John Brennan (CIA officer)

For other people with similar names, see John Brennan.

John Brennan
Official portrait, 2013
5th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
In office
March 8, 2013 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyAvril Haines
David Cohen
Preceded byDavid Petraeus
Succeeded byMike Pompeo
5th United States Homeland Security Advisor
In office
January 20, 2009 – March 8, 2013
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byKen Wainstein
Succeeded byLisa Monaco
Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center
In office
August 27, 2004 – August 1, 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byJohn Scott Redd
Personal details
Born
John Owen Brennan

(1955-09-22) September 22, 1955 (age 69)
North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
SpouseKathy Pokluda
Children3
EducationFordham University (BA)
University of Texas at Austin (MA)
John Brennan's voice
John Brennan testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on CIA operations and resources
Recorded June 16, 2016

John Owen Brennan (born September 22, 1955)[1][2] is a former American intelligence officer who served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from March 2013 to January 2017. He served as chief counterterrorism advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama, with the title Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and Assistant to the President.[1][3][4] Previously, he advised Obama on foreign policy and intelligence issues during the 2008 election campaign and presidential transition.[5]

Brennan withdrew his name from consideration for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the first Obama administration over concerns about his support for torture, after defending on TV the transferring of terror suspects to countries where they might be tortured while serving under President George W. Bush.[3][6] Instead, Brennan was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor, a position which did not require Senate confirmation.[3][6][7]

Brennan's 25 years with the CIA included work as a Near East and South Asia analyst, as station chief in Saudi Arabia, and as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.[3][6][8] After leaving government service in 2005, Brennan became CEO of The Analysis Corporation, a security consulting business, and served as chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an association of intelligence professionals.[9]

Brennan served in the White House as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security between 2009 and 2013. Obama nominated Brennan as his next director of the CIA on January 7, 2013.[10][11] The ACLU called for the Senate not to proceed with the appointment until they confirmed that "all of his conduct was within the law" at the CIA and White House.[12] Brennan was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 5, 2013, to succeed David Petraeus as the Director of the CIA by a vote of 12 to 3.[13]

On August 15, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that he had revoked Brennan's security clearance, although the White House reportedly did not follow through with the revocation process.[14] Brennan had harshly criticized Trump several times since his election and responded to the revocation by stating "My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent."[15][16][17]

Brennan serves as a senior national security and intelligence analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. His inaugural appearance was on Meet the Press with Chuck Todd on Sunday, February 4, 2018.[18]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference out of shadows was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference profile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference nj was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference after sharp was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference son of Irish was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference new was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference TheGuardian2013-01-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference CanadaCom2013-01-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Brennan Nomination to Head CIA Raises Concerns". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Shane, Scott (March 5, 2013). "John Brennan, C.I.A. Nominee, Clears Committee Vote". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Schmidt, Michael S.; Barnes, Julian E. (May 25, 2019). "Trump's Targeting of Intelligence Agencies Gains a Harder Edge". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Singman, Brooke (August 15, 2018). "Trump revokes ex-CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance". Fox News. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  16. ^ "President Trump revokes security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan". KMGH-TV. CNN. August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  17. ^ Allen, Jonathan. "Trump revokes former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance". NBC News. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  18. ^ "Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan Signs as MSNBC/NBC as Contributor". TheWrap. February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.