by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – Following the government shutdown that began Tuesday the federal government has been forced to furlough 70% of its intelligence staff.  In a meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned that the shutdown “seriously damages” the intelligence community’s ability to protect the US.

Clapper testified to the Judiciary Committee that, following clear legal guideline, the intelligence community was forced to place 70% of its civilian staff, including operations and support personnel, on unpaid leave.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Clapper said, adding “I think this, on top of sequestration, seriously damages our ability to protect the security and safety of this nation and its citizens.”

The more pressing concern, Clapper said, is the “dreamland for foreign intelligence services” that is created by placing intelligence staff on unpaid leave.  Clapper worried that foreign intelligence services will be able to recruit the valuable Ph.D.s, computer scientists and mathematicians employed by the US intelligence community.

The Judiciary Committee guidelines call for agencies to furlough employees unless they are “necessary to protect against imminent threat to life or property.”  In the intelligence business, where imminent threats often crop up quickly, Clapper expressed concern that which personnel were necessary to prevent imminent loss of life and property would change on a daily basis.

“We will have to shuffle people in and out depending on what we believe the concern of the day is,” Clapper said.

The counterterrorism staff has remained on duty; however, intelligence officials are worried about the shutdown’s effect on staff morale.  Clapper assured that he would keep enough staff to guard against potential threats, but warned that he might have to call more employees back to work if the shutdown continues.

“Each day that goes by, the jeopardy increases,” he said.

The number of employees that work at the various intelligence agencies is classified.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – US spy chief: Shutdown ‘damaging’ – 2 October 2013

Washington Times – Shutdown furloughs 70 percent of U.S. intelligence workers– 2 October 2013

Al Jazeera – 70% of intelligence staff out in government shutdown – 2 October 2013

Reuters – Intelligence chiefs deem shutdown ‘insidious’ danger to U.S. – 2 October 2013

Fox News – Clapper says shutdown damaging US spies’ ability to guard against threats – 2 October 2013