Intelligence News

Vice Admiral John Michael "Mike" McConnell, USN Ret., (born July 26, 1943) has served as the United States Director of National Intelligence since 20 February 2007. He also served as Director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996, and as an admiral in the United States Navy.

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St. Mary's City, Md. (Jan. 9, 2008) - Admiral Mike McConnell (retired), Director of the Office of National Intelligence (DNI), will discuss "Current Issues Facing America's Intelligence" on Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM). The talk will take place in Daugherty-Palmer Commons (DPC) and is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the College's Center for the Study of Democracy.

McConnell was sworn in as the nation's second director of National Intelligence on February 13, 2007. Before his nomination as DNI, McConnell had served as a senior vice president with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing on the Intelligence and National Security areas.

From 1992 to 1996, McConnell served as director of the National Security Agency (NSA). He led NSA as it adapted to the multi-polar threats brought about by the end of the Cold War. Under his leadership, NSA routinely provided global Intelligence and Information Security Services to the White House, Cabinet officials and the Congress in addition to a broad array of military and civil intelligence customers. He also served as a member of the Director of Central Intelligence senior leadership team to address major intelligence programmatic and substantive issues from 1992 until 1996. Prior to his service at NSA and during Desert Shield/Storm and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, McConnell worked as the intelligence officer (J2) for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense.

In 1996, McConnell retired as a vice admiral in the U.S. Navy after 29 years of service -- 26 as a career intelligence officer. He holds an M.P.A. from George Washington University, is a graduate of the National Defense University (Global Telecom), the National Defense Intelligence College (Strategic Intelligence), and holds a B.A. in Economics from Furman University.

CIA Response to Dec. 31 NY Times Editorial

The following letter to the editor, published in the January 7 edition of The New York Times, responds to a December 31 editorial:

To the Editor:

Your Dec. 31 editorial "Looking at America" does a great disservice to the men and women of the C.I.A. You describe the lawful questioning of hardened terrorists as "sickening behavior." The interrogation methods the C.I.A. has employed over the years have been closely reviewed by lawyers and others in the executive branch, and they have been briefed to our oversight committees in Congress. That is a fact.

It is absurd to suggest that the C.I.A. has an interest in any process that would produce bad intelligence. To dismiss as "barbaric acts" a small, carefully run effort that has disrupted terrorist plots and saved innocent lives -- and done so in accord with the law -- is wrong and unfair.

The officers of the C.I.A. who put their lives on the line to gather intelligence on the terrorist threat -- and are as committed as anyone to protecting American ideals -- deserve better.

Mark Mansfield
Director of Public Affairs
Central Intelligence Agency
McLean, Va., Jan. 3, 2008

President Bush Discusses NSA Surveillance Program - May 11, 2006

The President: After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government would do everything within the law to protect them against another terrorist attack. As part of this effort, I authorized the National Security Agency to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. In other words, if al Qaeda or their associates are making calls into the United States or out of the United States, we want to know what they're saying.

Today there are new claims about other ways we are tracking down al Qaeda to prevent attacks on America. I want to make some important points about what the government is doing and what the government is not doing.

First, our international activities strictly target al Qaeda and their known affiliates. Al Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans. Second, the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. Third, the intelligence activities I authorized are lawful and have been briefed to appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat. Fourth, the privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities.

We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates. So far we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil.

As a general matter, every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy. Our most important job is to protect the American people from another attack, and we will do so within the laws of our country.

Thank you.