The senior CIA official who posted a pro-Palestinian image on Facebook in the wake of Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel is associate deputy director for analysis Amy McFadden, the agency confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon.
McFadden was not mentioned by name in a Tuesday Financial Times article about her Facebook banner image, which was a picture of a man waving a Palestinian flag, citing alleged "concern about her safety." A review of McFadden’s LinkedIn page revealed expressions of support for the anti-Israel International Crisis Group, once headed by disgraced former White House official Robert Malley.
McFadden’s criticism of Israel comes as President Joe Biden faces a revolt in the federal government over the Jewish state’s military response in Gaza after Hamas’s attacks left at least 1,400 dead, including 32 Americans. The CIA official's conduct suggests even those working at the highest echelon of the federal government’s intelligence services feel comfortable making public statements contrary to the United States’ official stance on Israel.
"CIA officers are committed to analytic objectivity, which is at the core of what we do as an Agency," a CIA spokeswoman told the Free Beacon in an emailed statement. "CIA officers may have personal views, but this does not lessen their—or CIA’s—commitment to unbiased analysis." The agency declined to say whether McFadden would be subject to disciplinary action or termination.
According to the Financial Times, McFadden also posted "a selfie with a sticker saying ‘Free Palestine’ superimposed on the photograph" on Facebook. The paper said that image was uploaded years ago.
McFadden is one of the most senior officials within the CIA and was once responsible for overseeing the president’s "daily brief," a summary of classified intelligence, the Financial Times reported. In her role as associate deputy director for analysis, McFadden oversees the approval of all the agency’s intelligence.
Although McFadden’s particular beliefs on Israel are unclear, she "liked" one post by the International Crisis Group in the last week. That post shared an article in Foreign Affairs that chastised Israel for "making the utter defeat of Hamas its top priority."
The International Crisis Group, a non-profit that says it works on "preventing and resolving deadly conflict," has faced criticism over its ties to the Iranian government. Its former president, Malley, is under criminal investigation for allegedly mishandling classified materials. Malley served as the chief envoy to Tehran under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
One of the International Crisis Group's Iran analysts was outed in October as part of a vast Iranian-government propaganda network. That individual, Ali Vaez, reportedly spoke with senior Iranian officials and visited the White House at least five times since 2022.
McFadden’s LinkedIn banner image is a graphic with text that says "I am for equity because equity starts with everyone." According to McFadden’s profile, she started at the CIA in 1999 and worked in leadership roles at the Office of North African, Arabian Peninsula, and Regional Analysis. From 2012 to 2013, McFadden was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
"Ms. McFadden is the recipient of several prestigious IC awards, including the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the CIA Director’s Award, and the George H.W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism," her profile states.