Tran thanh [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] would like to call this hearing on worldwide threats to order. I would like to welcome our distinguished witnesses today, director of national intelligence, dan coats. Director Central Intelligence agency, mike pompeo. Director of the intelligence agency, general robert ashley. Director the federal bureau of investigation, chris rea. After the National Security agency, admiral mike rogers. And directed the Geospatial Intelligence agency, robert cardillo. Weve got along in front of us and i thank you all for being here. I know how forwardlooking this one occasion on an annual basis. Since 1995, this committee has met in open forum to discuss the Security Threat facing the United States of america. This has never been, nor will it ever be a comfortable conversation to have. The threats this country face are complex, evolving and without easy answers. Exist in multiple domains. They are asymmetrical and conventional. They can
Thank you at home for joining us this hour. This is going to be a big week in politics and in the news more broadly. We, of course, had the nevada caucuses. Senator Bernie Sanders of vermont emerging as the big winner in that contest. South carolina will be this weekend, this saturday. Even though we just had a Democratic Candidates debate last week, boy, was that a doozy. Well have another one tomorrow ahead of South Carolina. There were six candidates on the stage including Mike Bloomberg. Tomorrow nights debate there will be an extra guy. There will be seven candidates because even though tom steyer did not qualify to be on the debate last week, he has qualified to be on the debate stage in South Carolina this week. And, sure, why not . Nobody ever said this had to be an orderly process or even a remotely logical one, its just how were doing it. Let me just point out something about tom steyer and what it means hes on the debate stage. Its a little topsyturvy. Mike bloomberg was on
So tonight he says that at the meeting today that you see a picture of here, that was a meeting when two of his top intelligence chiefs, dan coats and gina haspel, he says that at that meeting today with him they both denied saying what we heard them all say. Just listen. Mr. President , did you talk to your intelligence people today about the displeasure you had . I did and they said they were totally misquoted and it was taken out of context. What i do is suggest that you call them. They said it was fake news. I wonder if they used those words. Lets just be clear here about the situation. Haspel and coats testified under oath before the Senate Intelligence committee and they testified on tape in an open hearing for all americans to hear and watch if they wanted to. So let me play again what they said and you will hear that they were not misquoted when they contradicted the president , for example, on isis. Isis is intent on resurging and still commands thousands of fighters in iraq a