MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) Sixty former US Central Intelligence Agency officials signed a letter Friday condemning the president for stripping security clearance from ex-director John Brennan.
It came a day after a statement by 12 former CIA directors and their deputies slammed Donald Trump for his "ill-considered and unprecedented" action against Brennan, allegedly to "stifle free speech."
Ex-CIA analysts and executives joined the chorus of their bosses warning "the country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views."
They argued that former government officials had the right to express their "unclassified views" on what they saw as critical national security issues without fear of being punished.
CIAs former personnel stressed their signatures did not necessarily mean they agreed with opinions expressed by Brennan or the manner in which they were expressed.
Trump revoked Brennans security clearance this week, saying the former intelligence chief was using his status to make unfounded claims. Brennan lashed back, saying Trumps denial of colluding with Russia was "hogwash."
