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Rolling Up the Red Carpet: Responding to Russian Covert Actions

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Posted: January 15th, 2017

By Congressman Will Hurd

Will Hurd is the U.S. Representative for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas. He serves as Vice Chair of the Maritime and Border Security Subcommittee on the Committee for Homeland Security, and as the Chairman of the Information Technology Subcommittee on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  Hurd is a former undercover CIA officer, entrepreneur, and cybersecurity expert.

When the Russian intelligence operation designed to influence our 2016 election is used as a case study to train new Russian intelligence officers, it will be considered the most successful covert action operation in the history of Mother Russia. This operation, known as “Grizzly Steppe,” will be in the annals of Russian history not because President-elect Donald Trump won – Russian intelligence did not actually manipulate the vote count, so Donald Trump was the legitimate victor.  Rather, “Grizzly Steppe” created a wedge, whether real or perceived, between the U.S. President, the Intelligence Community (IC), and the American public.

A key impediment to Russian imperialistic designs is the U.S. intelligence community, so the Russians will continue to use all instruments of state power to challenge American public trust in these institutions.

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