Trump's CIA Nominee: Iranians Are Professionals at Cheating

The nominee for the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Donald Trump's administration stated on Thursday, January 13, regarding the Iran nuclear deal that "Iranians are professionals at cheating and must be closely monitored." Mike Pompeo, who was present at a Senate Security Committee meeting, added, "Relying on the inspection regime of Iran's nuclear facilities is good but not enough." He, a critic of the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran, said, "Although I opposed this deal as a member of the House of Representatives, my role will change if I am confirmed as CIA director." The CIA nominee continued, "I will lead the agency's intelligence-gathering activities and ensure that the agency's experts have the time, political space, and necessary resources to provide impartial and accurate analyses." He emphasized that "Iran has become a more disruptive and destructive actor in the Middle East." The main topic was Russia. Mike Pompeo, a Republican who has served four terms in the House of Representatives from Kansas, distanced himself from Donald Trump's position, which favors friendly relations with Moscow, by making harsh comments about the Russian government. His nomination comes at a time when Donald Trump and U.S. security agency leaders have been at odds over Russia's actions during the U.S. election campaign. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Pompeo stated, "The Russian government has aggressively increased its presence and interventions in global affairs, has seized part of Ukraine, threatens Europe, and does not help in the defeat of the Islamic State group." The CIA nominee added that if confirmed, he would work in a context where the U.S. is facing one of the most complex and dangerous periods in contemporary history. He noted, "North Korea has dangerously increased its nuclear and missile activities." He described the Syrian civil war as a "painful humanitarian disaster" that has "strengthened extremism and sectarianism in the region and created instability in the Middle East and Europe." Mike Pompeo was a member of the Republican-led House investigation committee regarding the attack on the U.S. diplomatic office in Benghazi in 2012 when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. He told Senate representatives that he understands well that as CIA director, he must set aside his party biases and lead the country's intelligence affairs as a neutral manager. He further stated, "Most of my life has been spent outside of politics. I have been an Army cavalry officer and have also managed two industrial companies. Returning to service, which requires hard work and honesty, is inherent in me." As CIA director, Mr. Pompeo may have to play a mediating role between Donald Trump and U.S. intelligence and security agencies. Mr. Trump has so far rejected U.S. security agencies' reports regarding the Russian government's interference, specifically Vladimir Putin's, in the 2016 elections aimed at bringing him to victory. The CIA is one of three key security agencies that have reached such a conclusion. Donald Trump finally accepted on Wednesday that the Russian government was responsible for cyberattacks but simultaneously claimed that security agencies likely leaked confidential documents about him to the media, containing baseless allegations about his relations with Russia. Mike Pompeo graduated with honors from the Armed Forces Officer School in 1986. He served in the U.S. Army during the Cold War and traveled extensively during his tenure on the House Security Committee, meeting with various security officials.