For Immediate Release: February 20, 2026
DCIA Retracts Biased Intelligence Products to Reinforce CIA Analytic Objectivity
Today, CIA Director John Ratcliffe ordered the official retraction or substantive revision of 19 CIA intelligence products that did not meet CIA and IC analytic tradecraft standards and failed to be independent of political consideration. These products were identified by the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB), which conducted an independent review of hundreds of finished CIA analytic reports produced over the past decade. An internal review led by Deputy Director Michael Ellis agreed that they did not meet the high standards the American people expect from CIA’s elite analytic workforce.
Of those products, Director Ratcliffe has released three redacted versions that exhibit substantial deviations from the President’s expectations that CIA’s workforce remains independent from a particular audience, agenda, or policy viewpoint:
- “Women Advancing White Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist Radicalization and Recruitment,” published October 6, 2021
- “Middle East-North Africa: LGBT Activists Under Pressure,” published January 14, 2015
- “Worldwide: Pandemic-Related Contraceptive Shortfalls Threaten Economic Development,” published July 8, 2020
"The intelligence products we released to the American people today — produced before my tenure as DCIA — fall short of the high standards of impartiality that CIA must uphold and do not reflect the expertise for which our analysts are renowned," stated Director Ratcliffe. "There is absolutely no room for bias in our work and when we identify instances where analytic rigor has been compromised, we have a responsibility to correct the record. These actions underscore our commitment to transparency, accountability, and objective intelligence analysis. Our recent successes in Operation ABSOLUTE RESOLVE and Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER exemplify our dedication to analytic excellence.”
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