[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun]

On May 2nd, the Washington Post cited anonymous sources reporting that the Trump administration plans to significantly reduce personnel in U.S. intelligence agencies over the long term, with the scale expected to reach thousands of people, affecting departments such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), among others.

This is part of the Trump administration's efforts to cut federal spending and "cleanse" what it calls the 'deep state.' The Washington Post, which has often been at odds with Trump, took advantage of this opportunity on April 2nd to hype up concerns about potential 'counterintelligence risks,' expressing 'concern' that unemployed American intelligence personnel might become prime recruitment targets for 'adversary nations' like China and Russia.

This is not the first time foreign media has hyped this issue, but various reports and so-called studies have failed to provide substantial evidence. Conversely, Chinese authorities have previously exposed cases of U.S. recruitment of Chinese citizens for espionage activities through evidence. Just this month, on April 1st, the CIA openly released a Chinese-language recruitment video online. A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry previously responded by stating that while the U.S. repeatedly spreads false information about alleged Chinese spies, it openly declares its intent to carry out large-scale intelligence activities against China. This itself reveals much about their intentions.

According to reports, the Trump administration recently informed members of Congress about the aforementioned personnel reduction plan. Anonymous sources said that this plan will be gradually implemented over several years. The CIA is expected to reduce its workforce by 1,200 employees, while the NSA, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) responsible for designing and operating spy satellites, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) responsible for analyzing satellite imagery and providing target location data for the U.S. military are expected to collectively reduce thousands of positions.

According to anonymous sources, this plan will not directly dismiss national intelligence personnel. For instance, in the CIA's goal of reducing its workforce by 1,200 people, more than 500 employees have already chosen the voluntary buyout option and are retiring early. Additionally, some reductions will be achieved by decreasing hiring.

It remains unclear which CIA departments will be most affected. The Washington Post reported that the CIA does not publicly disclose its employee numbers, but it is believed to be around 22,000, meaning the expected reduction would amount to approximately 5% of its total workforce.

According to the report, this reduction plan is unrelated to the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) led by Musk, a billionaire ally of Trump, and instead is part of the Trump administration's 'reform' of U.S. intelligence agencies. CIA Director Ratcliffe and National Intelligence Director Gabbard have both committed to streamlining their respective agencies and, following Trump's instructions, canceled diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, dismissing relevant personnel.

Previously, CNN reported in February that the CIA had proposed a voluntary buyout scheme to all employees, promising eight months of salary compensation to those who voluntarily resign. Additionally, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has also offered an early retirement program called 'Crossroads' to employees, continuing to pay their salaries until September 30th. It is understood that more than 100 people have opted for this plan.

On April 30th, local time, Washington D.C., USA, DOGE leader Musk (center) and U.S. National Intelligence Director Gabbard (right) attended the White House Cabinet meeting. Visual China

Gabbard stated at the White House Cabinet meeting on April 30th that ODNI was now 25% smaller and more streamlined compared to when she took office in February. A CIA spokesperson stated in a statement that this was done to "inject new vitality into the CIA and provide opportunities for new leadership."

The U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have always been thorns in Trump's side. Haspel, who served as CIA director during Trump's first term, was not entirely loyal to Trump's political stance in many investigations, which caused Trump to have numerous grievances toward her. During Trump's second term, Ratcliffe, who had strongly supported Trump on issues such as the 'Russia collusion' investigation, was appointed as CIA director.

Gabbard, the U.S. National Intelligence Director, is considered the person in Trump's second cabinet closest to Trump's own security philosophy. Since taking office, she has frequently appeared on conservative media outlets, adopting Trump's rhetoric to label certain U.S. intelligence personnel as part of the 'deep state,' accusing them of attempting to undermine the Trump administration.

However, Trump's sweeping layoff plans have sparked panic among U.S. intelligence personnel. The Washington Post mentioned that Gabbard and other Trump-appointed officials have recently intensified their investigations into internal leaks, including using lie detectors at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Several current and former U.S. officials have expressed that this approach is creating an atmosphere of fear and oppression.

The report stated that several former senior U.S. intelligence officials have received numerous requests for help via phone calls and emails from friends at the CIA, hoping to transition into the private sector. "People are leaving," said a former high-ranking official. "Many senior employees, although not eligible for early retirement, are considering resignation."

On April 30th, local time, Washington D.C., USA, CIA Director Ratcliffe speaks at a cabinet meeting held at the White House. Visual China

Some Democrats criticized these layoff plans, saying they posed a threat to national security. "The comprehensive and reckless layoffs of experienced intelligence personnel by the Trump administration undoubtedly weaken our ability to detect and respond to threats, making the U.S. less secure," said Mark R. Warner, the senior Democratic member of the Senate Intelligence Committee from Virginia.

The pro-Democratic Washington Post further hyped this up, claiming there were 'counterintelligence risks.' The report stated that the unemployment of thousands of potentially disgruntled intelligence personnel could 'provide recruitment targets for the spy agencies of adversarial countries.'

The report also speculated that although U.S. intelligence personnel are trained to identify and resist such recruitment attempts, and dismissed personnel are legally obligated to report any contact to U.S. counterintelligence agencies, even one violation could lead to serious national security consequences.

The Washington Post's basis for this claim was that the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center, part of ODNI, claimed last month that Chinese intelligence agencies are using disguises such as pretending to be consulting companies, corporate headhunters, and think tanks on social and job recruitment websites to recruit current and former U.S. government employees. Additionally, according to a March report by CNN citing U.S. intelligence assessments, Russia and China have recently instructed their intelligence agencies to intensify efforts to recruit U.S. national security personnel who have been or may soon be dismissed.

However, neither U.S. intelligence agencies nor U.S. media have ever provided substantial evidence for these claims. Reuters reported in March, citing an investigation by Max Lesher, a senior analyst on emerging threats at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, that an allegedly mysterious network of Chinese enterprises is attempting to recruit laid-off U.S. federal government employees. However, Reuters admitted in its report that it could not determine whether this network had ties to the Chinese government or if any U.S. federal employees had been recruited.

In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States sent an email to Reuters stating that China was unaware of any entities involved in such actions and emphasized that China respects data privacy and security.

On April 9th, in response to the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center's claim that Chinese intelligence agencies are recruiting current and former U.S. government employees, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that he was unaware of the situation mentioned. However, he emphasized that the U.S. has never ceased its espionage activities against China and has long conducted large-scale wiretapping and information theft against allies. Lin Jian said that China firmly opposes such irresponsible practices.

China has previously exposed cases of U.S. recruitment of Chinese citizens for espionage activities through evidence. In July 2023, the U.S. once publicly claimed that the reconstruction of its intelligence network in China had made progress. However, within just one month, China's security authorities announced the exposure of two CIA spy cases, directly exposing the names and positions of U.S. intelligence personnel, and detailing their tactics for luring and subverting key department personnel in China. At the beginning of this year, the Harbin Municipal Public Security Bureau exposed NSA cyber attacks and theft of secrets related to the Asian Winter Games, issuing a reward notice to apprehend three involved U.S. agents.

Just on May 1st, the CIA released a new Chinese-language video on social media, openly recruiting Chinese nationals to work for U.S. intelligence activities. This is the CIA's second similar video release after nearly seven months. Last October, the CIA also initiated a recruitment campaign targeting China and others, releasing instructions online on how to safely contact the agency, and claimed that previous efforts to recruit Russian informants had been successful.

"While the U.S. continues to spread false information about alleged Chinese spies, it openly declares its intent to conduct large-scale intelligence activities against China. This itself says a lot. China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard national security," said a previous response by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500060775587889683/

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