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Natasha Bertrand

@natashabertrand

CNN national security correspondent. Send tips/pics of your dog(s) to Natasha.bertrand@cnn.com Signal: Natashabertrand.12 https://www.cnn.com/profiles/natasha-bertrand-profile

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23.11.2024
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Latest posts by Natasha Bertrand @natashabertrand

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CIA working to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran, sources say | CNN Politics The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran and the Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish lea...

NEW: The CIA has been working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN.
www.cnn.com/2026/03/03/p...

03.03.2026 21:59 πŸ‘ 278 πŸ” 132 πŸ’¬ 104 πŸ“Œ 209

CNN's @natashabertrand.bsky.social reporting rumored rationale that Iran was about to strike us first, preemptively, is not accurate to US sources she's spoken with.

VERY important because that would be a reason to not go to Congress first - imminent threat to US forces.

28.02.2026 21:07 πŸ‘ 2348 πŸ” 702 πŸ’¬ 234 πŸ“Œ 50
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Trump claimed Iran is building missiles that could soon hit the US. Sources say that’s not backed up by US intelligence. | CNN Politics When US President Donald Trump addressed the American people on Tuesday night, he claimed that Iran is β€œworking to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”

When Trump addressed the American people on Tuesday night, he claimed that Iran is β€œworking to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”

That assertion is not backed up by US intelligence, sources told CNN. www.cnn.com/2026/02/27/p...

27.02.2026 21:35 πŸ‘ 337 πŸ” 132 πŸ’¬ 31 πŸ“Œ 23
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13.02.2026 22:30 πŸ‘ 193 πŸ” 61 πŸ’¬ 34 πŸ“Œ 26
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Pentagon may bar tuition aid for top universities in Hegseth’s crackdown on β€˜biased’ schools | CNN Politics Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the United States abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign again...

New: Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the US (list in replies) abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Hegseth’s campaign against schools he describes as being biased against the US military
www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/p...

13.02.2026 22:30 πŸ‘ 536 πŸ” 264 πŸ’¬ 78 πŸ“Œ 138

Breaking: A fed judge has shut down Hegseth’s attempts to punish Sen. Mark Kelly over his urging of US service members to refuse illegal orders

β€œSenator Kelly was reprimanded for exercising his First Amendment right to speak on matters of public concern," wrote US District Judge Richard Leon.

12.02.2026 17:40 πŸ‘ 172 πŸ” 39 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

Breaking: The US and Russia have agreed to re-establish high level military to military dialogue, which had been dormant for more than 4 years. The channel was suspended in the fall of 2021 in the run up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. www.eucom.mil/pressrelease...

05.02.2026 13:34 πŸ‘ 36 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 9 πŸ“Œ 2
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Could not agree more.

28.01.2026 23:37 πŸ‘ 212 πŸ” 36 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 8
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US is making plans to intercept Venezuela-linked oil tanker that Russia has claimed ownership of, sources say | CNN Politics The US is making plans to try to intercept a fleeing oil tanker that Russia has claimed ownership of, according to four people familiar with the matter, setting up a possible confrontation between Was...

The US is making plans to try to intercept a fleeing oil tanker currrntly in the North Atlantic that Russia has claimed ownership of, per 4 sources, setting up a possible confrontation between Washington and the Kremlin…

www.cnn.com/2026/01/05/p...

05.01.2026 22:45 πŸ‘ 94 πŸ” 38 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 8

The 1989 legal opinion, authored by Bill Barr, concluded that the president has the inherent constitutional authority to deploy the FBI to investigate and arrest individuals for violating US law, "even if those actions contravene international law."
The FBI was on the ground w/Delta Force on Friday.

03.01.2026 16:38 πŸ‘ 71 πŸ” 26 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 2

New: Trump administration officials are internally pointing to a 1989 legal opinion and the subsequent US invasion of Panama as precedent to justify the operation that was carried out in Venezuela on Friday night without US congressional authorization, per 3 sources.

03.01.2026 16:38 πŸ‘ 87 πŸ” 36 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 4
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Exclusive: CIA carried out drone strike on port facility on Venezuelan coast | CNN Politics The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility on the coast of Venezuela, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that...

Exclusive: The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility in Venezuela, sources told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that country. This is the attack Trump has repeatedly alluded to in recent days. www.cnn.com/2025/12/29/p...

30.12.2025 01:37 πŸ‘ 986 πŸ” 370 πŸ’¬ 64 πŸ“Œ 86
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Exclusive: Top lawyer for military joint chiefs told chairman that officers should retire if faced with an unlawful order | CNN Politics How should a military commander respond if they determine they have received an unlawful order?

Exclusive: Top lawyer for military joint chiefs told chairman that officers should retire if faced with an unlawful order. That advice is raising serious concerns among current and former officials. Latest: www.cnn.com/2025/12/19/p...

19.12.2025 13:46 πŸ‘ 334 πŸ” 154 πŸ’¬ 24 πŸ“Œ 11

Potentially a big day on the Hill tomorrow…

Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and SecState Marco Rubio are expected to brief the Gang of 8 tomorrow afternoon

Separately, outgoing Southern Command commander Adm. Alvin Holsey is expected to virtually meet HASC and SASC leaders.

09.12.2025 00:33 πŸ‘ 653 πŸ” 173 πŸ’¬ 15 πŸ“Œ 8
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Exclusive: Boat at center of double-tap strike controversy was meeting vessel headed to Suriname, admiral told lawmakers | CNN Politics The alleged drug traffickers killed by the US military in a strike on September 2 were heading to link up with another, larger vessel that was bound for Suriname β€” a small South American country east ...

New: Alleged traffickers killed by the US military in a strike on September 2 were not heading toward the US, Adm Bradley told lawmakers yesterday, per people briefed.
Instead they were heading to link up with another vessel that was bound for Suriname. www.cnn.com/2025/12/05/p...

05.12.2025 22:08 πŸ‘ 465 πŸ” 183 πŸ’¬ 25 πŸ“Œ 33
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Exclusive: Survivors clinging to capsized boat didn’t radio for backup, admiral overseeing double-tap strike tells lawmakers | CNN Politics The two men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat in a secondary strike against a suspected drug vessel in early September did not appear to have radio or other communications device...

New: The men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat after the Sept 2 secondary strike did not appear to have radio or other comms devices, top military official overseeing the strike told lawmakers, undercutting claim they could have called for backup. www.cnn.com/2025/12/04/p...

05.12.2025 00:32 πŸ‘ 226 πŸ” 77 πŸ’¬ 17 πŸ“Œ 4
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Classified Pentagon watchdog report on Hegseth’s use of Signal sent to lawmakers | CNN Politics A classified final version of the Pentagon inspector general’s report into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal to discuss sensitive military operations has been delivered to the House an...

New: A classified final version of the Pentagon inspector general’s report into Hegseth’s use of Signal to discuss sensitive military operations has been delivered to lawmakers for review, and a declassified, redacted version is set to be released publicly on Thursday. www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/p...

03.12.2025 00:45 πŸ‘ 125 πŸ” 42 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 5
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US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say | CNN Politics The US military carried out a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel operating in the Caribbean on September 2 after an initial attack did not kill everyone on board, sources familiar with the ma...

The US military carried out a followup strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept 2, killing survivors of the initial strike, sources said.

People briefed on the β€œdouble-tap” strike said they were concerned that it could violate the law of armed conflict. www.cnn.com/2025/11/28/p...

28.11.2025 18:30 πŸ‘ 138 πŸ” 68 πŸ’¬ 18 πŸ“Œ 9

The American delegation is: Secretary Rubio, Special envoy Witkoff, Jared Kushner, SecArmy Driscoll, State Dept counselor Michael Needham, US Amb Julie Davis, Deputy NSA Andy Baker, and EUCOM commander Gen. Grynkewich.

23.11.2025 16:26 πŸ‘ 101 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 23 πŸ“Œ 25

Update on the US-Ukraine talks in Geneva today: US and Ukrainian delegations are having a formal meeting now β€œwhere they will be ironing out the details of the agreement,” per US official. Previous talks were β€œconclusive” in some areas, official says.

23.11.2025 16:26 πŸ‘ 110 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 3
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Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...

NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...

11.11.2025 15:06 πŸ‘ 13736 πŸ” 4567 πŸ’¬ 403 πŸ“Œ 527
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Trump admin tells Congress it currently lacks legal justification to strike Venezuela | CNN Politics The β€œexecute order” that launched the US military campaign against suspected drug boats in September also does not extend to land targets, the briefers said, according to the sources.

Trump admin officials told Congress that the US is not currently planning to launch strikes inside Venezuela and doesn’t have a legal justification that would support attacks against land targets right nowβ€”but they’re seeking one from DOJ, per US official. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/06/p...

07.11.2025 10:32 πŸ‘ 87 πŸ” 37 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 1
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Pentagon cleared giving Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles, leaving final decision to Trump | CNN Politics The Pentagon has given the White House the green light to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles after assessing that it would not negatively impact US stockpiles, leaving the final politic...

New: The Pentagon cleared giving Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles after assessing that it would not negatively impact US stockpiles, despite Trump suggesting earlier this month that the US might not have enough to give away. Final decision largely political now. edition.cnn.com/2025/10/31/p...

31.10.2025 17:17 πŸ‘ 113 πŸ” 45 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 3
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Exclusive: National Guard orders in DC extended through February 2026 | CNN Politics National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC will remain mobilized in the city at least through February 2026, according to people familiar with the Guard’s orders.

NEW: National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC, will remain mobilized in the city at least through February 2026. Hegseth extended their orders on Monday. edition.cnn.com/2025/10/29/p...

30.10.2025 00:27 πŸ‘ 213 πŸ” 128 πŸ’¬ 45 πŸ“Œ 49
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Looking to speed up building network of migrant detention centers, Trump administration turns to the US Navy | CNN Politics The Department of Homeland Security is funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement ai...

NEW: The Department of Homeland Security is funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement aimed at getting the centers built faster. www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...

24.10.2025 12:23 πŸ‘ 72 πŸ” 39 πŸ’¬ 16 πŸ“Œ 7
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Great video by @averyschmitz.bsky.social (with some narration help by me 🀭) taking a look at what the US military has built up in the Caribbean.

23.10.2025 12:44 πŸ‘ 100 πŸ” 45 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 6
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Here’s what the US military has positioned in the Caribbean as Trump pressures Venezuela | CNN The US military has been steadily massing a large number of troops, naval and air assets in the Caribbean over the last two months, conducting training missions off the coast of Venezuela, reopening a...

The US military has been steadily massing a large number of troops, naval and air assets in the Caribbean over the last two months. Here’s what’s been positioned as Trump pressures Venezuela (and, increasingly, Colombia): www.cnn.com/2025/10/19/w...

19.10.2025 16:15 πŸ‘ 144 πŸ” 83 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 15
Trump authorizes CIA operations in Venezuela
Trump authorizes CIA operations in Venezuela YouTube video by CNN

Great segment here with @rgoodlaw.bsky.social.

Also, important observations from @natashabertrand.bsky.social about the dynamics of lawyering within DoD on the Caribbean strikes, including the sidelining of actual experts and reliance on the OLC license to kill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L062...

16.10.2025 02:38 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 5

Thank you Brian

16.10.2025 12:01 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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At least one US military strike on alleged drug trafficking boat in Caribbean targeted Colombians | CNN Politics At least one US military strike in the Caribbean over the last two months targeted Colombian nationals on a boat that had left from Colombia, according to two people briefed by the Pentagon about the ...

Breaking: At least one US military strike in the Caribbean targeted Colombians on a boat leaving from Colombia, sources tell us.

The deliberate targeting of Colombians suggests the US military’s campaign is wider than previously believed www.cnn.com/2025/10/15/p...

15.10.2025 15:43 πŸ‘ 639 πŸ” 301 πŸ’¬ 38 πŸ“Œ 38