Trump's security briefings will show him challenges, CIA director says
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The nation’s CIA director said Thursday that he believes Donald Trump’s national security briefings will show the president-elect that defeating the Islamic State and tackling other security threats across the globe are challenges that the United States must address with its allies and partners.
CIA Director John Brennan said the briefings also will bring greater clarity for Trump and his team on the reasons behind the United States’ commitments to its allies and the arrangements that go with them. Brennan expressed confidence in a smooth transition between presidential administrations, vowing his agency would provide Trump’s team with the best intelligence possible.
“It’s very important that we follow through on our treaty obligations and continue to reassure our allies that America’s commitment to them and their security and to the relationships we have with them is going to stay strong,” Brennan said. “I’m sure when President-elect Trump is briefed on a lot of these issues, there’s going to be greater clarity on why we do certain things and why we have certain kinds of arrangements.”
Brennan’s comments Thursday came as he took questions from University of New Mexico students in Albuquerque, where he announced a CIA recruiting partnership with the school called the Signature School Program. Brennan said the University of New Mexico is the first of several schools that will be part of the program.
Several university students asked about Trump’s campaign rhetoric, which included suggestions that the U.S. could abandon its NATO commitments and boost security by building a wall along the U.S. Mexico border.
Natalie Avitia, a sophomore from Grants, New Mexico, asked whether Brennan believed Trump’s proposal for the border wall was a viable longterm security plan.
“We’ll see whether or not there’s going to be follow through on a policy front,” Brennan said. “Just as I said there are no simple solutions, whether it be with ISIL or whatever. Some of these issues we face are not easily solved by a wall or mass deportations.”
