The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is a federation of 16 separate United States government agencies that work separately and together to conduct intelligence activities considered necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and national security of the United States.
Member organizations of the IC include intelligence agencies, military intelligence, and civilian intelligence and analysis offices within federal executive departments. The IC is headed by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), who reports to the President of the United States.
Among their varied responsibilities, the members of the Community collect and produce foreign and domestic intelligence, contribute to military planning, and perform espionage. The IC was established by Executive Order 12333, signed on December 4, 1981, by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
~Wikipedia~
I feel this is important information about what is happening in the Republican Administration lead by Drumpf and what we need to be aware of.
Keith Olbermann series called “The Resistance” continues.
~Why a know-nothing ego-maniac has no business on the phone with world leaders~
Taiwan Call
The president-elect broke with four decades of diplomatic practice by talking on the phone Friday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a breach of protocol that could disrupt U.S.-China ties before the inauguration.
The 10-minute phone call is believed to be the first time that a U.S. president or president-elect and a Taiwanese leader have spoken since the late 1970’s.
The United States formally recognized the government in Beijing as representing China in 1978 and has pursued a “One China” policy since 1972, when then-President Richard M. Nixon visited the country. But although the U.S. government ended official relations with Taiwan in 1979, U.S. presidential administrations have maintained unofficial ties with the island territory, which has become a thriving democracy in recent decades.
Trump’s phone call with Philippines leader deserves a lot more attention
President-elect Donald Trump’s telephone created plenty of news over the weekend – whether it was that “congratulatory” call with Taiwan’s leader, his tweets aimed at China, or even his criticism of SNL.
But there was another bit of news involving Trump’s phone that deserves a lot more attention – his call with Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
“In a statement Saturday, Duterte shared details of a seven-minute conversation that took place Friday, December 2. He said that during the call, Trump endorsed his campaign against drug users and dealers – a campaign that has left at least 4,500 Filipinos dead in about five months. Trump told Duterte that he was doing it the ‘right way,’ according to Duterte’s account,” the Washington Post writes.
And Reuters reports that, on that Friday call, Trump invited Duterte to the White House, according to a Philippines official.
It Is What It Is 