"With that knowledge, why did you fire at least a dozen agents in Counterintelligence Unit 12 that specializes in Iran counterintelligence, which makes us much less secure and safe with this war going on from Iranian attacks potentially against our country? Cohen then pressed. As I said earlier, Congressman, I don't work on timelines when these terminations occur. There are internal investigations conducted by the career staff at the FBI that highlight unethical or inappropriate conduct, and it's up to me to make the decision."
"But our Iran Threats Mission Center has never been more resourced. As I've highlighted, a 43% increase in counterespionage arrests from Iran alone and 360 ongoing terrorism investigations with Iran-affiliated entities, Patel replied."
"People were terminated for violating their ethical obligations and the high standards that they upheld. Was the ethical violation they dealt with the case o"
During an Intelligence Committee hearing, Rep. Steve Cohen questioned FBI Director Kash Patel about the termination of approximately a dozen agents from the counterterrorism unit specializing in Iran. Cohen expressed concern that firing Iran experts during heightened tensions compromised national security. Patel maintained the firings resulted from internal investigations revealing unethical or inappropriate conduct by career FBI staff. He countered that the Iran Threats Mission Center received increased resources, achieving a 43% increase in counterespionage arrests related to Iran and maintaining 360 ongoing terrorism investigations involving Iran-affiliated entities. Cohen pressed Patel on whether the fired agents were Iran specialists, but Patel claimed unfamiliarity with individual employees' specific expertise, prompting Cohen to challenge the director's knowledge of his own personnel decisions.
#fbi-leadership #iran-counterintelligence #personnel-terminations #congressional-oversight #national-security
Read at www.mediaite.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]