“Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA will have a tough task ahead in rebuilding the credibility of one of the most revered institutions in the American government. The Obama administration’s fecklessness and short-term thinking has so undermined the integrity of the intelligence community that Pompeo will likely spend an inordinate amount of time having to rebuild trust and relationships, both stateside and abroad, rather than immediately improving operational readiness.
In all, Pompeo will need to channel that discipline and dedication to service that has defined his career, and marshal together a no-nonsense staff that will speak truthfully about the realities on the ground to President-elect Trump and his national security team. And Trump would be wise to quickly buildout the remainder of his national security staff so there is no delay in executing the new mission.
As a former member of the intelligence community, I have full confidence that Pompeo can repair, restore and reenergize one of the most important organizations in government.”
Representative Pompeo will have no choice but to rethink and reprioritize CIA strategies after the failures of the previous administration. The NCPA has already offered recommendations on where to start:
- Why Are We Ignoring Jihadists in Latin America? The government must craft a meaningful strategy for combating Islamic terrorism in Latin America with U.S. partners. Read more.
- Iran, Iran, Iran – President Obama has given them a green light and lots of money; this will have long term implications for America’s interests stateside and abroad. Read more.
- Reaffirm protocols and procedures for national security secrets. Read more.
- America’s critical infrastructure – The CIA should make a priority the gathering intelligence on threats to the electric grid and other infrastructures. Read more.
NCPA Senior Fellow, Dr. David Grantham