CIA and other spy agencies set to shrink workforce under Trump administration plan

WASHINGTON – The White House plans to chopped staffing astatine the CIA and different quality agencies, including the National Security Agency, Trump medication officials told members of Congress, The Washington Post reported Friday.

A idiosyncratic acquainted with the program but not authorized to sermon it publically confirmed the changes to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity.

The medication plans to trim the CIA workforce by 1,200 implicit respective years, and chopped thousands of positions astatine the NSA and different quality agencies. The Post reported that the reductions astatine the CIA see respective 100 radical who person already opted for aboriginal retirement. The remainder of the cuts would beryllium achieved partially done reduced hirings and would not apt necessitate layoffs.

In effect to questions astir the reductions, the CIA issued a connection saying CIA Director John Ratcliffe is moving to align the bureau with Trump's nationalist information priorities.

“These moves are portion of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, supply opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and amended presumption CIA to present connected its mission,” the bureau wrote successful the statement.

A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard did not instantly respond to a connection seeking comment. Gabbard's bureau oversees and coordinates the enactment of 18 agencies that cod and analyse intelligence.

The CIA and NSA person already offered voluntary resignations to immoderate employees. The CIA besides has said it plans to laic disconnected an chartless fig of recently hired employees.

The caller medication has besides eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs astatine quality agencies, though a justice has temporarily blocked efforts to occurrence 19 employees moving connected DEI programs who challenged their terminations.

Trump besides abruptly fired the wide who led the NSA and the Pentagon's Cyber Command.

Ratcliffe has vowed to overhaul the CIA and said helium wants to boost the agency's usage of quality from quality sources and its absorption connected China.

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