"You Can Take My Clearance Too!"

During the summer of 2018, the Trump administration began to threaten to take away the security clearances of retired officials who dared to disagree with Trump.  Admiral McRaven spoke out against the threats made against former CIA Director John Brennan.  When I heard that Lieutenant General James Clapper was also the target of this kind of attack, I felt compelled to say something.  So wrote up a letter and gave it as much circulation as I could.   As a courtesy I shared it with my bosses at the National War College. 

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From: William R Meara
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2018 12:22 PM
To:
Subject: Please forward to General Clapper

I just saw General Clapper on CNN and I wanted to get word to him that many former colleagues do support him.   Here is a letter that I wrote and circulated last  week. 

In his letter regarding the revocation of John Brennan’s security clearance, Admiral McRaven mentioned McCarthy-era tactics intended to suppress the voices of criticism. He is of course correct, but when I heard the White House spokesman claim that this action was being taken because of John Brennan’s supposed “erratic and bizarre behavior” I was also reminded of the Soviet Union’s practice of declaring critics of the government to be insane before shipping them off to psychiatric wards.  

Having had the privilege of serving under the leadership of General James Clapper, I find it especially appalling that he too is now the target of the kind of vilification tactics mentioned by Admiral McRaven.  Both General Clapper and General Hayden have pointed out that the threat of revocation of security clearance is now being used as a tool of intimidation and as a way of suppressing dissent.  This is profoundly un-American and is a gross violation of the core principles spelled out in our Bill of Rights.  All Americans should strongly object to this blatant abuse of power, and to the disgraceful treatment that courageous and outstanding public servants like General Clapper are being subjected to.  

As an American citizen it is my right to speak my mind about the actions of the government.  Indeed as someone who for more than 40 years has lived under an oath to “support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” I feel a special obligation to join in the denunciations of government actions that are clearly moving our country away from the ideals that our founders sought to protect.  

If in retaliation for speaking out my security clearance is revoked, I join with Admiral McRaven in saying that I would consider it an honor.

William R. Meara