US National Intelligence Director Dan Coats has revealed the latest in a series of US accusations against North Korea, Russia, Iran and some other states.
"We expect the heavily sanctioned North Korea to use cyber operations to raise funds and to gather intelligence or launch attacks on South Korea and the United States," Coats warned in a statement for the record titled "Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community."
Moreover, US intelligence revealed their expectations concerning future Pyongyang's nuclear tests.
"We expect to see North Korea press ahead with additional missile tests this year and its foreign minister has threatened an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific," Coats told lawmakers.
This
stance has been echoed by Defense Intelligence Agency Director Robert Ashley,
who said in congressional testimony that the United States and other countries
should not be misled by how the North Koreans are acting during the current
Winter Olympics.
"His
[Kim Jong Un] strategic calculus is not changing and we should not be misled by
the events that are taking place around the Olympics," Ashley told the
Senate Intelligence Committee.
A
high-level delegation from North Korea, including Kim Yo Jong, the sister of
North Korea's leader and the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's
Assembly Kim Yong Nam attended the start of the Olympics last week. Both were
part of a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Moon was
invited to visit Pyongyang to continue discussions, and has said he wants to
create the environment for the visit to happen.
US Vice
President Mike Pence said during his trip to South Korea that the United States
was preparing tough new sanctions against Pyongyang. Pence also refused to
speak with any members of the North Korean delegation at the Olympics.
Accusations
Against Other States
The US
intelligence report, released on Tuesday, has accused three states: Russia,
Iran and North Korea of preparing aggressive cyber attacks against the US and
allies.
"Russia,
Iran, and North Korea, however, are testing more aggressive cyber attacks that
pose growing threats to the United States and US partners," Coats said at
an annual Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats,
commenting on the report.
"Persistent
and disruptive cyber operations will continue against the United States and our
European allies using elections as opportunities to undermine democracy,"
Coats stated.
As the
US intelligence report claimed, Russia's and China's anti-satellite weapons
would reach initial operational capability within the next few years.
Russia
The
report has finally shed light on the US claims about Russia's alleged violation
of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty to develop ground-launched
cruise missiles.
"Russia
has developed a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) that the United States
has declared is in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF)
Treaty," Coats warned in a statement.
In
addition to previous allegations made by Washington regarding Moscow's alleged
meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, which the US thus-far has failed
to prove despite two ongoing investigations, the new report has continued the
trend.
According
to Dan Coats, Russia was still meddling and threatening the upcoming 2018
elections.
"The
2018 US mid-term elections are a potential target for Russian influence
operations," Coats said. "At a minimum, we expect Russia to continue
using propaganda, social media, false-flag personas, sympathetic spokespeople,
and other means of influence to try to exacerbate social and political fissures
in the United States."
Coats
said all 29 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were
unanimous in their assessment about Russia's attempt to undermine democratic
processes in foreign countries.
Both the
United States and NATO are concerned that Moscow will seek to meddle in the
upcoming parliamentary elections in Latvia, he added.
His
words have been confirmed by other intelligence chiefs, participating in the
event.
"We
have seen Russian activity and intentions to have an impact on the next
election cycle here," Director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Mike
Pompeo said.
Russia
has faced numerous accusations of interference in foreign elections, including
the 2016 US presidential vote, though Moscow has repeatedly denied such
allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called the claims groundless,
while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stressed that no evidence has
been produced to substantiate the accusations.
Iran
Speaking
about Iran, Coats stated that the country could seek to develop an
international continental ballistic missile (ICBM) in order to achieve its goal
of deterring any US attack on the Islamic Republic.
"Tehran's
desire to deter the United States might drive it to field an ICBM," Coats
said in a statement to Congress, titled "Worldwide Threat Assessment of
the US Intelligence Community."
Iran
recently made significant progress in its space program with the launch of its
Simorgh Satellite Launch Vehicle in July 2017, a rocket which could help Tehran
develop an ICBM using similar technologies, Coats said in the statement.
Iran's
ballistic missile programs give it the potential to threaten targets across the
region, Coats said. Tehran already has the largest arsenal of ballistic
missiles in the Middle East, he added.
Pakistan
This
time, US intelligence has also mentioned Pakistan amid other potentially threatening
countries, saying that it was developing new kinds of nuclear arms.
"Pakistan
is developing new types of nuclear weapons, including short-range tactical
weapons," Coats stated.
Daesh,
Chemical Weapons
Coats
also touched upon the use of chemical weapons in multiple attacks in both Iraq
and Syria by the Daesh terror group (outlawed in Russia).
"We
assess that ISIS [Daesh] is also using chemicals as a means of warfare. The
OPCW-UN JIM [Joint Investigative Mechanism] concluded that ISIS used sulfur mustard
in two attacks in 2015 and 2016, and we assess that it has used chemical
weapons in numerous other attacks in Iraq and Syria," Coats told the US
Senate Intelligence Committee.
As he
explained, the US assessment shows that the Syrian government has not declared
all its chemical weapons elements and is capable of carrying out attacks in the
future, adding that Damascus "used the nerve agent sarin in an attack
against the opposition in Khan Shaykhun on 4 April 2017."
"The
OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) has attributed the 4 April 2017
sarin attack and three chlorine attacks in 2014 and 2015 to the Syrian
regime," Coats said. "Even after the attack on Khan Shaykhun, we have
continued to observe allegations that the regime has used chemicals against the
opposition."
Ukrainian
Issue
Commenting
on the report, Coats noted that Washington expected Moscow to become more
emboldened and disruptive as it allegedly launches cyber attacks against
Ukraine in the coming year.
"We
expect that Russia will conduct bolder and more disruptive cyber operations
during the next year, most likely using new capabilities against Ukraine,"
Coats warned in a statement for the record titled "Worldwide Threat
Assessment of the US Intelligence Community."
As US
intelligence specified, the conflict in Eastern Ukraine was unlikely to result
in a major offensive by either side in 2018, forecasting the stalemate to
continue.
Syrian
Peace Process
Whereas,
the revelations went further, with the intelligence chief saying that the Kurdish
People's Protection (YPG) units might seek some kind of autonomy in Syria.
"The
Kurdish People's Protection Unit – the Syrian militia of the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK) probably – will seek some form of autonomy but will face resistance
from Russia, Iran, and Turkey," Coats said.
Speaking
about the situation in Syria, the intelligence chief stated that the country's
armed opposition movement was probably no longer capable of gaining the upper
hand in the country's military conflict.
"The
Syrian opposition's seven-year insurgency is probably no longer capable of
overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad or overcoming a growing military
disadvantage," Coats warned in a statement for the record titled
"Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community."
"Moscow
probably cannot force President Assad to agree to a political settlement that
he believes significantly weakens him, unless Moscow is willing to remove Assad
by force," he said.
"While
Assad may engage in peace talks, he is unlikely to negotiate himself from power
or offer meaningful concessions to the opposition."
As he
specified, Daesh still had enough resources to maintain its insurgency
operations in Syria throughout this year.
"ISIS
[Daesh] is likely on a downward trajectory in Syria; yet, despite territorial
losses, it probably possesses sufficient resources, and a clandestine network
in Syria, to sustain insurgency operations through 2018," Coats said.
The
US-led coalition against Daesh said earlier in February that the terrorist
group lost approximately 98 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and
Syria.
In
December, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Daesh had been defeated on
both banks of the Euphrates river in Syria. However, a portion of the Russian
troops who had been assisting the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad in
the fight against terrorism has remained in the country.
Russia
and Iran plan to maintain a long-term presence in Syria and have started
security rights for military bases, as well as contracts for reconstruction and
oil and gas exploration, Coats said.
"Iran
is also seeking to establish a land corridor from Iran through Syria to
Lebanon" he said.
Coats
noted that as of October 2017, more than 5 million Syrian refugees were
residing in neighboring countries, while another 6.3 million were internally
displaced.
"Reconstruction
could cost at least $100 billion and take at least 10 years to complete. Asad's
battered economy will likely continue to require significant subsidies from
Iran and Russia to meet basic expenses," Coats stated said.
Afghanistan
US
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coat has described the situation in
Afghanistan.
"The
overall situation in Afghanistan probably will deteriorate modestly this year
in the face of persistent political instability, sustained attacks by the
Taliban-led insurgency, unsteady Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)
performance, and chronic financial shortfalls," the report "Worldwide
Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community" said.
Coats
explained that Afghanistan's government of national unity may struggle to hold
the long-delayed parliamentary elections scheduled for July 2018, and may also
struggle to prepare for the presidential election set for next year.
Activates
by the Taliban are expected to strain population centers under the control of
the Afghan security forces, Coats said.
Moreover,
Afghanistan's economic growth will stagnate at about 2.5 percent this year and
Kabul will continue to depend on international assistance for a great majority
of its funding beyond 2018, Coats added.
In
August 2017, US President Donald Trump announced a new strategy for Afghanistan
and pledged to continue US support for the Afghan government and military in
their fight against the ongoing militant insurgency and various terror groups.
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