Left-wing journalist Glenn Greenwald noted the lack of evidence in Friday's declassified intelligence report in support of the claims that Russia had provided hacked emails to WikiLeaks in order to benefit then presidential candidate Donald Trump’s electoral fortunes.
Speaking with left-wing CNN Democrat Brian Stelter on Sunday’s Reliable Sources, Greenwald rejected the assertion that statements made by the “intelligence community” should be accepted as articles of faith:
“You’re not obligated through patriotism or decency to simply accept what the CIA says lest you be accused of siding with a foreign dictator or being unpatriotic. What should determine the discourse is the evidence presented. And on the key claims - that Putin directed this hacking and that he did so to elect Donald Trump - there is no evidence for it; not unpersuasive evidence or inadequate evidence; no evidence. Just CIA assertions over and over and that just simply is not enough.”
Greenwald reflected on the partisan divide over intelligence assessments regarding weapons of mass destruction in the lead up to the 2003 Iraq War to topple Saddam Hussein’s government:
“We don’t just blindly and uncritically accept the claims of the intelligence community, especially provocative claims about a foreign adversary, without seeing convincing evidence presented by them that those claims are true, and we absolutely have not seen that in this case.
And now you have a complete role reversal, where it’s Republicans who are expressing skepticism of the CIA and Democrats who are saying if you don’t believe the CIA, it means you’re disloyal and unpatriotic and you’re siding with a dictator against your own country.”
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