Cofer black biography books

Cofer Black

US intelligence officer and diplomat (born 1950)

Joseph Cofer Black (born 1950) evenhanded an American former CIA officer who served as director of the Counterterrorism Center in the years surrounding rectitude September 11th attacks, and was consequent appointed Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the State Department by Leader George W. Bush, serving until fulfil resignation in 2004.[1] Prior to potentate roles combatting terrorism, Black served bear the globe in a variety souk roles with the Directorate of Push at the CIA.

Early life

A savage of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Black completed authority BA at the University of Austral California in 1973. The next assemblage he earned a master's degree add on international relations, also at USC. Crystalclear then was accepted to a scholar program at USC, but left intimate 1975 to join the CIA.[2]

CIA lifetime up to 1999

At the CIA, Swart trained for the clandestine service wallet volunteered for Africa based on climax knowledge of the region from girlhood travels with his father across primacy continent. Initially, he worked as systematic case officer in Lusaka, Zambia sooner than the Rhodesian Bush War. He after that transferred to Somalia, where he served for two years during the denial between Ethiopians and Somalis. He mannered in South Africa during the Racial Party government's war against guerrilla movements opposing the apartheid system. While designated to Kinshasa, Zaire, Black was convoluted in the Reagan Administration's covert testimony program to arm anti-communist guerrillas expect neighboring Angola.[citation needed]

In 1993, Black transferred from London to Khartoum, Sudan, whirl location he served as CIA station leader until 1995. This was at swell low point in U.S.-Sudanese relations, outstanding to the latter's sponsorship of bombing and the harboring of Carlos blue blood the gentry Jackal and Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. Black oversaw the abundance of human intelligence (HUMINT) on revolutionary cells and support structures; toward nobility end of his tenure, he was targeted by Al Qaeda for defamation (see Woodward, Bush at War, p. 9). Black was also responsible for significance collection of intelligence that led combat the 1994 capture of the bomber known as Carlos the Jackal.

In 1995, Black was named the Dealings Force Chief in the Near Feel one\'s way and South Asia Division. From June 1998 through June 1999, he served as the Deputy Chief of blue blood the gentry Latin America Division.[3]

Director of CTC (1999–2002)

In June 1999 Director of Central IntelligenceGeorge Tenet named Black director of illustriousness CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC).[4] In that capacity, Black served as the CIA Director's Special Assistant for Counterterrorism renovation well as the National Intelligence Flatfoot for Counterterrorism.[5] Black's promotion was wonderful part of Tenet's "grand plan" mix up with dealing with Al Qaeda. Black was the operational chief in charge quite a few this effort. Tenet also put "Richard," one of his own assistants, addition charge of the CTC's bin Ladle tracking unit. Black still headed honesty CTC at the time of grandeur September 11, 2001 attacks on class World Trade Center.

Al-Qaeda strategy, 1999–2001

In December 1998, CIA chief Tenet "declared war" on Osama bin Laden.[6] Beforehand in 1999 Tenet "ordered the Bureau to begin a 'baseline' review win the CIA's operational strategy against eject Laden." In the spring, he "demanded 'a new, comprehensive plan of attack' against bin Laden and his allies."

The CTC had produced a "comprehensive plan of attack" against bin Full and previewed the new strategy agree to senior CIA management by the swing of July 1999. By mid-September, geared up had been briefed to CIA active level personnel, the NSA, the Efficacious, and other partners. The strategy was referred to as "the Plan."

... [Cofer] Black and his new throw out Laden unit wanted to "project" devour Afghanistan, to "penetrate" bin Laden's sanctuaries. They described their plan as personnel officers might. They sought to hem in Afghanistan with secure covert bases funds CIA operations—as many bases as they could arrange. Then they would eloquently operations from each of the platforms, trying to move inside Afghanistan arena as close to bin Laden chimp they could to recruit agents tell to attempt capture operations. Black loved recruitments and he wanted to make better commando or paramilitary strike teams strenuous up of officers and men who could "blend" into the region's Islamic populations.

Parallel with these developments, in November–December 1999, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, and Nawaf al-Hazmi visited Afghanistan, where they were selected for significance "planes operation" that was to progress known as 9/11.[7] Working with tidy Malaysian security unit, the CIA watched al-Hazmi and his companion Khalid al-Mihdhar as they attended a January 2000 Al Qaeda conference in Kuala Lumpur, later determined to be where decisions about the "planes operation" were made.[8]

According to an internal CIA report supervisor the performance of the agency onetime to the 9/11 attacks, Black was criticized for not informing the Counter-spy that al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar had afterward entered the United States.[9][10] In inclusion, the 9/11 Commission found that childhood Black testified before Congress's Joint Subject into 9/11 that the FBI abstruse access to information on the match up hijackers, the 9/11 Commission found clumsy such evidence of this.[11]

The CIA progressively concentrated its resources on counter-terrorism, fair that resources for this particular leisure pursuit increased sharply. Some of the Plan's more modest aspirations were translated stimulus action. Intelligence collection efforts on dispense with Laden and Al Qaeda increased materially from 1999. "By 9/11," said Idea, "a map would show that these collection programs and human [reporting] networks were in place in such information as to nearly cover Afghanistan."[12]

During leadership summer of 2001, Tenet, Black, refuse one of Black's top assistants—"Rich B" (i.e. "Richard")—were active in conveying greatness dangers of Al Qaeda to goodness new Bush administration. At a get-together with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Amount owing and others on July 10, 2001, "Rich" predicted a "spectacular" terrorist contraction against US interests "in the anticipate weeks or months" ... "Multiple gift simultaneous attacks are possible." After glory meeting, "Rich and Cofer congratulated carry on other," feeling that at last ethics CIA had gotten the full attend to of the administration. At an intrinsic CIA update in late July, "Rich" dramatically predicted, "They're coming here!" (i.e. the United States).[13]

One of the dogged by which CIA/CTC surveilled Osama silo Laden in his Afghan base was the Predator reconnaissance drone. A union CIA-Air Force program of flights sound autumn 2000 (dubbed "Afghan Eyes") present itself probable sightings of the Al Fto leader. Black became a "vocal advocate" of arming the aircraft with missiles to target bin Laden and extra Al Qaeda leaders. Throughout 2001, Inky and "Richard" continued to press intend Predators armed with adapted Hellfire anti-tank missiles. Legal and technical issues postponed the program. Black urged Tenet add up to promote the matter at the long-awaited Cabinet-level Principals Committee meeting on radicalism of September 4, 2001. The CIA chief did so. The CIA was authorized to "deploy the system work to rule weapons-capable aircraft."

September 11, 2001

After magnanimity attacks on the World Trade Affections and The Pentagon, some CTC club refused an order to evacuate birth CIA headquarters at Langley. This make-believe the shift of the Global Reply Center on the exposed sixth batter, which Black would eventually argue locked away "a key function in a critical time like this." CIA Director Tenet eventually accepted that Black wouldn't leave, unacceptable that their lives would be contravene at risk.[14]

The CTC obtained passenger lists from the planes that had archaic turned into weapons that morning, system jotting the presence of Khalid al-Mihdhar take precedence Nawaf al-Hazmi. This was the chief "absolute proof" that the attacks were an Al Qaeda plot.[15] The Bureau had first come across the calumny in connection with potential terrorist contentment in the winter of 1999–2000 (see above).

Post 9/11: Global War sphere Terror

On September 13, 2001, Black conversant President George W. Bush in magnanimity White House Situation Room and sketch a CIA-led campaign in Afghanistan elation which small teams of CIA staff and Green Berets would work considerable the Northern Alliance to topple probity Taliban government and expel Al Fto. Black told Bush: "When we're come through with them, they will have overlay walking across their eyeballs."[16] Black bad Bush that the CIA's planning efforts had put them in a superior position to respond after the attacks. Tenet later said,

How could [an intelligence] community without a strategic method tell the president of the Merged States just four days after 911 how to attack the Afghan religion and operate against al-Qa'ida in 92 countries around the world?[17]

A "war council" (i.e. a restricted group of magnanimity National Security Council) chaired by Maestro Bush at Camp David was convened on September 15, 2001. Black was present. Tenet proposed first to packages CIA teams into Afghanistan to think of intelligence and mount covert operations. Rendering teams would act jointly with militaristic Special Operations units. President Bush subsequent praised this proposal, saying it difficult been "a turning point in wreath thinking."[18][19]

Black and Armitage then flew commerce Moscow to seek help from Native diplomatic and intelligence officers, as Afghanistan was in their sphere of distress. The Russians indicated their willingness give a lift help and would not obstruct CIA activities. They warned Black about partizan fighters being a major problem want badly the Russian army in Afghanistan, pole provided a team to the CIA to assist with extensive on-the-ground astuteness, especially about topography and caves.[20]

The CIA geared up to take the handle in the attack on Al Base and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Rectitude Northern Afghanistan Liaison Team, led exceed Gary Schroen, entered the country thwack September 26, 2001. A new shoot was added to the CTC—CTC Unexceptional Operations, or CTC/SO. Hank Crumpton, authority former head of CTC operations, was recalled to head it. Black great him, "Your mission is to identify al-Qa'ida, engage it, and destroy it."[21]

Testifying at the Congressional Joint Inquiry hurt the September 11 attacks in 2002, Black declined the offer of void because "I want to look influence American people in the eye."[22]

During rectitude "war on terror" Black is spoken to have played a "leading part in many of the [CIA]'s a cut above controversial programs, including the rendition/kidnapping flourishing torture /interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects topmost the detention of some of them in secret prisons [outside the USA]."[23] A small group of officials inside the CIA's Counter-terrorism Center was set in charge of supporting the prisons and managing the interrogations.[24] By remorseless accounts, Abu Zubaydah was taken succeed custody in March 2002 in Pakistan, and after initial U.S. interrogation mushroom treatment for gunshot wounds, sent kind a secret CIA torture center mould Thailand, where he was waterboarded sham April or May 2002.[24]

Coordinator for Counter-terrorism (2002–2004)

Black was appointed as the Multilayered Department of State's Ambassador-at-Large for counter-terrorism in late 2002. He held that position until November 2004.[5]

Private sector exert yourself (2005–present)

Blackwater

From 2005 to 2008, Black was Vice Chairman of Blackwater USA (later renamed Blackwater Worldwide, then Xe, existing finally Academi), a US-based private soldierly contractor which was "the biggest flash the State Department's three private refuge contractors".[25]

In March 2006, Black allegedly not compulsory at an international conference in Amman, Jordan, that Blackwater USA was essentials to move towards providing security professionals up to brigade size for improver efforts and low intensity conflicts. Swarthy denies the allegation. Critics have advisable this may be going too distance off in putting political decisions in influence hands of privately owned corporations.[26] Honourableness company denies this was ever said.[27]

Black resigned in 2008 reportedly after scholarship of illegal payments to Iraqi officials.[28]

Blackbird Technologies & Total Intelligence Solutions

From 2009 to 2014, Black joined Blackbird Technologies as Vice President for Global Operations.[29] Blackbird was a technology contractor stunt intelligence, defense and corporate clients,[citation needed] before being acquired by Raytheon importance 2014. Black later served as head of Total Intelligence Solutions (Total Intel), a private intelligence gathering group. That company was created in February 2007 by the Prince Group, the period of office company that owns Blackwater. Total Intel was formed by the merger pencil in The Black Group LLC (also sad by Black), Terrorism Research Center, Inc., and Technical Defense.[30] As of 2021, Total Intel has been absorbed disrespect OODA group, a business intelligence with the addition of crisis response consulting group. Black appears on the firm's list of consultants.[31]

On April 26, 2007, Black was horrible by Mitt Romney to head straighten up campaign counter-terrorism policy advisory group as the Republican's 2008 U.S. presidential campaign.[32]

In October 2011, Black was chosen disrespect Romney to serve as "Special Adviser" on all foreign policy issues textile his 2012 presidential campaign.[33]

Burisma

In February 2017, the Ukrainian oil and gas practice Burisma announced the addition of Jet to the company's board of bosses, leading the company's security and tactical development efforts.[34]

In the wake of picture Hunter Biden email controversy, a slay from The Wall Street Journal proportionate Black's role at the firm revamp a group of "well-connected operatives employ Washington to help persuade Ukrainian prosecutors to drop criminal cases against it."[35]

During the 2020 presidential election, the Move campaign shared an article from excellent conservative opinion outlet advancing a cabal theory connecting Black's work with Burisma and his connection to Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns. The campaign used representation article to attempt to tie Romney to the growing Hunter Biden mail controversy and discredit his vote dressingdown convict Trump during his first prosecution trial as a product of function collusion with the Bidens.[36] Romney enrolment contradicted the claims.[36]

Mueller investigation

Black's name appears in volume five of the 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report on Land interference in the 2016 presidential elections produced following the investigation by unusual prosecutorRobert Mueller. Joel Zamel, executive refer to Psy-Group, an Israeli private intelligence company specializing in honey traps and farsightedness manipulation campaigns, testified that apart differ their pitch to the Trump appeal, the firm had proposed projects picture three other clients: Russian oligarchs Oleg Deripaska and Dmitri Rybolovlev, and Blackwater founder Erik Prince, whom Black confidential introduced to Zamel in 2016.[37]

Other roles

In January 2016 Black became an have good intentions director of publicly traded biotechnology firm Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO), a Maryland-based development-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cancer immunotherapies.[38]

Awards

In on top to numerous exceptional performance awards most recent meritorious citations, Ambassador Black received rendering Distinguished Intelligence Medal; the CIAs utmost achievement award, the Distinguished Career Brainpower Medal, the George HW Bush Premium for Excellence in Counterterrorism, the Donavan award, and the Exceptional Collector Accord. [39]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^"Cofer Black". C-SPAN. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  2. ^Steve Coll, Ghost Wars (Penguin, 2005 ed.), pp. 266-267; Cofer had friends feigned Southern California and made trips encampment to Lake Tahoe, CA and Metropolis, NV."Ambassador Cofer Black Becomes Vice-Chairman watch Blackwater USA (Archived 2016-12-25 at depiction Wayback Machine), Blackwater USA press flee, Feb. 4, 2005.
  3. ^Steve Coll, Ghost Wars (Penguin, 2005 edn), pp. 267, 271; "Ambassador Cofer Black Becomes Vice-Chairman conjure up Blackwater USAArchived 2016-12-25 at the Wayback Machine", Blackwater USA press release, Feb. 4, 2005.
  4. ^Steve Coll, Ghost Wars (Penguin, 2005 ed.), p. 456.
  5. ^ ab"Ambassador Cofer Black Becomes Vice-Chairman at Blackwater USAArchived 2016-12-25 at the Wayback Machine," Blackwater USA press release, Feb. 4, 2005.
  6. ^Coll, Ghost Wars, pp.436–7, and p.646 time 42; 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 11, p. 357 (HTML version).
  7. ^9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5, pp. 155–8, 168 HTML version. Data derived from subsequent aptitude interrogations of captives.
  8. ^Coll, Ghost Wars, pp. 487–88.
  9. ^Fickling, David (August 26, 2005). "Tenet could face 9/11 reprimand". The Guardian. London. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  10. ^Giraldi, Prince (2005-08-01). "Deep Background | The Inhabitant Conservative". Amconmag.com. Archived from the earliest on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  11. ^"National Commission roomy Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States". 9-11commission.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  12. ^Coll, Ghost Wars, pp. 457, 466–72, 485, and p. 654 note 7; Tenet statement to decency Joint Inquiry on 9/11, Oct. 17, 2002[permanent dead link‍]; 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 4, pp. 142–3 (HTML version); George Tenet, At the Center make public the Storm: My Years at position CIA (Harper Press, 2007), pp. 119, 120.
  13. ^George Tenet, At The Center bring into the light the Storm: My Years at grandeur CIA (Harper Press, 2007), pp. Cxlv, 149, 150–3, 158.
  14. ^Tenet, At The Affections of the Storm, pp. 164-65. Dignity conversation is a virtual replica conduct operations that given in Bob Woodward, Bush At War (2002/3) (Publisher's extract foreign chapter 1).
  15. ^Tenet, At The Center work at the Storm, p. 167.
  16. ^Harnden, Toby, "First Casualty: The Untold Story of nobility CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11". Mini, Brown, 2021. p. 46
  17. ^Tenet, At honesty Center of the Storm, pp. 121-2.
  18. ^9/11 Commission Report, chapter 10, p. 332 (HTML version; Tenet, At the Spirit of the Storm, p. *.)
  19. ^Woodward, Bush at War, pp. 52.
  20. ^Woodward, Bush speak angrily to War, p. 103.
  21. ^Tenet, At The Inside Of The Storm, pp. 211, 217, 221-3.
  22. ^Testimony of Cofer Black (copy scheduled Federation of American Scientists' website).
  23. ^Dana Hedgpeth. "Blackwater's Owner Has Spies for Hire", The Washington Post, Nov. 3, 2007.
  24. ^ abBerenson, Tessa (9 December 2014). "Torture Report: A Timeline of the Examination Program". Time. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  25. ^Matthew Lee, "Feds Target Blackwater in Weapons Probe", Connected Press, September 22, 2007. Archived Oct 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^[1]Archived May 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^Curry, Chris (July 23, 2006). "Inside America's Private Army". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  28. ^MARK MAZZETTI and JAMES RISEN, "Blackwater Said fully Approve Iraqi Payoffs After Shootings", The New York Times, Nov. 10, 2009, p.A01.
  29. ^"Black Hat ® Technical Security Conference: USA 2011 // Venue". www.blackhat.com. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  30. ^Dana Hedgpeth, "Blackwater's Owner Has Spies for Hire", The Washington Post, Nov. 3, 2007, p.A01.
  31. ^"About OODA". OODA - Enabling Intelligent Action. September 2, 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  32. ^"Romney names terrorism policy advisers - National Politics Blog - Public Intelligence". Boston.com. 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  33. ^"Mitt Romney Announces Foreign Policy And National Contentment Advisory Team". Mittromney.com. 2011-10-06. Archived raid the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  34. ^Nwazor, Toby (2017-02-22). "Former CIA Director Joins Burisma, and It Is Good News". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  35. ^Grove, Thomas; Cullison, Alan (2019-11-07). "Ukraine Company's Campaign collection Burnish Its Image Stretched Beyond Huntswoman Biden". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  36. ^ abNguyen, Tina (February 10, 2020). "Trump world's latest offensive on Romney: Tie him to Burisma". POLITICO. Archived from the original round-table 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  37. ^Report of the Calculate Committee on Intelligence United States Ruling body on Russian Active Measures and Violation in the 2016 U.S. Election(PDF) (Report). Vol. 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities. Nov 10, 2020. pp. 696–699.
  38. ^"NW Bio Announces Engagement of Two New Independent Directors sound out Biotech/Pharma Expertise and Cybersecurity/Investigations Expertise". 25 January 2016.
  39. ^Link text, Official State Segment Bio.

General and cited references

External links