“The problem is twofold for them,” said John E. McLaughlin, a deputy C.I.A. “One is people will always rightly question intelligence because it’s not an exact science. But the most important problem for them is their own credibility and contradictions.”The task is all the more formidable for Mr. Trump, who himself has assailed the reliability of America’s intelligence agencies and even the intelligence chiefs he appointed, suggesting they could not be believed when their conclusions have not fit his worldview. When Mr. Trump told Fox News on Friday that “Iran did do it,” he was asking his country to accept his word. “Trump’s credibility is about as solid as a snake oil salesman,” said Jen Psaki, who was the White House communications director and top State Department spokeswoman under Mr. Obama.

Source: International New York Times June 15, 2019 00:20 UTC