Washington
CNN —
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner has made information concerning a “serious national security threat” available to all members of Congress to review, the committee said on Wednesday.
While Turner and the White House remained vague on what the threat entailed, two sources and a US official tell CNN the threat is related to Russia. Multiple sources familiar with the intelligence characterized it as “very sensitive.”
One of the sources who has seen the intelligence confirmed that “it is, in fact, a highly concerning and destabilizing” Russian capability “that we were recently made aware of.” But House Speaker Mike Johnson later sought to soothe concerns about the unspecified threat, saying there is “no cause for alarm.”
“We just want to assure everyone steady hands are at the wheel,” Johnson said. “We’re working on it and there’s no need for alarm.”
While the Wednesday warning was vague, the United States has long been concerned about Russian military capabilities and the country’s destabilizing influence in Europe and around the world as the war in Ukraine continues, with the prospects of additional US aid being sent to Kyiv shaky.
Earlier Wednesday, Turner sent his Congressional colleagues a letter saying the urgent matter is “with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability.”
Turner said in the letter to his congressional colleagues that the House Intelligence Committee voted on February 13 to make certain information available for lawmakers to review and says members have time to view this between Wednesday and Friday.
Turner is also calling on President Joe Biden to declassify “all information relating to this threat.”
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he had personally reached out to set a meeting with top lawmakers on national security committees before Turner warned publicly of what he termed the “serious national security threat.”
Sullivan signaled some frustration with Turner for preempting that meeting, scheduled for Thursday with his public statement, saying he was “a bit surprised Turner came out publicly today”
“I reached out to see Turner,” Sullivan said. “Turner has gone out publicly. I’m going to go see Turner tomorrow. That’s where I want to leave things for today.”
He declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat.
“I’m not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time,” he said.
He emphasized the Biden administration has “gone further and in more creative, more strategic ways, dealt with the declassification of intelligence in the national interest of the United States than any administration in history.”
“So you definitely are not going to find an unwillingness to do that when it’s in our national security interest to do so,” he said
This story has been updated with additional information.
The White House's national security adviser said Wednesday that he had already scheduled a classified meeting with congressional leadership before a top House Republican requested that President Joe Biden "declassify all information" that relates to "serious national security threat."
Two sources familiar with deliberations on Capitol Hill said the intelligence has to do with the Russians wanting to put a nuclear weapon into space.
This is not to drop a nuclear weapon onto Earth but rather to possibly use against satellites.
"It is very concerning and very sensitive," said one source, who called it "a big deal."
While not addressing the subject matter directly, multiple members of Congress have described the issue as serious -- but nothing that should cause public alarm.
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