“ She doesn ’ t just believe in Europe , she embodies that and radiates it , ” says Jan Techau , a political analyst at The German Marshall Fund of the United States . “ That is a huge part of the deal . ”\nBut Dr. von der Leyen , the first woman to take the European Union ’ s top job , has impeccable credentials for the post , observers say . She was born in Brussels where her father was one of the pioneer pan-European diplomats , she speaks fluent English and French , and in her ministerial career she has forged close ties with Germany ’ s neighbors .\nAs president of the commission she will shape the EU ’ s policy agenda and sit atop the institution that supervises member states ’ budgets , handles international trade negotiations , and acts as a competition watchdog .\nDr. Ursula von der Leyen , the new president of the European Commission , arrives in Brussels with the reputation of a resilient and determined survivor . And she is taking over at a delicate moment , with the union ’ s 28 members divided over issues such as immigration and climate change , and Britain expected to pull out of the EU early next year .\nWhen Daniel Goffart and Ulrike Demmer published their biography of Dr. Ursula von der Leyen five years ago , the reason for their interest in Germany ’ s then-defense minister was clear from the book ’ s title : “ The Chancellor in Waiting . ”\nNow their publisher is rushing out a new edition , titled simply “ Ursula von der Leyen. ” She is not going to be Angela Merkel ’ s successor , as her biographers had expected . Instead , to continent-wide surprise , Dr. von der Leyen has become president of the European Commission , her term having started on Dec. 1 .\nDr. von der Leyen emerged unexpectedly as a compromise presidential nominee in July , breaking an EU summit deadlock over how to share out the bloc ’ s top jobs . She is taking over at a delicate moment , with the union ’ s 28 members divided over issues such as immigration and climate change , and Britain expected to pull out of the EU early next year .\nAs president of the commission she will shape the EU ’ s policy agenda and sit atop the institution that supervises member states ’ budgets , handles international trade negotiations , and acts as a competition watchdog .\nBut Dr. von der Leyen , the first woman to take the European Union ’ s top job , has impeccable credentials for the post , observers say . She was born in Brussels where her father was one of the pioneer pan-European diplomats , she speaks fluent English and French , and in her ministerial career she has forged close ties with Germany ’ s neighbors .\n“ She doesn ’ t just believe in Europe , she embodies that and radiates it , ” says Jan Techau , a political analyst at The German Marshall Fund of the United States think tank in Berlin . “ That is a huge part of the deal . ”\nDr. von der Leyen arrives in Brussels with the reputation of a resilient and determined survivor , the only minister to have served in all of Chancellor Merkel ’ s cabinets since 2005 ( while raising seven children ) .\nShe has politics in her blood . Her father became state premier of Lower Saxony and Ursula was his favorite daughter , says Mr. Goffart . “ She would sit next to him and follow his discussions with his political visitors . She was infected with politics from childhood . ”\nBut she did not immediately choose a political career . She studied economics and then medicine , going on to practice as a gynecologist . Only when she was 42 did she follow in her father ’ s footsteps .\nShe may have started late , but she moved fast , propelled by her famous pedigree , her TV-friendly style , and her appetite for work . No sooner had she won her first election to the state parliament in Lower Saxony than she was made a state minister . Two years later Ms. Merkel tapped her to be family affairs minister in her first government .\nIn that job , and later as labor minister , she made a name for herself as a briskly modern reformer dragging her party , the center-right Christian Democratic Union , kicking and screaming into the 21st century .\nThe CDU was largely a party of old white men who thought a woman ’ s role should be limited to “ kinder , küche , kirche ” – children , kitchen , church – says Mr. Goffart . “ Merkel and von der Leyen abolished that . ”\nHannibal Hanschke/Reuters German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend the Christian Democratic Union ( CDU ) party congress in Leipzig , Germany , Nov. 22 , 2019 . The general perception in Germany three months ago was that Ms. von der Leyen 's political career appeared to be reaching its end .\nAmong Dr. von der Leyen ’ s hallmark policies with a strong feminist flavor : providing daycare for all infants over 12 months , two months ’ paternity leave for new fathers , and women ’ s quotas in the boardroom ( though parliament voted this down ) . She also supported same-sex marriage .\nSuch reforms “ were a very important cornerstone of her career , ” says Mr. Goffart .\nThough she comes from a conservative background , “ she is on the progressive wing of the CDU , ” says Mr. Techau . “ She is not a conservative hardliner . ”\nDr. von der Leyen herself has spoken of an “ inner freedom ” that she acquired in London during a year studying at the London School of Economics in the late 1970s , although she also admitted , in an interview with the German weekly “ Zeit , ” that “ I lived much more than I studied .\n“ London was the epitome of modernity : freedom , the joy of life , trying everything , ” she recalled in the interview . “ For me , coming from the rather monotonous , white Germany , that was fascinating . ”\nShe also has fond memories of her years in California , where she lived when her husband was teaching at Stanford University , Mr. Goffart says . “ She found Americans much more tolerant of noisy kids than Germans . She said it was a lot easier to live with children there . ”\nWhile her years abroad may have given Dr. von der Leyen an international outlook , she honed her political skills in Germany , where negotiation and compromise form the bedrock of political life . “ That ’ s her strength , ” says Mr. Goffart . “ She is used to finding compromises and that ’ s what you need in the EU . ”\nAlready Dr. von der Leyen has shown signs of her inclination to be a conciliator , coming up with a policy platform striving for balance , that offers something to as many competing interest groups as possible .\nBut she is by no means a pushover , argues Mr. Techau . When she took over the Defense Ministry soon after Berlin abolished conscription , he recalls , she brought in measures to make military life more family friendly so as to attract more volunteers . “ Old soldiers and pundits gave her a lot of stick for that , but she showed no nerves and it paid off , ” he recalls .\nHer public image , he adds , is of a “ strong-minded ” woman . “ There is a strictness to her , a directness , even a certain hardness . ”\nDr. von der Leyen has also attracted criticism from CDU colleagues for grandstanding , reveling in photo ops that advance her own career and “ sometimes going a little over the top , ” explains Mr. Goffart , such as when she visited a German Air Force base looking like Tom Cruise , in “ Top Gun ” -style aviator sunglasses .\nIf such behavior has made her enemies in her own party , her performance at the Defense Ministry – where she had several run-ins with the top military brass – has disappointed many Germans ; she left office as the second least popular minster in the cabinet . “ She was a falling star , ” says Dr. Gero Neugebauer , who teaches politics at the Free University of Berlin . “ She started strong and ended weak . But she survived . ”\nGet the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox . By signing up , you agree to our Privacy Policy\nThe general perception that she had failed at the Defense Ministry , however , put an end to her ambition to succeed her boss , Ms. Merkel , and three months ago her political career appeared to be reaching its end .\n“ Perhaps she was surprised by her good luck , ” says Mr. Goffart . “ I think she must be really happy now to have a chance that she never expected . ”


Elchingen , in the German state of Bavaria is not used to foreigners . And when townspeople in the village , hemmed in by corn fields , found out in late 2013 that they were going to be hosts to dozens of asylum seekers , many fought back , going door-to-door gathering some 800 signatures to say “ no . ”\n“ I felt so ashamed to be an Elchingener , ” says Renate Willbold-Vajagic , a local .\nSo when asylum-seekers from Syria , Afghanistan , Iraq , Somalia , and beyond arrived in this upper middle-class community , she and a group of residents , many retired , created an organization called the “ Friends of Asylum-seekers . ”\nTheir grassroots effort has grown into an impressive operation , based in a community center . Newcomers can borrow bikes to get from the village to the nearest city 6 miles away , take German classes , and get maps , orientation , or whatever else they need , from backpacks for children to thick winter coats .\nThis is the new face of Germany , where a sense of responsibility , position of strength , and confidence at integrating others before has turned it into Europe ’ s beacon of humanity amid the largest movement of people since World War II .\nAnd yet , for as much as it is willing – and able – to do , it can ’ t do everything . On Sunday , Germany shocked Europe by introducing border controls with Austria , from where thousands of migrants have passed into Munich – 13,000 on Saturday alone . The move is seen not just as a response to record inflows into Germany but also a plan to push the European Union into sharing the burden as justice and interior ministers meet today in Brussels .\nGermany 's new Willkommenskultur , or “ welcome culture , ” has been celebrated across the country , but it is not universally embraced . Germany finds itself at a fragile moment , where the welcome could wither , as the world looks to how Germany leads amid a crisis that is testing Europe ’ s union arguably more than any issue since its founding .\nHajo Funke , a professor of political culture at the Free University of Berlin , says it ’ s a historic moment if Germany is able to maintain this “ new mentality of empathy . ”\n“ This wave of hundreds of thousands in each and every city and town is unique in the history of Germany , ” he says . “ As much as [ politicians ] really do their job , that empathy can hold . ”\nMunich has become the gateway into Germany for asylum-seekers , and ground zero of Willkommenskultur . On Saturday , as a large group of weary asylum-seekers arrived in Munich ’ s Hauptbahnhof , or main train station , people gathered to clap . “ Thank you , thank you , ” said one man , holding a toddler in his arms .\nThe migrants are shuttled to an unofficial reception center that is staffed , at any given time , with anywhere from 30 to 200 volunteers . Many of them are men and women who have taken vacation time to be here and offer what they can , from organizing the mounting bags of food and clothes to translating in Arabic . One woman is turned away from volunteering , told it would be unfair to the others who have placed their names on waiting lists . Another man tries to give the group cash , twice , but they reject it .\nThe images of Alan Kurdi , the dead Syrian boy washed ashore , of migrants stranded in Hungary after borders were shut , and of others suffocated in the back of a truck in Austria have washed away apathy and passive observation here . But the shock was felt viscerally , touching a historic nerve .\nIt is in Germany where a small but vicious group has led the Continent ’ s most violent backlash to refugees , including arson attacks on refugee centers and demonstrations for the past year by the `` anti-Islamization '' group Pegida . Such protest has been louder in eastern Germany , with high unemployment rates and less exposure to foreigners . In big cities like Munich , which has a thriving community of Turks , Albanians , and Greeks , foreigners are often seen as a source of cultural enrichment – not as burdens on schools and health systems or as sources of cultural and religious clashes .\nBut hate-fueled actions have not been limited enough to explain them away as a geographical phenomenon . And Germans across the country have been horrified as they have stirred disturbing memories of the right-wing rise of Hitler , especially in Munich , the birthplace of national socialism .\nGerman political observers say it would be wrong to view the rush of volunteerism as an act of redemption . It is rather a counter-backlash . “ When I saw the images of [ anti-refugee sentiment ] , I felt like people had fallen out of time , using arguments and terms and sentences which in my view reflect the ones I know from the 1920s and '30s , ” says Magnus Brechtken , deputy director of the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich .\nThe Willkommenskultur , then , is a defense of Germany of the 21st century .\nOr as Willbold-Vajagic in Elchingen puts it : “ Now we have the chance to say , ‘ We are Germany . We are welcoming . ’ ”\nEven a decade ago , Germany wasn ’ t able to so easily say that . When waves of southern Europeans and Turks came to the country in the '50s and '60s , they were called “ guest workers ” because Germany expected them to go home . In the '90s , when waves of refuges came in after the Iron Curtain fell and the Balkan wars pushed so many out , the government ’ s position – bluntly stated by Chancellor Helmut Kohl – was that Germany is “ not an immigrant country . ”\nToday he would be wrong to say the same . Last year the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) released figures showing that Germany had surpassed all countries except the US to become the world ’ s No . 2 recipient of immigrants .\nIt has gotten here through both learned experience and pragmatics . Mr. Funke says the Willkommenskultur is not simply a reaction to “ bad memories ” but an authentic expression built over the decades . After the silence surrounding Nazi atrocity in the '50s , the country came to terms with what it actually meant to reject “ others. ” It learned from failing to integrate “ guest workers. ” And it learned from the riots against refugees that flared in the '90s . From that history it was able to “ start a dialogue ” with Islam a decade ago and today recognizes its role as a diverse nation .\nPerhaps more important , it also recognizes that its rapidly aging society needs those immigrants .\n“ The public opinion has been for a long time that additional immigrants are part of the strategy to tackle Germany ’ s aging problem , ” says Thomas Liebig , senior administrator at the OECD 's international migration division .\nGermany has liberalized its laws for foreign workers and been trying to woo high-skilled ones from as far as China . Now some see hope in refugees , too , especially high-skilled Syrian refugees . Chambers of commerce have pushed for Germany to allow businesses to more easily hire them – underlining Germany ’ s views that taking people in can be a boon , not a burden .\nAnd in many towns low-skilled workers are in demand as well , the kind of jobs that Mr. Liebig says “ people don ’ t move for . ”\nChristoph Karmann , who connects refugees to apprentices for the Chamber of Trade and Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria , says that in 2014 , 4,700 apprenticeship positions were vacant in Bavaria ’ s small trades . Jobs particularly in demand include butchers , bakers , and construction workers . Through this year they ’ ve filled 130 positions with young refugees from Syria , Afghanistan , and Iraq .\nIt is this economic security that has turned Germany into Europe ’ s leader today . And many Germans are facing the migrant rush with the optimism and confidence that befits a superpower nation .\nMathias Wendeborn closes the windows of his cheerful pediatrician practice in a wealthy community of Munich at mid-day and zips off to the gates of the city ’ s largest refugee center . Here he has founded the nongovernmental organization Refudocs , after pushing for two years for a full-time “ refugee medical practice ” founded on more than idealism and goodwill . It needed a “ concept , ” he says : a professional , paying structure that would stand amid ebbing emotions .\nSara Miller Llana Mathias Wendeborn ( c. ) , a pediatrician who founded Refudocs , sees his first patient of the day , the child of newly arrived asylum seekers in Munich . A translator ( far l. ) helps .\nDr. Wendenborn says the will to create this management structure was not there at first . The local government wanted to close its eyes to the problem in hopes it would go away , he says . It did not .\nBefore Refudocs was running , asylum-seekers here received care when doctors were available – a system that became unworkable amid mounting pressure on service providers across the country . Today some 70 doctors , many retired , share shifts , paid for by the state government , to keep the practice regularly humming .\n“ Everyone wants to help for a few weeks . But in the long-term that is not enough , ” Wendeborn says . “ This problem will accompany us for years , so we must have good standards . ”\nWendenborn is convinced Germany will cope , just as his practice is amid record arrivals , most of them through Munich . “ Seven thousand people can arrive in the Hauptbahnhof at one moment and it ’ s not a problem now , ” he says . “ Now they have a concept . ”\nAnd many are convinced Germany soon will as well . “ We are one of the richest countries in the world , why not ? ” says Wendeborn ’ s colleague Hilda Hadorn , who on this day alone has provided therapy to mothers who have been forced to leave their children behind in Turkey and entire families exhausted and scarred from an interminable trek . “ Why not ? ”\nBut everyone is clear that Germany can ’ t do it alone , and now eyes are turning to Brussels to see how it responds to Germany ’ s decision to close its doors temporarily . Will that spur more support for a quota system to redistribute refugees across the EU , seen here as necessary to keeping support for refugees robust ?\nAt the Hauptbahnhof on a recent weekday morning , four trains of asylum-seekers have arrived in the span of an hour . Gunther Wohrle , an engineer , has come by on his bike as he commutes to work .\n“ The ideal is to make this a win-win situation , ” he says . “ They need us , and we need them . ”\nBut he admits to a certain skepticism about how to make it work without getting overwhelmed . “ One million people , that is a lot of people , ” he says of the numbers that could arrive in Germany this year alone .\nThose questions loom large in the communities on the front lines . On a recent day , at the “ Friends ” center in Elchingen , it is clear that camaraderie has bloomed here . Willbold-Vajagic easily lists off the names of wives and children ’ s ages of the refugees that now call Bavaria home . She says that among her hardest personal challenge so far was Ramadan this summer . Not because she fasted , but because “ their faces were white , and we saw them getting thinner and thinner , and it was so hot , ” she says . “ It was terrible . ”\nAmar Abo Udeh , from Daraa in Syria and who arrived in Elchingen a year and a half ago , laughs .\nFasting during Ramadan isn ’ t hard , he says . But such care is one reason that migrants trekking across Europe , by foot or rail , are chanting , “ Germany , Germany , Germany. ” “ In Daraa , every day you wake up and you don ’ t know if you will go to sleep , ” he says .\nSara Miller Llana Mayor Joachim Eisenkolb ( l. ) has coffee with two Syrian refugees who say they feel at home in the tiny Bavarian village of Elchingen .\nMayor Joachim Eisenkolb , who fully supports the integration work of the “ Friends , ” says this town of 9,000 could see 150 more arrivals by the end of the year , or double the current number . When he heard the chancellor ’ s welcome of refugees , he admits he felt fear . “ Until now , we ’ ve been able to soak up these refugees like a sponge , ” he says . “ But now the sponge is full . ”\nHis skepticism is not just a political equation . The volunteers here say they can ’ t cope with more numbers either . Everything takes time , space , and organization , including things one hardly thinks of , like having to bring in local police officers to give lessons on riding bikes on Germany ’ s roadways .\nGet the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox . By signing up , you agree to our Privacy Policy\nFor now the mayor is looking to the past to reassure the community that they can deal with the present . “ In my head , I know we can do this , ” says Mayor Eisenkolb . `` I try to give people the confidence that we have faced the same challenges before , in harder times , and we can manage this . ”


BUDAPEST , Hungary ( AP ) — Hungary on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in two of its southeastern counties in response to the migration crisis , a move that paves the way to deploy the army to the border with Serbia to stop the flow of migrants that has been entering the country .\nThe state of emergency gives authorities greater powers to deal with the crisis , allowing them to shut down roads and limit the working of public institutions . It also speeds up court processes for asylum-seekers .\nTechnically , parliament must still approve the deployment of the military . However , Associated Press reporters at the border have already spotted heavily armed military personnel with vehicles and dogs at the border in recent days .\nThe announcement on the state of emergency comes as tougher laws also came into effect on Tuesday aimed at preventing asylum-seekers from entering the country . The legislation makes it a crime to try to breach a razor-wire fence along the border with Serbia and also includes longer prison terms for convicted human traffickers .\nHungarian officials closed two of seven border crossings with Serbia Tuesday morning . The night before , officials deployed a boxcar covered with razor wire to close a key border crossing along a railroad track that had been the main entry point for migrants .\nThere were chaotic scenes at the main border crossing near Roszke , Hungary , as the Hungarians opened a small temporary office to process people on the edge of no man ’ s land and crowds tried to squeeze inside . A first group of about 20 managed to get in , but thousands remained outside .\nA group of migrants also blocked the main highway connecting Serbia and Hungary , saying they will refuse food and water until they are allowed to cross into Hungary . The sit-in protest is happening on the no man ’ s land between Roszke and Horgos , Serbia , which is the main border crossing between the two countries .\nThose who were lucky enough to make it into Hungary the day before were boarding buses . One Hungarian police officer said they were being sent directly to Austria .\nPeople had dashed to make it into the country in recent days , hoping to reach Western Europe before it was too late . A record 9,380 migrants entered Hungary on Monday , beating the previous record of 5,809 set just a day earlier .\nSome 200,000 migrants have entered Hungary so far in 2015 , nearly all by walking across the southern border with Serbia . Almost all , however , simply transit Hungary on their way to Germany or other Western European nations .\nUnder the new laws , most migrants entering the country from Serbia can be turned away because that country is considered safe and could theoretically provide them asylum .\nThe new law also makes it a crime to damage the 4-meter ( 13-foot ) razor-wire fence that Hungary has built on the 110-mile ( 175-kilometer ) border with Serbia , giving police the power to detain anyone trying to breach it .\nThe state of emergency allows the government to mobilize the army — pending parliamentary approval next week — to help police with border control , and forces courts to prioritize cases involving migrants caught entering Hungary illegally . Police can enter and search homes where migrants who entered Hungary illegally are believed to be hiding .\nGermany ’ s interior minister , Thomas de Maiziere , on Tuesday said he supports the idea of cutting European Union funding to countries that refuse to share the burden of hosting refugees .\nSeveral EU countries , particularly in the former Eastern bloc , have rejected calls from Germany and the EU ’ s executive Commission for mandatory quotas to spread refugees out among the 28-nation bloc .\nDe Maiziere told ZDF television that there needs to be discussion of how to exert pressure and that the countries rejecting quotas often receive significant amounts of EU funding .\nHe said that Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has suggested — “ and I find that right ” — that “ we should talk about ( them ) getting less money from the structural funds . ”


Boris Johnson faces a fresh pummeling in the Commons today as he tries to win support for a snap General Election .\nA furious Mr Johnson last night called for Britain to go to the polls , handing the future of Brexit back to the public after Remainers seized control of Parliament in a bid to rule out No Deal .\nThe Prime Minister had lost a crunch vote , giving a rebel alliance control of Commons business with the aim of passing a law to stop the UK crashing out of the EU at the end of October , by an unexpectedly large margin of 328 to 301 .\nMr Johnson responded seconds later by declaring he will call a snap election , almost certainly on October 15 , however he faces an uphill battle to get his plan through the Commons tonight , as the law dictates that two-thirds of MPs must agree to hold an early election .\nDespite spending years demanding a poll , Jeremy Corbyn said last night that the No Deal legislation must be passed before a snap poll can happen .\nDescribed as the 'mother of all U-turns ' by a Government source , the change of heart was slammed by members of his own party , with Labour MP John Mann accusing him of 'splitting on the working class ' by blocking Brexit .\nSenior Labour sources said Mr Johnson would be left to 'stew in his own juices ' while they decided whether or not to back holding an election . In return , Tories accused Labour of 'running scared ' of the electorate .\nFurious Boris Johnson ( pictured , last night in the Commons ) has called for a snap election after rebel MPs seized control of the house by 328 to 301\nLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn is pictured in the Commons last night after rebel MPs seized control of the house , infuriating the Prime Minister\nYesterday 's victory for pro-EU MPs came despite Mr Johnson threatening to end the careers of Tories who joined the revolt by deselecting them .\nWHAT HAPPENS TODAY ? HOW UK COULD GO TO THE POLLS ON OCT 15 A furious Boris Johnson will today table a Commons motion calling for an early General Election . If only getting it passed was so easy . Mr Johnson 's proposal must be backed by two-thirds of MPs , a requirement under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act to stop Prime Ministers skewing the system by calling elections when their opponents are weak . The motion likely to be debated and voted on in the Commons this evening . But Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will not support it – hobbling its chances of success – unless a no-deal Brexit is already taken off the table . Labour fear a 'trap ' whereby Mr Johnson , who can still decide the exact timings of an election after winning the ability to call one , changes the proposed date from October 15 to after October 31 , dissolving Parliament and stopping MPs preventing No Deal from happening . Before any of this can happen , MPs will this afternoon debate taking No Deal off the table – the move made possible by Mr Johnson 's lost vote last night . If passed , the catchily titled European Union ( Withdrawal ) ( No . 6 ) Bill 2019 would force the Government to ask the EU to delay Brexit until January 31 2020 unless the Commons has agreed a deal by October 19 . No Deal would be off the table , for now . But the Bill would still need to clear all stages in the Commons and the Lords to become law – a process that should take weeks and at the minimum would take days . It means when Mr Johnson 's election motion is debated later in the day , No Deal will still be on the table – and barring a change of heart from Labour it is likely to fail . Other options include the government calling a motion of no confidence in itself , or attempting to pass a law that declares the next election must be on a certain date . That would only need support of a majority of MPs . Either way we would be in uncharted territory .\nSome 21 Conservatives - including eight former Cabinet ministers - took part in the mutiny and will now be stripped of the Tory whip , leaving Mr Johnson running a minority government .\nIt was the first vote of Mr Johnson 's premiership . 'Not a good start , Boris ! ' shouted one Labour MP as the result came in .\nSenior figures such as Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond face being brutally ejected from the party in what one government source described as a 'bloodbath ' .\nThat will leave the government an eye-watering 43 MPs short of a majority , and completely unable to control the House . Speaking after the result , Mr Johnson said Parliament was 'on the brink of wrecking ' the Brexit negotiations .\n'The people are going to have to choose , ' he said last night . ' I can confirm tonight we are tabling a motion under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act . '\nThe scale of the Tory rebellion was larger than many had expected at Westminster , with the 'aggressive ' government tactics failing to whittle down numbers .\nThe combative attitude of Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg during the debate on the business motion seemed to infuriate many who were wavering .\nThe roll call of rebels included ex-Chancellor Mr Hammond , who has already vowed to fight efforts to deselect him , as well as former ministers Justine Greening and Alistair Burt - who both pre-empted their punishments earlier by announcing they would be standing down at the election .\nOther Cabinet veterans were Sir Oliver Letwin , Dominic Grieve , Mr Clarke , Greg Clark , Rory Stewart , and Caroline Nokes . Sir Nicholas Soames , grandson of Winston Churchill , also rebelled .\nA Downing Street spokesman said last night : 'The Chief Whip is speaking with those Tory MPs who did not vote with the Government this evening . They will have the whip removed . '\nA rebel source said No10 was 'removing the whip from two former chancellors , a former lord chancellor and Winston Churchill 's grandson ' .\n'What has has happened to the Conservative Party ? ' they added .\nIt was a frustrating session for Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night , as the Prime Minister was left furious while his predecessor Theresa May watched on from the backbenches\nPictured are the Tory rebels who are now facing the sack after voting against Boris Johnson . ( Left to right top row ) David Gauke , Alistair Burt , Stephen Hammond , Philip Hammond , Margot James , Ken Clarke and Caroline Nokes . ( Left to right middle row ) Rory Stewart , Anne Milton , Richard Harrington , Guto Bebb , Antoinette Sandbach , Sam Gyimah and Justine Greening . ( Left to right bottom row ) Richard Benyon , Steve Brine , Greg Clark , Dominic Grieve , Ed Vaizey , Nicholas Soames and Oliver Letwin\nThe 21 Tory rebels who are now facing the sack Philip Hammond Ex-Chancellor and bete noir of Brexiteers ( pictured , right ) . Points out he voted for the Withdrawal Agreement three times . Constituency : Runnymede . Leave vote : 50 per cent Dominic Grieve Second referendum supporter who says he wants to 'save the Tory party ' from Mr Johnson . A QC , he has been legal brains behind much of opposition to No Deal . Constituency : Beaconsfield . Leave vote : 49 per cent Kenneth Clarke Tory big beast , former Chancellor and , at 79 , the 'Father of the House of Commons ' . Has said he would vote to bring down Tory government to stop No Deal . Constituency : Rushcliffe . Leave vote : 41 per cent Sir Oliver Letwin Gaffe-prone MP who was David Cameron 's policy chief . Has argued that to stop No Deal MPs would have to take over the role of the government . Constituency : West Dorset . Leave vote : 51 per cent David Gauke Ex-Justice Secretary and leader of the 'Gaukeward Squad ' of rebels ( right ) . Accused the PM of a 'purge ' for threatening to deselect rebels and of trying to turn the Conservatives into the Brexit Party . Constituency : South West Hertfordshire . Leave vote : 46 per cent Rory Stewart Former Development Secretary who ran an enthusiastic , if futile , leadership bid . Tory Remainer pin-up . Constituency : Penrith and the Border.Leave vote : 55 per cent Sir Nicholas Soames Sir Winston Churchill 's grandson ( pictured , right ) . Compared Brexiteers to a 'growling Alsatian that must be kicked really hard in the balls ' . Constituency : Mid Sussex . Leave vote : 46 per cent Antoinette Sandbach The 6ft 4in MP longstanding rebel . Branded PM 'staggeringly hypocritical ' for threatening to deselect rebels . Constituency : Eddisbury . Leave vote : 52 per cent Alistair Burt Former Foreign Office minister who quit government in March after joining anti-No Deal rebels . Refused to rule out standing against Tories . Constituency : North East Bedfordshire . Leave vote : 53 per cent Sam Gyimah Quit as science minister in protest at Mrs May 's 'naive ' deal and backed a second referendum . Constituency : East Surrey . Leave vote : 54 per cent Caroline Nokes Ex-immigration minister who said yesterday her constituents 'mean a whole lot more to me than keeping the Conservative whip ' . Constituency : Romsey . Leave vote : 46 per cent Margot James Self-made millionaire who resigned as culture minister after rebelling against Mrs May to stop No Deal ( pictured , right ) . Constituency : Stourbridge . Leave vote : 64 per cent Guto Bebb Ex-defence minister who quit to stop No Deal . Is standing down at the election . Constituency : Aberconwy . Leave vote : 52 per cent Richard Harrington Ex-business minister . Quit this year to stop No Deal and last week announced he would stand down as a Tory MP at the election . Constituency : Watford . Leave vote : 51 per cent Justine Greening Ex-Education Secretary who will stand down at the next election ( pictured , right ) . Constituency : Putney . Leave vote : 28 per cent Anne Milton Spiky-haired Guildford MP . The rebels ' unofficial whip . Constituency : Guildford . Leave vote : 41 per cent Greg Clark Ex-member of May 's Cabinet who once told Business leaders 'we ca n't have No Deal ' . Constituency : Tunbridge Wells . Leave vote : 45 per cent Stephen Hammond Ex-Transport minister ( right ) and MP for a seat under threat from Lib Dems . Constituency : Wimbledon . Leave vote : 29 per cent Ed Vaizey A friend of David Cameron 's sacked as Arts Minister by Mrs May . Constituency : Wantage . Leave vote : 46 per cent Steve Brine Low-key ex-public health minister who quit government in March . Constituency : Winchester . Leave vote : 40 per cent Richard Benyon Former Army lieutenant who served in Northern Ireland and the Far East and an ex-agriculture minister . Constituency : Newbury . Leave vote : 48 per cent\nThe bitter Tory civil war exploded after frantic developments yesterday , which saw :\nFormer Tory minister Phillip Lee dramatically stripped the government 's majority by crossing the floor of the chamber to defect to the Lib Dems while Mr Johnson was speaking ;\nMr Johnson was embroiled in a bitter clash with Mr Hammond during 'peace talks ' at No10 during which he accused him of trying to 'hand power over to a Junta that includes Jeremy Corbyn ' ;\nNigel Farage said there will be no Brexit pact with the Tories unless Mr Johnson explicitly adopts No Deal as his policy ;\nOpposition MPs applauded Speaker John Bercow as he ridiculed the Prime Minister 'do or die ' pledge to secure Brexit by October 31 ;\nDowning Street delayed the planned election by a day after being warned that October 14 clashed with a Jewish holiday ;\nBrexiteer peers tabled 90 amendments to the rebel Bill as they geared up to try and filibuster when it reaches the Upper House later this week ;\nAfter the result was declaring in a hushed Commons chamber last night , a clearly angry PM rose to his feet to condemn the decision .\n'Let there be no doubt about the consequences of this vote tonight , ' he said .\n'It means that parliament is on the brink of wrecking any deal we might be able to strike in Brussels .\n'Because tomorrow 's Bill would hand control of the negotiations to the EU . And that would mean more dither , more delay , more confusion .\n'And it would mean that the EU themselves would be able decide how long to keep this country In the EU .\nAnd since I refuse to go along with that plan , we are going to have to make a choice .\n' I do n't want an election . The public do n't want an election . But if the House votes for this Bill tomorrow , the public will have to choose who goes to Brussels on Oct 17 to sort this out and take this country forward . '\nMr Corbyn said : 'He wants to table a motion for a general election , fine .\n'Get the Bill through first in order to take no deal off the table . '\nDame Margaret Hodge and his shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry appeared to back his position .\nDame Margaret said : ' I will not be supporting a snap general election because it is nothing more than a trap set by the most untrustworthy PM in living memory .\n'This is just part of Johnson 's ploy to get a No Deal Brexit over the line regardless of the disastrous consequences . We must reject it . '\nEmily Thornberry then added : 'There 's not going to be a general election tomorrow , because we 're not going to vote for it . '\nBut Mr Mann was outraged , tweeting : 'Oh these clever people . Let 's spit on the working class and a majority of the electorate . Stop brexit .\n'Then ask them to vote us into power . We are dealing with people who do n't respect the views of the people . '\nEarlier , sources close to shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said the party was looking at 'mechanisms ' that could bind the PM to a specific election date .\nChallenged during the debate in the Commons to say he will back an election , Mr Corbyn had again refused to give a straight answer .\n'We are ready for a general election , we are ready to take on this Government and ready to win a General Election to end austerity and poverty across the country , ' he said .\nIn an extraordinary interview , shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry even boasted about blocking a poll .\n' I 'm not sure . We might vote against , we might abstain . It does n't matter , ' she said .\nDuring another day of high drama in Westminster , former minister Phillip Lee crossed the floor in the Commons and joined the Lib Dems .\nAs the PM was struggling to defend his Brexit stance in the chamber , Dr Lee walked away from his colleagues and went to sit with Jo Swinson 's pro-EU party .\nKicking off the debate in Parliament yesterday , former Cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin insisted that the 'threat ' of No Deal was not a 'credible negotiating strategy ' .\nHe said it was 'decision time ' for MPs and they had to take their 'last chance ' to stop the UK from crashing out .\n'Over the last six weeks the Government has not produced a single indication of any viable proposal to replace the backstop by any alternative likely to prove acceptable to the EU , ' Sir Oliver said .\n'The likelihood of the Government reaching a deal at the council meeting on October 17 and 18 on the terms the Government itself has set is accordingly slight . '\nHe warned this was the last week Parliament will have to block a no-deal exit on October 31 , noting : 'It 's decision time .\n'If MPs across the House want to prevent a no-deal exit on October 31 they will have the opportunity to do so if , but only if , they vote for this motion this evening . '\nBut Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg barely bothered to disguise his anger as he took to the despatch box , saying the business motion tonight was a 'subversion of democracy ' .\nHe also swiped viciously at the Speaker for bending procedures to permit the move .\nMr Bercow was applauded by the House as he boasted about bending Commons rules to trigger a crunch vote .\nAmid fury from Eurosceptics , he insisted he would keep 'facilitating the House of Commons ' .\nIn a reference to Mr Johnson 's solemn 'do or die ' pledge to secure Brexit by Halloween , he said :\n' I 've done it , I am doing it , I will continue to do it to the best of my ability without fear or favour - to coin a phrase , come what may , do or die . '\nIn a statement yesterday , Dr Lee said the 'party I joined in 1992 is not the party I am leaving today ' .\n'This Conservative government is aggressively pursuing a damaging Brexit in unprincipled ways , ' he said .\nLosing his overall majority is a symbolic blow to the PM , although in reality the Brexit issue has been splitting parties to such an extent that it will not make a big difference to the challenges he faces .\nHowever , Mr Johnson was defiant as he addressed MPs immediately after the extraordinary scenes this afternoon .\nAttacking Remainer plans to seize control of the Commons and pass legislation ruling out No Deal , Mr Johnson said : 'It is Jeremy Corbyn 's surrender bill . '\nIn a stinging barb about the concessions to Brussels he added : 'They would be able to keep us in the EU for as long as they like and on their terms . '\nMr Johnson stressed that there will be 'no further pointless delay ' to Brexit . 'Enough is enough . The country wants this done and they want the referendum respected , ' he said .\n'We are negotiating a deal and though I am confident of getting a deal , we will leave by October 31 in all circumstances . '\nPrior to the defection the PM had an effective majority of just one .\nDr Lee switching sides made it a minority government - although the premier can also rely on the support of Charlie Elphicke , who is currently suspended from the Tory whip .\nBut the axing of another 21 MPs who rebelled takes the government a long way into the red .\nPrior to the introduction of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act in 2011 , it would have been impossible for a government to survive in such circumstances .\nBut Mr Johnson 's problem is that Remainers want to wound him , but fear allowing an election would give him an opportunity to force No Deal .\nEarlier , the PM met senior rebels including Mr Hammond and Mr Gauke ahead of the crucial vote .\nBut the discussion quickly descended into acrimony , with government sources accusing Mr Hammond of behaving 'disrespectfully ' and 'chuntering ' .\nThe premier accused the former chancellor during the encounter of 'handing power to a Junta including Jeremy Corbyn ' by backing the anti-No Deal legislation .\nLib Dem leader Jo Swinson gloated about the new addition to her ranks . 'Welcome @ DrPhillipLeeMP - you have joined us at the most crucial time .\n' I look forward to working with you to prevent a disastrous Brexit , and to fight for a fairer , more equal society , ' she wrote on Twitter .\nIn a challenge to the PM , Mr Hammond was reselected in Runnymede and Weybridge by executive members of the Conservative Association at a private meeting on Monday night .\nEarlier today he slammed the government 's 'aggressive ' tactics , saying the PM will have the 'fight of a lifetime ' if he tries to deselect him .\nMr Bercow ridiculed Mr Johnson 's 'do or die ' pledge to deliver Brexit by October 31 as he gave a favourable ruling to the Remainer rebels\n' I am going to support the Bill ... I think we have the numbers , ' he told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .\nHe also launched an excoriating attack on maverick No10 Brexit chief Dominic Cummings .\n'This is my party , I am going to defend my party against people who are at the heart of this government who care nothing about the future of the Conservative party , ' he said .\nAllies of the PM said the rest of the group were 'civil ' and 'respectful ' during the meeting with the PM , but Mr Hammond 'interrupted ' and 'chuntered ' .\nMr Johnson is said to have made very clear that he 'would not tolerate ' the Bill . Rebels have accused Mr Johnson of using the election to try and 'purge ' Tory opponents of No Deal and turn the party into a Eurosceptic vehicle .\nWork and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd yesterday warned against taking action against 'very valued colleagues who made a very different choice ' .\n'We should consider carefully the consequences of dividing the party . But I do support the PM in his commitment… to get a deal , ' she told reporters outside her London home .\nTo take effect the anti-No Deal legislation must clear all its Parliamentary stages and receive Royal Assent before the Houses prorogue for the party conference break - which is due to happen as early as next Monday .\nIn his appearance in the chamber this afternoon , Mr Johnson conceded for the first time that he would be obliged to obey the law if it is passed .\nCorbyn 'running scared ' of a general election Jeremy Corbyn was accused of running scared of a general election last night after Labour suggested it would block one unless a No Deal Brexit had been ruled out . The Labour leader insisted yesterday that he wanted a general election to end austerity . But his party said they would sanction this only if a parliamentary mechanism could be found to prevent a No Deal Brexit . Mr Corbyn indicated Labour would not vote for an election unless a bill to block No Deal had already been passed . Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it would be the 'mother of all U-turns ' if the Labour leader decided not to support an election in the vote , expected today . And Jacob Rees-Mogg , the Leader of the House , said opposition MPs were 'white with fear ' that an election could lead to Mr Corbyn in No 10 . Labour MPs warned their leader not to fall for a 'trap election ' which would still give Mr Johnson the chance to leave the EU without a deal . They are concerned that Mr Johnson will end up reneging on his promise to hold the vote on October 15 , and would instead move it until after October 31 – denying Parliament the opportunity of preventing No Deal . It has been claimed that Mr Johnson could respond to a defeat on a motion under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act simply by introducing a one-line bill which stated that , notwithstanding the Act , a general election will be held on October 15 . That would need only a simple majority to pass , not a two-thirds one .\n'We will of course uphold the constitution and obey the law , ' he said .\nMs Greening confirmed today that she would not stand for re-election in Putney . 'It 's very clear to me that my concerns about the Conservative party becoming the Brexit party , in effect , have come to pass , ' she told Today .\n'So my decision is that if I really want to make a difference on opportunity and social mobility , I need to do that outside parliament . '\nMr Hammond rejected the idea Downing Street could prevent him from standing as a Tory at the next election .\n' I do n't believe they do and there would certainly be the fight of a lifetime if they tried to , ' he said .\nAsked whether he would be prepared to take such a fight to the courts , he said : 'Possibly . A lot of my colleagues have come under immense pressure . Some have responded to that by saying 'enough , I 'm going ' .\n'That is not going to be my approach . This is my party . I have been a member of this party for 45 years . '\nFormer attorney general Dominic Grieve said : ' I simply do not see the Conservative Party surviving in its current form if we continue behaving like this towards each other .\n'This is now becoming a heavily ideological party being led in a way I do n't identify as being conservative at all . '\nThe primary aim of the so-called European Union ( Withdrawal ) ( No.6 ) Bill 2019 is to stop the UK leaving the EU without a deal on October 31 .\nBut it goes much further and demands the PM ask the EU for a Brexit delay to January 31 2020 in the event Britain and Brussels are unable to agree a new deal at an EU Council meeting on October 17 .\nThe Bill states that if the EU does agree to the request for an extension the PM must immediately accept the offer .\nIf the EU propose a different extension date the PM must accept it within two days - unless it is rejected by the House of Commons .\nThe Bill does say that the UK can leave the bloc without a deal but only if MPs explicitly vote in favour of such an outcome .\nPictured : Boris Johnson speaks with arch-Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg in the Commons last night , when the government suffered a blow to their agenda\nThe government last night lost a vote in Westminster which handed control of the House of Commons to an alliance of rebel MPs , leading to calls for a general election from Boris\nThe victory for pro-EU MPs - by a big margin of 328 to 301 - came despite Mr Johnson threatening to end the careers of Tories who joined the revolt by deselecting them\nSajid Javid ( left ) , Boris Johnson ( centre ) , and Dominic Raab ( right ) appeared glum-faced as they left the Commons last night following a defeat for the government\nFormer Prime Minister Theresa was spotted smiling as she left Parliament following a defeat for her successor , Boris Johnson , last night\nJeremy Hunt is pictured , left , leaving the Commons after last night 's vote as Rory Stewart , right , headed home from Parliament after attending the GQ Men of the Year Awards earlier in the evening\nNoisy pro-EU protests were taking place outside the Houses of Parliament as the political drama unfolded last night\nProtesters are pictured outside Parliament last night as Boris Johnson suffered defeat in the Commons and rebel MPs took control in Westminster\nDay the PM lost his majority : Red face for Boris as MP defects as he delivers statement\nTory MP Phillip Lee crossed the floor of the House to join the Liberal Democrats in dramatic fashion yesterday , wiping out Boris Johnson 's Commons majority .\nThe shock move – which Downing Street had no advance warning of – happened just hours before the Government lost the crunch Brexit vote by 328-301 .\nBefore Dr Lee 's defection , Mr Johnson only had a working majority of one in the Commons thanks to his deal with the DUP . At a stroke , Dr Lee 's decision turned the Prime Minister 's administration into a minority government of minus one .\nDr Lee , MP for Bracknell , crossed the floor as Mr Johnson delivered a statement to MPs in the wake of the G7 summit yesterday\nLib Dem leader Jo Swinson ( left ) looked delighted as she sat alongside Phillip Lee ( right ) after he defected yesterday\nJacob Rees-Mogg takes a lie down in the Commons last night , as Anna Turley MP slammed him for 'the physical embodiment of arrogance , entitlement , disrespect and contempt for our parliament '\nThe defection came just as Mr Johnson prepared to deliver a statement to MPs on the G7 summit , and hours before an alliance of Tory and Opposition MPs attempted to seize control of the Commons ' order paper to prevent a No Deal Brexit .\nFarage says PM must vow 'clean break ' Brexit Nigel Farage today held out the prospect that the Brexit Party could line up behind Boris Johnson in an election - but only if he vows to deliver a 'clean break ' from the EU . The MEP said he was ready to put 'country before party ' and 'help in any way we can ' if a snap poll is triggered . But he warned that the PM seemed 'intent on reheating Theresa May 's Withdrawal Agreement ' and that meant there was no chance of a pact . The intervention came after Mr Johnson pledged to call an election for October 14 if Remainers win a crunch vote last night aiming to block No Deal . The PM said the move would 'chop the legs off ' the goverment 's negotiating strategy , and warned he will never ask Brussels for an extension to the Halloween deadline . But Tory success in a poll could rely on Mr Farage 's Brexit Party not splitting the Eurosceptic vote in key marginal seats .\nThe former justice minister , a prominent supporter of a second EU referendum , said the Government was 'aggressively pursuing a damaging Brexit in unprincipled ways ' .\n'It is putting lives and livelihoods at risk unnecessarily and it is wantonly endangering the integrity of the UK , ' he said in a statement .\nDr Lee , a qualified doctor , also said his decision was made after Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg behaved 'disgrace-fully ' to a fellow doctor during a radio-phone row over whether anyone might die as a result of a No Deal Brexit .\nIn his resignation letter to the Prime Minister , Dr Lee claimed Brexit had 'helped to transform this once great party into something more akin to a narrow faction , where an individual 's 'conservatism ' is measured by how recklessly one wishes to leave the EU ' .\nDr Lee later hinted at further defections from the Tories , telling Sky News : ' I guess the elevation of Boris Johnson to the Prime Minister 's position has accelerated events .\n' I do n't think that everybody who 's currently siting as a Conservative is going to be sitting as a Conservative after the next election .\n'Whether they join the Liberal Democrats or not , it 's an individual decision but I really would n't be surprised if more come to this conclusion over the next few days . '\nIn his letter to the Prime Minister , Dr Lee also said the Tories had 'become infected by the twin diseases of English nationalism and populism ' .\nHe told BBC Radio 4 's PM the 'bullying ' of MPs opposed to No Deal showed the 'tone and culture ' of the Conservative Party had fundamentally changed , and he knew of other like-minded colleagues who were also considering their futures . Dr Lee 's decision to cross the floor was greeted with cheers on the opposition benches .\nFormer PM Theresa May positioned herself alongside Tory Remainer Ken Clarke for the statement yesterday and appeared to be enjoying Mr Johnson 's discomfort\nBut last night former Tory leader Iain Duncan-Smith criticised Dr Lee . 'It looked like [ Dr Lee ] should be joining RADA [ Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ] ... The whole thing was stage-managed , ' he said .\n'It 's pretty deceitful if you move from one party to the next , when the British people voted for you and you were supported by the Conservative Party , its money and its organisation . '\nThe MP 's defection wipes out the Tory-DUP majority , though suspended Dover MP Charlie Elphicke is expected to vote with the Government . It also brings the number of Lib Dem MPs to 15 after his fellow former Tory MP Sarah Wollaston joined the party last month .\nFormer ministers Justine Greening and Alistair Burt also said yesterday that they would not seek re-election as Conservatives in the next general election , expected in weeks .\nAnd Tory MP Keith Simpson said he was stepping aside , though said it was to do with his turning 70 , rather than Brexit . Announcing her decision to stand down as a Tory MP at the next election yesterday , Miss Greening , the former education secretary , said the Prime Minister was 'narrowing down ' the Tories ' appeal to the public .\nShe vowed to support a rebel bill tabled by Labour 's Hilary Benn to force Mr Johnson to seek an extension to the Brexit deadline .\nSecond referendum-backer Miss Greening said her fears that the Tory Party would morph into Nigel Farage 's Brexit Party had 'come to pass ' .\nThe Conservative Party rebel told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that the Prime Minister was offering the country a 'lose-lose ' situation by threatening a general election .\nExplosion of loathing at No10 : From ex-Chancellor 's savage attack on Boris 's Brexit tactics to PM thumping Cabinet table , the incendiary row that led to Tory defeat\nIf Boris Johnson woke up yesterday thinking the prospect of an early election , combined with his threat to deselect Tory MPs who try to thwart his Brexit plans , would cow the rebels , he was swiftly disabused of the notion yesterday morning .\nAt 8.10am on Radio 4 's Today Programme , Philip Hammond – 22 years a Tory MP , a former defence and foreign secretary and until a few short weeks ago Chancellor of the Exchequer – was defiant .\nNot only would he vote for a Labour-backed Bill designed to stop No Deal and force Mr Johnson to ask for a three-month extension to Article 50 , but he believed the rebels had the numbers to force the controversial legislation through .\nTaking clear aim at Mr Johnson 's de facto chief of staff Dominic Cummings , he added : ' I am going to defend my party against incomers , entryists , who are trying to turn it from a broad church to narrow faction .\nBoris Johnson first PM to be defeated in first Commons vote in 236 years Last night , Tory rebels handed Boris Johnson a humiliating defeat , leading one MP to shout : 'Not a good start , Boris . ' He became the first Prime Minister to be defeated on his first Commons vote in 236 years . King George III dismissed the government of Lord North and Charles James Fox in , who had the support of MPs in 1783 . Controversially he appointed Pitt the Younger at the end of 1783 , as First Minister . The 24-year-old managed to form a government , but was unable to pass any legislation , in a situation that mirrors the conundrum faced by Mr Johnson in the present day . But unlike Mr Johnson , Pitt did not call for an election straight away , fearing a possible loss . Instead he waited in government , mobilised public opinion and eroded the opposition in the Commons by giving peerages to Fox 's MPs . Then he called for an election early the next year , in 1784 , and secured a dominant majority .\n'People who are at the heart of this Government , who are probably not even members of the Conservative Party , who care nothing about the future of the Conservative Party , I intend to defend my party against them . '\nLast night 's vote set the seal on a battle that raged around the Palace of Westminster yesterday on what , it is no exaggeration to say , was one of yet another of those extraordinary and exhausting political days .\nAt the start of the day , the number of Tories publicly committed to rebellion was in the single figures . If Downing Street could keep the numbers down , there was at least some hope of averting defeat .\nBoth in public and private , No 10 aides condemned a law they called a 'blueprint for legislative purgatory ' , which would cost taxpayers £1billion a month , which was 'very clearly in Brussels ' interests not in the British interest ' . One , invoking the kind of classical allusion enjoyed by Mr Johnson , called it 'the worst terms since Rome and the Carthaginians ' .\nThe Romans took Carthage , killed most of the inhabitants , sold the rest into slavery and destroyed the city . Just before 10.15am , around 15 rebels entered Downing Street .\nNobody was calling them peace talks , and by the end it was clear they had only served to expose the Brexit civil war tearing the Conservative Party apart .\nOne attendee described it as 'the most extraordinary meeting I have ever been in ' . The rebel group included former Chancellor Philip Hammond , former justice secretary David Gauke and ex-business secretary Greg Clark – as well as a raft of former junior ministers and senior backbenchers including Sir Nicholas Soames , the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill .\nThe meeting was held in the Cabinet room , around which many of the rebels had sat as ministers only weeks earlier .\nOn the Prime Minister 's left sat Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has urged him not to pull the trigger on the rebels but to 'hold our party together ' .\nThe Prime Minister began by arguing that progress was being made with the EU , and the threat of No Deal was having a real impact on Brussels .\nRebels including ( left to right ) Stephen Hammond , Antionette Sandbach , Richard Benyon , Margot James and Nicholas Soames walked out of Downing Street after a tense discussion with Mr Johnson\nIf the Bill was to pass , he argued , it could result in a second referendum or even the revocation of Article 50 – the death of Brexit . And he made clear to the rebels that , yes , they really would lose the whip if they did not back down .\nFrom his seat in the corner , next to Mr Gauke and Michael Gove , Mr Hammond could n't hide his displeasure . In truth , he argued , No 10 did n't have a negotiating strategy or even team in place .\nThey were n't really trying to get a deal . Even if Mr Johnson could secure a last-ditch deal at the European Council on October 17 , there was n't time to pass the required legislation ahead of Brexit day on October 31 , he insisted .\nNo , Mr Johnson said , there was in fact time . What 's more , he said , there would also be time for the rebels to try again to stop No Deal after the Council .\nTory rebels including David Gauke ( left ) and Philip Hammond ( right ) looked grim-faced after leaving their talks with the PM yesterday . Sources said Mr Hammond had been 'disrespectful '\nBut Mr Hammond was n't listening . 'Hammond and Boris were just refusing to listen to one another . Hammond kept talking over him , tutting and shaking his head , ' one source said . 'Boris was doing the same . '\nAt one point the exasperated PM declared : 'You all just want to keep us in the EU . ' Hammond hit back : 'We voted for the deal three times . ' The row escalated .\nPM : ' I will not tolerate a Bill that hands over power to Corbyn . ' Hammond : 'We are handing over power to Parliament . ' PM : 'You are handing power over to a junta that includes Jeremy Corbyn . '\nHe added : 'Extension [ of Article 50 ] would be an extinction-level event for the Conservative Party . ' 'Their mutual loathing was very apparent , ' a source told me .\nDominic Cummings was not present throughout the meeting , but had spoken to a group of rebels waiting outside . One later accused him of 'hectoring ' them and starting a row , a claim denied by Government sources . ' I 've seen Dom argue and it was not a Dom argument ' .\nDominic Cummings ( pictured with Mr Johnson at Downing Street yesterday ) is believed to be masterminding the Brexit strategy\nHe did , though , make one short cameo appearance in the room , described as 'deliberate trolling ' of the rebels . 'Dom turned up just to needle Hammond . ' ( Insiders also say that while they were waiting for the meeting to start Mr Cummings had told the waiting rebel MPs : ' I do n't know who any of you are ! ' )\nOne hour and 25 minutes after the meeting began , Mr Johnson banged the table , urged the rebels to 'trust my position ' and the meeting was over . The PM concluded : ' I assume everyone is with me . ' It would quickly become clear they were not . Then the briefing war began . Government sources accused Mr Hammond of having mentioned EU 'legal advice ' in a discussion about the extension .\nHad he unwittingly revealed his connivance with the enemy in Brussels ? No , rebel sources insisted . A Hammond spokesman called the claim 'ridiculous and categorically untrue ' . He was simply citing the 'established view of the EU legal service ' .\nNo 10 was not convinced . Rebels accused Mr Johnson of offering an 'unconvincing ' account of how he would pass a deal and providing 'no convincing proof ' that a negotiation is even taking place .\nAs that meeting finished , another began in the parliamentary offices of Jeremy Corbyn where the Labour leader and other opposition parties agreed to back the Bill . No such clarity , however , on whether to back an election .\nDuring the morning and early afternoon , the number of confirmed rebels began to tick up . Former minister Sam Gyimah and Sir Nicholas both confirmed they would be voting against the Government . Yet some still had hope .\nAt lunchtime , Tory chief whip Mark Spencer told junior ministers that Labour Leavers could come to the rescue , with somewhere between three and ten prepared to vote with the Government .\nBut by the time the Commons began sitting at 2.30pm the number of publicly declared rebels was up to 15 and several more were still making up their minds . What was n't expected was Tory Phillip Lee 's public defection to the Lib Dems . When Mr Johnson stood up to make his Commons statement on the G7 , Dr Lee stood up and crossed the floor of the House to sit with Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson and at a stroke he erased Mr Johnson 's majority .\nTory MPs were deflated . Only when Mr Johnson baited Jeremy Corbyn with accusations of 'surrender ' did they cheer up .\nSir Oliver Letwin ( pictured standing right ) was surrounded by fellow Remainer rebels including Philip Hammond ( front left ) as he kicked off the debate last night , insisting that the 'threat ' of No Deal was not a 'credible negotiating strategy '\nIn the briefing for journalists afterwards , Mr Cummings popped up again , in the background , refusing to answer questions on whether he was a member of the Tory party . At a little after 6.30pm , it took barely a minute for leading rebel Sir Oliver Letwin to set out his unprecedented proposal to take control of the House away from the Government , and for the Speaker John Bercow to agree it should be discussed . The fix was on . The House was in uproar .\nAt one point , the Speaker openly mocked the Prime Minister by throwing a Brexit quote back in his face . To applause from Labour MPs he said he would 'facilitate ' the House of Commons 'come what may , do or die ' .\nMr Hammond was n't finished , though . Standing in central lobby with the vote only hours away , he spoke of his 'outrage ' that the party he has been a member of for 45 years was 'thinking of throwing me out ' .\n'Some of my colleagues have chosen to call it a day because they do n't like what 's going on . My approach is to stay and fight and I will fight for the party I joined and the party that I believe the Conservatives must be , a broad inclusive centre-Right party , for as long as I am able to do so , ' he said . Backing down ? Not a chance .


( CNN ) -- Did waterboarding and other coercive interrogation techniques that were used on al Qaeda detainees in CIA custody eventually lead to the Navy SEAL operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan early in the morning of May 2 , 2011 ?\nThe Senate Intelligence Committee report released Tuesday has a simple answer to that : Hell , no !\nAccording to the Senate report , the critical pieces of information that led to discovering the identity of the bin Laden courier , Ahmed al-Kuwaiti , ( Ahmed the Kuwaiti ) whose activities eventually pointed the CIA to bin Laden 's hiding place in Pakistan , were provided by an al-Qaeda detainee before he was subjected to CIA coercive interrogation , and was based also upon information that was provided by detainees that were held in the custody of foreign governments . ( The report is silent on the interesting question of whether any of these unnamed foreign governments obtained any of their information by using torture . )\nFurther critical information about the Kuwaiti was also provided by conventional intelligence techniques and was not elicited by the interrogations of any of the CIA detainees , according to the report .\nEven worse for the CIA -- which has consistently defended the supposed utility of the interrogation program , including in the hunt for bin Laden -- a number of CIA prisoners who were subjected to coercive interrogations consistently provided misleading information designed to wave away CIA interrogators from the bin Laden courier who would eventually prove to be the key to finding al Qaeda 's leader .\nThe Senate report provides the fullest accounting so far of the exact sequence of intelligence breaks that led the CIA to determine that the courier , the Kuwaiti , was likely to be living with bin Laden in Pakistan .\nThis reads more like a careful Agatha Christie detective story than a story about the efficacy of coercive interrogations , which some have characterized as torture .\nThe report points out that the courier was in touch with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , the operational commander of the 9/11 attacks , and that it was SIGINT ( signals intelligence ) from phones and email traffic that made this link first in 2002 , well before any CIA detainees made such a connection .\nIndeed , in a fascinating footnote , the report makes the case that it was `` voice cuts '' of the courier that were first collected in 2002 that were matched eight years later to the Kuwaiti and were `` geolocated '' to an area of Pakistan in 2010 where he was traveling around . This was a crucial lead that helped prompt the CIA to examine the mysterious compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan , where bin Laden was hiding .\nIn 2002 , reports from four different detainees held by foreign governments provided important information about the courier 's age , physical appearance and family , information that was also acquired prior to any information about the courier being obtained from CIA detainees . Detainees held by foreign governments also said that the courier was close to bin Laden .\nIt was Hassan Ghul , an al Qaeda operative captured in Iraqi Kurdistan , who provided the most detailed account of bin Laden 's courier and his relationship to bin Laden in January 2004 , before he entered CIA custody .\nAccording to a CIA official cited in the report , Ghul , who was in Kurdish custody , `` sang like a tweetie bird . He opened up right away and was cooperative from the outset . ''\nGhul described the courier as bin Laden 's `` closest assistant '' and `` one of three individuals likely to be with '' al Qaeda 's leader . And he correctly surmised that bin Laden would have minimal security and `` likely lived in a house with a family somewhere in Pakistan . ''\nIf there was good intelligence coming from sources that were not in CIA custody , the Senate report demonstrates that the detainees who were in CIA custody and were subjected to coercive interrogations made every effort to hide the significance of bin Laden 's courier .\nFive of the most senior al-Qaeda detainees in CIA custody , all of whom were subjected to some of the most intensive coercive interrogation techniques , variously said that the courier worked only with low level members of al Qaeda ; that he was not a courier for bin Laden ; that he was n't close to al Qaeda 's leader , and that he was focused only on his family following his marriage in 2002 . None of this , of course , was true .\nThe CIA , of course , is not happy about the portrayal of its work in the Senate report , and in a rebuttal on its website on Tuesday the agency pushed back , saying that detainees `` in combination with other streams of intelligence '' played a role in finding bin Laden .\nIn particular the CIA cites a detainee , Ammar al-Baluchi , who was coercively interrogated and provided what it terms the first information indicating that the Kuwaiti was indeed bin Laden 's courier , rather than just someone who was an ordinary member of al Qaeda .\nThe CIA rebuttal is not , however as persuasive as the very detailed history laid out in the Senate report , which is buttressed by copious source notes .\nAnd , in any event , were interrogations of al Qaeda detainees really the key to how bin Laden ultimately was found ? After all , it still took almost a decade after the first identification of the courier to find bin Laden .\nIndeed , there were a number of key breaks that had little to do with the interrogations of al Qaeda detainees , which I discovered in the course of reporting my book `` Manhunt . ''\nA large break , according to U.S. counterterrorism officials , came in 2007 , when a foreign intelligence service that they wo n't identify told the CIA that the Kuwaiti 's real name was Ibrahim Saeed Ahmed .\nIt would still take three more years for the CIA to find Ibrahim Saeed Ahmed in Pakistan , a country with a population of 180 million . This involved painstaking work going through reams of phone conversations to try to locate him through his family and circle of associates .\nIn June 2010 , the Kuwaiti and his brother both made changes in the way they communicated on cell phone , which suddenly opened up the possibility of the `` geolocation '' of both their phones , according to U.S. counterterrorism officials .\nFinally , sometime in the late summer of 2010 , the Kuwaiti received a call from an old friend in the Persian Gulf , a man whom U.S. intelligence officials were monitoring . `` We 've missed you . Where have you been ? '' asked the friend . The Kuwaiti responded elliptically . `` I 'm back with the people I was with before . '' There was a tense pause in the conversation as the friend mulled over that response . Likely realizing that the Kuwaiti was back in bin Laden 's inner circle , the caller replied after some hesitation , `` May God facilitate . ''\nThe CIA took this call as a confirmation that the Kuwaiti was still working with al Qaeda , a matter that officials were still not entirely sure about .\nThe National Security Agency was listening to this exchange and through geolocation technologies was able to zero in on the Kuwaiti 's cell phone in northwestern Pakistan . But the Kuwaiti practiced rigorous operational security and was always careful to insert the battery in his phone and turn it on only when he was at least an hour 's drive away from the Abbottabad compound where he and bin Laden were living . To find out where the Kuwaiti lived by monitoring his cell phone would only go so far .\nIn August 2010 , a Pakistani `` asset '' working for the CIA tracked the Kuwaiti to the crowded city of Peshawar , where bin Laden had founded al Qaeda more than two decades earlier . In the years when bin Laden was residing in the Abbottabad compound , the Kuwaiti would regularly transit though Peshawar , as it is the gateway to the Pakistani tribal regions where al Qaeda had regrouped in the years after 9/11 .\nOnce the CIA asset had identified the Kuwaiti 's distinctive white Suzuki SUV with a spare tire on its back in Peshawar , the CIA was able to follow him as he drove home to Abbottabad , more than two hours ' drive to the east .\nThe large compound where the Kuwaiti finally alighted immediately drew interest at the agency because it did n't have phone or Internet service , which implied its owners wanted to stay off the grid .\nSoon , some CIA officials would come to believe that bin Laden himself was living there .


Meet Gina , a spy for over 30 years , a devoted public servant and a devotee of Johnny Cash . “ She ’ s dedicated her life to protecting our nation. ” Meet Gina , a spy for over 30 years , an overseer of torture , and a destroyer of valuable documents . “ She believes that waterboarding should be something that we use. ” This is Gina Haspel , the nominee to head the C.I.A . with two distinct storylines about her . A C.I.A . P.R . blitz aimed at bolstering her nomination tells us most of what we know about Haspel . “ Gina Haspel is the best prepared person ever to be nominated for this job. ” “ A nonpartisan person. ” “ She ’ s got a spine of steel. ” “ Her only goal is to live out the agency ’ s mission. ” The C.I.A . tells us that she joined towards the end of the Cold War . She wanted adventure and meaning in her life . We don ’ t get too much detail . We know she first deployed to Africa , then later overseas during the Gulf War . At one point she helped catch two terrorists linked to an embassy bombing . They don ’ t say where . But pretty much everything else about her 33 years at the agency is classified . And all the while , the C.I.A . says she remained a big fan of her alma mater ’ s basketball team : the University of Kentucky Wildcats . Now critics of Haspel are more concerned with what the C.I.A . isn ’ t saying about her . “ America shouldn ’ t be known for torture. ” “ She was supportive of the program. ” “ A cover-up from A to Z. ” “ A dirty past. ” After 9/11 . she managed a secret C.I.A . prison in Thailand . And at that prison she oversaw the torture of a detainee . And then , later , she helped execute an order to destroy videotapes of brutal interrogations . Here ’ s her then-boss explaining why he didn ’ t want the tapes kept : “ It would make the C.I.A . look bad. ” And it would actually , in my view , it almost destroyed the clandestine service because of it. ” The president decided to focus on ‘ good Gina. ’ Gina the trailblazer . “ Gina , by the way , who I know very well – who I worked very closely with ... ” will be the first woman director of the C.I.A. ” Critics worry that the president ’ s embrace of torture won ’ t get any pushback from Haspel . “ What do you think about waterboarding , Mr. Trump ? ” “ I said , I love it. ” “ And I ’ d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. ” “ Torture works , O.K. , folks. ” Haspel recently gave a very rare public appearance on Capitol Hill . Her aim : to woo some of her critics . She smiled and appeared approachable , more public servant than controversial public official .


CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell is stepping down and being replaced by White House lawyer Avril Haines , who will be the first woman to hold the post .\nWhen President Barack Obama named a successor to former CIA Director David Petraeus in January , Morell was passed over in favor of the White House counterterrorism adviser , John Brennan . Morell had been acting director since Petraeus ' resignation .\nMorell , 54 , announced his retirement Wednesday , saying he will leave his CIA post Aug. 9 . The White House announced he has been appointed to the President 's Intelligence Advisory Board , a group of mostly retired intelligence officers who advise the president on intelligence policy .\n`` While I have given everything I have to the Central Intelligence Agency and its vital mission for a third of a century , it is now time for me to give everything I have to my family , '' Morell said in a statement released Wednesday by the agency .\nMorell is retiring after 33 years at the CIA , including two stints as acting director — during the last stint he managed the fallout inside the agency after Petraeus resigned over an extramarital affair . Morell ordered an internal investigation into his former boss ' conduct that is ongoing .\n`` I was most looking forward to ... the opportunity to work side-by-side once again with Michael Morell , '' said Brennan , noting that they 'd begun their careers at the CIA in 1980 . `` As much as I would selfishly like to keep Michael right where he is for as long as possible , he has decided to retire to spend more time with his family and to pursue other professional opportunities . ''\nHaines , 43 , has been a White House deputy assistant and deputy counsel for national security affairs since 2010 . Before that , she was assistant legal adviser for treaty affairs at the State Department , according to a White House statement .\nHaines had been nominated to serve as the State Department 's legal adviser earlier this year , but Brennan chose her for the deputy post when Morell made clear that he was retiring .\nBrennan said that Haines had participated in virtually every senior-level meeting at the president 's National Security Council over the past two years and chairs the White House legal team that reviews the CIA 's most sensitive programs .\n`` In every instance , Avril 's command of substance , sense of mission , good judgment , and keen insights have been outstanding , '' Brennan said in his statement announcing the personnel changes .\nMorell bore the brunt of defending before Congress the CIA 's performance after the attack on the diplomatic outpost in Benghazi , Libya , last September , which killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans .\n`` Each time , his testimony has been thorough and forthright , '' said the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee , Rep. C.A . Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland .\nMorell did the final edit of the controversial `` talking points '' memo meant to describe to the public what happened in that attack . Emails exchanged by administration officials that week show Morell deleted references to the CIA warning the State Department of previous militant attacks in Benghazi .\nU.N . Ambassador Susan Rice used those notes on Sunday talk shows , triggering a controversy in which House Republicans accuse the administration of covering up any connections to terror groups in the attack during the presidential campaign .\nRice was named national security adviser last week , replacing long-serving staffer Tom Donilon as part of the Obama administration 's second-term turnover of its national security team .\nMorell also put himself on a political collision course with the White House and top Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee by publicly defending the results of harsh CIA interrogation techniques like waterboarding while not defending the techniques themselves . Morell had said in a statement to CIA employees that while the film `` Zero Dark Thirty '' was wrong to depict harsh techniques as key to finding Osama bin Laden , those interrogations did produce some useful intelligence .\n`` Some came from detainees subjected to enhanced techniques , but there were many other sources as well , '' Morell said .\nA Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the CIA 's detainee interrogation program completed last December concluded that interrogation methods such as waterboarding , which simulates drowning , produced no useful intelligence . And Morell 's new boss , Brennan , told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing that after reading a summary of that report , he is now not sure those techniques produced any useful information .\nBrennan further called the use of such techniques during the George W. Bush administration `` something that is reprehensible and should never be done again . ''\nMorell 's defense of the program won him many backers at agency headquarters at Langley , Va .\n`` Morell is beloved in the building , '' former House Intelligence Committee member Jane Harman said Wednesday . `` But it will be nice to have a woman in the job . ''\nGet the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox . By signing up , you agree to our Privacy Policy


The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent the views of ███.com .\nMany debates over politics and policy begin with a battle over language . Before all sides can hash out their differences , there must be an understanding of what their words mean .\nFrom the months following 9/11 right up to the current CIA confirmation hearings for Gina Haspel , the misuse of a vital term has hindered clarity and progress on a key issue . On the first day of her answers before the Senate Intelligence Committee , the word even impeded what should be a clear path to the title she seeks .\nSince our nation began undertaking special lengths to extract vital intelligence from high-value detainees , the questions have reverberated : “ Does America torture ? ” “ Do we approve of torture ? ” “ Does torture work ? ”\nThe crucial error has been defining lawful and justifiable questioning techniques as “ torture , ” a term that denotes abuse of power , motivated by a desire to punish , or even by sadistic satisfaction .\nThe opponents of enhanced interrogation will affix the term to American practices in order to discredit them . Sadly , even defenders of these valuable procedures have allowed themselves to be dragged into absurd arenas of debate in which they “ defend torture . ”\nThere is no defense for torture , as properly defined . It is what the North Vietnamese did to our soldiers in Hanoi . It is what drug cartels do to captured enemies . It is what North Korea did to Otto Warmbier . It is not what American intelligence officers have done to save lives .\nIf this seems like an assertion that it ’ s not torture if we do it , that is precisely my point -- as long as our intentions remain noble , our behaviors clearly defined , and the practices closely supervised . “ Torture ” has always had a negative connotation presuming a sinister motivation . This is the exact opposite of what Haspel and the CIA have been about , and it is an offense to logic to continue labeling our practices as such .\nOne may favor or oppose sleep deprivation , cramped confinement or waterboarding , but these practices and others were employed in the cases of carefully screened detainees in an attempt to secure information vital to defeating jihadists and saving lives .\nWaterboarding has always been a particularly ill fit for torture designation . It is not torture if we do it to our own people . I have spoken to special forces veterans who endured the practice in training , so as to better brace for it if captured . One told me : “ It ’ s hell while it ’ s happening , but twenty minutes later I was drinking a cup of coffee without a mark on me . ”\nIt may be tempting to invoke the views of John McCain , who was indeed tortured by the North Vietnamese . Today , he unfortunately equates that horror to what his fellow Americans honorably did to serve our nation as he has done .\nSo where do I get off questioning McCain ’ s view on the subject ? I rest on two answers , one broad , one specific . The broad anecdotal testimony is the nearly two decades I have spent speaking to veterans and active duty military , on and off the radio . They do not unanimously support enhanced interrogations , but I can count on one hand those who have shared the McCain view that we are torturers .\nThe specific voice I rely on the most is Rep. Sam Johnson ( R-TX ) , retiring after nearly 30 years in Congress and his own seven years in the Hanoi Hilton . Like McCain , he was brutally tortured by the North Vietnamese . Unlike McCain , he did not return to America with the willingness to smear our post-9/11 war effort with such harsh criticism .\nIn answering questions Wednesday , Haspel seemed to stub her toe on this years-long mischaracterization of CIA techniques as torture . Under fire from disapproving Democrats , she revealed that she would not oversee a return to such procedures , even under a lawful order from the President : “ I support the higher moral standard that this country has decided to hold itself to . I would never , ever take CIA back to an interrogation program , ” she said .\nCount me among those who have strongly supported Haspel ’ s nomination . But more importantly , count me among those who would expect her to follow lawful orders from the Commander-in-Chief without bogging the nation down in needless moments of introspection .\nOur discourse will be unburdened if we can resist attempts to hijack the language for political gain . The left must be congratulated for its multiple successes . Abortion is “ reproductive freedom , ” confiscatory taxation is “ investment ” and enhanced interrogations are torture .\nOpponents of such practices are free to characterize them as unduly harsh , unnecessary , discordant with “ American values , ” or whatever . I would disagree on all counts , but those are matters of opinion .\nTo fine-tune a famous Daniel Patrick Moynihan quote , we are entitled to our own opinions ; we are not entitled to redefine words . Once we free ourselves from the years of miscast debate over American “ torture , ” we can honestly argue the pros and cons of how our nation has extracted intelligence from certain sources .\nAnd who knows ? Once we stop surrendering to the language of the CIA ’ s detractors , even its future director might rethink her contrived objections to orders she may one day receive .


WikiLeaks on Tuesday released what it said is the full hacking capacity of the CIA in a stunning 8,000-plus page disclosure the anti-secrecy website contends is “ the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency . ”\nThe 8,761 documents and files -- released as “ Vault 7 Part 1 ” and titled “ Year Zero ” -- were obtained from an “ isolated , high-security network ” at the CIA ’ s Center for Cyber Intelligence in Langley , Va. , a press release from the website said . The trove had been “ circulated among former U.S. government hackers and contractors , ” one of whom “ recently ” gave the archive to WikiLeaks . The CIA allegedly employs more than 5,000 people in its cyber spying operation and had produced more than 1,000 programs as of 2016 .\n“ We do not comment on the authenticity or content of purported intelligence documents , '' a CIA spokesperson told Fox News .\nThe collection of purported intelligence documents includes information on CIA-developed malware -- bearing names such as “ Assassin ” and “ Medusa ” -- intended to target iPhones , Android phones , smart TVs and Microsoft , Mac and Linux operating systems , among others . An entire unit in the CIA is devoted to inventing programs to hack data from Apple products , according to WikiLeaks .\nSome of the remote hacking programs can allegedly turn numerous electronic devices into recording and transmitting stations to spy on their targets , with the information then sent back to secret CIA servers . One document appears to show the CIA was trying to “ infect ” vehicle control systems in cars and trucks for unspecified means .\nWikiLeaks hinted that the capabilites revealed in Tuesday 's disclosure could have even darker utility than simply spying .\n“ It would permit the CIA to engage in nearly undetectable assassinations , ” the release stated .\nWikiLeaks # Vault7 confirms CIA can effectively bypass Signal + Telegram + WhatsApp + Confide encryptionhttps : //t.co/h5wzfrReyy — WikiLeaks ( @ wikileaks ) March 7 , 2017\nThe site said the CIA additionally failed to disclose security vulnerabilities and bugs to major U.S. software manufacturers , violating an Obama administration commitment made in January 2014 . Instead , the agency used the software vulnerabilities -- which could also be exploited by rival agencies , nations and groups -- for its own ends , WikiLeaks said .\nCIA hackers celebrated what they saw as the financial largesse of Obama towards them with `` Make It Rain '' gifhttps : //t.co/M8LJ03ZoiC pic.twitter.com/zjV5uqQ68P — WikiLeaks ( @ wikileaks ) March 7 , 2017\n“ As an example , specific CIA malware revealed in ‘ Year Zero ’ is able to penetrate , infest and control both the Android phone and iPhone software that runs or has run presidential Twitter accounts , ” the WikiLeaks release stated .\nDigital rights non-profit Access Now said in a statement on Tuesday it was `` fantasy to believe only the 'good guys ' '' would be able to use the discovered vulnerabilities .\n“ Today , our digital security has been compromised because the CIA has been stockpiling vulnerabilities rather than working with companies to patch them , '' Senior Legislative Manager Nathan White said .\nThe CIA allegedly also maintains a database of malware created in other nations -- WikiLeaks specifically cites Russia -- in order to disguise its own hacking attempts as the work of another group .\nIn what is described by WikiLeaks as `` one of the most astounding intelligence own goals in living memory , '' the CIA is said to have made most of its programs unclassified to avoid legal consequences for transmitting classified information through the Internet -- a move that increased the risk of outside groups pirating the cyber spying tools .\nWikiLeaks also revealed the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt is a hacking base , and the website provided the methods by which agents obfuscate customs officers to gain entry to Germany , pretending to provide technical consultation .\nWikiLeaks said its source released the files because they believed questions surrounding the CIA ’ s reach “ urgently need to be debated in public , ” echoing the motives of many previous leakers .\nStill working through the publication , but what @ Wikileaks has here is genuinely a big deal . Looks authentic . — Edward Snowden ( @ Snowden ) March 7 , 2017\nOne such former leaker , Edward Snowden , tweeted Tuesday afternoon about the WikiLeaks release .\n`` Still working through the publication , but what @ Wikileaks has here is genuinely a big deal . Looks authentic , '' wrote Snowden , who has been granted asylum in Russia as he seeks to avoid criminal prosecution in the U.S .\nSome of the WikiLeaks files include redacted information , such as tens “ of thousands of CIA targets and attack machines throughout Latin America , Europe and the United States . ”


While the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel , R-Neb. , to be secretary of defense has drawn opposition from groups who question his views on policy toward Israel and Iran , the nomination of White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to be CIA director may be delayed by senators who want to know more about last September 's attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi , Libya .\n`` Said the Senate should not confirm any Obama nominee for the nation 's top spy post until the administration elaborates on the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi , '' The Associated Press writes. `` 'My support for a delay in confirmation is not directed at Mr. Brennan , but is an unfortunate , yet necessary , action to get information from this administration , ' the South Carolina senator said in a statement . ' I have tried — repeatedly — to get information on Benghazi , but my requests have been repeatedly ignored . ' `` He added that the administration 's 'stonewalling on Benghazi ' must end . ''\nTo which White House spokesman Jay Carney responded that such talk is `` unfortunate . '' As Politico reports :\n`` 'This question was answered , I believe , in briefings on the hill , ' White House press secretary Carney said , noting that it was edited in the process of declassifying classified information. `` ' It would be unfortunate , I think , if in pursuit of this issue , which was highly politicized , the Senate would hold up the nomination of John Brennan to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency . ' ``\nAs The Hill has reported , Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona has `` also indicated he might look to block Brennan 's nomination over concerns about so-called `` enhanced '' interrogation techniques at the agency . ' I appreciate John Brennan 's long record of service to our nation , but I have many questions and concerns about his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency , especially what role he played in the so-called enhanced interrogation programs while serving at the CIA during the [ George W. Bush ] administration , as well as his public defense of those programs , ' McCain said . ''\nMcCain was tortured when he was a prisoner during the Vietnam War .