WASHINGTON: Former CIA Director John Brennan said on Wednesday that at least some American voters were swayed as a result of Russia’s 2016 election interference operation, a statement that went further than the official assessments of US intelligence agencies and lawmakers.
Speaking alongside other former intelligence figures at the National Press Club in Washington, Brennan said he was “sure, personally, that those Russian efforts changed the mind of at least one voter.”
“Whether it was one voter or a million voters, I don’t know,” he added.
Brennan, who led the CIA from 2013 to 2017 during Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration, said he was speaking on his own behalf, noting that the impact on the vote was something the CIA “did not assess.”
But he said there was no question there was some effect – possibly affecting the final result itself, which brought Republican Donald Trump to the presidency.
“How many, in which states, I don’t know. Whether it changed the outcome, I don’t know,” Brennan said.
Brennan has been a sharp critic of Trump. Last year, the president revoked Brennan’s security clearance for making what he called “unfounded and outrageous allegations” about his administration.
Brennan’s comments on Wednesday contrasted with conclusions published after a series of official investigations into the hacking, leaks and social media influence campaign carried out by Russian hackers in the run-up to the 2016 presidential contest. Moscow has denied interfering in the election.
US officials have generally been careful not to make any public judgment on whether voters had their minds changed by Russian actions. Last year, lawmakers said in a report there was “no evidence of changed votes,” although they were referring to voting machines and digital tallies.
Former CIA Director Brennan: Votes were swayed by Russian influence operation
Former CIA Director Brennan: Votes were swayed by Russian influence operation
- He said there was no question there was some effect – possibly affecting the final result itself, which brought Republican Donald Trump to the presidency
Drone-backed militants attack Nigerian army base, several soldiers dead
- The militants struck the Sabon Gari base before dawn
- The army regained control after reinforcements arrived
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: Islamist militants backed by armed drones raided an army base in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, killing several troops in the early hours of Thursday, the military said, in the second assault reported there this week.
The use of drones by the fighters from Daesh West Africa Province (Daesh-WAP) in recent attacks has marked a significant escalation in the violence in the region, military spokesman Lt. Col. Sani Uba said.
The militants struck the Sabon Gari base before dawn, storming the perimeter and briefly breaching part of the facility, Uba said.
While they were fighting, their drone bombardment destroyed several military vehicles, including an excavator and a low-bed trailer, he added.
The army regained control after reinforcements arrived, repelled the attack and were pursuing the militants, Uba said.
Some soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force members “paid the supreme price,” he said, without giving details on the numbers.
Two security sources told Reuters at least nine soldiers and two task force members were killed, with around 16 others wounded.
Nigeria’s military has pushed deeper into insurgent strongholds in the northeast this year as part of a renewed offensive against militant groups.
But despite repeated operations, Boko Haram and its splinter faction Daesh-WAP continue to mount large-scale attacks, exploiting difficult terrain, porous borders and a weak state presence across parts of the arid northeast. Borno, where Boko Haram and Daesh-WAP fighters have intensified attacks on military convoys and civilians, remains the epicenter of the 17-year Islamist insurgency.
