Mark M. Lowenthal
Encyclopedia
Dr. Mark Lowenthal is an author and Adjunct Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. Lowenthal has written five books and over 90 articles or studies on intelligence and national security. His book Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy has become a standard undergraduate and graduate text.
In 2005, Lowenthal retired from a prolific career working with the United States Intelligence Community
and a recognized national security affairs expert. Upon his graduation, he was commended for his work and commitment to the intelligence community by the New Jersey Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr.
, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the former Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production and former Vice Chairman for Evaluation on the National Intelligence Council. He has also served in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), as both an office director and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.
Lowenthal is one of the most notable contestants that have appeared on the American game show Jeopardy!
, appearing three times, including winning the "Tournament of Champions" in 1988. In 1992, he co-wrote Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions, which was marketed as an instruction manual for prospective contestants of the trivia game show.
, outside of Washington D.C.
In 2002, Lowenthal began serving as the CIA's Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production (ADCIAP). He also served as the Vice Chairman of the National Intelligence Council
from 2002–2005. After the creation of the Director of National Intelligence, his position was realigned to meet the recommendations of the 9/11
and WMD Commissions. The functions of his position were divided and incorporated into several roles in the new ODNI structure.
As the Assistant Director, Lowenthal was instrumental in having the Intelligence Community adopt the National Intelligence Priorities Framework (NIPF). The framework provides guidance on the priorities of the President for intelligence collection requirements. It is the basis upon which all analysis and production decisions are made and ultimately impacts all members of the Intelligence Community. Reportedly, Lowenthal also started a process to evaluate the Community's performance against the NIPF. This function was later adopted by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report on and to senior policymakers on the progress the Intelligence Community was making against its directed areas for exploration.
on Iraq
leading up to Operation Iraqi Freedom. In a 2009 Op-Ed in the Washington Post, Lowenthal vehemently defends the protection he and his office extended to the product from the forces of politicization.
Lowenthal contends that given the information available at the time, it would not have been possible to determine the absence of weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq.
In 2007, Lowenthal attended the ODNI's Analytic Transformation conference held in Chicago
. At that event, he took the microphone questioning the ultimate objective and endstate of analytic transformation. He called into question the ability of technological solutions like Intellipedia
and A-Space
to resolve some of the most pressing reforms in the community. Lowenthal was quoted as saying, "I think, unfortunately, a lot of this is pandering to a bunch of commissions that have no understanding of what we do for a living, or the nature of our work, and to a workforce. And I don’t think that’s a sufficient ground for a transformation. And so I’m left here wondering, what’s the end state? For what reason?"
In January 2009, Lowenthal was interviewed on Charlie Rose
on several topics related to national security and intelligence. In that interview, Dr. Lowenthal expressed his opinion that the overall community was appropriately sized, but that the experience levels of the community were extraordinarily low. He went on to indicate that the staff of the ODNI was too large and should be evaluated for downsizing.
. He first appeared as a contestant in the spring of 1988 and went on to win the "Tournament of Champions" in that year. In 1990, Lowenthal was a quarter finalist on Super Jeopardy!. Then, in 2005, he made it through the first round of the "Ultimate Tournament of Champions".
In 1992, Lowenthal co-wrote Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions with Chuck Forrest
, who is a fellow Jeopardy! champion. The book was marketed as an instruction manual for prospective contestants on "America's favorite question-and-answer game".
In 2009, Lowenthal appeared on the American television interview show, Charlie Rose
, speaking on several topics related to national security and intelligence. In that interview, Lowenthal expressed his opinion that the overall community was appropriately sized, but that the experience levels of the community were extraordinarily low. He went on to indicate that the staff of the ODNI was too large and should be evaluated for downsizing.
In 2005, Lowenthal retired from a prolific career working with the United States Intelligence Community
United States Intelligence Community
The United States Intelligence Community is a cooperative federation of 16 separate United States government agencies that work separately and together to conduct intelligence activities considered necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the protection of the national security of the...
and a recognized national security affairs expert. Upon his graduation, he was commended for his work and commitment to the intelligence community by the New Jersey Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Rush Dew Holt, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently the only Quaker in Congress.-Early life and education :Rush D. Holt was born to Rush D...
, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the former Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production and former Vice Chairman for Evaluation on the National Intelligence Council. He has also served in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), as both an office director and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.
Lowenthal is one of the most notable contestants that have appeared on the American game show Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
, appearing three times, including winning the "Tournament of Champions" in 1988. In 1992, he co-wrote Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions, which was marketed as an instruction manual for prospective contestants of the trivia game show.
Personal background
Lowenthal is married to Cynthia Lowenthal. Together, they have two children, Sarah and Adam. The family resides in Reston, VirginiaReston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
, outside of Washington D.C.
United States intelligence
In 1995, Lowenthal served as the staff director of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In this capacity, he directed the committee's study on the future of the Intelligence Community, "IC21: The Intelligence Community in the 21st Century". Lowenthal was the Senior Specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.In 2002, Lowenthal began serving as the CIA's Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production (ADCIAP). He also served as the Vice Chairman of the National Intelligence Council
National Intelligence Council
The National Intelligence Council is the center for midterm and long-term strategic thinking within the United States Intelligence Community . It was formed in 1979...
from 2002–2005. After the creation of the Director of National Intelligence, his position was realigned to meet the recommendations of the 9/11
9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
and WMD Commissions. The functions of his position were divided and incorporated into several roles in the new ODNI structure.
As the Assistant Director, Lowenthal was instrumental in having the Intelligence Community adopt the National Intelligence Priorities Framework (NIPF). The framework provides guidance on the priorities of the President for intelligence collection requirements. It is the basis upon which all analysis and production decisions are made and ultimately impacts all members of the Intelligence Community. Reportedly, Lowenthal also started a process to evaluate the Community's performance against the NIPF. This function was later adopted by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report on and to senior policymakers on the progress the Intelligence Community was making against its directed areas for exploration.
Iraq National Intelligence Estimate
As the ADCIAP, Lowenthal was one of the key coordinators and evaluators of the National Intelligence EstimateNational Intelligence Estimate
National Intelligence Estimates are United States federal government documents that are the authoritative assessment of the Director of National Intelligence on intelligence related to a particular national security issue...
on Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
leading up to Operation Iraqi Freedom. In a 2009 Op-Ed in the Washington Post, Lowenthal vehemently defends the protection he and his office extended to the product from the forces of politicization.
- "The 2002 estimate claiming that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction had little influence on anyone's decision about going to war. Only six senators actually read the NIE, but 77 voted to authorize the use of force. As analytically flawed as that estimate might have been, the one intelligence "sin" the council did not commit was "politicization" -- that is, writing what the policymaker wants to hear. Even the Senate intelligence committee's investigation of the Iraq NIE agreed; it wasn't politicized to support invasion."
Lowenthal contends that given the information available at the time, it would not have been possible to determine the absence of weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
in Iraq.
Intelligence community reforms
Lowenthal has been one of several voices in opposition to the initiatives to change the way the Intelligence Community produces analysis. He serves the intelligence community as the President and CEO of the Intelligence & Security Academy, LLC, which is a national security education, training, and consulting organization.In 2007, Lowenthal attended the ODNI's Analytic Transformation conference held in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. At that event, he took the microphone questioning the ultimate objective and endstate of analytic transformation. He called into question the ability of technological solutions like Intellipedia
Intellipedia
Intellipedia is an online system for collaborative data sharing used by the United States Intelligence Community . It was established as a pilot project in late 2005 and formally announced in April 2006 and consists of three wikis running on JWICS, SIPRNet, and Intelink-U...
and A-Space
A-Space
A-Space is a collectively run anarchist community center and art gallery located at 47th St & Baltimore Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
to resolve some of the most pressing reforms in the community. Lowenthal was quoted as saying, "I think, unfortunately, a lot of this is pandering to a bunch of commissions that have no understanding of what we do for a living, or the nature of our work, and to a workforce. And I don’t think that’s a sufficient ground for a transformation. And so I’m left here wondering, what’s the end state? For what reason?"
In January 2009, Lowenthal was interviewed on Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
on several topics related to national security and intelligence. In that interview, Dr. Lowenthal expressed his opinion that the overall community was appropriately sized, but that the experience levels of the community were extraordinarily low. He went on to indicate that the staff of the ODNI was too large and should be evaluated for downsizing.
Media appearances
Lowenthal is one of the most notable contestants on the American game show Jeopardy!Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
. He first appeared as a contestant in the spring of 1988 and went on to win the "Tournament of Champions" in that year. In 1990, Lowenthal was a quarter finalist on Super Jeopardy!. Then, in 2005, he made it through the first round of the "Ultimate Tournament of Champions".
In 1992, Lowenthal co-wrote Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions with Chuck Forrest
Chuck Forrest
Chuck Forrest is an American game show contestant who at one time held the record for the largest non-tournament cash winnings total on the syndicated game show Jeopardy! The Los Angeles Times called him "the Alexander the Great of Jeopardy! players." The producers of the show regarded him as one...
, who is a fellow Jeopardy! champion. The book was marketed as an instruction manual for prospective contestants on "America's favorite question-and-answer game".
In 2009, Lowenthal appeared on the American television interview show, Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose (talk show)
Charlie Rose is an American television interview show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show is syndicated...
, speaking on several topics related to national security and intelligence. In that interview, Lowenthal expressed his opinion that the overall community was appropriately sized, but that the experience levels of the community were extraordinarily low. He went on to indicate that the staff of the ODNI was too large and should be evaluated for downsizing.
Educational background
- PhDPHDPHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in History from Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... - Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn CollegeBrooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
Published works
- Lowenthal, Mark M. Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy, CQ Press; 4th edition, 2008. ISBN 978-0872896000
- Lowenthal, Mark M. The U.S. Intelligence Community: An Annotated Bibliography (Organizations and Interest Groups, Routledge, 1994. ISBN 978-0815314233
- Forrest, Chuck; and Lowenthal, Mark. Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions, Grand Central Publishing, 1992. ISBN 978-0446393522
- Lowenthal, Mark M. U.S. Intelligence: Evolution and Anatomy Second Edition (The Washington Papers), Praeger Paperback, 1992. ISBN 978-0275944346
- Lowenthal, Mark M. Leadership & Indecision (Harvard Dissertations in American History and Political Science), Dissertations-G, 1988. ISBN 978-0824051372
- Lowenthal, Mark M. Crispan Magicker, Avon Books, 1979. ISBN 978-0380423330