James R. Clapper Quotes

United States, Military General
March 14, 1941

James Robert Clapper Jr. (born March 14, 1941) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force and is the former Director of National Intelligence. Clapper has held several key positions within the United States Intelligence Community. He served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 1992 until 1995. He was the first director of defense intelligence within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and simultaneously the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He served as the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from September 2001 until June 2006.

It is not the intelligence community's place to set and implement policy.

James R. Clapper
- Community
Although we must be prepared for a catastrophic large-scale strike, a cyber armageddon, the reality is that we have been living with a constant barrage of cyberattacks for some time. The trend, I believe, will continue.

James R. Clapper
- Time
- Believe
- Reality

If ISIL were to substantially increase the priority it places on attacking the West rather than fighting to maintain and expand territorial control, then the group's access to radicalized Westerners who have fought in Syria and Iraq would provide a pool of operatives who potentially have access to the United States and other Western countries.

James R. Clapper
When I was commissioned in the Air Force, I was committed to the institution for a career.

James R. Clapper
- Career
- Air
A leak is an unauthorized disclosure of classified or sensitive information that is improper under any circumstance.

James R. Clapper
I have always accepted intelligence was an honorable profession. We are all mindful of the need to comply with our moral values and the law.

James R. Clapper
- Law
- Moral
I've long maintained during my 50-plus year career in intelligence that leaks endanger national security, they compromise sources, methods, and tradecraft, and they can put assets' lives at risk.

James R. Clapper
- Long
- Career
- Risk
The Russians have a long history of interfering in elections - theirs and other people's.

James R. Clapper
- People
- Long
- History

In this job, I've found the less I talk, the better.

James R. Clapper
- Job
I was a part of the decision-making in the Pentagon, when I was the undersecretary for intelligence, to start CYBERCOM, both as a sub-unified command and under a dual-hat arrangement. That was never intended to be permanent in any event.

James R. Clapper
- Decision
In the end, we will never, ever be able to guarantee that there will not be an Edward Snowden or another Chelsea Manning because this is a large enterprise composed of human beings with all their idiosyncrasies.

James R. Clapper
What I said was, the NSA does not voyeuristically pore through U.S. citizens' e-mails. I stand by that.

James R. Clapper
I think the founding fathers, in their genius, created a system of three co-equal branches of government and a built-in system of checks and balances.

James R. Clapper