U.S. spy agencies fight Congress over plan for probe of covert Russian influence campaignWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. intelligence officer has asked Congress to drop a provision in a pending bill that would create a special committee to combat Russian efforts to exert covert influence abroad, saying such a panel would duplicate current work and hinder cooperation with foreign allies. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper laid out the objections of the U.S. intelligence community in a Sept. 9 letter to the chairmen and top Democrats on the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees. He charged that parts of the bill amounted to “micromanagement” of the intelligence community. The intelligence bill, an annual measure that provides broad Congressional authorization for a wide range of U.S. intelligence activities and agencies, has already been approved by both intelligence committees and the House of Representatives. Backers in the Senate are marshalling support for the bill in the hope it will be approved next week, an official familiar with the matter said. The legislation would require the creation of an interagency committee to combat Russian propaganda and covert efforts to influence people, economic and political decisions in the United States and elsewhere. Clapper’s letter, seen by Reuters, said the panel would duplicate work already being done by intelligence agencies, and could also damage U.S. agencies’ relationships with their foreign counterparts. As a general matter, many provisions in the legislation “go well beyond oversight and into micromanagement” of the intelligence community, wrote Clapper, who was appointed by outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama. The bill would require multiple Cabinet officers, including the National Intelligence and FBI directors and the secretaries of State, Defense, the Treasury and Energy, as well as the heads of the other intelligence community agencies to appoint officials to serve on the panel examining Russian political interference in Western politics. Its main mission would be to “counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence over peoples and government by exposing falsehoods, agents of influence, corruption, human rights abuses, terrorism, and assassinations carried out by the security services or political elites of the Russian Federation or their proxies,” the pending legislation says.    The term “active measures” describes actions by the KGB, the Soviet intelligence agency whose officers included now-Russian President Vladimir Putin. The United States and other countries have conducted similar campaigns. American and some allied intelligence agencies detected an increase in such activities in Europe several years ago, and began making cooperative efforts to track and combat them, a senior U.S. intelligence official said on Thursday. The escalating Russian campaign started well before the hacking of U.S. political institutions, in particular of Democratic Party, during the 2016 presidential election campaign said the official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject matter. American officials have traced that hacking to Russia, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Moscow’s campaign has included other hacking, overt and covert financing of far-right and nationalist political groups, efforts to influence powerful political and economic figures, and propaganda spread by government-controlled media outlets and on the Internet, said U.S. and European security officials. U.S. and other intelligence analysts have concluded that the  campaign is a “well-funded and coordinated effort to degrade and discredit Western-style democracy and sow divisions internally and within the NATO alliance, directed from the highest levels of the Russian government,” the senior American intelligence official said. The objections by Clapper were unrelated to the incoming administration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Clapper’s letter preceded the election on Nov. 8 of Trump, who has said he will seek to improve ties with Moscow. politicsNews
spy agencies fight congress plan probe covert russian influence campaignwashington reuters the top intelligence officer asked congress drop provision pending bill would create special committee combat russian efforts exert covert influence abroad saying panel would duplicate current work hinder cooperation foreign allies director national intelligence james clipper laid objections intelligence community letter chairmen top democrats house representatives senate intelligence committees he charged parts bill amounted micromanagement intelligence community the intelligence bill annual measure provides broad congressional authorization wide range intelligence activities agencies already approved intelligence committees house representatives backers senate marshalling support bill hope approved next week official familiar matter said the legislation would require creation interagency committee combat russian propaganda covert efforts influence people economic political decisions united states elsewhere clipper letter seen reuters said panel would duplicate work already done intelligence agencies could also damage agencies relationships foreign counterparts as general matter many provisions legislation go well beyond oversight micromanagement intelligence community wrote clipper appointed outgoing democratic president barack obama the bill would require multiple cabinet officers including national intelligence fbi directors secretaries state defense treasury energy well heads intelligence community agencies appoint officials serve panel examining russian political interference western politics its main mission would counter active measures russia exert covert influence peoples government exposing falsehoods agents influence corruption human rights abuses terrorism assassinations carried security services political elites russian federation proxies pending legislation says the term active measures describes actions kg soviet intelligence agency whose officers included president vladimir putin the united states countries conducted similar campaigns american allied intelligence agencies detected increase activities europe several years ago began making cooperative efforts track combat senior intelligence official said thursday the escalating russian campaign started well hacking political institutions particular democratic party presidential election campaign said official declined named due sensitivity subject matter american officials traced hacking russia kremlin denied involvement moscow campaign included hacking overt covert financing nationalist political groups efforts influence powerful political economic figures propaganda spread media outlets internet said european security officials intelligence analysts concluded campaign coordinated effort degrade discredit democracy sow divisions internally within nato alliance directed highest levels russian government senior american intelligence official said the objections clipper unrelated incoming administration republican donald trump clipper letter preceded election trump said seek improve ties moscow politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. spy agencies fight Congress over plan for probe of covert Russian influence campaignWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. intelligence officer has asked Congress to drop a provision in a pending bill that would create a special committee to combat Russian efforts to exert covert influence abroad, saying such a panel would duplicate current work and hinder cooperation with foreign allies. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper laid out the objections of the U.S. intelligence community in a Sept. 9 letter to the chairmen and top Democrats on the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees. He charged that parts of the bill amounted to “micromanagement” of the intelligence community. The intelligence bill, an annual measure that provides broad Congressional authorization for a wide range of U.S. intelligence activities and agencies, has already been approved by both intelligence committees and the House of Representatives. Backers in the Senate are marshalling support for the bill in the hope it will be approved next week, an official familiar with the matter said. The legislation would require the creation of an interagency committee to combat Russian propaganda and covert efforts to influence people, economic and political decisions in the United States and elsewhere. Clapper’s letter, seen by Reuters, said the panel would duplicate work already being done by intelligence agencies, and could also damage U.S. agencies’ relationships with their foreign counterparts. As a general matter, many provisions in the legislation “go well beyond oversight and into micromanagement” of the intelligence community, wrote Clapper, who was appointed by outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama. The bill would require multiple Cabinet officers, including the National Intelligence and FBI directors and the secretaries of State, Defense, the Treasury and Energy, as well as the heads of the other intelligence community agencies to appoint officials to serve on the panel examining Russian political interference in Western politics. Its main mission would be to “counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence over peoples and government by exposing falsehoods, agents of influence, corruption, human rights abuses, terrorism, and assassinations carried out by the security services or political elites of the Russian Federation or their proxies,” the pending legislation says.    The term “active measures” describes actions by the KGB, the Soviet intelligence agency whose officers included now-Russian President Vladimir Putin. The United States and other countries have conducted similar campaigns. American and some allied intelligence agencies detected an increase in such activities in Europe several years ago, and began making cooperative efforts to track and combat them, a senior U.S. intelligence official said on Thursday. The escalating Russian campaign started well before the hacking of U.S. political institutions, in particular of Democratic Party, during the 2016 presidential election campaign said the official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject matter. American officials have traced that hacking to Russia, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Moscow’s campaign has included other hacking, overt and covert financing of far-right and nationalist political groups, efforts to influence powerful political and economic figures, and propaganda spread by government-controlled media outlets and on the Internet, said U.S. and European security officials. U.S. and other intelligence analysts have concluded that the  campaign is a “well-funded and coordinated effort to degrade and discredit Western-style democracy and sow divisions internally and within the NATO alliance, directed from the highest levels of the Russian government,” the senior American intelligence official said. The objections by Clapper were unrelated to the incoming administration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Clapper’s letter preceded the election on Nov. 8 of Trump, who has said he will seek to improve ties with Moscow. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: spy agencies fight congress plan probe covert russian influence campaignwashington reuters the top intelligence officer asked congress drop provision pending bill would create special committee combat russian efforts exert covert influence abroad saying panel would duplicate current work hinder cooperation foreign allies director national intelligence james clipper laid objections intelligence community letter chairmen top democrats house representatives senate intelligence committees he charged parts bill amounted micromanagement intelligence community the intelligence bill annual measure provides broad congressional authorization wide range intelligence activities agencies already approved intelligence committees house representatives backers senate marshalling support bill hope approved next week official familiar matter said the legislation would require creation interagency committee combat russian propaganda covert efforts influence people economic political decisions united states elsewhere clipper letter seen reuters said panel would duplicate work already done intelligence agencies could also damage agencies relationships foreign counterparts as general matter many provisions legislation go well beyond oversight micromanagement intelligence community wrote clipper appointed outgoing democratic president barack obama the bill would require multiple cabinet officers including national intelligence fbi directors secretaries state defense treasury energy well heads intelligence community agencies appoint officials serve panel examining russian political interference western politics its main mission would counter active measures russia exert covert influence peoples government exposing falsehoods agents influence corruption human rights abuses terrorism assassinations carried security services political elites russian federation proxies pending legislation says the term active measures describes actions kg soviet intelligence agency whose officers included president vladimir putin the united states countries conducted similar campaigns american allied intelligence agencies detected increase activities europe several years ago began making cooperative efforts track combat senior intelligence official said thursday the escalating russian campaign started well hacking political institutions particular democratic party presidential election campaign said official declined named due sensitivity subject matter american officials traced hacking russia kremlin denied involvement moscow campaign included hacking overt covert financing nationalist political groups efforts influence powerful political economic figures propaganda spread media outlets internet said european security officials intelligence analysts concluded campaign coordinated effort degrade discredit democracy sow divisions internally within nato alliance directed highest levels russian government senior american intelligence official said the objections clipper unrelated incoming administration republican donald trump clipper letter preceded election trump said seek improve ties moscow politicsnews