House Intel Speaker announces ‘serious national security threat’, sources say has ties to Russia

Washington
CNN
—

The committee announced Wednesday that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner has made information about “grave national security threats” available for consideration by all members.

Two sources and a U.S. official told CNN the threat was linked to Russia, although Turner and the White House remained vague about what it meant. Sources familiar with the information characterized the information as “very sensitive.”

One of the sources who has seen the information admitted: “In fact, what we have recently realized is a very worrying and unstable ‘Russian capability.’

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Turner wrote to his fellow MPs saying the urgent issue “relates to destabilizing foreign military capabilities.”

In a letter to his colleagues, Turner said the House Intelligence Committee voted on Feb. 13 to release certain information that members can review, and that members had between Wednesday and Friday to do so. He said he would be given time to view it.

Turner also called on President Joe Biden to declassify “all information related to this threat.”

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sets a meeting with National Security Council leaders before warning publicly about what Turner calls a “grave national security threat.” He said he had personally contacted him to ask him to do so.

Sullivan hinted at his dissatisfaction with Turner, who preempted Thursday’s scheduled meeting with a public statement, saying he was “a little surprised that Mr. Turner came out publicly today.”

“I contacted Turner to meet him,” Sullivan said. “Turner has appeared in public. I’m going to see Turner tomorrow. I’d like to leave it there for today.”

He did not elaborate on the nature of the threat.

“I am not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time,” he said.

He emphasized that the Biden administration “has gone further than any administration in history and has engaged in more creative and strategic ways to declassify information that serves the national interest of the United States.”

“So if it’s in the national security interest, there’s absolutely no reason we wouldn’t want to do that,” he said.

This story has been interrupted and will be updated.