Will Furloughed U.S. Intelligence Officers Sell U.S. Secrets?

U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reacts as he testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 26, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed

Official Warns Shutdown Could Make Spies Double Agents -- Time

Fears that unpaid intelligence agents could be flipped

An ongoing government shutdown heightens the risk that American intelligence officers could be flipped as double agents, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Wednesday.

“Each day that goes by the jeopardy increases,” Clapper said while testifying at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. “This is a dream land for foreign intelligence services to recruit. Particularly as our employees, many of whom are already subject to furloughs… are going to have, I believe, even greater financial challenges.”

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/02/official-warns-shutdown-could-make-spies-double-agents/#ixzz2gaSu3383

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Update: Intel chief suggests US spies might defect over budget impasse -- FOX News

My Comment: I am rolling my eyes.

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U.S. Government Shutdown Will Impact All U.S. Spy Agencies

A notice on the ODNI's Web site on Tuesday. (Credit: Screenshot by CNET)

U.S. Spy Agencies Face Big Layoffs In Government Shutdown -- Reuters

(Reuters) - More than 70 percent of the civilians working for U.S. spy agencies have been deemed "non-essential" employees and face temporary layoffs due to the government shutdown that began on Tuesday, three officials familiar with the matter said.

The agencies affected are the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of Director of National Intelligence and 15 others, the officials said.

The CIA expects to furlough about 12,500 civilians working for the agency, according to the sources. But specific numbers for other agencies were not immediately clear, the officials told Reuters. The CIA and White House declined to comment.

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Update #1: Spy agencies forced to furlough 70 percent of civilian employees -- The Hill
Update #2: NSA, intelligence workers 'stretched to limit' by shutdown, official says -- CNet
Update #3: How the Government Shutdown Hurts National Security -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

My Comment: Parts of the intelligence community will be impacted .... while other parts will not.

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America's Intelligence Community Is The World’s 4th Largest Military

US Intelligence Community: The World’s 4th Largest Military? -- Zachary Keck, The Diplomat

The Washington Post has the latest blockbuster report derived from the documents that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked to media outlets. In a series of articles posted on Thursday, Wapo breaks down the various components of the U.S. “black budget”—that is, the money given to the 16 U.S. spy agencies that make up the intelligence community (IC).

One of the parts of the report that is not classified information is the actual size of the black budget itself. Although the U.S. does not release information on how much funding each agency receives, much less what it goes to, it does publish the aggregate of the 16 spy agencies’ budgets, albeit only after the fiscal year has ended.

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My Comment: These numbers puts everything into perspective .... most future conflicts will be fought with the intelligence cooperating with special forces/ops in targeting and eliminating the enemy.

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