Meet (probable) Obama CIA Director (or Director of National Intelligence?) John O. Brennan

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

I'm going out on a limb, but a pretty sturdy one. Nobody has leaked Brennan but he has been among the strongest 'presumptives' from the get. Now that Sec State and National Security Advisor are pretty much decided I'd expect Brennan to be offici-leaked in the next few days. The question (in my mind) is whether he would be CIA director, Director of National Intelligence, or both. (Historically I think the posts were often combined, but they are not right now, IIRC.)

He seems a potentially controversial choice (IF chosen) over issues like rendition and wire-tapping and might be the one where the net-left digs in its heels, but that certainly wouldn't impede Senate confirmation. True to form, wing-nuts are saying he is a "Hezbollah lover."

___________________________


NEW AT THE TOP
John O. Brennan
Monday, December 12, 2005

Position : President and chief executive, the Analysis Corp. (TAC), a Fairfax company that provides analysis and technology support to the federal government's counterterrorism efforts. TAC is a subsidiary of SFA Inc. of Crofton.

Career Highlights : Interim director, National Counterterrorism Center; director, Terrorist Threat Integration Center; deputy executive director, CIA; chief of staff to director of central intelligence, CIA; chief of station, Middle East, CIA; executive assistant to the deputy director of central intelligence, CIA; deputy director, office of Near Eastern and South Asian analysis, CIA; daily intelligence briefer at the White House, CIA; deputy division chief, Office of Near Eastern and South Asian analysis, CIA; chief of analysis, DCI's counterterrorism center, CIA; Middle East specialist and terrorism analyst, directorate of intelligence, CIA; political officer, U.S. Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Department of State; and career trainee, directorate of operations, CIA.


Age : 50

Education : BA, political science, Fordham University, including a year abroad studying Arabic and Middle Eastern studies at American University in Cairo; MA, government, University of Texas at Austin.

Personal : Lives in Herndon with wife Kathy and their son, Kyle, 19, and twin daughters, Kelly and Jaclyn, 17.

How did you get to where you are?

I decided to retire after 25 years in the federal government and try a new challenge in the private sector. . . . I like leading organizations, which I had the opportunity to do in the government by standing up the TTIC and NCTC . And I believe I have a similar opportunity to lead and shape the future direction of the Analysis Corp. In the TTIC and NCTC, I had the opportunity and responsibility to lead a multidimensional organization with a variety of capabilities and employees from different parts of the government. I was invigorated by the challenge of integrating the individual organizations, databases and business lines.

I am a big believer in delegating responsibility and authority within the organization. But I am also a firm believer that leaders of organizations need to understand the business that they oversee and are involved in the day-to-day business activities, not from a micromanagement standpoint but from an awareness and guidance standpoint. I also think it was useful for me to have, early on in my career, specialized expertise, and mine happened to be on the Middle East and terrorism, to include Arabic language capability. This specialization opened doors for me to establish my credentials within the intelligence business, and overtime I tried to broaden my experience to include having opportunities to manage and lead the work of others.

The greatest challenge in the intelligence business is that there really is a high premium placed on accuracy of information as well as the intellectual and analytic rigor in one's work. There are major national security interests that are at risk. And the role of intelligence is absolutely critical, which was evidenced in the decision to go to war in Iraq. And every person in the intelligence community understands the importance of their role and strives to provide as much insight as possible to policy makers about intelligence challenges as well as the opportunities for U.S. interests. Lives are at stake of American citizens as well as lives of individuals who are helping the United States here and abroad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/11/AR2005121100910.html

[grantcart]

1. well what do you think of him?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. As with James L Jones, no particular opinion beyond noting that he has much practical experience

And he seems to have come far at age 50.

But I couldn't pick him out of a line-up.

In any event, he's got to be better than Porter-fucking-Goss

[EFerrari]

4. He did at least one round on the cable channels defending torture.

If you go to Amy's site, she did a short segment on him and on his transition teammate, Slam Dunk Miscik.

Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

John Brennan and Jami Miscik, both former intelligence officials under George Tenet, are leading Barack Obama’s review of intelligence agencies and helping make recommendations to the new administration. Brennan has supported warrantless wiretapping and extraordinary rendition, and Miscik was involved with the politicized intelligence alleging weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the war on Iraq. We speak with former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/17/obama_taps_ex_cia_officials_tied

I hate to sound so negative but I can't find anything to be positive about with respect to these two. :(

[Thrill]

2. The fact that he worked under Tenet is going to drive people on DU nuts

not to mention he is going to get his ass handed to him in confirmation about his role in warterboarding

[liberalpragmatist]

5. Not happy with this one

He was fairly positive towards extraordinary rendition and "enhanced interrogation techniques" that went short of waterboarding.

The best I can say is that others will be setting policy: Obama, Holder, Greg Craig, and if you want to discount what Obama has said (he has been very unequivocal about this), both Holder and Craig have been VERY firmly against rendition, enhanced interrogation -- all of it.

Hopefully, Brennan will be implementing Obama's policies. And hopefully those policies will be ethically sound.

I love Barack, but power can corrupt. We need to stay VERY vigilant about this. The best intentions of men can come undone when placed in murky power situations.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

6. Not good. Video Link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x241490


They lose the feed for just a moment ... hang in there, well worth hearing.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

7. ---