bblhd672 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 17, 2018 11:00 am
dale blanker wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:21 pm
You've missed the point. High level security officials have clearance to support the ongoing intelligence projects with their experience. But hey, let's just ignore history and see how that goes.
No, I didn't miss the point. Any ex-official who the President no longer needs advice from, for example a guy who is calling for him to be tossed out of office, does not have any further need of a security clearance giving him access to classified information.
The President of the United States has the legal authority and right to revoke former advisors' security clearances.
The point is that trump is revoking clearances for petty political reasons in a vain attempt to distract and/or silence criticism of him personally. While the president doesn't need to give a reason, or has the absolute right to do strip clearances, to do so for the reasons provided goes against the guidelines signed off on by his own administration which lists the following as reasons to grant or revoke clearance:
http://ogc.osd.mil/doha/SEAD4_20170608.pdf
13 guidelines by which national security clearances are typically evaluated and revoked. Those factors:
1. Allegiance to the United States
2. Foreign influence
3. Foreign preference
4. Sexual behavior
5. Personal conduct
6. Financial considerations
7. Alcohol consumption
8. Drug involvement and substance misuse
9. Psychological conditions
10. Criminal conduct
11. Handling protected information
12. Outside activities
13. Use of information technology
To revoke as trump has done for the pettiest of reasons on what are literally trumped on excuses, is petty, churlish and may even be obstruction.