US intelligence chiefs defend use of Signal chat in Houthi strikes plan

Investing.com -- US intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have defended their participation in a Signal messaging chat where plans for strikes against Houthi rebels were discussed. The officials have denied that the information shared in the chat was classified.

The officials were part of a non-governmental messaging chat that also included other members of the Trump team. The Atlantic’s top editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in the chat. The revelations were published on Monday and dominated a Senate hearing on Tuesday that was originally planned to discuss an annual report on global threats.

Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, criticized the officials for their actions, calling it sloppy and a violation of procedure. He expressed concerns that if the information got out, it could have put American lives at risk.

Gabbard chose not to discuss specifics as the matter is currently under review by the National Security Council. However, she did confirm that "There was no classified material that was shared in that Signal chat."

Warner pushed for the officials to share the texts with Congress or release them to the public if they weren’t classified.

Ratcliffe confirmed his participation in the Signal messaging group chat. He explained that Signal was one of the first applications loaded onto his computer after his confirmation as CIA director, a practice that is common among most CIA officers. He clarified that using Signal for work purposes is permissible, provided that any decisions made are also recorded through formal channels.

Senator Ron Wyden questioned the officials on whether they had participated in any other group chats with classified information on Signal. Both Ratcliffe and Gabbard confirmed that they had not been involved in any group chats on Signal that contained classified information.

The two officials agreed to cooperate with an auditor, provided the National Security Council deems it appropriate. Ratcliffe insisted that the application was used in a permissible and lawful manner.

Senator Michael Bennet expressed his frustration, questioning why Ratcliffe did not notice or act upon the inclusion of the Atlantic Editor in the chat. Other Senators, including Senator Martin Heinrich, Senator Angus King, Senator Jack Reed, and Senator Jon Ossoff, also questioned the two officials regarding the group chat.

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