Intelligence leaders warned on Wednesday about China’s growing threats and domestic terrorism fueled by misinformation on social media at a hearing on global threats to the nation.
Members of the Senate intelligence committee made the director of national intelligence April Haines
Avril Haines Overnight Defense: Biden officially launches withdrawal plan for Afghanistan Evidence finds problems with DC Guard helicopter during Hillicon Valley protests in June: Intel leaders call for breach notification law | Coinbase goes public September 11 victims call for FBI report detailing Saudi Arabia’s involvement in attacks MORE, along with leaders of the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency, on threats from the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, disinformation and internal terrorism, cyber attacks.
The meeting, which lasted just under three hours and was largely bipartisan, contrasted sharply with the latest briefings on global threats in 2019, when intelligence leaders testified on issues such as electoral interference and nuclear threats in North Korea that contradicted some President Trump
Donald Trump Trump mocks Murkowski and Cheney’s election chances Racist debate dominates Congress US re-entry to Paris agreement adds impetus to cities’ sustainability efforts MOREattitudes.
Hearing global threats has been abandoned under the Trump administration.
The threats discussed during the meeting and detailed in the 2021 global threat assessment launched by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence focused on China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
“I would venture to guess that 90 percent, if not more, of our threats can be traced to one of five things: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea or global terrorism,” Sen said. Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio Memo: Biden puts the 9/11 era behind Intelligence Service Leaders Promote Mandatory Violation Notification Law Intelligence Service Leaders Warn of Chinese Threats and Domestic Terrorism MORE (Fla.), Republican group ranking.
“These five sources make up a substantial percentage of all the challenges we face,” he added.
Threats from China, especially in the area of technology competition, were a major focus of both the annual assessment and Wednesday’s questions.
“I don’t think there is a country that poses a more severe threat to our innovation, our economic security and our democratic ideas,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. He said at one point that a new investigation into China is opening every 10 hours.
Haines described China as an “unparalleled priority for the intelligence community,” describing it as “an ever closer competitor” to the United States.
Chairman of the Information Committee Mark Warner
Mark Robert WarnerInformation Leaders Support Mandatory Violation Notification Law Intelligence Leaders Warn of China’s Threats of Domestic Terrorism Wray: FBI Opens Investigation on China Every 10 Hours MORE (D-Va.) Other senators also pointed out that concerns about Chinese government policies were completely separate from the Chinese people or the American Chinese, especially after increased discrimination against Asian Americans.
“I want to warn our American colleagues that false equivalences only generate suspicion, division and hatred … and play directly into Beijing’s hands,” Warner said.
Domestic terrorism also played a bigger role in the post-January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Wray warned that the echo chamber of social networks exacerbates the problem.
“Social networks have become, in many ways, the key amplifier of the extremism of domestic violence, as in the case of malicious foreign influence,” he said.
“People need to better understand what information they are reading,” he added. “A high level of discerning skepticism is a crucial ingredient, not only to protect against foreign misinformation, but also against violent extremism. There are all sorts of things on the internet that present themselves as a fact, which it simply is not.”
Wray was criticized by Sen. Martin Heinrich
Martin Trevor HeinrichInformation leaders warn of threats from China and domestic terrorism Top academics say Puerto Rico’s self-determination groups call on EPAs to remove ethane and methane from list of emission-exempt compounds (DN.M.) at the hearing for failing to publish a report the FBI compiled at QAnon, a far-right conspiracy that claims there is a global circle of child sex trafficking that has plotted against President Trump in time what it was like.
“Why can’t or don’t you want to tell the American people directly about the threat of joining the QAnon conspiracy theory?” Heinrich said.
The FBI has previously resisted pressure from Democrats to focus more directly on the political and racial beliefs of those it investigates.
Wray said the FBI must be careful to stay focused on activities that could stimulate violence or violate federal law.
“This does not mean that rhetoric is not a social issue that should not be addressed,” he said.
Warner opened the meeting, stressing the need for transparency with the public about threats to national security, criticizing former leaders of the Trump administration’s intelligence services for failing to testify on these issues.
“I was dismayed last year when the director of national intelligence refused to appear before our committee for this hearing and I am glad that we are resuming this annual tradition,” Warner said after describing the importance of these hearings.
Some lawmakers at the hearing pressured intelligence agencies to have more authority to block malicious actors, which the agencies resisted in light of civil liberties concerns.
It is. Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand Intelligence leaders warn of threats from China, domestic terrorism Jon Stewart accuses VA of being “an obstacle” in burning pits health care Family policy that could appeal to right and left MORE (DN.Y.) referred to foreign efforts to undermine everything from infrastructure to elections.
“These are serious, serious problems and I don’t like to hear that we have blind spots,” she said.
Intelligence leaders will return to Capitol Hill on Thursday to testify about the same variety of threats before the House Intelligence Committee.