Natalie Harp has emerged in connection with the controversy surrounding intelligence about an Iranian threat against President Donald Trump, as the CIA was reportedly skeptical of the intelligence before a secret security operation moved Trump from Air Force One to an alternate military aircraft during his July visit to Turkey, according to a Washington Post report based on current and former U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The intelligence warning was reportedly provided to the CIA by Israel. Analysts at the agency considered the information insufficiently compelling and communicated their concerns to officials in the Trump administration. One U.S. official described the intelligence as Israeli-derived rather than U.S.-generated and said it was assessed with “low confidence.”
Despite the doubts, the U.S. Secret Service decided not to take chances with the president’s safety. During Trump’s departure from Ankara on July 8 following a NATO summit, he initially boarded a legacy Air Force One aircraft. He was then secretly moved to a C-32A military aircraft and flown to Britain, while the operation was kept hidden from the public.
According to the report, Trump and a small group of senior aides were transported from the airport to the alternate aircraft using an airport catering truck. The C-32A was escorted by F-16 fighter jets during the flight to Britain.
The unusual operation came amid longstanding concerns about Iranian threats against Trump and other senior U.S. officials. Those concerns have intensified since the 2020 U.S. killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani and subsequent developments in the conflict between the United States and Iran.
Some U.S. officials questioned whether the Israeli intelligence was intended solely as a warning or could also have been aimed at influencing Trump’s decisions. One former official said some intelligence reporting from Israel has been viewed by officials as potentially designed to shape presidential decision-making as well as provide information.
The report also said another U.S. official questioned the seriousness of the threat, pointing to the extensive security presence in Turkey during the NATO summit. However, officials emphasized that the Secret Service ultimately chose to act cautiously because of previous threats against Trump.
The White House did not directly address questions about the intelligence or how U.S. agencies assessed it. A U.S. official said the president has faced numerous threats, including threats from Iran, and that the Secret Service’s primary mission is to protect him. The CIA declined to comment, while the Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for details.
Trump has since said that the decision to use another aircraft was made by the Secret Service and that he followed the agency’s instructions. The episode has nevertheless raised questions about the intelligence behind the extraordinary security maneuver and the extent to which U.S. officials agreed about the credibility of the alleged Iranian threat.
Source: washingtonpost
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