facts from her past," he said. Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump's decision to nominate Haspel to serve as CIA Director is "deeply troubling". "Her record makes her unsuitable for a leadership role at the agency, let alone to serve as the director. We should not be asked to confirm a nominee whose background cannot be publicly discussed and who cannot then be held accountable for her actions. The American public deserves to know who its leaders are," Heinrich said. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler said the Senate owes it to the American people to take a hard look at Deputy Director Haspel, "whose career at the CIA coincides with some of the darkest moments in recent American history". "She oversaw a black site prison in Thailand.? She approved interrogation techniques that were clearly unlawful at the time, and ordered the destruction of evidence of those practices," he alleged. "The Senate already rightly denied Deputy Director Haspel a post as head of the clandestine service because of the role she played in the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation programme. The Senate should not confirm Deputy Director Haspel to lead the CIA,? Nadler said. However, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell got behind Haspel's nomination, calling her "an outstanding choice". "The president has made an excellent choice in asking Gina to take on the responsibilities of leading the CIA and I look forward to working with her," he said. Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committe would continue its "positive relationship" with the CIA under her leadership.

Trump's nominee Gina Haspel faces US Senate hurdle in bid to lead CIA

Days after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-optimistic-about-n-korea-talks-says-itll-work-out-35343"> US president Trump surprised </a>everyone, including his White House staff that he was open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, CIA director Mike Pompeo backed Trump&#39;s decision declaring that Kim&#39;s regime was under threat due to the state of the economy.

&quot;Never <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-chinese-president-helpful-on-kim-jong-un-meeting-35334">before have we had the North Koreans</a> in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure,&quot; Pompeo said.

As critics lashed out at Trump for seemingly trying to divert attention over several controversies plaguing the White House, the CIA director said: &quot;The president isn&rsquo;t doing this for theatre, he is going there to solve a problem.&quot;

&quot;Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made,&quot; Pompeo asserted.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he won&#39;t be speaking about the North Korean talks as White House and State Department were leading the initiative.

&quot;This is a diplomatically led effort,&quot; Mattis said, adding,&quot;&quot;When you get into a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high... so I want those who are actually engaging in the discussions to be the ones who answer all media questions about it.&quot;

South Korean official Chung Eui-yong had announced last Thursday that Kim and Trump will meet in May for talks on denuclearisation.

Mattis was among the senior officials present in the White House when Trump accepted the invitation.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he won't be speaking about the North Korean talks as White House and State Department were leading the initiative.

Days after US president Trump surprised everyone, including his White House staff that he was open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, CIA director Mike Pompeo backed Trump's decision declaring that Kim's regime was under threat due to the state of the economy. "Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure," Pompeo said. As critics lashed out at Trump for seemingly trying to divert attention over several controversies plaguing the White House, the CIA director said: "The president isn’t doing this for theatre, he is going there to solve a problem." "Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," Pompeo asserted. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he won't be speaking about the North Korean talks as White House and State Department were leading the initiative. "This is a diplomatically led effort," Mattis said, adding,""When you get into a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high... so I want those who are actually engaging in the discussions to be the ones who answer all media questions about it." South Korean official Chung Eui-yong had announced last Thursday that Kim and Trump will meet in May for talks on denuclearisation. Mattis was among the senior officials present in the White House when Trump accepted the invitation.

Trump's North Korea talks not theatre, he will solve a problem: CIA chief Pompeo

A constant critic of Aadhaar, American whistleblower Edward Snowden on Sunday called Aadhaar an &quot;improper gate to services&quot;&nbsp;and suggested that demands to link Aadhaar to bank and telecom services should be criminalised.

While tweeting his comments, Snowden shared an article on Aadhaar written by former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), KC Verma.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Rarely do former intel chiefs and I agree, but the head of India&#39;s RAW writes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> is being abused by banks, telcos, and transport not to police entitlements, but as a proxy for identity&ndash;an improper gate to service. Such demands must be criminalized. <a href="https://t.co/rRSn42XLlQ">https://t.co/rRSn42XLlQ</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/955050455490547712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Snowden has spoken against Aadhaar in the past. Earlier in January, he said the database conceived of by the Indian government could be &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/edward-snowden-on-aadhaar-no-matter-the-laws-the-result-is-abuse-28613" target="_blank">misused and abused</a>&quot;.

Snowden also spoke out in support of an English daily journalist who did an investigative piece on Aadhaar data being sold for as little as Rs 500. Snowden said the the journalist deserved <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/edward-snowden-suggest-giving-award-to-journalist-exposing-uidai-flaws-28966" target="_blank">an award, not an FIR</a>.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. <a href="https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f">https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/949057892069523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Snowden is a former CIA employee famously known for leaking classified information that exposed a massive surveillance operation run by the CIA. He is currently living under asylum in Russia.

While tweeting his comments, Snowden shared an article on Aadhaar written by a former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)

A constant critic of Aadhaar, American whistleblower Edward Snowden on Sunday called Aadhaar an "improper gate to services" and suggested that demands to link Aadhaar to bank and telecom services should be criminalised. While tweeting his comments, Snowden shared an article on Aadhaar written by former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), KC Verma. Rarely do former intel chiefs and I agree, but the head of India's RAW writes #Aadhaar is being abused by banks, telcos, and transport not to police entitlements, but as a proxy for identity–an improper gate to service. Such demands must be criminalized. https://t.co/rRSn42XLlQ — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 21, 2018 × Snowden has spoken against Aadhaar in the past. Earlier in January, he said the database conceived of by the Indian government could be "misused and abused". Snowden also spoke out in support of an English daily journalist who did an investigative piece on Aadhaar data being sold for as little as Rs 500. Snowden said the the journalist deserved an award, not an FIR. It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018 × Snowden is a former CIA employee famously known for leaking classified information that exposed a massive surveillance operation run by the CIA. He is currently living under asylum in Russia.

Aadhaar 'improper gate to services': Edward Snowden

The Pentagon today denied Pakistani claim that the US carried out a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-drone-strike-kills-haqqani-network-commander-2-others-in-pakistan-30623" target="_blank">drone strike inside its territory</a> targeting a terrorist hideout.

&quot;In response to Pakistan government claims that the US military conducted air strikes in Pakistan on January 24, I can confirm that there were not any Department of Defence air strikes outside of Afghanistan,&quot; defence spokesman Lt Col Mike Andrews said.

Drone strikes, if any, are normally conducted by either CIA or the military.

The CIA did not immediately respond to a question on the drone strike inside Pakistan.

Pakistan, in a statement, condemned the US drone strike in Kurram Agency, saying the &quot;unilateral actions are detrimental to the spirit of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism&quot;.

According to news reports, Haqqani network commander Ehsan alias Khawari and two of his companions were allegedly killed during the drone strike in the Kurram Agency area of Pakistan.&nbsp;

'I can confirm that there were not any Department of Defence air strikes outside of Afghanistan,' defence spokesman Lt Col Mike Andrews said

The Pentagon today denied Pakistani claim that the US carried out a drone strike inside its territory targeting a terrorist hideout. "In response to Pakistan government claims that the US military conducted air strikes in Pakistan on January 24, I can confirm that there were not any Department of Defence air strikes outside of Afghanistan," defence spokesman Lt Col Mike Andrews said. Drone strikes, if any, are normally conducted by either CIA or the military. The CIA did not immediately respond to a question on the drone strike inside Pakistan. Pakistan, in a statement, condemned the US drone strike in Kurram Agency, saying the "unilateral actions are detrimental to the spirit of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism". According to news reports, Haqqani network commander Ehsan alias Khawari and two of his companions were allegedly killed during the drone strike in the Kurram Agency area of Pakistan.

Pentagon denies Pakistani claim of drone strike in its territory

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-is-aiming-to-interfere-in-coming-us-elections-warns-cia-chief-31153"> Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo</a> said China has much &quot;bigger footprint&quot; to carry out covert activities than Russia.

The CIA director had earlier <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-declines-to-apply-new-russia-sanctions-for-now-31162">said Moscow is expected to meddle</a> in the 2018 US mid-term elections.

However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election.

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber.

President Trump&#39;s election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton&#39;s chances of becoming president.

Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections.

Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to it,&quot; Trump had said, adding, that he would do it &quot;under oath.&quot;

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC, Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo said China has much "bigger footprint" to carry out covert activities than Russia. The CIA director had earlier said Moscow is expected to meddle in the 2018 US mid-term elections. However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election. The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber. President Trump's election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton's chances of becoming president. Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections. Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election. "I'm looking forward to it," Trump had said, adding, that he would do it "under oath."

China has bigger footprint than Russia for covert activities: CIA chief Pompeo

Russian election interference has not stopped and Moscow can be expected to meddle in the 2018 US vote, Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo said in an interview published Monday.

&quot;I haven&#39;t seen a significant decrease in their activity,&quot; Pompeo told the BBC of the Russians.

&quot;I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that, but I&#39;m confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election (and) that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won&#39;t be great,&quot; he said.

The leading US intelligence agencies concluded at the end of 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the presidential election that year to undermine the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump&#39;s chances.

That effort included hacking and releasing emails and documents from the Clinton campaign and filling social media with posts and &quot;news&quot; items aimed at discrediting her.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Moscow helped him &mdash; and allegations his campaign colluded with the Russians &mdash; as fake news.

Pompeo, whom Trump appointed to the US spy agency, has deftly avoided that controversy while emphasizing he accepts the conclusions of his predecessor.

The 2018 midterm elections will involve all of the 435 members of the House of Representatives and 33 senators.

In the elections, minority Democrats will be battling to try and prise control of the two houses from Trump&#39;s Republicans.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Moscow helped him — and allegations his campaign colluded with the Russians — as fake news

Russian election interference has not stopped and Moscow can be expected to meddle in the 2018 US vote, Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo said in an interview published Monday. "I haven't seen a significant decrease in their activity," Pompeo told the BBC of the Russians. "I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that, but I'm confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election (and) that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won't be great," he said. The leading US intelligence agencies concluded at the end of 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the presidential election that year to undermine the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump's chances. That effort included hacking and releasing emails and documents from the Clinton campaign and filling social media with posts and "news" items aimed at discrediting her. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Moscow helped him — and allegations his campaign colluded with the Russians — as fake news. Pompeo, whom Trump appointed to the US spy agency, has deftly avoided that controversy while emphasizing he accepts the conclusions of his predecessor. The 2018 midterm elections will involve all of the 435 members of the House of Representatives and 33 senators. In the elections, minority Democrats will be battling to try and prise control of the two houses from Trump's Republicans.

Russia is aiming to interfere in coming US elections, warns CIA chief

Whistleblower Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the Tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of people who reportedly easily accessed private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp.

Snowden said that the journalist deserves an award, not an investigation.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The journalists exposing the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called <a href="https://twitter.com/UIDAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UIDAI</a>. <a href="https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2">https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/950490382990790656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

UIDAI has constantly denied reports of any Aadhaar data breach and called it &quot;misreporting.&quot;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uidai-files-fir-against-a-reporter-of-an-english-daily-28769">FIR was filed by Unique Identification Authority of India,</a> against the reporter Rachna Khaira after she did an investigative article exposing how Aadhaar details were being sold for a particular amount as low&nbsp;as Rs 500 on a Whatsapp group.

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GwFkOxK2pLM" width="770"></iframe>

In the past, Snowden had said that Aadhaar database conceived by the Indian government could be &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/edward-snowden-on-aadhaar-no-matter-the-laws-the-result-is-abuse-28613">misused and abused.</a>&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. <a href="https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f">https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/949057892069523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Edward Snowden is famously known for leaking classified information that exposed massive surveillance operation run by the CIA and&nbsp;has currently taken asylum in Russia.

Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, electronics and Information technology minister also addressed the&nbsp;situation and clarified that the government is fully committed to the freedom of the press.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Govt. is fully committed to freedom of Press as well as to maintaining security &amp; sanctity of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> for India&#39;s development. FIR is against unknown. I&#39;ve suggested <a href="https://twitter.com/UIDAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UIDAI</a> to request Tribune &amp; it&#39;s journalist to give all assistance to police in investigating real offenders.
&mdash; Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/950275919855304705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of normal people easily accessing private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp

Whistleblower Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the Tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of people who reportedly easily accessed private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp. Snowden said that the journalist deserves an award, not an investigation. The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI. https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2 — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 8, 2018 × UIDAI has constantly denied reports of any Aadhaar data breach and called it "misreporting." The FIR was filed by Unique Identification Authority of India, against the reporter Rachna Khaira after she did an investigative article exposing how Aadhaar details were being sold for a particular amount as low as Rs 500 on a Whatsapp group. In the past, Snowden had said that Aadhaar database conceived by the Indian government could be "misused and abused." It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018 × Edward Snowden is famously known for leaking classified information that exposed massive surveillance operation run by the CIA and has currently taken asylum in Russia. Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, electronics and Information technology minister also addressed the situation and clarified that the government is fully committed to the freedom of the press. Govt. is fully committed to freedom of Press as well as to maintaining security & sanctity of #Aadhaar for India's development. FIR is against unknown. I've suggested @UIDAI to request Tribune & it's journalist to give all assistance to police in investigating real offenders. — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) January 8, 2018 ×

Journalist who exposed flaws in UIDAI should be awarded, not investigated: Edward Snowden

The United States and Russia clashed over Iran at the UN Security Council on Friday as a third straight day of pro-regime rallies were held following a wave of deadly protests.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley pushed for the meeting of the top UN body, arguing the unrest could escalate into full-blown conflict and drawing a comparison with Syria.

&quot;The Iranian regime is now on notice: the world will be watching what you do,&quot; Haley warned.

Russia opposed the US push for Iran to be discussed at the Security Council, arguing the protests pose no threat to international peace and security.

But Moscow stopped short of seeking to block the meeting.

A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations.

Pro-regime rallies were held around Tehran Friday for the third day running with authorities seeking to put a lid on the violence. There were some reports of small anti-government demonstrations in provincial towns, but these could not be verified.

&quot;We obviously regret the loss of life as the result of demonstrations that weren&#39;t so peaceful,&quot; Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

&quot;However, let Iran deal with its own problems,&quot; he said.

Iranian officials have blamed a plot by the CIA, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the unrest that convulsed much of the country for five days -- part of the increasing tensions playing out between Iran and its neighbors since President Donald Trump came to power.

The United States has meanwhile piled pressure on Iran, with Trump pledging to help Iranians &quot;take back&quot; their government.

A threat to peace?

Washington has imposed unilateral sanctions on five Iranian companies linked to Tehran&#39;s ballistic missile program.

&quot;The Iranian people are rising up in over 79 locations throughout the country,&quot; Haley told the council.

&quot;It is a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protest.&quot;

Russia&#39;s envoy shot back that if the US view holds, the council should have also discussed the 2014 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting of a black teenager or the US crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street movement.

China also described the meeting as meddling in Iran&#39;s affairs, while Ethiopia, Kuwait and Sweden expressed reservations about the discussion.&nbsp;

Britain and France reiterated that Iran must respect the rights of protesters, but French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the &quot;events of the past days do not constitute a threat to peace and international security.&quot;

Iran&#39;s Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo slammed the meeting as a &quot;farce&quot; and a &quot;waste of time&quot; and said the council should instead focus on addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the war in Yemen.

CIA plot&nbsp;

It remains difficult to gauge who was involved in the anti-government unrest.

President Hassan Rouhani&#39;s supporters have blamed conservative rivals for stoking anger over economic issues, which quickly spiralled out of control.

The conservatives deny the accusations and say Rouhani must do more to help the poor.

Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri blamed the unrest on a plot dating back four years by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, while also claiming there were efforts to infiltrate the Islamic State group into the country.

Many officials have nonetheless recognized the genuine economic grievances of many Iranians, particularly a jobless rate at close to 30 percent for young people.

Iran&#39;s economic growth rebounded to more than 12 percent last year after sanctions were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, but analysts say much of the windfall has come from renewed oil sales that generate few jobs.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said 42,000 people had taken part in the unrest nationwide.

It was higher than a previous figure of 15,000 given by the head of the Revolutionary Guards, but still far below the hundreds of thousands that took to the streets during the last major protest movement in 2009.

Nuclear waivers&nbsp;

Trump must decide next week whether to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Under the deal, Trump must actively lift certain sanctions every few months and the next deadline falls on January 12.

Trump&#39;s repeated tweets backing protesters during Iran&#39;s unrest was rebuffed by marchers on Friday.

&quot;Mr Trump passed laws against Iranians such as the immigration ban, and he called Iranians &#39;savages&#39;... and suddenly he is sympathizing and supporting Iranians and it is ridiculous,&quot; said Khalili, a government worker in Tehran.

The United States and Russia clashed over Iran at the UN Security Council on Friday

The United States and Russia clashed over Iran at the UN Security Council on Friday as a third straight day of pro-regime rallies were held following a wave of deadly protests. US Ambassador Nikki Haley pushed for the meeting of the top UN body, arguing the unrest could escalate into full-blown conflict and drawing a comparison with Syria. "The Iranian regime is now on notice: the world will be watching what you do," Haley warned. Russia opposed the US push for Iran to be discussed at the Security Council, arguing the protests pose no threat to international peace and security. But Moscow stopped short of seeking to block the meeting. A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations. Pro-regime rallies were held around Tehran Friday for the third day running with authorities seeking to put a lid on the violence. There were some reports of small anti-government demonstrations in provincial towns, but these could not be verified. "We obviously regret the loss of life as the result of demonstrations that weren't so peaceful," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council. "However, let Iran deal with its own problems," he said. Iranian officials have blamed a plot by the CIA, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the unrest that convulsed much of the country for five days -- part of the increasing tensions playing out between Iran and its neighbors since President Donald Trump came to power. The United States has meanwhile piled pressure on Iran, with Trump pledging to help Iranians "take back" their government. A threat to peace? Washington has imposed unilateral sanctions on five Iranian companies linked to Tehran's ballistic missile program. "The Iranian people are rising up in over 79 locations throughout the country," Haley told the council. "It is a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protest." Russia's envoy shot back that if the US view holds, the council should have also discussed the 2014 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting of a black teenager or the US crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street movement. China also described the meeting as meddling in Iran's affairs, while Ethiopia, Kuwait and Sweden expressed reservations about the discussion. Britain and France reiterated that Iran must respect the rights of protesters, but French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the "events of the past days do not constitute a threat to peace and international security." Iran's Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo slammed the meeting as a "farce" and a "waste of time" and said the council should instead focus on addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the war in Yemen. CIA plot It remains difficult to gauge who was involved in the anti-government unrest. President Hassan Rouhani's supporters have blamed conservative rivals for stoking anger over economic issues, which quickly spiralled out of control. The conservatives deny the accusations and say Rouhani must do more to help the poor. Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri blamed the unrest on a plot dating back four years by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, while also claiming there were efforts to infiltrate the Islamic State group into the country. Many officials have nonetheless recognized the genuine economic grievances of many Iranians, particularly a jobless rate at close to 30 percent for young people. Iran's economic growth rebounded to more than 12 percent last year after sanctions were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, but analysts say much of the windfall has come from renewed oil sales that generate few jobs. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said 42,000 people had taken part in the unrest nationwide. It was higher than a previous figure of 15,000 given by the head of the Revolutionary Guards, but still far below the hundreds of thousands that took to the streets during the last major protest movement in 2009. Nuclear waivers Trump must decide next week whether to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Under the deal, Trump must actively lift certain sanctions every few months and the next deadline falls on January 12. Trump's repeated tweets backing protesters during Iran's unrest was rebuffed by marchers on Friday. "Mr Trump passed laws against Iranians such as the immigration ban, and he called Iranians 'savages'... and suddenly he is sympathizing and supporting Iranians and it is ridiculous," said Khalili, a government worker in Tehran.

US, Russia clash over Iran at the UN Security Council meet

The Indo-China war of 1962 was over and India was still recovering from the humiliating defeat at the hands of Chinese army. The Indian Army lost over 5,000 of its men but despite all the odds, the gallant army kept their head high by showing highest level of professionalism to the world.

But the country had to look for a solution for the Chinese military&#39;s superiority and soon they found one. As the war has reached its peak, a panicked Nehru sent two letters to Washington, DC, urging them to intervene in the situation. The US used its influence to suggest a ceasefire but it had something else in mind. The &#39;Mustang Warriors&#39; movement was dying due to crackdown by Nepal forces under influence of China and hence CIA wanted another trusted ally to train and keep the mighty Tibetan Army.

Very soon, the then Defence Secretary of US Mr Robert McNamara and his CIA chief John McCone flew to Delhi and met Indian intelligence officials. A division of tasks were undertaken and soon the process of creation of a Tibetan guerrilla force started under the supervision of Intelligence Bureau and CIA. A very seasoned officer of the Indian Army, Major General Sujan Singh Uban, was chosen to be the first Inspector General of the force. Since he was previously the Commander of 22 Mountain Regiment in World War II, the top-secret unit was named as 22 Establishment (Read as Two-Two Establishment).

Major General Sujan Singh Uban was considered an expert of guerrilla warfare and a notable leader. The CIA took the responsibility to provide initial support along with battle logistics like arms, ammunition etc.

Since ethnic Tibetans have been part of Indian Army since the very beginning, India recruited the fighters with the help of Chushi Gangdruk leaders and very soon the first batch of over 5,000 dreaded Khampa warriors started training under the joint leadership of Indian commando trainers and CIA at a lesser-known location of Chakrata in Uttarakhand. Soon, the organisation was rechristened as Special Frontier Force (SFF) and was put under Intelligence Bureau and later under the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). However, as it is a mystery force, is also known as Vikas by some and the soldiers are called as Vikasi.

Very less is known about this mysterious force. Even the Indian Army officials don&#39;t know much about them, however, many them go for the deputation to the SFF. Our previous chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, was also the inspector General of SFF during his career. Each soldier of this force including female ones are trained very hard on the lines of a special forces commando on mountain warfare, guerrilla warfare, clandestine operations and intelligence gathering. Each one of them is a trained mountaineer, a highly trained paratrooper and, therefore, an army in himself. The secret force, primarily meant to execute clandestine intelligence gathering, special operations and guerrilla warfare against the Chinese, has tasted the actual battle several times since its inception.

Operation Eagle of Chittagong Hill tract in 1971 war is an example where SFF actively participated in the war and lost about 56 of their men including a Dapon (Brigadier). However, they not only fought fiercely but also effectively halted the escape of Pakistani forces into Myanmar which was a strategic victory for us.

In the subsequent times this force has reportedly participated in Operation Blue Star, counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir, several intelligence gathering operations in China and some other high value mission. Due to the secrecy of this force, none of these facts are out in the open.

A force of such trained people which is considered to be extremely loyal to their Dalai Lama and are ready to die for their lost kingdom of Tibet is certainly a matter of tension for China. You can occupy an area but cannot occupy the minds of the people living there. You must win them. China totally failed on this while occupying Tibet. The Tibet is free in the mind and soul of every Vikasi whenever they sing their Vikasi Song. The English translation is given as below:

We are the Vikasi 
The Chinese snatched Tibet from us 
and kicked us out from our home 
Even then, India 
kept us like their own 
One day, surely one day 
we will teach the Chinese a lesson 
Whenever opportunities arise 
we will play with our lives In the Siachen glacier 
we got our second chance 
Our young martyrs 
have no sadness whatsoever 
Whether it is Kargil or Bangladesh 
we will not lose our strength 
Whenever opportunities arise 
we will play with our lives 
Where there is our Potala Palace 
and lovely Norbu Lingka 
The throne of the Dalai Lama 
was dear even then 
Remember those martyrs of ours 
who sacrificed with their lives 
Let&rsquo;s sing together 
Hail to our Tibet! 
Hail to our Tibet!

&nbsp;

Very less is known about this mysterious force. Even the Indian Army officials don't know much about them, however, many them go for the deputation to the SFF.

The Indo-China war of 1962 was over and India was still recovering from the humiliating defeat at the hands of Chinese army. The Indian Army lost over 5,000 of its men but despite all the odds, the gallant army kept their head high by showing highest level of professionalism to the world. But the country had to look for a solution for the Chinese military's superiority and soon they found one. As the war has reached its peak, a panicked Nehru sent two letters to Washington, DC, urging them to intervene in the situation. The US used its influence to suggest a ceasefire but it had something else in mind. The 'Mustang Warriors' movement was dying due to crackdown by Nepal forces under influence of China and hence CIA wanted another trusted ally to train and keep the mighty Tibetan Army. Very soon, the then Defence Secretary of US Mr Robert McNamara and his CIA chief John McCone flew to Delhi and met Indian intelligence officials. A division of tasks were undertaken and soon the process of creation of a Tibetan guerrilla force started under the supervision of Intelligence Bureau and CIA. A very seasoned officer of the Indian Army, Major General Sujan Singh Uban, was chosen to be the first Inspector General of the force. Since he was previously the Commander of 22 Mountain Regiment in World War II, the top-secret unit was named as 22 Establishment (Read as Two-Two Establishment). Major General Sujan Singh Uban was considered an expert of guerrilla warfare and a notable leader. The CIA took the responsibility to provide initial support along with battle logistics like arms, ammunition etc. Since ethnic Tibetans have been part of Indian Army since the very beginning, India recruited the fighters with the help of Chushi Gangdruk leaders and very soon the first batch of over 5,000 dreaded Khampa warriors started training under the joint leadership of Indian commando trainers and CIA at a lesser-known location of Chakrata in Uttarakhand. Soon, the organisation was rechristened as Special Frontier Force (SFF) and was put under Intelligence Bureau and later under the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). However, as it is a mystery force, is also known as Vikas by some and the soldiers are called as Vikasi. Very less is known about this mysterious force. Even the Indian Army officials don't know much about them, however, many them go for the deputation to the SFF. Our previous chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, was also the inspector General of SFF during his career. Each soldier of this force including female ones are trained very hard on the lines of a special forces commando on mountain warfare, guerrilla warfare, clandestine operations and intelligence gathering. Each one of them is a trained mountaineer, a highly trained paratrooper and, therefore, an army in himself. The secret force, primarily meant to execute clandestine intelligence gathering, special operations and guerrilla warfare against the Chinese, has tasted the actual battle several times since its inception. Operation Eagle of Chittagong Hill tract in 1971 war is an example where SFF actively participated in the war and lost about 56 of their men including a Dapon (Brigadier). However, they not only fought fiercely but also effectively halted the escape of Pakistani forces into Myanmar which was a strategic victory for us. In the subsequent times this force has reportedly participated in Operation Blue Star, counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir, several intelligence gathering operations in China and some other high value mission. Due to the secrecy of this force, none of these facts are out in the open. A force of such trained people which is considered to be extremely loyal to their Dalai Lama and are ready to die for their lost kingdom of Tibet is certainly a matter of tension for China. You can occupy an area but cannot occupy the minds of the people living there. You must win them. China totally failed on this while occupying Tibet. The Tibet is free in the mind and soul of every Vikasi whenever they sing their Vikasi Song. The English translation is given as below: We are the Vikasi The Chinese snatched Tibet from us and kicked us out from our home Even then, India kept us like their own One day, surely one day we will teach the Chinese a lesson Whenever opportunities arise we will play with our lives In the Siachen glacier we got our second chance Our young martyrs have no sadness whatsoever Whether it is Kargil or Bangladesh we will not lose our strength Whenever opportunities arise we will play with our lives Where there is our Potala Palace and lovely Norbu Lingka The throne of the Dalai Lama was dear even then Remember those martyrs of ours who sacrificed with their lives Let’s sing together Hail to our Tibet! Hail to our Tibet!

22 Establishment: Mysterious force and India's answer to China

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, &ldquo;Next year in Jerusalem.&rdquo; The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the &#39;Promised Land&#39; as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler&#39;s concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem.&nbsp;

For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel&#39;s capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel&#39;s closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

Battle for Jerusalem

Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a &ldquo;battle for Jerusalem&rdquo;. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem&#39;s citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined.&nbsp;

The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod&rsquo;s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade.&nbsp;

Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif.&nbsp;

Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew.&nbsp; He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel&rsquo;s police or armed forces. Saif&#39;s funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews.&nbsp;

My city, your city, our city

President Trump&#39;s announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.&nbsp;

Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way.&nbsp;

But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too.&nbsp;Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman&#39;s decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that &ldquo;armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Whose city is it anyway?

Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time.

Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial.&nbsp;

It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the &#39;sacred heart&#39; of the Christian story.

Jerusalem&#39;s pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian.

President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community.&nbsp;

We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

To fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters, Trump is ready to let an already volatile region go further down the extremist way.?

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, “Next year in Jerusalem.” The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the 'Promised Land' as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler's concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem. For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel's capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel's closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter. Battle for Jerusalem Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a “battle for Jerusalem”. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem's citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined. The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod’s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade. Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif. Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew. He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel’s police or armed forces. Saif's funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews. My city, your city, our city President Trump's announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way. But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too. Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman's decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that “armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.” Whose city is it anyway? Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time. Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial. It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the 'sacred heart' of the Christian story. Jerusalem's pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian. President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community. We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump is wrong; Israel alone can't claim Jerusalem

A new batch of files, mostly secret CIA records, related to the November 1963 assassination of US president John F&nbsp;Kennedy was released by the National Archives on Friday.

Nearly 680 records were made public including 553 never-before-seen files from the Central Intelligence Agency, which had objected to their release previously on national security grounds.

Among the CIA files released were detailed records, for example, of efforts to recruit Soviet diplomats serving in foreign missions, complete with transcripts of wiretaps.&nbsp;

The National Archives said the other documents published online were from the Justice Department, the Defense Department and a House committee which conducted an inquiry into Kennedy&#39;s November 22, 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas.

The official Warren Commission which investigated the slaying of the charismatic 46-year-old president determined that it was carried out by a former Marine Corps sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone.

The commission&#39;s formal conclusion that Oswald killed Kennedy has done little, however, to quell speculation that a more sinister plot was behind the murder of the 35th US president.

Hundreds of books and movies such as the 1991 Oliver Stone film &quot;JFK&quot; have fed the conspiracy industry, pointing the finger at Cold War rivals the Soviet Union or Cuba, the Mafia and even Kennedy&#39;s vice president, Lyndon Johnson.

Kennedy scholars have said the new documents are unlikely to contain any bombshell revelations or put to rest the rampant conspiracy theories.

Friday&#39;s document release by the National Archives is the third this year and in compliance with a 1992 act of Congress that mandated that all Kennedy documents be released within 25 years.

President Donald Trump has given the FBI and CIA six months&nbsp;until April 26, 2018 &nbsp;to make their case for why remaining documents should not be made public.

The National Archives released 2,891 assassination documents on October 26 and 3,810 records on July 24.

Oswald defected to the Soviet Union in 1959 but returned to the United States in 1962.

He was shot to death two days after killing Kennedy by a nightclub owner, Jack Ruby, as he was being transferred from the city jail.

Nearly 680 records were made public including 553 never-before-seen files from the Central Intelligence Agency, which had objected to their release previously on national security grounds

A new batch of files, mostly secret CIA records, related to the November 1963 assassination of US president John F Kennedy was released by the National Archives on Friday. Nearly 680 records were made public including 553 never-before-seen files from the Central Intelligence Agency, which had objected to their release previously on national security grounds. Among the CIA files released were detailed records, for example, of efforts to recruit Soviet diplomats serving in foreign missions, complete with transcripts of wiretaps. The National Archives said the other documents published online were from the Justice Department, the Defense Department and a House committee which conducted an inquiry into Kennedy's November 22, 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas. The official Warren Commission which investigated the slaying of the charismatic 46-year-old president determined that it was carried out by a former Marine Corps sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone. The commission's formal conclusion that Oswald killed Kennedy has done little, however, to quell speculation that a more sinister plot was behind the murder of the 35th US president. Hundreds of books and movies such as the 1991 Oliver Stone film "JFK" have fed the conspiracy industry, pointing the finger at Cold War rivals the Soviet Union or Cuba, the Mafia and even Kennedy's vice president, Lyndon Johnson. Kennedy scholars have said the new documents are unlikely to contain any bombshell revelations or put to rest the rampant conspiracy theories. Friday's document release by the National Archives is the third this year and in compliance with a 1992 act of Congress that mandated that all Kennedy documents be released within 25 years. President Donald Trump has given the FBI and CIA six months until April 26, 2018 to make their case for why remaining documents should not be made public. The National Archives released 2,891 assassination documents on October 26 and 3,810 records on July 24. Oswald defected to the Soviet Union in 1959 but returned to the United States in 1962. He was shot to death two days after killing Kennedy by a nightclub owner, Jack Ruby, as he was being transferred from the city jail.

CIA releases more than 500 secret Kennedy assassination files

More than half a century after US&nbsp;President John F. Kennedy was struck down by an assassin&#39;s bullet in Dallas, Texas, the United States is due on Thursday to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/president-trump-to-allow-release-of-jfk-files-6167.">release the final&nbsp;files</a> on the investigation into the killing that rattled a nation.

Academics who have studied Kennedy&#39;s slaying on Nov. 22, 1963, said they expected the&nbsp;final batch of files to&nbsp;offer&nbsp;no major&nbsp;new&nbsp;details&nbsp;on why Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down the first and only Irish-American Roman Catholic to hold the office.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to be made public</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the?documents?to be made public" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

They also feared that the&nbsp;final&nbsp;batch of more than 5 million total pages on the Kennedy assassination&nbsp;held in the National Archives will do little to quell long-held conspiracy theories that the 46-year-old president&#39;s killing was organized by the Mafia, by Cuba or a cabal of rogue agents.

Thousands of books, articles, TV shows and films have explored the idea that Kennedy assassination&nbsp;was the result of an elaborate conspiracy. None have produced conclusive proof that Oswald, who was shot dead a day after killing Kennedy, worked with anyone else, though they retain a powerful cultural currency.

&quot;My students are really sceptical that Oswald was the lone assassin,&quot; said Patrick Maney, a professor of history at Boston College. &quot;It&#39;s hard to get our minds around this, that someone like a loner, a loser, could on his own have murdered Kennedy and changed the course of world history. But that&#39;s where the evidence is.&quot;

In 1992, Congress ordered that all records relating to the investigation into Kennedy&#39;s death should be open to the public, and set a&nbsp;final&nbsp;deadline of Oct. 26, 2017, for the entire set to be made public.

President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to be made public.

The&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to be released on Thursday will likely focus on efforts by the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine what contact Oswald had with spies from Cuba and the former Soviet Union on a trip to Mexico City in September 1963, experts said.

&quot;There was a real concern that Oswald was maybe in league with the Soviet Union,&quot; Maney said.

Kennedy&#39;s&nbsp;assassination&nbsp;was the first in a string of politically motivated killings, including those of his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., that stunned the United States during the turbulent 1960s. He remains one of the most admired US&nbsp;presidents.

Academics who have studied Kennedy's killing on Nov 22, 1963 said they expected the?final batch of files to?offer?no major?new?details?on why Lee Harvey Oswald gunned Kennedy down

More than half a century after US President John F. Kennedy was struck down by an assassin's bullet in Dallas, Texas, the United States is due on Thursday to release the final files on the investigation into the killing that rattled a nation. Academics who have studied Kennedy's slaying on Nov. 22, 1963, said they expected the final batch of files to offer no major new details on why Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down the first and only Irish-American Roman Catholic to hold the office. Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the documents to be made public × They also feared that the final batch of more than 5 million total pages on the Kennedy assassination held in the National Archives will do little to quell long-held conspiracy theories that the 46-year-old president's killing was organized by the Mafia, by Cuba or a cabal of rogue agents. Thousands of books, articles, TV shows and films have explored the idea that Kennedy assassination was the result of an elaborate conspiracy. None have produced conclusive proof that Oswald, who was shot dead a day after killing Kennedy, worked with anyone else, though they retain a powerful cultural currency. "My students are really sceptical that Oswald was the lone assassin," said Patrick Maney, a professor of history at Boston College. "It's hard to get our minds around this, that someone like a loner, a loser, could on his own have murdered Kennedy and changed the course of world history. But that's where the evidence is." In 1992, Congress ordered that all records relating to the investigation into Kennedy's death should be open to the public, and set a final deadline of Oct. 26, 2017, for the entire set to be made public. President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the documents to be made public. The documents to be released on Thursday will likely focus on efforts by the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine what contact Oswald had with spies from Cuba and the former Soviet Union on a trip to Mexico City in September 1963, experts said. "There was a real concern that Oswald was maybe in league with the Soviet Union," Maney said. Kennedy's assassination was the first in a string of politically motivated killings, including those of his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., that stunned the United States during the turbulent 1960s. He remains one of the most admired US presidents.

John F Kennedy assassination: Final files on investigation to be released

A dog named Lulu has flunked out of a CIA bomb-sniffing course, with the spy agency saying that despite a series of perks it just wasn`t her line of work.

&quot;A few weeks into training, Lulu began to show signs that she wasn`t interested in detecting explosive odors,&quot; the CIA said in a statement.

In CIA photos, Lulu appears to be a black Labrador retriever.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
As the K9 class was only in the imprint stage of training when Lulu left, we were able to bring on a new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CIAK9?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CIAK9</a> &amp; catch them up on training. <a href="https://t.co/DSdDJDmtfY">pic.twitter.com/DSdDJDmtfY</a>
&mdash; CIA (@CIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/CIA/status/921127161347690496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Just like people trying to learn something new, dogs have good days and bad days. But Lulu never got into bomb-sniffing, even when motivated with food or play, it added.

&quot;She was clearly not enjoying herself any longer,&quot; the CIA said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
ICYMI: 
Lulu is no longer training, but was adopted by her handler &amp; currently living her best life in retirement.<a href="https://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb">https://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb</a> <a href="https://t.co/V3yRv5Tna9">pic.twitter.com/V3yRv5Tna9</a>
&mdash; CIA (@CIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/CIA/status/921126719037329408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

As per custom with the agency`s K9 dropouts, Lulu was adopted by her handler, the agency said.

"A few weeks into training, Lulu began to show signs that she wasn`t interested in detecting explosive odors," the CIA said in a statement.

A dog named Lulu has flunked out of a CIA bomb-sniffing course, with the spy agency saying that despite a series of perks it just wasn`t her line of work. "A few weeks into training, Lulu began to show signs that she wasn`t interested in detecting explosive odors," the CIA said in a statement. In CIA photos, Lulu appears to be a black Labrador retriever. As the K9 class was only in the imprint stage of training when Lulu left, we were able to bring on a new #CIAK9 & catch them up on training. pic.twitter.com/DSdDJDmtfY — CIA (@CIA) October 19, 2017 × Just like people trying to learn something new, dogs have good days and bad days. But Lulu never got into bomb-sniffing, even when motivated with food or play, it added. "She was clearly not enjoying herself any longer," the CIA said. ICYMI: Lulu is no longer training, but was adopted by her handler & currently living her best life in retirement.https://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb pic.twitter.com/V3yRv5Tna9 — CIA (@CIA) October 19, 2017 × As per custom with the agency`s K9 dropouts, Lulu was adopted by her handler, the agency said.

CIA cans K9 trainee that flunks smell test

It first happened in 2009, again&nbsp;in 2012 and then it repeated itself in 2016. Three times in a span of seven years, Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian films actor was detained at the US airport and no form of wealth, success or fame could help him evade this situation.

Have you ever wondered what went wrong with a man who has achieved globally acknowledged stardom? Do you buy into the logic of it just being plain and regular protocol? &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I fully understand &amp; respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.
&mdash; Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/763894690093473793">August 12, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

 
&nbsp;Well, what happened to Shah Rukh Khan was not just an unfortunate incident but also a part of a larger mesh of issues concerning privacy, security and safety, both online and offline. It is the outcome of surveillance in the digital age where data points &nbsp;are fed to&nbsp;the system, while grossly ignoring everything about the personality and character of an individual. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In Khan&rsquo;s case, every other factor of him being a superstar, who travels in a business class, is loved by people all around the world was superseded by the data points that matched to someone who has a criminal history or can trigger false alarms. The data points that were picked up were: male, Muslim name, Indian, and from a certain age.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

Now imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today. The image that these systems have of us is warped and is just based on these data points that are monitored by intelligence agencies. According to this, all of us can fall into one category or another and be framed for something we have not committed.

The Constant Gaze 
&nbsp; 
Anja Kovacs who directs The Internet Democracy Project in India focuses on the Internet and human rights issues. The movement discusses the interplay of issues that most of us choose to ignore, of a state of constant surveillance, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/data-privacy-in-modern-day-context-11906">data privacy issues&nbsp;</a>and government control of access and usage of the Internet.

She says, &quot;India is not an exceptional situation but because it&rsquo;s a diverse country--contradictions and inequalities are visible here. Challenges are more in your face here. Context is more visible.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In this context, she talks about how surveillance functions. She says, &ldquo;The way it actually works is that somebody is watching you but what it essentially aims to do, is to police norms. Those who set these norms are often the ones who are watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave. The thing about norms is that people say that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear but all of this would be on the wrong side of the norm at some point. In the case of Shahrukh Khan, the information about him was denuded in such a way that the data points that did show up flagged him as a potential threat, even if he had not done anything.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>It&#39;s not just about someone watching you but policing norms. Those who set these norms are the ones watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=It's not just about someone watching you but policing norms. Those who set these norms are the ones watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

Discussing the nitty-gritty and compulsions of living in the digital age, we came to the conclusion that surveillance is more rampant now as more cameras are being put in place everywhere and more number of companies are tracking us online--and that makes us all very uncomfortable.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
What&rsquo;s dangerous for a democracy to sustain, is that the government has access to all our data and whether they have a good reason or not, they continue to watch us.

Game of Algorithms 
&nbsp; 
Anja adds, &ldquo;They won&rsquo;t go and check what I am talking about but if I talk about terrorism too often, and I am connected to other people who are talking about terrorism then at some point they might start looking into my profile. For example, there has been a case in New York where a family found the US government joint terrorism task force at its doorstep because they had been googling the phrases &#39;pressure cooker bomb&#39; and &#39;backpack&#39;. The law enforcement agencies picked up on a white middle-class American family of parents and one small kid for googling those phrases. For the agencies, this flashed as an indication that they were likely to be making a bomb. Imagine the US police force wearing black suits entering a private property only to find nothing. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;This happens in a corporate scenario as well but the consequences aren&rsquo;t the same. Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways, to try and get us to do certain things. That&#39;s why at one point last year; Facebook had announced that they are tweaking their algorithms, as people are not sharing enough personal updates. We don&#39;t know whether they were successful in getting people to share but we do know that Facebook wanted people to share more, as they wanted to do something.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text= Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;&ldquo;It&#39;s dangerous to see what they can do with the algorithms, like how they use it to drive political campaigns during elections and move towards targeted campaigns. In America for example, in this year&rsquo;s elections, if we were seen as potential Trump supporters and possible voters, the messages we would get would be different because our profiles are different, unlike the earlier times when potential voters of a single party would receive same messaging.&rdquo;

<h3>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/edge/humour-to-the-rescue-memes-flood-internet-post-us-election-8595">Humour to the rescue: Memes flood Internet post-US election</a> 
&nbsp;</h3>

But not all is negative in this forever connected world. Surveillance vests power in the watcher and using this, the dynamics can change with different actors at play. She narrates how some slum colonies in Delhi where riots happened used surveillance as a tool for their benefit. The community itself bought CCTV cameras because they got fed up with the police arresting boys from the neighbourhood and blaming them for riots while according to the locals, the actual violence was committed by people outside of the community. She says, &ldquo;They wanted to be in a situation where they can provide proof in future instances, so they reversed the gaze.&rdquo;&nbsp;

While surveillance continues at every level, be it in the workplace or public spaces; the kind that government indulges in online, is always riskier. The government of any country has the right to keep a check but it &ldquo;ideally should happen only after the State has a suspicion on a person of a crime or any such affiliation&rdquo;. In earlier times, the system didn&rsquo;t necessarily work but &ldquo;at least in theory there were some checks and balances that didn&rsquo;t give enormous power to those doing the watching&rdquo;. 
&nbsp; 
Anja adds, &ldquo;It means that as a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised. We are not only just expecting it to happen but are more conscious and aware of our surroundings--how to behave in public spaces, what to say on social media, what data to pull out and etc.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>As a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=As a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

How Open is the Internet? 
&nbsp; 
A part of a movement that aims to make the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/curb-on-online-speech-threat-to-open-internet-says-international-report-892">&nbsp;Internet free and a democratic space for all</a>, Anja explains that there is also something called nudging in public policy. Facebook also does nudging through tweaks to the algorithms so that they can incentivise you to do particular things.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Similarly, the Planning Commission of India, Niti Aayog also has a nudging unit now. She says, &ldquo;What they want to do is to use data of popular government schemes and tweak them slightly so that more&nbsp;people can benefit from the policies. So nudging can be used for positive means as well but you can easily use it for negative purposes. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;There is no idea of what is being done with our data and who keeps a check. So it&rsquo;s not just the traditional form of surveillance where they are watching people to catch them when they do something wrong but it&rsquo;s really also about the insidious ways in which they are shaping the society, shaping people to do stuff without them knowing. As citizens, that&rsquo;s a problem.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
While surveillance is an issue that needs urgent attention and scope for active and open discussions, there is also a big question around how open the Internet really is? 
&nbsp; 
Anja simply answers that it depends on ways on how you use the Internet. She says, &ldquo;There are still some ways of using the Internet that is much more decentralised where you have more control on your data but it&rsquo;s a little bit more complex. There&rsquo;s a reason why so many of us ended up on platforms like Facebook and Twitter as they made sharing of content so easy. But it&rsquo;s true that there has been a shift to more and more centralisation on the Internet even though the technology remains decentralised.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
She emphasises on focusing on how these big companies are trying to escape regulations everywhere and how they are able to become so big without anybody questioning them. She adds, &ldquo;Even Microsoft was put into antitrust regulations in the late 90&rsquo;s because they had bundled Explorer in every system. Explorer is still installed in every Windows system but we now have the choice of using or not using it. Managing a very strong presence in browsers they had left users with no option. People complained that Microsoft was forcing them to use their own ecosystems in too many ways. The reason&nbsp;as to why many use Firefox or Chrome&nbsp;instead of Explorer is as a result of that.&rdquo;

Cyber Security&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
When online we are usually privy to the eyes of many, even after checks and balances have been put in place. This concern gives fodder to cyber security, a term that is often used when talking about online safety for the weak and vulnerable.

<h3>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/edge/are-we-going-to-lose-our-jobs-to-robots-11850">Are we going to lose our jobs to robots?</a></h3>

&nbsp;

Anja, however, is not pleased with the existing discourse on cyber security. She says, &ldquo;The way it is present now--don&rsquo;t do this, don&rsquo;t do that is not helpful and it starts to become more like what we see in the offline space. Don&rsquo;t wear this when you are out, don&rsquo;t be out in the night etc., whereas if we want to make the Internet a safe place this is not the right approach. It&rsquo;s good to be conscious of what you are sharing, who you are sharing it with. You have to be smart. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach and currently, that is what it sounds like. We have to learn basics of risk assessment, to think about what are the threats in my life, actors that I should be worried about.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/image%20tweeted%20out%20by%20alyssa%20(1)-20170608072750.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
National Cyber Security Policy 2013 (Source: Internet Democracy Project) (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;&ldquo;We have seen in many accounts that parents are complaining about how their children have no sense of privacy and they also complain about children not sharing enough with them. So, clearly the children have a sense of privacy but who they see as threat actors while who their parents think are threat actors are completely different. As children, they see their parents as threat actors and stop sharing information with them. Parents think random strangers are threat actors.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
This also emboldens the fact that people must understand the consequences of what they do online and take informed decisions. Lurking dangers of the new-age technology are glaring and it is upon us to make informed choices, to completely avoid or at least diminish the loss value attached to any attack via the Internet. 
&nbsp; 
Starting in 2011, The Internet Democracy Project has been focusing on the Internet and human rights issues. Their focus is on bringing together the domain of technology with ideas of democracy and social justice. However, in a world where authoritarian tendencies trump democratic values and promises of social justice are yet to be realised, it is a still a long road before misuses&nbsp;of technology can be stopped by brining in more accountability in the surveillance system. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;(WION)

We need to find out who decides who is watching whom in online surveillance and what they are doing with all the data collected?

It first happened in 2009, again in 2012 and then it repeated itself in 2016. Three times in a span of seven years, Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian films actor was detained at the US airport and no form of wealth, success or fame could help him evade this situation. Have you ever wondered what went wrong with a man who has achieved globally acknowledged stardom? Do you buy into the logic of it just being plain and regular protocol? I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks. — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016 × Well, what happened to Shah Rukh Khan was not just an unfortunate incident but also a part of a larger mesh of issues concerning privacy, security and safety, both online and offline. It is the outcome of surveillance in the digital age where data points are fed to the system, while grossly ignoring everything about the personality and character of an individual. In Khan’s case, every other factor of him being a superstar, who travels in a business class, is loved by people all around the world was superseded by the data points that matched to someone who has a criminal history or can trigger false alarms. The data points that were picked up were: male, Muslim name, Indian, and from a certain age. Imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today. × Now imagine Brad Pitt coming to India and being taken aside as a potential terrorist. This is how dangerous our world is today. The image that these systems have of us is warped and is just based on these data points that are monitored by intelligence agencies. According to this, all of us can fall into one category or another and be framed for something we have not committed. The Constant Gaze Anja Kovacs who directs The Internet Democracy Project in India focuses on the Internet and human rights issues. The movement discusses the interplay of issues that most of us choose to ignore, of a state of constant surveillance, data privacy issues and government control of access and usage of the Internet. She says, "India is not an exceptional situation but because it’s a diverse country--contradictions and inequalities are visible here. Challenges are more in your face here. Context is more visible." In this context, she talks about how surveillance functions. She says, “The way it actually works is that somebody is watching you but what it essentially aims to do, is to police norms. Those who set these norms are often the ones who are watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave. The thing about norms is that people say that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear but all of this would be on the wrong side of the norm at some point. In the case of Shahrukh Khan, the information about him was denuded in such a way that the data points that did show up flagged him as a potential threat, even if he had not done anything.” It's not just about someone watching you but policing norms. Those who set these norms are the ones watching and they decide how those who are being watched should behave. × Discussing the nitty-gritty and compulsions of living in the digital age, we came to the conclusion that surveillance is more rampant now as more cameras are being put in place everywhere and more number of companies are tracking us online--and that makes us all very uncomfortable. What’s dangerous for a democracy to sustain, is that the government has access to all our data and whether they have a good reason or not, they continue to watch us. Game of Algorithms Anja adds, “They won’t go and check what I am talking about but if I talk about terrorism too often, and I am connected to other people who are talking about terrorism then at some point they might start looking into my profile. For example, there has been a case in New York where a family found the US government joint terrorism task force at its doorstep because they had been googling the phrases 'pressure cooker bomb' and 'backpack'. The law enforcement agencies picked up on a white middle-class American family of parents and one small kid for googling those phrases. For the agencies, this flashed as an indication that they were likely to be making a bomb. Imagine the US police force wearing black suits entering a private property only to find nothing. “This happens in a corporate scenario as well but the consequences aren’t the same. Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways, to try and get us to do certain things. That's why at one point last year; Facebook had announced that they are tweaking their algorithms, as people are not sharing enough personal updates. We don't know whether they were successful in getting people to share but we do know that Facebook wanted people to share more, as they wanted to do something. Facebook cannot throw you in jail but they along with other corporations are trying to shape your behaviour in insidious ways × “It's dangerous to see what they can do with the algorithms, like how they use it to drive political campaigns during elections and move towards targeted campaigns. In America for example, in this year’s elections, if we were seen as potential Trump supporters and possible voters, the messages we would get would be different because our profiles are different, unlike the earlier times when potential voters of a single party would receive same messaging.” Also Read: Humour to the rescue: Memes flood Internet post-US election But not all is negative in this forever connected world. Surveillance vests power in the watcher and using this, the dynamics can change with different actors at play. She narrates how some slum colonies in Delhi where riots happened used surveillance as a tool for their benefit. The community itself bought CCTV cameras because they got fed up with the police arresting boys from the neighbourhood and blaming them for riots while according to the locals, the actual violence was committed by people outside of the community. She says, “They wanted to be in a situation where they can provide proof in future instances, so they reversed the gaze.” While surveillance continues at every level, be it in the workplace or public spaces; the kind that government indulges in online, is always riskier. The government of any country has the right to keep a check but it “ideally should happen only after the State has a suspicion on a person of a crime or any such affiliation”. In earlier times, the system didn’t necessarily work but “at least in theory there were some checks and balances that didn’t give enormous power to those doing the watching”. Anja adds, “It means that as a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised. We are not only just expecting it to happen but are more conscious and aware of our surroundings--how to behave in public spaces, what to say on social media, what data to pull out and etc.” As a society we have less and less control over setting the norms because somebody has set the norm and if we behave out of it, we will be penalised. × How Open is the Internet? A part of a movement that aims to make the Internet free and a democratic space for all, Anja explains that there is also something called nudging in public policy. Facebook also does nudging through tweaks to the algorithms so that they can incentivise you to do particular things. Similarly, the Planning Commission of India, Niti Aayog also has a nudging unit now. She says, “What they want to do is to use data of popular government schemes and tweak them slightly so that more people can benefit from the policies. So nudging can be used for positive means as well but you can easily use it for negative purposes. "There is no idea of what is being done with our data and who keeps a check. So it’s not just the traditional form of surveillance where they are watching people to catch them when they do something wrong but it’s really also about the insidious ways in which they are shaping the society, shaping people to do stuff without them knowing. As citizens, that’s a problem.” While surveillance is an issue that needs urgent attention and scope for active and open discussions, there is also a big question around how open the Internet really is? Anja simply answers that it depends on ways on how you use the Internet. She says, “There are still some ways of using the Internet that is much more decentralised where you have more control on your data but it’s a little bit more complex. There’s a reason why so many of us ended up on platforms like Facebook and Twitter as they made sharing of content so easy. But it’s true that there has been a shift to more and more centralisation on the Internet even though the technology remains decentralised.” She emphasises on focusing on how these big companies are trying to escape regulations everywhere and how they are able to become so big without anybody questioning them. She adds, “Even Microsoft was put into antitrust regulations in the late 90’s because they had bundled Explorer in every system. Explorer is still installed in every Windows system but we now have the choice of using or not using it. Managing a very strong presence in browsers they had left users with no option. People complained that Microsoft was forcing them to use their own ecosystems in too many ways. The reason as to why many use Firefox or Chrome instead of Explorer is as a result of that.” Cyber Security When online we are usually privy to the eyes of many, even after checks and balances have been put in place. This concern gives fodder to cyber security, a term that is often used when talking about online safety for the weak and vulnerable. Also Read: Are we going to lose our jobs to robots? Anja, however, is not pleased with the existing discourse on cyber security. She says, “The way it is present now--don’t do this, don’t do that is not helpful and it starts to become more like what we see in the offline space. Don’t wear this when you are out, don’t be out in the night etc., whereas if we want to make the Internet a safe place this is not the right approach. It’s good to be conscious of what you are sharing, who you are sharing it with. You have to be smart. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach and currently, that is what it sounds like. We have to learn basics of risk assessment, to think about what are the threats in my life, actors that I should be worried about. National Cyber Security Policy 2013 (Source: Internet Democracy Project) (WION) × “We have seen in many accounts that parents are complaining about how their children have no sense of privacy and they also complain about children not sharing enough with them. So, clearly the children have a sense of privacy but who they see as threat actors while who their parents think are threat actors are completely different. As children, they see their parents as threat actors and stop sharing information with them. Parents think random strangers are threat actors.” This also emboldens the fact that people must understand the consequences of what they do online and take informed decisions. Lurking dangers of the new-age technology are glaring and it is upon us to make informed choices, to completely avoid or at least diminish the loss value attached to any attack via the Internet. Starting in 2011, The Internet Democracy Project has been focusing on the Internet and human rights issues. Their focus is on bringing together the domain of technology with ideas of democracy and social justice. However, in a world where authoritarian tendencies trump democratic values and promises of social justice are yet to be realised, it is a still a long road before misuses of technology can be stopped by brining in more accountability in the surveillance system. (WION)

Do you feel the gaze? We all are being watched

Former CIA director John Brennan said Tuesday he became increasingly concerned last summer over contacts between Donald Trump`s campaign officials and Moscow, as a Russian effort to interfere with the US presidential election became evident.

Brennan`s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee gave a much clearer view of how seriously US intelligence took the Russian threat, and why the FBI began investigating it in July, well before the American public was aware of the allegations.

&quot;I encountered and became aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and US persons involved in the Trump campaign,&quot; Brennan said.

&quot;I know what the Russians try to do,&quot; he told the committee. &quot;They try to suborn individuals and they try to get individuals, including US persons, to act on their behalf either wittingly or unwittingly.&quot;

&quot;Frequently, individuals on a treasonous path do not even realise they`re on that path until it gets to be too late,&quot; he added.

Brennan said he delivered a stiff telephone warning to his Russian counterpart, the head of the FSB spy agency, against meddling in early August, two months before US intelligence chiefs went public with their belief that Russia was trying to manipulate the election in Trump&#39;s favour.

&quot;I said American voters would be outraged by any attempt to interfere in the election,&quot; Brennan said of the August 4 call.

&quot;I warned him that if Russia pursued this course, it would destroy any near-term prospect for improvement of relations and would undermine constructive engagement even on matters of mutual interest.&quot;

Brennan did not cite the names of the Trump aides that US intelligence agencies had eyed for their Russia contacts. He also said that, when he stepped down from the CIA as Trump took office, he still did not know if there had been collusion.

&quot;By the time I left office on January 20, I had unresolved questions in my mind as to whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting US persons involved in the campaign or not to work on their behalf,&quot; he said.

Nevertheless, he said, &quot;It should be clear to everyone that Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election process.&quot;

&quot;And that they undertook the activities despite our strong protests and explicit warning they not do so.&quot;

Brennan&#39;s comments came as investigations by the Justice Department and several Congressional committees into Russian interference increasingly focus on several people tied to the president.&nbsp;

A number of former Trump aides have been summoned to testify by Congress and a grand jury.After the former CIA chief spoke, the White House again denied any links to Moscow.

&quot;This morning`s hearings back up what we`ve been saying all along: that despite a year of investigation, there is still no evidence of any Russia-Trump campaign collusion,&quot; a spokesman said.

The hearing came a day after Trump`s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, defied a subpoena to provide the Senate Intelligence Committee documents on his Russia ties.

It also came after The Washington Post reported that Trump had pressed his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers to publicly deny any evidence of ties between his campaign and Russia.

Both refused, the Post said.&nbsp;

At a separate hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, Coats, who was appointed by Trump, sidestepped questions about the Post report.

&quot;I have always believed that given the nature of my position and the information which we share, it`s not appropriate for me to comment publicly on any of that,&quot; he said.

Brennan also meanwhile addressed news reports that Trump, in an Oval Office meeting this month with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, shared highly classified information provided by a US ally about the Islamic State group.

If these reports are true, he said, Trump would have violated two intelligence protocols -- the need to share such information through established intelligence channels, and the need to warn the country which provided it, so as not to jeopardize sources or methods.

&quot;It appears, at least from the press reports, that neither did it go in the proper channels nor did the originating agency have the opportunity to clear language for it,&quot; Brennan said.

(AFP)

Brennan`s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee gave a much clearer view of how seriously US intelligence took the Russian threat

Former CIA director John Brennan said Tuesday he became increasingly concerned last summer over contacts between Donald Trump`s campaign officials and Moscow, as a Russian effort to interfere with the US presidential election became evident. Brennan`s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee gave a much clearer view of how seriously US intelligence took the Russian threat, and why the FBI began investigating it in July, well before the American public was aware of the allegations. "I encountered and became aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and US persons involved in the Trump campaign," Brennan said. "I know what the Russians try to do," he told the committee. "They try to suborn individuals and they try to get individuals, including US persons, to act on their behalf either wittingly or unwittingly." "Frequently, individuals on a treasonous path do not even realise they`re on that path until it gets to be too late," he added. Brennan said he delivered a stiff telephone warning to his Russian counterpart, the head of the FSB spy agency, against meddling in early August, two months before US intelligence chiefs went public with their belief that Russia was trying to manipulate the election in Trump's favour. "I said American voters would be outraged by any attempt to interfere in the election," Brennan said of the August 4 call. "I warned him that if Russia pursued this course, it would destroy any near-term prospect for improvement of relations and would undermine constructive engagement even on matters of mutual interest." Brennan did not cite the names of the Trump aides that US intelligence agencies had eyed for their Russia contacts. He also said that, when he stepped down from the CIA as Trump took office, he still did not know if there had been collusion. "By the time I left office on January 20, I had unresolved questions in my mind as to whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting US persons involved in the campaign or not to work on their behalf," he said. Nevertheless, he said, "It should be clear to everyone that Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election process." "And that they undertook the activities despite our strong protests and explicit warning they not do so." Brennan's comments came as investigations by the Justice Department and several Congressional committees into Russian interference increasingly focus on several people tied to the president. A number of former Trump aides have been summoned to testify by Congress and a grand jury.After the former CIA chief spoke, the White House again denied any links to Moscow. "This morning`s hearings back up what we`ve been saying all along: that despite a year of investigation, there is still no evidence of any Russia-Trump campaign collusion," a spokesman said. The hearing came a day after Trump`s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, defied a subpoena to provide the Senate Intelligence Committee documents on his Russia ties. It also came after The Washington Post reported that Trump had pressed his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers to publicly deny any evidence of ties between his campaign and Russia. Both refused, the Post said. At a separate hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, Coats, who was appointed by Trump, sidestepped questions about the Post report. "I have always believed that given the nature of my position and the information which we share, it`s not appropriate for me to comment publicly on any of that," he said. Brennan also meanwhile addressed news reports that Trump, in an Oval Office meeting this month with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, shared highly classified information provided by a US ally about the Islamic State group. If these reports are true, he said, Trump would have violated two intelligence protocols -- the need to share such information through established intelligence channels, and the need to warn the country which provided it, so as not to jeopardize sources or methods. "It appears, at least from the press reports, that neither did it go in the proper channels nor did the originating agency have the opportunity to clear language for it," Brennan said. (AFP)

Former CIA chief John Brennan warned Russian counterpart against meddling in US elections last year

North Korea on Friday accused the&nbsp;CIA&nbsp;and Seoul&#39;s intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate the isolated country&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un with a biochemical weapon, amid heightened tensions in the region.

In a statement the powerful ministry of state security, said it had foiled a &quot;vicious plot&quot; by a &quot;hideous terrorists&#39; group&quot; to attack the North&#39;s &quot;supreme leadership&quot;.

The accusations come with the US and North trading threats over the latter&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes, and as Washington considers whether to re-designate Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism.

That follows the killing of Kim&#39;s estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using the banned nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur international airport.&nbsp;

Both Malaysia and South Korea have blamed the North for the assassination, which retorts that the accusations are an attempt to smear it.

The security ministry statement, carried on the North&#39;s official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), said the&nbsp;CIA&nbsp;and the South&#39;s intelligence had suborned, bribed and blackmailed a North Korean citizen named only as Kim to carry out the attack.

Possible locations included the mausoleum where Kim Jong-Un&#39;s father and grandfather -- the North&#39;s founder -- lie in state, or a military parade.

Such an operation would be extremely difficult to prepare and carry out successfully. The North&#39;s leader is surrounded by tight security at all times, and Pyongyang maintains a gigantic surveillance system over its own population that is ingrained at every level of society, where open dissent is unknown.

The&nbsp;CIA&nbsp;told its agent, named Kim, it had access to radioactive and &quot;nano poisonous&quot; substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months, the statement said.

Kim -- described as &quot;human scum&quot; -- received payments totalling at least $740,000 and was given satellite transceivers and other materials and equipment, it said.

He had multiple contacts with South Korean intelligence personnel, and an accomplice who had a Chinese-sounding name, Xu Guanghai of the Qingdao Nazca Trade Co.

Checks on China&#39;s National Enterprise Credit Information system show that a company of that name was formed on March 7 this year, with a Xu Guanghai named as its legal representative, and business areas including &quot;chemical products&quot;.

No details were given in the ministry statement of how the supposed plot was uncovered, or of Kim&#39;s fate. But in a potential sign of an internal purge, it said that the ministry will &quot;ferret out and mercilessly destroy the terrorists&quot;.&nbsp;

&#39;Empire of evil&#39;

The lurid accusations come with Pyongyang and Washington at loggerheads over the North&#39;s banned weapons programmes, which have seen it subjected to multiple sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions.

Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion, has carried out a series of missile launches and threatened a sixth atomic test, while the administration of new US President Donald Trump has said that military action was an &quot;option on the table&quot; -- raising fears of a spiralling conflict.

The alleged plot was a &quot;hideous crime&quot; the security ministry said, and tantamount to &quot;the declaration of a war&quot;.&nbsp;

The statement came hours after the US House of Representatives in Washington voted to broaden US sanctions against the North.

The measure, which now heads for the Senate, also gave the Trump administration 90 days to determine whether Pyongyang should be re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, after it was removed from the list in 2008.

The North Korean statement described the US as a state sponsor of terrorism itself, and an &quot;empire of evil&quot;.

Analysts said the accusations could be a pre-emptive attempt to try to dissuade Washington from any attempt at a surgical strike on its leadership, as suggested by some commentators.

The North believes the US and South are seeking to assassinate Kim, said Professor Koh Yu-Hwan of Dongguk University.

It was &quot;unimaginable that individuals can get close enough to Kim to harm him in light of supertight security there&quot;, he told AFP.

But the allegation was also &quot;aimed at keeping its people on their toes and strengthening its grip on them&quot;, and intended &quot;to distance itself from the assassination of Jong-Nam who was killed by a chemical weapon&quot;.

North Korean commandos infiltrated Seoul in January 1968 in a failed attempt to assassinate its then leader Park Chung-Hee. Bullet holes are still visible on a tree above the presidential Blue House.

(AFP)

According to North Korean officials, the?CIA?told its agent, named Kim, it had access to radioactive and "nano poisonous" substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months

North Korea on Friday accused the CIA and Seoul's intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate the isolated country's leader Kim Jong-Un with a biochemical weapon, amid heightened tensions in the region. In a statement the powerful ministry of state security, said it had foiled a "vicious plot" by a "hideous terrorists' group" to attack the North's "supreme leadership". The accusations come with the US and North trading threats over the latter's nuclear and missile programmes, and as Washington considers whether to re-designate Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism. That follows the killing of Kim's estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using the banned nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur international airport. Both Malaysia and South Korea have blamed the North for the assassination, which retorts that the accusations are an attempt to smear it. The security ministry statement, carried on the North's official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), said the CIA and the South's intelligence had suborned, bribed and blackmailed a North Korean citizen named only as Kim to carry out the attack. Possible locations included the mausoleum where Kim Jong-Un's father and grandfather -- the North's founder -- lie in state, or a military parade. Such an operation would be extremely difficult to prepare and carry out successfully. The North's leader is surrounded by tight security at all times, and Pyongyang maintains a gigantic surveillance system over its own population that is ingrained at every level of society, where open dissent is unknown. The CIA told its agent, named Kim, it had access to radioactive and "nano poisonous" substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months, the statement said. Kim -- described as "human scum" -- received payments totalling at least $740,000 and was given satellite transceivers and other materials and equipment, it said. He had multiple contacts with South Korean intelligence personnel, and an accomplice who had a Chinese-sounding name, Xu Guanghai of the Qingdao Nazca Trade Co. Checks on China's National Enterprise Credit Information system show that a company of that name was formed on March 7 this year, with a Xu Guanghai named as its legal representative, and business areas including "chemical products". No details were given in the ministry statement of how the supposed plot was uncovered, or of Kim's fate. But in a potential sign of an internal purge, it said that the ministry will "ferret out and mercilessly destroy the terrorists". 'Empire of evil' The lurid accusations come with Pyongyang and Washington at loggerheads over the North's banned weapons programmes, which have seen it subjected to multiple sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions. Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion, has carried out a series of missile launches and threatened a sixth atomic test, while the administration of new US President Donald Trump has said that military action was an "option on the table" -- raising fears of a spiralling conflict. The alleged plot was a "hideous crime" the security ministry said, and tantamount to "the declaration of a war". The statement came hours after the US House of Representatives in Washington voted to broaden US sanctions against the North. The measure, which now heads for the Senate, also gave the Trump administration 90 days to determine whether Pyongyang should be re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, after it was removed from the list in 2008. The North Korean statement described the US as a state sponsor of terrorism itself, and an "empire of evil". Analysts said the accusations could be a pre-emptive attempt to try to dissuade Washington from any attempt at a surgical strike on its leadership, as suggested by some commentators. The North believes the US and South are seeking to assassinate Kim, said Professor Koh Yu-Hwan of Dongguk University. It was "unimaginable that individuals can get close enough to Kim to harm him in light of supertight security there", he told AFP. But the allegation was also "aimed at keeping its people on their toes and strengthening its grip on them", and intended "to distance itself from the assassination of Jong-Nam who was killed by a chemical weapon". North Korean commandos infiltrated Seoul in January 1968 in a failed attempt to assassinate its then leader Park Chung-Hee. Bullet holes are still visible on a tree above the presidential Blue House. (AFP)

North Korea accuses CIA, Seoul of plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un

The CIA had evidence that Russia was interfering in the 2016 US election to boost Donald Trump earlier than previously thought, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Russia&#39;s interference was not made public until months after Trump&#39;s November 8 election victory, with US intelligence chiefs openly accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of masterminding a hacking and disinformation campaign to skew the election results.

Citing former government officials, The Times said secret briefings much earlier in the presidential campaign had revealed Russia&#39;s move to support Trump -- as well as divergence between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is in charge of counterintelligence.

FBI senior officials had held that Russian hacks of Democratic Party communications were aimed at disrupting the election, without the specific goal of electing Trump. The agency later reached the same conclusion as the CIA.

John Brennan, the former head of the CIA, began in August secretly briefing top members of Congress on early, CIA-detected signs of possible collusion between Trump&#39;s inner circle and the Russians.

The FBI confirmed in March that it was probing whether Trump campaign aides had worked with the Russian effort to influence the election.

Two congressional intelligence committees have also launched investigations into the allegations.

Trump has vehemently denied accusations of collusion, and so far no evidence has publicly surfaced.

(AFP)

The NYT said the ex-CIA chief was secretly briefing Congress members on possible collusion between Trump's campaign & the Russians in August

The CIA had evidence that Russia was interfering in the 2016 US election to boost Donald Trump earlier than previously thought, the New York Times reported Thursday. Russia's interference was not made public until months after Trump's November 8 election victory, with US intelligence chiefs openly accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of masterminding a hacking and disinformation campaign to skew the election results. Citing former government officials, The Times said secret briefings much earlier in the presidential campaign had revealed Russia's move to support Trump -- as well as divergence between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is in charge of counterintelligence. FBI senior officials had held that Russian hacks of Democratic Party communications were aimed at disrupting the election, without the specific goal of electing Trump. The agency later reached the same conclusion as the CIA. John Brennan, the former head of the CIA, began in August secretly briefing top members of Congress on early, CIA-detected signs of possible collusion between Trump's inner circle and the Russians. The FBI confirmed in March that it was probing whether Trump campaign aides had worked with the Russian effort to influence the election. Two congressional intelligence committees have also launched investigations into the allegations. Trump has vehemently denied accusations of collusion, and so far no evidence has publicly surfaced. (AFP)

CIA had evidence of Russian interference much before US election: Report

Wikileaks will provide technology companies with exclusive access to CIA hacking tools that it possesses so they can patch software flaws, founder Julian Assange said, presenting Silicon Valley with a potential dilemma on how to deal with the anti-secrecy group.

If the offer is legitimate, it would place technology companies in the unusual position of relying on Assange, a man believed by some US officials and lawmakers to be an untrustworthy pawn of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to share cyber vulnerabilities stockpiled by a secretive US spy agency.

It was not clear how WikiLeaks intended to cooperate with the companies. The group published documents on Tuesday describing secret Central Intelligence Agency hacking tools and snippets of computer code. It did not publish the full programs that would be needed to actually conduct cyber exploits against phones, computers and Internet-connected televisions.

&quot;Considering what we think is the best way to proceed and hearing these calls from some of the manufacturers, we have decided to work with them to give them some exclusive access to the additional technical details that we have so that the fixes can be developed and pushed out, so people can be secure,&quot; Assange said during an online press conference from the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

Assange took refuge at the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape, which he denies. 
Microsoft and Cisco Systems, whose wares are subject to attacks described in the documents, said in response to Assange that they welcomed submissions of any vulnerabilities through normal reporting channels.

&quot;We&#39;ve seen Julian Assange&#39;s statement and have not yet been contacted,&quot; a Microsoft representative said. &quot;Our preferred method for anyone with knowledge of security issues, including the CIA or Wikileaks, is to submit details to us at secure@microsoft.com so we can review information and take any necessary steps to protect customers.&quot; 
Representatives of Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google, Apple, Samsung Electronics and Huawei, whose products were also featured in the CIA catalog, did not answer requests for comment.

Responding to Assange, CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu, said in a statement: &quot;As we&rsquo;ve said previously, Julian Assange is not exactly a bastion of truth and integrity.&quot;

&quot;Despite the efforts of Assange and his ilk, CIA continues to aggressively collect foreign intelligence overseas to protect America from terrorists, hostile nation states and other adversaries.&quot;

WikiLeaks&#39; disclosures this week caused alarmed in the technology world and among consumers because of the potential privacy implications of the cyber espionage tactics that were described.

One file described a programme known as Weeping Angel that purportedly could take over a Samsung smart television, making it appear it was off when in fact it was recording conversations in the room.

Other documents described ways to hack into Apple iPhones, devices running Google&#39;s Android software and other gadgets in a way that could observe communications before they are protected by end-to-end encryption offered by messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp.

Several companies have already said they are confident that their recent security updates have accounted for the purported flaws described in the CIA documents. Apple said in a statement on Tuesday that &quot;many of the issues&quot; leaked had already been patched in the latest version of its operating system.

WikiLeaks&#39; publication of the documents reignited a debate about whether US intelligence agencies should hoard serious cyber security vulnerabilities rather than share them with the public. An interagency process created under former President Barack Obama called for erring on the side of disclosure.

CIA security

President Donald Trump believes changes are needed to safeguard secrets at the CIA, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing on Thursday. &quot;He believes that the systems at the CIA are outdated and need to be updated.&quot;

Two US intelligence and law enforcement officials told Reuters on Wednesday that intelligence agencies have been aware since the end of last year of a breach at the CIA, which led to WikiLeaks releasing thousands of pages of information on its website.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said contractors likely breached security and handed over the documents to WikiLeaks. The CIA has declined to comment on the authenticity of the documents leaked, but the officials said they believed the pages about hacking techniques used between 2013 and 2016 were authentic.

Contractors have been revealed as the source of sensitive government information leaks in recent years, most notably Edward Snowden and Harold Martin, both employed by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton while working for the National Security Agency.

Assange said he possessed &quot;a lot more information&quot; about the CIA&#39;s cyber arsenal that would be released soon. He criticized the CIA for &quot;devastating incompetence&quot; for not being able to control access to such sensitive material, and asked whether Obama or Trump were made aware of the breaches.

Assange&#39;s group released Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential campaign that US intelligence agencies say were hacked by Russia to try to tilt the election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He is regarded with distaste by many in Washington, although Trump, then the Republican candidate, supported the group&#39;s email releases last year.

Ben Sasse, a Republican senator, said in a statement on Thursday that Assange should &quot;spend the rest of his life wearing an orange jumpsuit.&quot; He is &quot;an enemy of the American people and an ally to Vladimir Putin&quot; who has &quot;has dedicated his life&rsquo;s work to endangering innocent lives, abetting despots, and stoking a crisis of confidence in the West,&quot; Sasse said.

(Reuters)

WikiLeaks recently published documents describing secret Central Intelligence Agency hacking tools and snippets of computer code

Wikileaks will provide technology companies with exclusive access to CIA hacking tools that it possesses so they can patch software flaws, founder Julian Assange said, presenting Silicon Valley with a potential dilemma on how to deal with the anti-secrecy group. If the offer is legitimate, it would place technology companies in the unusual position of relying on Assange, a man believed by some US officials and lawmakers to be an untrustworthy pawn of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to share cyber vulnerabilities stockpiled by a secretive US spy agency. It was not clear how WikiLeaks intended to cooperate with the companies. The group published documents on Tuesday describing secret Central Intelligence Agency hacking tools and snippets of computer code. It did not publish the full programs that would be needed to actually conduct cyber exploits against phones, computers and Internet-connected televisions. "Considering what we think is the best way to proceed and hearing these calls from some of the manufacturers, we have decided to work with them to give them some exclusive access to the additional technical details that we have so that the fixes can be developed and pushed out, so people can be secure," Assange said during an online press conference from the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange took refuge at the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape, which he denies. Microsoft and Cisco Systems, whose wares are subject to attacks described in the documents, said in response to Assange that they welcomed submissions of any vulnerabilities through normal reporting channels. "We've seen Julian Assange's statement and have not yet been contacted," a Microsoft representative said. "Our preferred method for anyone with knowledge of security issues, including the CIA or Wikileaks, is to submit details to us at secure@microsoft.com so we can review information and take any necessary steps to protect customers." Representatives of Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Samsung Electronics and Huawei, whose products were also featured in the CIA catalog, did not answer requests for comment. Responding to Assange, CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu, said in a statement: "As we’ve said previously, Julian Assange is not exactly a bastion of truth and integrity." "Despite the efforts of Assange and his ilk, CIA continues to aggressively collect foreign intelligence overseas to protect America from terrorists, hostile nation states and other adversaries." WikiLeaks' disclosures this week caused alarmed in the technology world and among consumers because of the potential privacy implications of the cyber espionage tactics that were described. One file described a programme known as Weeping Angel that purportedly could take over a Samsung smart television, making it appear it was off when in fact it was recording conversations in the room. Other documents described ways to hack into Apple iPhones, devices running Google's Android software and other gadgets in a way that could observe communications before they are protected by end-to-end encryption offered by messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp. Several companies have already said they are confident that their recent security updates have accounted for the purported flaws described in the CIA documents. Apple said in a statement on Tuesday that "many of the issues" leaked had already been patched in the latest version of its operating system. WikiLeaks' publication of the documents reignited a debate about whether US intelligence agencies should hoard serious cyber security vulnerabilities rather than share them with the public. An interagency process created under former President Barack Obama called for erring on the side of disclosure. CIA security President Donald Trump believes changes are needed to safeguard secrets at the CIA, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing on Thursday. "He believes that the systems at the CIA are outdated and need to be updated." Two US intelligence and law enforcement officials told Reuters on Wednesday that intelligence agencies have been aware since the end of last year of a breach at the CIA, which led to WikiLeaks releasing thousands of pages of information on its website. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said contractors likely breached security and handed over the documents to WikiLeaks. The CIA has declined to comment on the authenticity of the documents leaked, but the officials said they believed the pages about hacking techniques used between 2013 and 2016 were authentic. Contractors have been revealed as the source of sensitive government information leaks in recent years, most notably Edward Snowden and Harold Martin, both employed by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton while working for the National Security Agency. Assange said he possessed "a lot more information" about the CIA's cyber arsenal that would be released soon. He criticized the CIA for "devastating incompetence" for not being able to control access to such sensitive material, and asked whether Obama or Trump were made aware of the breaches. Assange's group released Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential campaign that US intelligence agencies say were hacked by Russia to try to tilt the election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He is regarded with distaste by many in Washington, although Trump, then the Republican candidate, supported the group's email releases last year. Ben Sasse, a Republican senator, said in a statement on Thursday that Assange should "spend the rest of his life wearing an orange jumpsuit." He is "an enemy of the American people and an ally to Vladimir Putin" who has "has dedicated his life’s work to endangering innocent lives, abetting despots, and stoking a crisis of confidence in the West," Sasse said. (Reuters)

WikiLeaks offers CIA hacking tools to tech companies: Julian Assange

Tech companies must rapidly step up information-sharing to protect users from prying eyes, a security software executive said on Wednesday after WikiLeaks released a trove of data purporting to show that the CIA can hack all manner of devices.

Dozens of firms rushed to contain the damage from possible security weak points following the anti-secrecy organisation&#39;s revelations, although some said they needed far more information on what the US intelligence agency was up to before they could thwart suspected but previously hidden attacks.

Sinan Eren, vice president of Czech anti-virus software maker Avast, called on mobile software makers Apple and Google to supply security firms with privileged access to their devices to offer immediate fixes to known bugs.

&quot;We can prevent attacks in real time if we are given the hooks into the mobile operating system,&quot; Eren said in a phone interview from Silicon Valley, where he is located.

&quot;If we can drive a paradigm shift where mobile platforms don&#39;t shut off access, we&#39;ll be better able to detect when hackers are hiding in a mobile (phone)&quot;, he said.

Avast, which counts more than 400 million users of its anti-virus software worldwide, was named in the WikiLeaks documents as one of the security vendors targeted by the CIA in a leaked page labelled &quot;secret&quot; but lacking further details.

The leaks - which WikiLeaks described as the biggest in the Central Intelligence Agency&#39;s history - had enough technical details for security experts and product vendors to recognise that widespread compromises exist. However, they provided few specifics needed to offer quick fixes.

Reuters could not immediately verify the validity of the published documents, but several contractors and private cyber security experts said the materials appeared to be legitimate. The 8,761 leaked documents list a wealth of security attacks on Apple and Google Android smartphones carried by billions of consumers, as well as top computer operating systems - Windows, Linux and Apple Mac - and six of the world&#39;s main web browsers.

Apple said in a statement that nearly 80 per cent of iPhone users run its current iOS software with the latest security patches. &quot;Many of the issues leaked were already patched in the latest iOS; we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities,&quot; Apple said on Tuesday. The statement made no reference to attacks on its computer software.

Google declined to comment, while a Microsoft spokeswoman said: &quot;We&#39;re aware of the report and are looking into it.&quot; 
Widely-used routers from Silicon Valley-based Cisco were listed as targets, as were those supplied by Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE and Taiwanese supplier Zyxel for their devices used in China and Pakistan.

Cisco security team members said in a blog post that because WikiLeaks has not released any of the actual hacking exploits, &quot;the scope of action that can be taken by Cisco is limited&quot;.

Omar Santos, a principal engineer in Cisco&#39;s security response unit, said malware appears to be targeting whole families of Cisco devices but is designed to remain hidden so as to steal data unnoticed. He said Cisco assumes WikiLeaks will eventually disclose the hacks, allowing it to fix them.

Huawei declined to comment. ZTE and Zyxel were not immediately available to respond.

Stay of execution

Messaging apps protected by full software encryption also appear to be vulnerable to hacking of the smartphones themselves, communications app provider Telegram said in a blog post. But one positive outcome may be that device and software makers will be able to close up these holes, it said.

&quot;This is not an app issue. It is relevant on the level of devices and operating systems like iOS and Android,&quot; Telegram stated, adding: &quot;The good news is that for the moment all of this is irrelevant for the majority of Telegram users. If the CIA is not on your back, you shouldn&#39;t start worrying just yet.&quot;

The WikiLeaks collection contains a mix of copious data and empty files marked &quot;secret&quot; that promised more details to come on attacks against more than 15 security software firms.

US cyber security expert Robert Graham said WikiLeaks provided enough detail to recognise some known vulnerabilities.

&quot;One anti-virus researcher has told me that a virus they once suspected came from the Russians or Chinese can now be attributed to the CIA, as it matches the description perfectly to something in the leak,&quot; Graham said in a blog post.

Some security experts said the CIA&#39;s possible use of tools from other spy agencies raised the risk of false attribution for targeted cyber attacks by the US intelligence agency.&nbsp; He said CIA cyber spying efforts could be set back years.

The CIA and White House declined to comment. &quot;We do not comment on the authenticity or content of purported intelligence documents,&quot; CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu said in a statement.

WikiLeaks said it aims to provoke a political and legal debate about the CIA&#39;s cyber arsenal. However, it was holding back, for now, much of the technical documentation that would allow other hackers and cyber criminals to exploit the hacks - while putting vendors on notice to expect further revelations.

The organisation said in a statement it is &quot;avoiding the distribution of &#39;armed&#39; cyber weapons until a consensus emerges on the technical and political nature of the CIA&#39;s program and how such &#39;weapons&#39; should be analysed, disarmed and published&quot;.

It described sophisticated tools for targeting the devices of individual users, in contrast to the revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden of mass data collection on millions of web and phone users worldwide.

(Reuters)

Dozens of tech firms rush to contain the damage from possible security weak points following the anti-secrecy organisation's revelations

Tech companies must rapidly step up information-sharing to protect users from prying eyes, a security software executive said on Wednesday after WikiLeaks released a trove of data purporting to show that the CIA can hack all manner of devices. Dozens of firms rushed to contain the damage from possible security weak points following the anti-secrecy organisation's revelations, although some said they needed far more information on what the US intelligence agency was up to before they could thwart suspected but previously hidden attacks. Sinan Eren, vice president of Czech anti-virus software maker Avast, called on mobile software makers Apple and Google to supply security firms with privileged access to their devices to offer immediate fixes to known bugs. "We can prevent attacks in real time if we are given the hooks into the mobile operating system," Eren said in a phone interview from Silicon Valley, where he is located. "If we can drive a paradigm shift where mobile platforms don't shut off access, we'll be better able to detect when hackers are hiding in a mobile (phone)", he said. Avast, which counts more than 400 million users of its anti-virus software worldwide, was named in the WikiLeaks documents as one of the security vendors targeted by the CIA in a leaked page labelled "secret" but lacking further details. The leaks - which WikiLeaks described as the biggest in the Central Intelligence Agency's history - had enough technical details for security experts and product vendors to recognise that widespread compromises exist. However, they provided few specifics needed to offer quick fixes. Reuters could not immediately verify the validity of the published documents, but several contractors and private cyber security experts said the materials appeared to be legitimate. The 8,761 leaked documents list a wealth of security attacks on Apple and Google Android smartphones carried by billions of consumers, as well as top computer operating systems - Windows, Linux and Apple Mac - and six of the world's main web browsers. Apple said in a statement that nearly 80 per cent of iPhone users run its current iOS software with the latest security patches. "Many of the issues leaked were already patched in the latest iOS; we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities," Apple said on Tuesday. The statement made no reference to attacks on its computer software. Google declined to comment, while a Microsoft spokeswoman said: "We're aware of the report and are looking into it." Widely-used routers from Silicon Valley-based Cisco were listed as targets, as were those supplied by Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE and Taiwanese supplier Zyxel for their devices used in China and Pakistan. Cisco security team members said in a blog post that because WikiLeaks has not released any of the actual hacking exploits, "the scope of action that can be taken by Cisco is limited". Omar Santos, a principal engineer in Cisco's security response unit, said malware appears to be targeting whole families of Cisco devices but is designed to remain hidden so as to steal data unnoticed. He said Cisco assumes WikiLeaks will eventually disclose the hacks, allowing it to fix them. Huawei declined to comment. ZTE and Zyxel were not immediately available to respond. Stay of execution Messaging apps protected by full software encryption also appear to be vulnerable to hacking of the smartphones themselves, communications app provider Telegram said in a blog post. But one positive outcome may be that device and software makers will be able to close up these holes, it said. "This is not an app issue. It is relevant on the level of devices and operating systems like iOS and Android," Telegram stated, adding: "The good news is that for the moment all of this is irrelevant for the majority of Telegram users. If the CIA is not on your back, you shouldn't start worrying just yet." The WikiLeaks collection contains a mix of copious data and empty files marked "secret" that promised more details to come on attacks against more than 15 security software firms. US cyber security expert Robert Graham said WikiLeaks provided enough detail to recognise some known vulnerabilities. "One anti-virus researcher has told me that a virus they once suspected came from the Russians or Chinese can now be attributed to the CIA, as it matches the description perfectly to something in the leak," Graham said in a blog post. Some security experts said the CIA's possible use of tools from other spy agencies raised the risk of false attribution for targeted cyber attacks by the US intelligence agency. He said CIA cyber spying efforts could be set back years. The CIA and White House declined to comment. "We do not comment on the authenticity or content of purported intelligence documents," CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu said in a statement. WikiLeaks said it aims to provoke a political and legal debate about the CIA's cyber arsenal. However, it was holding back, for now, much of the technical documentation that would allow other hackers and cyber criminals to exploit the hacks - while putting vendors on notice to expect further revelations. The organisation said in a statement it is "avoiding the distribution of 'armed' cyber weapons until a consensus emerges on the technical and political nature of the CIA's program and how such 'weapons' should be analysed, disarmed and published". It described sophisticated tools for targeting the devices of individual users, in contrast to the revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden of mass data collection on millions of web and phone users worldwide. (Reuters)

WikiLeaks' CIA hacking revelations: How Apple, Google and other tech firms rush to protect user privacy

CIA contractors likely breached security and handed over documents about the agency&#39;s use of hacking tools to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, US&nbsp;intelligence and law enforcement officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

Two officials speaking on condition of anonymity said intelligence agencies have been aware since the end of last year of the breach, which led to WikiLeaks releasing thousands of pages on Tuesday.

According to the documents, Central Intelligence Agency hackers could get into Apple Inc iPhones, devices running Google&#39;s Android software and other gadgets in order to capture text and voice messages before they were encrypted with sophisticated software.

The White House said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump was &quot;extremely concerned&quot; about the CIA security breach that led to the WikiLeaks release.

&quot;Anybody who leaks classified information will be held to the highest degree of law,&quot; spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.

The two officials told Reuters they believed the published documents about CIA hacking techniques used between 2013 and 2016 were authentic.

One of the officials with knowledge of the investigation said companies that are contractors for the CIA have been checking to see which of their employees had access to the material that WikiLeaks published, and then going over their computer logs, emails and other communications for any evidence of who might be responsible.

On Tuesday in a press release, WikiLeaks itself said the CIA had &quot;lost control&quot; of an archive of hacking methods and it appeared to have been circulated &quot;among former US&nbsp;government hackers and contractors in an unauthorised manner, one of whom has provided WikiLeaks with portions of the archive.&quot;

A US&nbsp;government source familiar with the matter said it would be normal for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CIA both to open investigations into such leaks. US&nbsp;officials previously have confirmed that prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia for years have been conducting a federal grand jury investigation of WikiLeaks and its personnel.

A spokesman for the prosecutors declined to comment on the possibility of that probe being expanded. It is not clear if the investigation of the latest CIA leaks is part of the probe.

Some cyber security experts and technology companies have criticized the government for opting to exploit rather than disclose software vulnerabilities, though an interagency review process set up under former President Barack Obama was intended to err on the side of disclosure.

Those concerns would grow if US&nbsp;authorities did not notify companies that CIA documents describing various hacking techniques had been compromised.

Apple, Alphabet Inc&#39;s, Google, Cisco Systems Inc&nbsp;and Oracle Corp did not immediately respond when asked if they were notified of a CIA breach before WikiLeaks made its files public.

At Apple, none of the vulnerabilities described in the documents provoked a panic, though analysis was continuing, according to a person who spoke with engineers there.

&nbsp;

Larger number of contractors

One reason the investigation is focused on a potential leak by contractors rather than for example a hack by Russian intelligence, another official said, is that so far there is no evidence that Russian intelligence agencies tried to exploit any of the leaked material before it was published.

One European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the WikiLeaks material could in fact lead to closer cooperation between European intelligence agencies and US&nbsp;counterparts, which share concerns about Russian intelligence operations.

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have accused Russia of seeking to tilt last year&#39;s US&nbsp;presidential election in Trump&#39;s favour, including by hacking into Democratic Party emails. Moscow has denied the allegation.

One major security problem was that the number of contractors with access to information with the highest secrecy classification has &quot;exploded&quot; because of federal budget constraints, the first US&nbsp;official said.

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have been unable to hire additional permanent staff needed to keep pace with technological advances such as the &quot;internet of things&quot; that connects cars, home security and heating systems and other devices to computer networks, or to pay salaries competitive with the private sector, the official said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the contents of the published documents. On Tuesday, several contractors and private cyber security experts said the materials appeared to be legitimate.

A person familiar with WikiLeaks&rsquo; activities said the group has had the CIA hacking material for months, and that the release of the material was in the works &quot;for a long time&quot;.

Both US&nbsp;Senate and US&nbsp;House of Representatives intelligence committees have either opened or are expected to open inquiries into the CIA breach, congressional officials said.

&nbsp;

German concern

In Germany on Wednesday, the chief federal prosecutor&#39;s office said that it would review the WikiLeaks documents because some suggested that the CIA ran a hacking hub from the US&nbsp;consulate in Frankfurt.

&quot;We will initiate an investigation if we see evidence of concrete criminal acts or specific perpetrators,&quot; a spokesman for the federal prosecutor&#39;s office told Reuters.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Washington on March 14 for her first meeting with Trump, who has sharply criticized Berlin for everything from its trade policy to what he considers inadequate levels of military spending.

The WikiLeaks documents may also complicate intelligence ties that have just begun to recover after a series of scandals, including news in 2013 that the US&nbsp;National Security Agency had bugged Merkel&#39;s cellphone. The Frankfurt consulate was investigated by German lawmakers after that incident.

Merkel told lawmakers last month she did not know how closely Germany&#39;s spies cooperated with their US&nbsp;counterparts until 2015 when former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the BND spy agency had for years passed on information to the NSA about European companies and politicians.

Germany reduced the level of cooperation with the NSA after those revelations.

US&nbsp;officials have acknowledged that the consulate in Frankfurt is home to a CIA base. A facility adjacent to the city&rsquo;s airport and the Rhein-Main Air Base has for many years been home to the CIA&rsquo;s &ldquo;Tefran&rdquo; station, a US&nbsp;centre for collecting intelligence on Iranian activities in Europe, maintaining surveillance on Iranian officials and targeting potential defectors working in Iran&rsquo;s nuclear weapons program.

Foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular government news conference that Germany took the issue seriously, but more work needed to be done to verify the authenticity of the documents. Berlin was in close touch with Washington about the case and such matters generally, he said.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany&#39;s domestic intelligence agency had the job of uncovering espionage activities in Germany, and carried out its work comprehensively.

WikiLeaks reported that CIA employees had been given diplomatic passports and State Department identities to carry out their work in Frankfurt, focused on targets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The documents included advice for CIA experts about life in Germany, noting that shops are closed on Sundays, and to have &quot;your cover-for-action story down pat&quot; when they were asked by German authorities when entering the country.

(Reuters)

WikiLeaks had detailed how CIA hackers could get into iPhones and Android software devices to capture text and voice messages

CIA contractors likely breached security and handed over documents about the agency's use of hacking tools to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, US intelligence and law enforcement officials told Reuters on Wednesday. Two officials speaking on condition of anonymity said intelligence agencies have been aware since the end of last year of the breach, which led to WikiLeaks releasing thousands of pages on Tuesday. According to the documents, Central Intelligence Agency hackers could get into Apple Inc iPhones, devices running Google's Android software and other gadgets in order to capture text and voice messages before they were encrypted with sophisticated software. The White House said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump was "extremely concerned" about the CIA security breach that led to the WikiLeaks release. "Anybody who leaks classified information will be held to the highest degree of law," spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. The two officials told Reuters they believed the published documents about CIA hacking techniques used between 2013 and 2016 were authentic. One of the officials with knowledge of the investigation said companies that are contractors for the CIA have been checking to see which of their employees had access to the material that WikiLeaks published, and then going over their computer logs, emails and other communications for any evidence of who might be responsible. On Tuesday in a press release, WikiLeaks itself said the CIA had "lost control" of an archive of hacking methods and it appeared to have been circulated "among former US government hackers and contractors in an unauthorised manner, one of whom has provided WikiLeaks with portions of the archive." A US government source familiar with the matter said it would be normal for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CIA both to open investigations into such leaks. US officials previously have confirmed that prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia for years have been conducting a federal grand jury investigation of WikiLeaks and its personnel. A spokesman for the prosecutors declined to comment on the possibility of that probe being expanded. It is not clear if the investigation of the latest CIA leaks is part of the probe. Some cyber security experts and technology companies have criticized the government for opting to exploit rather than disclose software vulnerabilities, though an interagency review process set up under former President Barack Obama was intended to err on the side of disclosure. Those concerns would grow if US authorities did not notify companies that CIA documents describing various hacking techniques had been compromised. Apple, Alphabet Inc's, Google, Cisco Systems Inc and Oracle Corp did not immediately respond when asked if they were notified of a CIA breach before WikiLeaks made its files public. At Apple, none of the vulnerabilities described in the documents provoked a panic, though analysis was continuing, according to a person who spoke with engineers there. Larger number of contractors One reason the investigation is focused on a potential leak by contractors rather than for example a hack by Russian intelligence, another official said, is that so far there is no evidence that Russian intelligence agencies tried to exploit any of the leaked material before it was published. One European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the WikiLeaks material could in fact lead to closer cooperation between European intelligence agencies and US counterparts, which share concerns about Russian intelligence operations. US intelligence agencies have accused Russia of seeking to tilt last year's US presidential election in Trump's favour, including by hacking into Democratic Party emails. Moscow has denied the allegation. One major security problem was that the number of contractors with access to information with the highest secrecy classification has "exploded" because of federal budget constraints, the first US official said. US intelligence agencies have been unable to hire additional permanent staff needed to keep pace with technological advances such as the "internet of things" that connects cars, home security and heating systems and other devices to computer networks, or to pay salaries competitive with the private sector, the official said. Reuters could not immediately verify the contents of the published documents. On Tuesday, several contractors and private cyber security experts said the materials appeared to be legitimate. A person familiar with WikiLeaks’ activities said the group has had the CIA hacking material for months, and that the release of the material was in the works "for a long time". Both US Senate and US House of Representatives intelligence committees have either opened or are expected to open inquiries into the CIA breach, congressional officials said. German concern In Germany on Wednesday, the chief federal prosecutor's office said that it would review the WikiLeaks documents because some suggested that the CIA ran a hacking hub from the US consulate in Frankfurt. "We will initiate an investigation if we see evidence of concrete criminal acts or specific perpetrators," a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office told Reuters. Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Washington on March 14 for her first meeting with Trump, who has sharply criticized Berlin for everything from its trade policy to what he considers inadequate levels of military spending. The WikiLeaks documents may also complicate intelligence ties that have just begun to recover after a series of scandals, including news in 2013 that the US National Security Agency had bugged Merkel's cellphone. The Frankfurt consulate was investigated by German lawmakers after that incident. Merkel told lawmakers last month she did not know how closely Germany's spies cooperated with their US counterparts until 2015 when former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the BND spy agency had for years passed on information to the NSA about European companies and politicians. Germany reduced the level of cooperation with the NSA after those revelations. US officials have acknowledged that the consulate in Frankfurt is home to a CIA base. A facility adjacent to the city’s airport and the Rhein-Main Air Base has for many years been home to the CIA’s “Tefran” station, a US centre for collecting intelligence on Iranian activities in Europe, maintaining surveillance on Iranian officials and targeting potential defectors working in Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular government news conference that Germany took the issue seriously, but more work needed to be done to verify the authenticity of the documents. Berlin was in close touch with Washington about the case and such matters generally, he said. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany's domestic intelligence agency had the job of uncovering espionage activities in Germany, and carried out its work comprehensively. WikiLeaks reported that CIA employees had been given diplomatic passports and State Department identities to carry out their work in Frankfurt, focused on targets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The documents included advice for CIA experts about life in Germany, noting that shops are closed on Sundays, and to have "your cover-for-action story down pat" when they were asked by German authorities when entering the country. (Reuters)

CIA contractors may have helped WikiLeaks in latest release: US

Five years before Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had prepared a very detailed and thorough &ldquo;brief&rdquo; on what would happen if he is assassinated or makes an &ldquo;abrupt departure&rdquo; from the Indian political scene.

A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials. The &ldquo;sanitised&rdquo; report was declassified recently by the CIA.

The report, whose complete title is not entirely available as it is part deleted, was prepared on the basis of inputs available to the CIA till January, 1986.

The very first sentence of the report&rsquo;s available (undeleted) page reads: &ldquo;Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi faces at least an even chance of assassination before his tenure in office ends in 1989.&rdquo; It, however, later clearly said that &ldquo;assassination is the major near-term threat&rdquo; to him.

Over five years later, Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

The first section titled &ldquo;Key Judgments&rdquo; analyses and deliberates upon what likely scenario would emerge in the domestic and international political situation if there is a sudden change in leadership minus Rajiv Gandhi and the likely impact on India&rsquo;s relations with the US, the then USSR and the region.

It also dealt with the threats posed to Gandhi&rsquo;s life by various extremist groups at that time and the likely fallout of his murder.

&ldquo;If Gandhi fell to a Sikh or Kashmiri Muslim assassin, widespread communal violence probably would erupt even if strong preventive security measures - including deployment of Army and paramilitary troops across northern India - were taken by the Indian President ......(deleted),&rdquo; it said.

It also names PV Narasimha Rao and VP Singh, who could be the &ldquo;interim successor&rdquo; and &ldquo;likely candidates&rdquo; in case of sudden exit by Rajiv. Rao took over as the Prime Minister in 1991.

In a section, titled &lsquo;The Threat of Assassination: Stability in Jeopardy&rsquo;, the report says &ldquo;In our view, there is at least an even chance in the next several years of an assassination, most likely by extremist Sikhs or disgruntled Kashmiri Muslims who have targeted Rajiv,&rdquo; besides &ldquo;a fanatical Hindu&rdquo;.

Since a significant portion of this section is deleted, it is not clear whether Sri Lankan Tamil extremists were also dealt with in the analysis. However, another section deals in- depth with Rajiv&rsquo;s mediation efforts to resolve &ldquo;the conflict between militant Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sinhalese-dominated government in Colombo...&rdquo;

(PTI)

A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials

Five years before Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had prepared a very detailed and thorough “brief” on what would happen if he is assassinated or makes an “abrupt departure” from the Indian political scene. A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials. The “sanitised” report was declassified recently by the CIA. The report, whose complete title is not entirely available as it is part deleted, was prepared on the basis of inputs available to the CIA till January, 1986. The very first sentence of the report’s available (undeleted) page reads: “Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi faces at least an even chance of assassination before his tenure in office ends in 1989.” It, however, later clearly said that “assassination is the major near-term threat” to him. Over five years later, Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. The first section titled “Key Judgments” analyses and deliberates upon what likely scenario would emerge in the domestic and international political situation if there is a sudden change in leadership minus Rajiv Gandhi and the likely impact on India’s relations with the US, the then USSR and the region. It also dealt with the threats posed to Gandhi’s life by various extremist groups at that time and the likely fallout of his murder. “If Gandhi fell to a Sikh or Kashmiri Muslim assassin, widespread communal violence probably would erupt even if strong preventive security measures - including deployment of Army and paramilitary troops across northern India - were taken by the Indian President ......(deleted),” it said. It also names PV Narasimha Rao and VP Singh, who could be the “interim successor” and “likely candidates” in case of sudden exit by Rajiv. Rao took over as the Prime Minister in 1991. In a section, titled ‘The Threat of Assassination: Stability in Jeopardy’, the report says “In our view, there is at least an even chance in the next several years of an assassination, most likely by extremist Sikhs or disgruntled Kashmiri Muslims who have targeted Rajiv,” besides “a fanatical Hindu”. Since a significant portion of this section is deleted, it is not clear whether Sri Lankan Tamil extremists were also dealt with in the analysis. However, another section deals in- depth with Rajiv’s mediation efforts to resolve “the conflict between militant Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sinhalese-dominated government in Colombo...” (PTI)

CIA assessed Rajiv Gandhi's assassination 5 years before he was killed: Report

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is expected to order a review that could lead to the reinstatement of a CIA program to hold terrorist suspects in secret overseas &quot;black site&quot; prisons that used interrogation techniques often condemned as torture, two US&nbsp;officials said on Wednesday.

The black sites were used to detain suspects who were captured in the &quot;war on terrorism&quot; launched by former President George W&nbsp;Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The now defunct program&#39;s Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, which included simulated drowning known as &quot;water boarding&quot;, were criticised around the world. Former President Barack Obama and other senior US&nbsp;officials denounced water boarding as torture.

The officials said Trump is expected to issue an executive order in the next few days. It would call for a high-level review into &quot;whether to reinitiate a program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside the United States&nbsp;and whether the CIA should run the facilities,&quot; according to a copy of the draft published by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/white-house-draft-order-calls-for-review-on-use-of-cia-black-sites-overseas/2017/01/25/e4318970-e310-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.e98a6f4272c5">Washington Post</a>.

&quot;There is widespread opposition in Congress, in US&nbsp;intelligence agencies and within the military to reopening black sites and revisiting the use of harsh interrogation techniques, according to the serving officers. I think this will be a step backward and I&#39;m not alone in thinking that, what he -- the path he&#39;s going down is wrong. It is not about our values as a country and don&#39;t ask me; just ask John McCain and others,&quot; said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California.

&quot;The President can sign whatever executive orders he likes. But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America,&quot; Senator John McCain, a Republican, said in a statement.

Asked about the issues, Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer said the draft was not a White House document.

The CIA black sites were located in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Thailand and Afghanistan. In 2006, Bush ended the use of harsh interrogation techniques and closed all the blacks sites except for one in Kabul.

Trump&#39;s draft order also would authorise a review of interrogation techniques that US&nbsp;officials could use on terrorism suspects, and keep open the detention center at the US&nbsp;naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and send new prisoners there.

Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to resume water boarding and a &quot;hell of a lot worse&quot;.

The draft on the Washington Post web site says that, &quot;No person in the custody of the United States shall at any time be subjected to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as proscribed by US&nbsp;law&quot;.

However, the Justice Department under Trump could issue an interpretation of US&nbsp;law that allows for the use of harsh interrogation techniques as occurred in the so-called &quot;Torture Memos&quot; drafted under the Bush administration in 2002 and subsequently withdrawn.

(Reuters)

Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to resume water boarding and a 'hell of a lot worse'

US President Donald Trump is expected to order a review that could lead to the reinstatement of a CIA program to hold terrorist suspects in secret overseas "black site" prisons that used interrogation techniques often condemned as torture, two US officials said on Wednesday. The black sites were used to detain suspects who were captured in the "war on terrorism" launched by former President George W Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The now defunct program's Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, which included simulated drowning known as "water boarding", were criticised around the world. Former President Barack Obama and other senior US officials denounced water boarding as torture. The officials said Trump is expected to issue an executive order in the next few days. It would call for a high-level review into "whether to reinitiate a program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside the United States and whether the CIA should run the facilities," according to a copy of the draft published by the Washington Post. "There is widespread opposition in Congress, in US intelligence agencies and within the military to reopening black sites and revisiting the use of harsh interrogation techniques, according to the serving officers. I think this will be a step backward and I'm not alone in thinking that, what he -- the path he's going down is wrong. It is not about our values as a country and don't ask me; just ask John McCain and others," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California. "The President can sign whatever executive orders he likes. But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America," Senator John McCain, a Republican, said in a statement. Asked about the issues, Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer said the draft was not a White House document. The CIA black sites were located in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Thailand and Afghanistan. In 2006, Bush ended the use of harsh interrogation techniques and closed all the blacks sites except for one in Kabul. Trump's draft order also would authorise a review of interrogation techniques that US officials could use on terrorism suspects, and keep open the detention center at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and send new prisoners there. Trump vowed during the 2016 election campaign to resume water boarding and a "hell of a lot worse". The draft on the Washington Post web site says that, "No person in the custody of the United States shall at any time be subjected to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as proscribed by US law". However, the Justice Department under Trump could issue an interpretation of US law that allows for the use of harsh interrogation techniques as occurred in the so-called "Torture Memos" drafted under the Bush administration in 2002 and subsequently withdrawn. (Reuters)

Trump could reinstate CIA's secret 'black site' prisons: US officials

The US Senate confirmed Representative Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump&#39;s CIA director on Monday, after a delay tied to some lawmakers&#39; worries he might expand surveillance or allow the use of certain interrogation techniques widely considered torture.

Sixty-six senators backed Pompeo and 32 voted against. All the opposition was from Democrats, except for Senator Rand Paul, a leading Republican advocate for strict control of surveillance. Shortly afterwards, Pompeo was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence.

Some senators felt Pompeo, 53, had not pledged strongly enough to allow only the use of interrogation techniques included in the Army Field Manual, as required by law, rather than return to waterboarding and other &quot;enhanced interrogation techniques&quot;, or EITs, used by the CIA in the years after the September 11 attacks.

Trump&#39;s predecessor, Barack Obama, signed an executive order in 2009 banning waterboarding - a form of simulated drowning - and other EITs, which are denounced by many lawmakers and rights groups as torture.

In response to written questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pompeo said he was open to changing policy under certain circumstances. &quot;I will consult with experts... on whether the Army Field Manual uniform application is an impediment to gathering vital intelligence to protect the country,&quot; Pompeo wrote.

Trump promised during his presidential campaign to bring back waterboarding and &quot;a hell of a lot worse&quot;.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden spoke for more than an hour in the Senate in opposition to Pompeo&#39;s nomination, saying he had provided inconsistent answers on surveillance and interrogation tactics, making it impossible to know how he would implement policy at the CIA.

Wyden cited an op-ed Pompeo co-authored last year that called for restarting the bulk collection of domestic telephone metadata and combining it with financial and lifestyle information into one searchable database.

He accused Pompeo of having proposed &quot;the most sweeping new surveillance program I have ever heard of&quot;.

Paul wrote in an op-ed: &quot;I voted against the new CIA Director because I worry that his desire for security will trump his defence of liberty.&quot;

Most Republicans called Pompeo, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, an excellent choice.

Senator John McCain, a leader of the fight for legislation barring the use of the rough interrogation methods, said: &quot;I have no reason to doubt Congressman Pompeo&rsquo;s word.&quot;

McCain added: &quot;I fully support his confirmation. Going forward, I will continue to closely monitor this issue, and use my oversight powers to ensure the law is obeyed.&quot;

(Reuters)

The delay was tied to some lawmakers' worries he might expand surveillance or allow the use of torture

The US Senate confirmed Representative Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's CIA director on Monday, after a delay tied to some lawmakers' worries he might expand surveillance or allow the use of certain interrogation techniques widely considered torture. Sixty-six senators backed Pompeo and 32 voted against. All the opposition was from Democrats, except for Senator Rand Paul, a leading Republican advocate for strict control of surveillance. Shortly afterwards, Pompeo was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence. Some senators felt Pompeo, 53, had not pledged strongly enough to allow only the use of interrogation techniques included in the Army Field Manual, as required by law, rather than return to waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques", or EITs, used by the CIA in the years after the September 11 attacks. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, signed an executive order in 2009 banning waterboarding - a form of simulated drowning - and other EITs, which are denounced by many lawmakers and rights groups as torture. In response to written questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pompeo said he was open to changing policy under certain circumstances. "I will consult with experts... on whether the Army Field Manual uniform application is an impediment to gathering vital intelligence to protect the country," Pompeo wrote. Trump promised during his presidential campaign to bring back waterboarding and "a hell of a lot worse". Democratic Senator Ron Wyden spoke for more than an hour in the Senate in opposition to Pompeo's nomination, saying he had provided inconsistent answers on surveillance and interrogation tactics, making it impossible to know how he would implement policy at the CIA. Wyden cited an op-ed Pompeo co-authored last year that called for restarting the bulk collection of domestic telephone metadata and combining it with financial and lifestyle information into one searchable database. He accused Pompeo of having proposed "the most sweeping new surveillance program I have ever heard of". Paul wrote in an op-ed: "I voted against the new CIA Director because I worry that his desire for security will trump his defence of liberty." Most Republicans called Pompeo, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, an excellent choice. Senator John McCain, a leader of the fight for legislation barring the use of the rough interrogation methods, said: "I have no reason to doubt Congressman Pompeo’s word." McCain added: "I fully support his confirmation. Going forward, I will continue to closely monitor this issue, and use my oversight powers to ensure the law is obeyed." (Reuters)

After delay, US Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as CIA director

US President Donald Trump spent his first full day in office by attacking the media, falsely accusing reporters of downplaying the turnout at his inauguration.&nbsp;

Trump asserted without evidence that 1.5 million people attended his Friday swearing-in ceremony.

&quot;I made a speech. I looked out, the field was, it looked like a million, million and a half people,&quot; he told CIA staff.

&quot;They showed a field where there were practically nobody standing there. And they said, Donald Trump did not draw well,&quot; he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;The Party told you to reject all evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.&quot; 
-- George Orwell, 1984 <a href="https://t.co/So9fR7mnkY">pic.twitter.com/So9fR7mnkY</a>
&mdash; Jon Dalphe (@Memorablelabia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Memorablelabia/status/823180990067527681">January 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The media did not show &quot;a field&quot;, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/22/row-size-crowd-trump-inauguration-escalates-press-secretary/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">they showed the exact same location</a>, the National Mall, where all presidential inaugurations are held.

Trump said one agency, without saying which one, estimated the turnout at 250,000. &quot;Now, that&#39;s not bad. But it&#39;s a lie,&quot; Trump said. He claimed that&nbsp;crowds stretched till the Washington Monument, twenty blocks from the Capitol, where he spoke.&nbsp;&quot;So we caught them and we caught them in a beauty and I think they&#39;re going to pay a big price,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

The President&#39;s thoughts&nbsp;were repeated&nbsp;by&nbsp;White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, who, without evidence, scolded reporters for&nbsp;&quot;deliberately false reporting&quot; on crowd size.

&quot;This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period!&quot; Spicer said.&nbsp;&quot;These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong.&quot; He left, refusing to&nbsp;take&nbsp;any questions.&nbsp;

Sean Spicer was mocked on social media with the hashtag #SpicerFacts.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Guess the number of jelly beans. 
 
Me: 87 
Wife: 134 
Sean Spicer: 1.5 million <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spicerfacts?src=hash">#spicerfacts</a> <a href="https://t.co/dq7MmhgG3H">pic.twitter.com/dq7MmhgG3H</a>
&mdash; Mark Zohar (@markzohar) <a href="https://twitter.com/markzohar/status/823016081061187584">January 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Many observed that the Women&#39;s March, an anti-Trump protest,&nbsp;had&nbsp;a visibly larger attendance than Trump&#39;s presidential rally.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
DC Cam captures crowd comparison of inauguration and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensMarch?src=hash">#WomensMarch</a> <a href="https://t.co/aa5DrxY3vi">https://t.co/aa5DrxY3vi</a> <a href="https://t.co/jiQqPYY9it">pic.twitter.com/jiQqPYY9it</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/823032731877732352">January 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Many also&nbsp;compared the turnout between former president Barack Obama&#39;s inaugural&nbsp;ceremony and that of Trump on January 21.&nbsp;Aerial photos taken on January 20, 2009 and Friday clearly show that the crowd fell short in the latter&#39;s ceremony.&nbsp;Television footage also showed the crowd did not stretch as far as the Washington Monument like Trump claimed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;About 1.8 million people assembled at the National Mall area in 2009 when Barack Obama took oath as President. Washington authorities had predicted 800,000 to 900,000 would attend Trump&#39;s inauguration Friday, about half of the 2009 crowd.

Trump&#39;s comments came in during a visit to the&nbsp;Central&nbsp;Intelligence Agency headquarters in&nbsp;Langley, Virginia, a move to mend ties with Intelligence agencies, when he cast doubt on their assessment of Russia meddling in the November 8 election.

He stood in front of a wall sacred to the CIA, honouring employees killed during service, and told the employees he fully supported the agency in a speech that mostly focused on criticising the media.

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-white-house-briefing-inauguration-crowd-size.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=a-lede-package-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news">The New York Times</a> said that Trump&#39;s speech set off a &quot;fierce reaction&quot; among many in the CIA, with John O Brennan, the CIA director who resigned Friday, saying &quot;Trump should be ashamed of himself&quot;, according to Brennan&#39;s former chief of staff, Nick Shapiro.

Trump has disagreed with US intelligence agencies in recent weeks&nbsp;about their conclusion that Russia interfered in the US election on his behalf. After a dossier with unverified facts leaked to the public, Trump accused the intelligence agencies of allowing the leak.&nbsp;&quot;Are we living in Nazi Germany?&quot; Trump asked on Twitter.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to &quot;leak&quot; into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/819164172781060096">January 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

On Saturday Trump suggested that the media is to blame for any suggestion that he does not fully support the work of US intelligence agencies.

&quot;I love you, I respect you, there&#39;s nobody I respect more,&quot; he told them.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

He insisted, contrary to evidence, that 1.5 million people attended. Obama's inauguration had a visibly larger crowd

US President Donald Trump spent his first full day in office by attacking the media, falsely accusing reporters of downplaying the turnout at his inauguration. Trump asserted without evidence that 1.5 million people attended his Friday swearing-in ceremony. "I made a speech. I looked out, the field was, it looked like a million, million and a half people," he told CIA staff. "They showed a field where there were practically nobody standing there. And they said, Donald Trump did not draw well," he added. "The Party told you to reject all evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." -- George Orwell, 1984 pic.twitter.com/So9fR7mnkY — Jon Dalphe (@Memorablelabia) January 22, 2017 × The media did not show "a field", they showed the exact same location, the National Mall, where all presidential inaugurations are held. Trump said one agency, without saying which one, estimated the turnout at 250,000. "Now, that's not bad. But it's a lie," Trump said. He claimed that crowds stretched till the Washington Monument, twenty blocks from the Capitol, where he spoke. "So we caught them and we caught them in a beauty and I think they're going to pay a big price," he added. The President's thoughts were repeated by White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, who, without evidence, scolded reporters for "deliberately false reporting" on crowd size. "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period!" Spicer said. "These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong." He left, refusing to take any questions. Sean Spicer was mocked on social media with the hashtag #SpicerFacts. Guess the number of jelly beans. Me: 87 Wife: 134 Sean Spicer: 1.5 million #spicerfacts pic.twitter.com/dq7MmhgG3H — Mark Zohar (@markzohar) January 22, 2017 × Many observed that the Women's March, an anti-Trump protest, had a visibly larger attendance than Trump's presidential rally. DC Cam captures crowd comparison of inauguration and #WomensMarch https://t.co/aa5DrxY3vi pic.twitter.com/jiQqPYY9it — The Hill (@thehill) January 22, 2017 × Many also compared the turnout between former president Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony and that of Trump on January 21. Aerial photos taken on January 20, 2009 and Friday clearly show that the crowd fell short in the latter's ceremony. Television footage also showed the crowd did not stretch as far as the Washington Monument like Trump claimed. About 1.8 million people assembled at the National Mall area in 2009 when Barack Obama took oath as President. Washington authorities had predicted 800,000 to 900,000 would attend Trump's inauguration Friday, about half of the 2009 crowd. Trump's comments came in during a visit to the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, a move to mend ties with Intelligence agencies, when he cast doubt on their assessment of Russia meddling in the November 8 election. He stood in front of a wall sacred to the CIA, honouring employees killed during service, and told the employees he fully supported the agency in a speech that mostly focused on criticising the media. The New York Times said that Trump's speech set off a "fierce reaction" among many in the CIA, with John O Brennan, the CIA director who resigned Friday, saying "Trump should be ashamed of himself", according to Brennan's former chief of staff, Nick Shapiro. Trump has disagreed with US intelligence agencies in recent weeks about their conclusion that Russia interfered in the US election on his behalf. After a dossier with unverified facts leaked to the public, Trump accused the intelligence agencies of allowing the leak. "Are we living in Nazi Germany?" Trump asked on Twitter. Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017 × On Saturday Trump suggested that the media is to blame for any suggestion that he does not fully support the work of US intelligence agencies. "I love you, I respect you, there's nobody I respect more," he told them. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump falsely accuses media of downplaying crowd at his inauguration

Cia, News on Cia, stories on Cia, articles on Cia, Cia stories at Wion, Cia news, Cia latest news