John Brennan
John Brennan
Hunter Biden Story is Russian Disinfo
Hunter Biden Story is Russian Disinfo was an attempt by "more than 50 former senior intelligence officials" to deny the existance of a damning laptop owned by then-presidential candidate Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden. An article by Natasha Bertrand of Politico[1] reported that "[M]ore than 50 former senior intelligence officials have signed on to a letter outlining their belief that the recent disclosure of emails allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden, pictured here, “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
John Brennan signed the letter.
Obama pick
As he prepares to take office, President-elect Barack Obama is relying on a small team of advisers who will lead his transition operation and help choose the members of the Obama administration. Following is part of a series of profiles of potential members of the administration.
Name: John O. Brennan
Being considered for: Director of national intelligence or the Central Intelligence Agency.
Would bring to the job: A 25-year career in intelligence, much of the time focused on terrorism. He has worked as an analyst and an overseas case officer for the C.I.A. As the first director of the National Counterterrorism Center, he won praise for riding herd over various spy agencies trying to protect their turf.
Is linked to Mr. Obama by: The Obama campaign, where Mr. Brennan was a senior adviser on intelligence and security issues. He is currently leading a review of intelligence agencies to make recommendations for the new administration. Was brought into the campaign by Anthony Lake, national security adviser to President Bill Clinton and an early Obama adviser.
Used to work as: Chief of staff to George J. Tenet, then director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the C.I.A.’s station chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the 1990s. Mr. Brennan delivered the morning intelligence briefing to President Clinton, a job he would have six days a week if he becomes director of national intelligence. Currently president of the Analysis Corporation, an intelligence contracting firm.
In his own words: “A critical step toward improved U.S.-Iranian relations would be for U.S. officials to cease public Iran-bashing, a tactic that may have served short-term domestic political interests but that has heretofore been wholly counterproductive to U.S. strategic interests. Rather than stimulating a positive change in Iran’s behavior, politically charged and wholesale condemnation of Iranian policies has energized and emboldened Iranian radicals at the expense of Iranian moderates.” (from “The Conundrum of Iran: Strengthening Moderates without Acquiescing to Belligerence,” in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, July 2008.)
Carries as baggage: As a senior adviser to Mr. Tenet in 2002, Mr. Brennan was present at the creation of the C.I.A.’s controversial detention and interrogation program, which Mr. Obama has strongly criticized. But Mr. Brennan has distanced himself from the program, and told The Washington Times last month that interrogation methods like waterboarding are “not going to be allowed under an Obama presidency.” During a confirmation hearing, he could face criticism by former C.I.A. officers that he was too risk averse in the hunt for Osama bin Laden while he served as station chief in Saudi Arabia.
Is otherwise known as: An unpretentious, hard-working New Jersey native who speaks nearly fluent Arabic. Mr. Brennan once confronted the top Iranian spy in Saudi Arabia on a street in Riyadh. According to Mr. Tenet’s memoir, the Iranian was scared off and drove away.
Résumé includes: Born Sept. 22, 1955. ... bachelor’s degree from Fordham, and studied abroad at the American University of Cairo. ... masters in government from the University of Texas. ... married to Kathy Pokluda Brennan .[2]