John Brennan discusses his involvement in the national security policy of the Barack Obama presidency, first as homeland security advisor from 2009 to 2013, and as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2013 to 2017. Brennan focuses on efforts to modernize both roles to meet the national security conditions of the period of his service, including by the merger of homeland security a dvisor and National Security Council staffs to better facilitate interagency collaboration within the White House, and by the creation of new CIA Mission Centers to respond to regional, transnational, and novel technological threats. Brennan describes the shift from counterterrorism to counterextremism in the White House's approach to fundamentalist violence, emphasizing the socioeconomic causes of radicalization. Brennan also provides details about notable events with which he was involved, such as the Arab Spring, the Edward Snowden leaks, the expanded use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the controversy surrounding the Senate's "Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program"
Presidents--United States; National security--United States; Arab Spring, 2010-; Drone warfare; Foreign interference in elections--Russia; Foreign interference in elections--United States; Torture--Government policy--United States; Leaks (Disclosure of information)--Government policy--United States; Brennan, John O., 1955-; Obama, Barack; Snowden, Edward J., 1983-; United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
107 pages
Note (Biographical)
John Brennan served in two positions during the Obama presidency. During the first term, from 2009 to 2013, he was deputy national security advisor for homeland security and counterterrorism, and from 2013 to 2017, he was director of the Central Intel ligence Agency (CIA). Brennan served with the CIA from 1980 to 2005, in a number of positions, including serving as station chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and deputy executive director for the agency. Brennan is also an author of a memoir, "Undaunted: My Fight Against America's Enemies, at Home and Abroad," published by Celadon Books. At the time of the interview, Brennan is a distinguished fellow at the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School, a distinguished scholar at the University of Texas at Austin, and a senior intelligence and national security analyst for NBC
Note
Interviewed by Evan D. McCormick on August 31 and September 1, 2020. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
John O. Brennan, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022