Thread by @Stonekettle

Random Critic from the Internet explains how things work.

According to his bio, my critic here has never served in the military, never worked in government, or been employed by a company that would require a federal security clearance.

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Which is probably why he has no goddamned idea what he's talking about or any understanding of the implications.

Folks, there is a difference between CLEARANCE and ACCESS.

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Clearance has nothing to do with "need to know."

Clearance is based on the security requirements of a particular job.

Clearance is the maximum level of classified material you have been authorized to POTENTIALLY access.

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Clearance is granted following a federal background investigation, of which there are several levels of increasing scrutiny and which is instituted based on general job requirements and periodically renewed.

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This process, particularly for high level clearance is expensive and time-consuming.

A clearance does NOT mean you get to see classified material. That is called "access."

It is ACCESS that is granted on a "need to know."

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Example: When I was an active duty intelligence officer, my CLEARANCE was one of the highest in the nation. But my ACCESS was limited to my particular duties. Meaning...

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... that when I was assigned to a nuclear vessel, despite having the highest clearance on the ship, my access was limited to my particular duties and I was prohibited from entering the reactor spaces or accessing material related to nuclear propulsion...

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... because I was not an engineer and I had no need to know that information.

Likewise, the nuke engineers could not access my materials.

Despite having similar levels of CLEARANCE, we had very difference ACCESS separated by security compartmentalization.

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When you no longer have a need to know, your ACCESS is revoked, i.e. you are "read out" of that access.

This will likely happen many, many times during a career as you move from assignment to assignment.

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You can have an active CLEARANCE, and no ACCESS to classified material. For example, when you're transferring between duty stations or in an assignment that does not require access.

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CLEARANCE is determined by a variety of factors, but primarily the fixed general requirements of a particular job area.

ACCESS is based on a specific need to know, i.e. the particular requirements of an assignment.

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My critic here doesn't know the difference.

And it matters.

A lot.

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Here's why: A former intelligence officer, let's say John Brennan, for example, may retain an active security CLEARANCE after he retires or otherwise leaves the job.

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Clearances are expensive, especially at high level.

They take a long time to process -- up to a year in some cases for, say, a National Agency Check With Inquires. Federal agents have comb through national and state databases...

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...for information on your background, finances, education, criminal record, foreign contacts, etc. They have to compare the information you provided (on your SF-86 security form) to public and private records, and ...

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... they have to conduct interviews with your former contacts -- which can include family, friends, coworkers, supervisors, all over the world in some cases. The results of that process might trigger MORE inquiry. As I said, it's expensive and it can take a long time.

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So, for someone like Brennan, where it is possible that he might need to be recalled to discuss classified details of certain operations or information that occurred on his watch, with the current head of the CIA, his CLEARANCE is kept active.

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This does not mean he has ACCESS to classified material.

He can't just walk in the front door of the CIA anytime he wants.

He can't look at classified information.

He doesn't get any kind of briefing or access to current materials.

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It means that he can be granted ACCESS on short notice, for a temporary period, so that the people running his former agency can consult with him if necessary. He would NOT be given access to any operation or information outside the scope of that specific requirement.

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When that requirement no longer exists, he would be read back out -- i.e. his access is revoked.

ACCESS, not CLEARANCE.

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If he did not have an active clearance, this process would be much more difficult, if not impossible, under the security rules.

And those rules are in place for very, very, very good reasons learned at very painful cost.

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How often are former CIA directors recalled? Former heads of the DIA like General Flynn? Retired Directors of NSA, like Admiral Hayden? People with specialized knowledge of unique systems -- like me?

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How often?

Often enough.

More importantly: IF, in a crises you needed to do it and you couldn't, well, then our people might die.

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Now, intelligence work, and the resulting classified information that results from it, is by definition perishable. Without access, your situational knowledge begins to date fairly quickly. The likelihood of recall decreases exponentially the longer you are out.

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Now: here's the important part so pay attention:

Clearances have to be renewed every few years, or they go inactive. They generally do not need to be revoked, there is an expiration date built in.

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THUS, the point being this: Brennan, like all of those who Trump is threatening to revoke their CLEARANCES, already does not have ACCESS unless there is a need to know.

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Trump's revocation of John Brennan's security CLEARANCE is pure political theater and personal vindictiveness.

IT IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.

Brennan already doesn't have ACCESS unless there is a need to know.

And Trump, as president, determines that need to know.
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This is what my critic here obviously does not understand. Nor does he understand the critical implications.

Trump's action may very well may put our country at increased risk by closing off options
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Options that we may need available in events that by their very nature cannot be predicted.

It's obvious Trump doesn't understand this. His petty revenge is more important than national security -- if it wasn't, he would have already revoked MIKE FLYNN'S clearance.

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Nothing I've told you up above is a secret. It's all available for you to look up for yourselves, codified in US law, statute, and executive order.

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In the US, at least for the moment, our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

And that's the problem.

With people like my critic above, with citizens this DELIBERATELY ignorant, the dangers I warned you about yesterday become FAR more likely.

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It's not Trump.

It's not. Not really.

No, it's mean, small, proudly ignorant and easily manipulated minds like my critic here who are the REAL foundation stones of fascism.

Without them, Trump would be just another New York City slum lord.

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