Michael Leiter
Encyclopedia
Michael E. Leiter was the Director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center
(NCTC), having served in the Bush Administration and been retained in the Obama Administration. A statement released by the White House
announced his resignation, effective July 8, 2011. His successor, Matthew G. Olsen
, was sworn in on August 16, 2011.
, where he attended Dwight-Englewood School
, from which he graduated in 1987. He received his B.A.
from Columbia University
in 1991. From 1991 until 1997, he served as a Naval Flight Officer
and crewmember aboard EA-6B Prowlers in the U.S. Navy, participating in U.S., NATO, and UN operations in the former Yugoslavia
and Iraq
. He then earned his J.D.
from Harvard Law School
, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2000 and was the 113th President of the Harvard Law Review
. Leiter also served as a Harvard Law School human rights fellow with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
in The Hague
.
of the Supreme Court of the United States
, and to Chief Judge Michael Boudin
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
From 2002 until 2005, he served with the Department of Justice
as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. At the Justice Department, Leiter prosecuted a wide variety of federal crimes, including narcotics offenses, organized crime and racketeering, capital murder, and money laundering.
Leiter then served as the Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Director of the President's Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (the "Robb-Silberman Commission"). While with the Robb-Silberman Commission, Leiter focused on reforms of the U.S. Intelligence Community, in particular the development of what is now the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
.
Immediately prior to joining NCTC, Leiter served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). In this role, Mr. Leiter assisted in the establishment of the ODNI and coordinated all internal and external operations for the ODNI, to include relationships with the White House
, the Departments of Defense
, State, Justice, and Homeland Security
, the Central Intelligence Agency
, and Congress
. He was also involved in the development of national intelligence centers, including NCTC and the National Counterproliferation Center
, and their integration into the larger Intelligence Community. In addition, he served as an intelligence and policy advisor to the Director of National Intelligence and his Principal Deputy.
He became director of the NCTC in 2007, and was asked to stay on by the Obama administration in 2009. On June 9th 2011, President Obama praised and thanked Mike Leiter in a statement regarding his resignation; “Serving in two Administrations since 2007, Mike led the National Counterterrorism Center with dedication and unwavering determination during challenging and demanding times and our nation is grateful for his many contributions to our safety and security. Mike has been a trusted advisor to me and to the entire national security team, providing us with an in-depth understanding of terrorist activities that affect our Nation’s security. I am confident that Mike will be leaving the National Counterterrorism Center, the counterterrorism community, and the nation in a significantly stronger position to confront the terrorist threats we face.”
, who on Christmas Day 2009 succeeded in boarding a Delta airplane
in Amsterdam rigged with an explosive device that failed to detonate over Detroit, Michigan. Abdulmutallab was wrestled down by a passenger amidst a smokey fire which put an end to the incident.
In an article printed by The New York Times
on December 31, 2009, the agency, which was stood up specifically to coordinate counterterrorism information, was said to have failed to accomplish its mission, even where several valid leads were available and known among multiple intelligence agencies, including information directly communicated to the CIA by the Abdulmatallab's father who feared his son had been radicalized. Though Michael Leiter was not himself mentioned, the New York Times piece described the NCTC as the weak link in the series of significant intelligence operations.
On January 2, 2010, Leiter issued the following statement. "The failed attempt to destroy Northwest Flight 253 is the starkest of reminders of the insidious terrorist threats we face. While this attempt ended in failure we know with absolute certainty that Al-Qaeda
and those who support its ideology continue to refine their methods to test our defenses and pursue an attack on the Homeland. Our most sacred responsibility is to be focused on our mission—detecting and preventing terrorist attacks from happening on our soil and against U.S. interests. The American people expect and deserve nothing less."
James Gordon Meek of the New York Daily News issued a story on January 7 stating that Leiter remained on a ski holiday until "several days after Christmas" quoting two U.S. Officials. The article reported that "people have been grumbling that he didn't let a little terrorism interrupt his vacation". On balance, it was stated that "Leiter has long been well-regarded" and "President Obama, himself, stayed in Hawaii [on vacation] until January 4". There was no reference to Leiter conducting investigation or evaluation from his remote, vacation site.
The Daily News story by Meek was inaccurate and was updated in the Daily News the next day, ABC news Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper reported that Leiter was indeed at his post at the NCTC during the events of December 25, 2009. In the report, Denis McDonough, National Security Staff Chief of Staff, said that “Leiter was -- throughout the events of December 25, 2009 -- indeed at the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Virginia, and intimately involved in all aspects of the nation’s response to the attempted terrorist attack -- to include coordinating intelligence, examining terrorist watch-listing, and briefing Members of Congress.” He Continued, "Director Leiter engaged in regular, repeated, and extended classified discussions with the White House, the President’s National Security Staff located in Hawaii, the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, various members of Congress and their staffs, and of course the National Counterterrorism Center.”
National Counterterrorism Center
The National Counterterrorism Center is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in a modern complex near McLean, Virginia called Liberty Crossing...
(NCTC), having served in the Bush Administration and been retained in the Obama Administration. A statement released by the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
announced his resignation, effective July 8, 2011. His successor, Matthew G. Olsen
Matthew G. Olsen
Matthew G. Olsen is the current Director of the National Counterterrorism Center , having been confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on August 16, 2011....
, was sworn in on August 16, 2011.
Education and military service
Leiter grew up in Englewood, New JerseyEnglewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
, where he attended Dwight-Englewood School
Dwight-Englewood School
The Dwight–Englewood School is an independent coeducational college preparatory day school, located in Englewood, New Jersey. The school teaches students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade via three functionally separate schools. The Lower School serves students in pre-kindergarten through...
, from which he graduated in 1987. He received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A 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 Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1991. From 1991 until 1997, he served as a Naval Flight Officer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
and crewmember aboard EA-6B Prowlers in the U.S. Navy, participating in U.S., NATO, and UN operations in the former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
and 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....
. He then earned his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2000 and was the 113th President of the Harvard Law Review
Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
. Leiter also served as a Harvard Law School human rights fellow with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
Career
After law school, Leiter served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Stephen BreyerStephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, and to Chief Judge Michael Boudin
Michael Boudin
Michael Boudin is a Judge and former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.Boudin was born in New York City, the son of the civil liberties attorney Leonard Boudin and older brother of Weather Underground member Kathy Boudin. He received a B.A. from Harvard...
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
From 2002 until 2005, he served with the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. At the Justice Department, Leiter prosecuted a wide variety of federal crimes, including narcotics offenses, organized crime and racketeering, capital murder, and money laundering.
Leiter then served as the Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Director of the President's Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (the "Robb-Silberman Commission"). While with the Robb-Silberman Commission, Leiter focused on reforms of the U.S. Intelligence Community, in particular the development of what is now the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
.
Immediately prior to joining NCTC, Leiter served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). In this role, Mr. Leiter assisted in the establishment of the ODNI and coordinated all internal and external operations for the ODNI, to include relationships with the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, the Departments of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, State, Justice, and Homeland Security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
, the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, and Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. He was also involved in the development of national intelligence centers, including NCTC and the National Counterproliferation Center
National Counterproliferation Center
The National Counterproliferation Center is the primary organization within the U.S. Intelligence Community for combating the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems....
, and their integration into the larger Intelligence Community. In addition, he served as an intelligence and policy advisor to the Director of National Intelligence and his Principal Deputy.
He became director of the NCTC in 2007, and was asked to stay on by the Obama administration in 2009. On June 9th 2011, President Obama praised and thanked Mike Leiter in a statement regarding his resignation; “Serving in two Administrations since 2007, Mike led the National Counterterrorism Center with dedication and unwavering determination during challenging and demanding times and our nation is grateful for his many contributions to our safety and security. Mike has been a trusted advisor to me and to the entire national security team, providing us with an in-depth understanding of terrorist activities that affect our Nation’s security. I am confident that Mike will be leaving the National Counterterrorism Center, the counterterrorism community, and the nation in a significantly stronger position to confront the terrorist threats we face.”
Controversy
Under Leiter's service, the NCTC was publicly criticized for failing to identify the threat posed by a known extremist, Umar Farouk AbdulmutallabUmar Farouk Abdulmutallab
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , popularly referred to as the "Underwear Bomber", is a suspected terrorist who attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear while on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, on December 25,...
, who on Christmas Day 2009 succeeded in boarding a Delta airplane
Northwest Airlines Flight 253
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was an international passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, United States...
in Amsterdam rigged with an explosive device that failed to detonate over Detroit, Michigan. Abdulmutallab was wrestled down by a passenger amidst a smokey fire which put an end to the incident.
In an article printed by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
on December 31, 2009, the agency, which was stood up specifically to coordinate counterterrorism information, was said to have failed to accomplish its mission, even where several valid leads were available and known among multiple intelligence agencies, including information directly communicated to the CIA by the Abdulmatallab's father who feared his son had been radicalized. Though Michael Leiter was not himself mentioned, the New York Times piece described the NCTC as the weak link in the series of significant intelligence operations.
On January 2, 2010, Leiter issued the following statement. "The failed attempt to destroy Northwest Flight 253 is the starkest of reminders of the insidious terrorist threats we face. While this attempt ended in failure we know with absolute certainty that Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and those who support its ideology continue to refine their methods to test our defenses and pursue an attack on the Homeland. Our most sacred responsibility is to be focused on our mission—detecting and preventing terrorist attacks from happening on our soil and against U.S. interests. The American people expect and deserve nothing less."
James Gordon Meek of the New York Daily News issued a story on January 7 stating that Leiter remained on a ski holiday until "several days after Christmas" quoting two U.S. Officials. The article reported that "people have been grumbling that he didn't let a little terrorism interrupt his vacation". On balance, it was stated that "Leiter has long been well-regarded" and "President Obama, himself, stayed in Hawaii [on vacation] until January 4". There was no reference to Leiter conducting investigation or evaluation from his remote, vacation site.
The Daily News story by Meek was inaccurate and was updated in the Daily News the next day, ABC news Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper reported that Leiter was indeed at his post at the NCTC during the events of December 25, 2009. In the report, Denis McDonough, National Security Staff Chief of Staff, said that “Leiter was -- throughout the events of December 25, 2009 -- indeed at the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Virginia, and intimately involved in all aspects of the nation’s response to the attempted terrorist attack -- to include coordinating intelligence, examining terrorist watch-listing, and briefing Members of Congress.” He Continued, "Director Leiter engaged in regular, repeated, and extended classified discussions with the White House, the President’s National Security Staff located in Hawaii, the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, various members of Congress and their staffs, and of course the National Counterterrorism Center.”
External links
- National Counterterrorism Center: Director Biography - Mr. Michael E. Leiter
- NCTC News Story on Appointment of Michael Leiter and retirement of Kevin Brock
- News about new NCTC on FBI website
- BBC News article with internal photograph
- Leiter says oversight of War on Terror activities should take place behind the scenes in the Harvard Law RecordHarvard Law RecordThe Harvard Law Record is an independent, biweekly student-edited newspaper based at Harvard Law School. Founded in 1946, it is the oldest law school newspaper in the United States.-Characteristics:...
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122153001
- http://www.shnock.com/michael-leiter-9897/