The latest American intelligence assessment of global threats

An interesting read, along with Congress testimony.
https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/2019-ATA-SFR---SSCI.pdf

Some of the facts on the ground are in in direct contradiction to Trump policies, according the latest American intelligence assessment of global threats.

Trump: North Korea is no longer a threat.
Assessment: North Korea is a growing nuclear and cyber threat. The North Korean government “is committed to developing a long-range nuclear-armed missile that would pose a direct threat to the United States". They will not give up their nukes, and are preparing for a new round of sabre-rattling.

Trump: Iran is a nuclear threat.
Assessment: Iran is not “currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activity” needed to make a bomb. It does, however, continue support of terrorism in Europe and the Middle East, including sponsoring Houthis in Yemen and Shiite militants in Iraq.

Trump: Isis has been defeated.
Assessment: Isis “still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria,” and maintains eight branches and a dozen networks around the world.

Trump: Russia can be a good partner and the breakdown in relations has been largely the fault of the US. "I think the United States has been foolish ... I think we’ve all been foolish. We’re all to blame. We should have had this dialogue a long time ago." (July 2018)
Assessment: Russia is an active existential threat with the ability to disrupt large parts of US economy and government. “Moscow is now staging cyberattack assets to allow it to disrupt or damage U.S. civilian and military infrastructure during a crisis.” It specifically noted the Russian planting of malware in the United States electricity grid. Russia already has the ability to bring the grid down “for at least a few hours,” the assessment concluded, but is “mapping our critical infrastructure with the long-term goal of being able to cause substantial damage.”

Trump: We need to build a wall along the southwestern border, which he has advertised as among the most critical security threats to the US.
Assessment: The first mention of Mexico and drug cartels comes on Page 18 of the 42-page report, well after a range of other, more pressing threats are reviewed. Illegal immigration across the southern border has been dropping for years. And statistically, an American is more likely to be killed by a meteorite from space than a terrorist who has crossed the southern border. Mexico/US drug cartel activity is an issue, with other border security measures more effective than a wall in containing that threat.

There is a point of agreement, however.

Trump: China is an economic threat.
Assessment: China is a long-term threat to the security of the US. China is now positioned to conduct effective cyberattacks against American infrastructure, specifically citing Beijing’s ability to cut off natural gas pipelines, at least briefly. China presents a persistent cyber espionage threat and a growing attack threat to our core military andcritical infrastructure systems. China remains the most active strategic competitor responsible forcyber espionage against the US Government, corporations, and allies.