The Senate Intelligence Committee has narrowly endorsed Tulsi Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence, DNI. In a tense session on Tuesday, February 4, the committee voted 9-8 in favor of President Donald Trump’s nominee, overcoming a critical hurdle in her path to confirmation.
This pivotal vote paves the way for the full Senate to convene and deliberate on whether Gabbard should assume the role as the nation’s top intelligence official, a position crucial to the country’s national security strategy.
If confirmed, she will be the second woman to lead and coordinate the sprawling American intelligence community, which encompasses 18 different agencies with a combined budget of approximately $70-100 billion. In her role, she would act as one of Trump’s key advisors, responsible for the prompt dissemination of processed intelligence throughout the community to both the President and other national policymakers, while also managing interactions with foreign intelligence and security services and international bodies.
With her military background in the US Army National Guard and her tenure on various House committees, Gabbard, if confirmed to this pivotal intelligence role, would need to exemplify a balanced and effective model of US national security. She would tackle significant challenges within the intelligence community, transitioning for the first time from a military to an intelligence agency setting.
President Trump regards her as a loyal candidate, potentially prioritizing her ideological alignment over her specific security expertise. Conversely, critics argue that her lack of direct intelligence community experience could lead her to approach issues predominantly from a military perspective.
As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard, Gabbard, aligned with Trump's vision, aims to reform the intelligence community and its agencies. These agencies have faced numerous challenges in the ongoing war against terrorism, and enhancing counter-terrorism efforts has been pivotal to their success. Additionally, one of the significant and emerging threats to these major and complex intelligence and security agencies in the US is their serious and effective confrontation with transnational organized crime, which threatens to erode the credibility and trust in the US intelligence services.
The significance of Gabbard’s potential appointment extends to its impact on national security, foreign policy, and the organizational structure of American intelligence. Despite her extensive military experience, she encounters numerous challenges in combating America’s adversaries from an intelligence and security standpoint. The authoritative American intelligence community is dynamic, continuously evolving, and demands precision. Her appointment could trigger both domestic responses and substantial international repercussions.
China, Russia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran
On a broader scale, US national security concerns necessitate precise intelligence assessments of its principal adversaries, consistently identifying three nations: China, Russia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Each maintains a robust "separate and toxic propaganda machine," "corrupt and infamous lobbying groups," and "operational sleeper cells" within the soil of the US Even the Islamic Republic, notorious for its "terrorist sleeper cells and anti-Israel propaganda machine," intensifies the security challenges faced by the American intelligence community. These states and bad actors also deploy "agents for infiltration" within the US intelligence community, similar to how infamous lobbies from the Islamic Republic have penetrated the Defense Ministry of the USA.
Critics have previously questioned Gabbard’s controversial views on Syria and Russia, though these may now be less pertinent. The greater her recognition of Tehran’s malign activities as a destabilizing force in the Middle East and an adversary to America's regional allies, the better positioned she will be. By intensifying efforts to combat Tehran-backed Islamic terrorism, she can alleviate concerns regarding her potential impact on America’s diplomatic relationships with its allies.
Although she switched her allegiance to the Republicans in October 2024, branding Democrats as warmongers, Gabbard's profound political transformation and shift in her political stance may not sufficiently equip her to tackle security challenges such as the war in Ukraine with Russia, or Tehran-backed Islamic terrorism, nor to conservatively influence international relations.
US allies
In the strategic landscape of American politics, Gabbard must endeavor to bolster the credibility of US intelligence, which significantly affects America’s relationships with allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel in the face of the malign influence of the criminal ayatollah’s regime aligned with Russia in Iran. Recognizing Vladimir Putin as a war criminal and Ali Khamenei as a brutal dictator could accelerate her proactive measures. Despite potential widespread negative reactions from the international media during her tenure as the Director of National Intelligence under Trump’s second term, these may not pose serious impediments.
Gabbard has participated in military operations in Iraq and Kuwait and, despite her commitment to the "America First" doctrine, the Iraq she served in witnessed the deaths of thousands of Americans who endeavored to establish democracy and freedom post-Saddam Hussein. Instead, Iraq fell under the influence of the Shiite crescent of the Islamic Republic, leading to significant limitations on American efforts in the region. Currently, the militia and criminal organization Hashd al-Shaabi, which takes directives from the Quds Force, presents a significant threat to Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Through her experiences and interactions in a rigorously trained environment, Gabbard will acquire insights and knowledge seldom taught with such detail and scope in academic settings. The challenge today is not merely in educating Gabbard; it is in the future political actions required to decisively confront America's adversaries. Among these threats is the potential development of a nuclear weapon by the terrorist-loving Khomeinist regime in Tehran, a prospect that endangers the 21st century and puts the existence of Israel and Europe at risk. Dependence on a quickly reversible fatwa from an uneducated mullah is futile. A profound understanding of both internal and external security threats, coupled with the ability to make decisions in complex and sensitive scenarios, is crucial for effective security management.
Although Gabbard harbors reservations about US military interventions abroad—a stance that aligns with Trump’s policies—the Middle East cannot achieve peace, stability, and comfort without addressing the leadership in Tehran, and without a regime change in Iran, the emergence of a new Middle East remains unlikely. In this context, cautious action and opposition to regime change prove ineffectual. Peaceful coexistence with a malignancy is impossible; it necessitates removal. No one desires American military intervention, yet no one favors a US policy under Trump’s potential second term that would engage diplomatically with the criminal mullahs who support Islamic terrorism, turning America into a global laughingstock like what critics argue happened under Obama and Biden. Engaging with such outlaw regimes is akin to putting lipstick on a pig. From my understanding of her character, I remain optimistic about Gabbard’s intellectual independence and adaptability.
This seasoned veteran, who brings a distinctive political background and a record of military service, has demonstrated her patriotism through her commitment to the American flag. However, there should be no hesitation in addressing the threats to America's identity, sovereignty, and the safety of its allies. Decisive action is required.
If I were to encounter Ms. Gabbard in person on Thursday, I would warmly shake her hand and sincerely wish her success on her confirmation day. I would say, "Madam Director, please prioritize regime change in Iran to facilitate the emergence of a new Middle East, and steadfastly support our Middle Eastern allies, including Saudi Arabia and Israel."
Additionally, Supreme Leader’s religious fatwa holds no genuine authority; it is a malleable decree, subject to interpretation and manipulation at the regime’s whim. Future Supreme Leaders of this theocratic dictatorship can easily override or redefine it to suit their political ambitions, including those aligned with acts of terror.
It is crucial to emphasize that the fatwa issued by Iran’s dictator, Ali Khamenei—purportedly prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons—contains glaring loopholes. It does not, in any explicit terms, forbid the pursuit of a nuclear weapons program or the strategic use of nuclear threats as a tool of coercion and intimidation on the global stage.