Washington The CIA sent an internal email warning its employees not to post political messages on social media after a senior officer posted a pro-Palestinian image on Facebook. A US official said that the email sent to employees was “simply a reminder of current policy. “The warning came after the agency’s deputy assistant director for analysis posted an image depicting a man waving a Palestinian flag, which is sometimes used in comments critical of Israel.
The Financial Times was the first newspaper to report on the social media post. The career analyst who posted the image has not been disciplined, a person familiar with the situation said. The analyst has “extensive experience covering all aspects of the Middle East and this perspective is not intended to represent a view on the conflict,” the person said. The analyst also posted messages condemning anti-Semitism, the source added.
A CIA spokesman said in a statement: “CIA agents are committed to objective analysis, which is at the heart of what we do as an agency. CIA officials may have personal views, but that does not diminish their – or the CIA’s – commitment to objective analysis. The CIA’s social media posts and internal warnings to agents continue to be apolitical come amid divisions within the federal government over President Joe Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Hundreds of federal government employees have backed an open letter asking the Biden administration to push for a ceasefire to protect Palestinian civilians. Additionally, dozens of State Department employees have questioned the White House’s approach in secret dissent cables, and hundreds of U.S. Agency for International Development employees have supported a letter criticizing the administrative policy.