The Next CIA Director May Be a Longhorn
This afternoon, President Obama is expected to announce his picks for two top national security posts—and one of them is a UT grad.
John Brennan, MA ’80, will be the President’s nominee for the post of CIA director—filling the spot vacated by David Petraeus after he resigned due to an extramarital affair. Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel will be nominated as secretary of defense.
Since earning a master’s in government with a focus in Middle Eastern studies at UT, Brennan has spent more than 25 years at a high level within the CIA. He serves as Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser and was a key planner of the 2011 raid—led by special operations commander William McRaven, BJ ’77, Distinguished Alumnus—that killed Osama bin Laden.
Brennan is a New Jersey native who speaks fluent Arabic and has worked in Saudi Arabia as a CIA station chief. During President Bill Clinton’s tenure, he briefed Clinton daily on national security. He also served as chief of staff to former CIA director George Tenet.
His nomination—which must be confirmed in the Senate—may not be without controversy. Obama first considered Brennan for the top CIA job in 2008, but Brennan withdrew his name after concerns over his ties to enhanced or coercive interrogation techniques (including waterboarding) used during the George W. Bush administration.
Brennan has since spoken out against enhanced interrogation, which some people believe to be torture, and an Obama staffer told CBS News that it’s a non-issue this time around. “The issue has been removed from the debate because the president and John Brennan, as his top counterterrorism adviser, brought those techniques to an end,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.
Obama will announce the nominations at 1 p.m. EST today.
John Brennan meets with President Obama in the Oval Office on Jan. 4, 2010. Photo courtesy the White House on Flickr.
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6 Comments
The former CIA director was George TENET, not Tenant.
Thanks for your sharp eye! We’ve fixed it.
As the top counterterrorism position holder he did such a “Bang-Up” job with getting our Libyan Ambassador and two SEALS killed by not responding to the attack, why not put him in charge of the CIA.
Only in Washington can someone who is singularly identified with failure not only be commended for it, but also actually win promotion to even greater responsibility.
Truly sad that the death of American Heroes, the SEALS, have led to the promotion of those responsible.
Turn off Faux News, please. Singularly identified with failure? He was part of the raid that got Osama bin Laden. Or can you not acknowledge that because Obama got him and not GW?
“M” love ti when people hide behind initials and show a lack of courage and conviction when they play internet “tough-guy” in replying to a post.
I fully acknowledge and give credit that the POTUS got Bin Laden IMO – a job well done.
Now do you have the cajones to admit that his actions got our ambassador and SEALS killed?
Come out from behind the keyboard, stop with the insults and stay on topic – coward.
As an alumnus of the government department and of the LBJ School, I am simply befuddled as to why this article makes no mention of Mr. Brennan’s role in the administration’s drone policy. It is a glaring omission that speaks volumes of the direction my alma mater has headed since I graduated in 1995.