John Michael McConnell

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For other persons of the same name, see Michael McConnell.
John Michael "Mike" McConnell
John Michael McConnell
Incumbent
Assumed office 
20 February 2007
President George W. Bush
Preceded by John Negroponte
Born July 26, 1943(1943-07-26)
Greenville, South Carolina
Flag of the United StatesUnited States
Profession Intelligence Officer

Vice Admiral John Michael "Mike" McConnell, USN Ret., (born July 26, 1943) has served as the United States Director of National Intelligence since 20 February 2007. He also served as Director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996, and as an admiral in the United States Navy.

Contents

[edit] Early life, education, and family

McConnell was born and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina.[1] [2] [3] He graduated from Wade Hampton High School, and first attended college at North Greenville Junior College. He holds an M.P.A. from George Washington University, is a graduate of the National Defense University and the National Defense Intelligence College (Strategic Intelligence), and holds a B.A. in Economics from Furman University. He is married to Terry McConnell, and together they have four children and six grandchildren.

[edit] Military and intelligence career

McConnell as a rear admiral, 1990.
McConnell as a rear admiral, 1990.

McConnell worked as the Intelligence Officer (J2) for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States Secretary of Defense during Operation Desert Shield/Storm and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He developed approaches for improving information flow among intelligence agencies and combat forces in the Gulf War.

From 1992 to 1996, McConnell served as Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). He led NSA as it adapted to the multi-polar threats brought about by the end of the Cold War. Under his leadership, NSA routinely provided global intelligence and information security services to the White House, Cabinet officials, the United States Congress, and a broad array of military and civilian intelligence customers. He also served as a member of the Director of Central Intelligence senior leadership team to address major intelligence programmatic and substantive issues from 1992 until 1996.

In 1996, McConnell retired as a Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy after 29 years of service - 26 as a career Intelligence Officer. In addition to many of the nation's highest military awards for meritorious service, he holds the nation's highest award for service in the Intelligence Community. He also served as the Chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

McConnell is sworn-in as DNI, February 20, 2007.
McConnell is sworn-in as DNI, February 20, 2007.

McConnell is the second person to hold the position of Director of National Intelligence. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on January 5, 2007, and was sworn in at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. on February 20, 2007.[4][5] McConnell's appointment to the post was initially greeted with broad bipartisan support, although he has since attracted criticism for advocating some of the Bush administration's more controversial policies.[6][7]

Before his nomination as DNI, McConnell had served as a Senior Vice President with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing on the Intelligence and National Security areas. He was also chairman of the board of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, the private intelligence industry's industry association and de facto lobbying group.

On Tuesday, August 14, 2007, McConnell visited Texas with House Intelligence Committee chairman Silvestre Reyes to review border security[8], and granted a wide-ranging interview to the El Paso Times newspaper, which surprised many in the intelligence community for its candor on sensitive topics such as the recent changes in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy. At the end of the interview, McConnell cautioned reporter Chris Roberts that he should consider whether enemies of the U.S. could gain from the information he just shared, leaving it up to the paper to decide what to publish. The El Paso Times put the entire, unexpurgated interview on their website on August 22nd, with executive editor Dionicio Flores saying "I don't believe it damaged national security or endangered any of our people."[9][10]

A resurgent Taliban is back in charge over parts of Afghanistan McConnell told February 27, 2008 in an assessment that differed from the one made January 2008 by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.[11]

[edit] Initiatives

[edit] 100 Day Plan for Integration and Collaboration

DNI Seal
DNI Seal

Two months after taking office, McConnell created a series of initiatives designed to build the foundation for increased cooperation and reform of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). His plan, dubbed "100 Day Plan for Integration and Collaboration" focused on efforts to enable the IC to act as a unified enterprise in a collaborative manner. [12] It focused on six enterprise integration priorities:

  1. Create a Culture of Collaboration
  2. Foster Collection and Analytic Transformation
  3. Build Acquisition Excellence and Technology Leadership
  4. Modernize Business Practices
  5. Accelerate Information Sharing
  6. Clarify and Align DNI’s Authorities

The 100 Day Plan accomplished the launch of a civilian joint duty program, improved security clearance processing times, increased diversity in the intelligence workforce and more information sharing across the community. A 500 Day Plan is being designed to sustain the momentum with an expanded set of initiatives and a greater level of participation. It is set to deepen integration of the Community's people, processes, and technologies. [12] [13] The plan will address a new performance management framework that entail six performance elements that all agencies must entail.[14]

[edit] 500 Day Plan for Integration and Collaboration

The 100 Day Plan was meant to "jump start" a series of initiatives based on a deliberate planning process with specific deadlines and measures to ensure that needed reforms were implemented. The 500 Day Plan, which started in August 2007, was designed to accelerate and sustain this momentum with an expanded set of initiatives and broader IC participation. It contains 10 "core" initiatives which will be tracked by the senior leadership in the Intelligence Community, and 33 "enabling" initiatives. The initiatives are based on the same six focus areas described in the 100 Day Plan.

The top initiatives are:

  1. Treat Diversity as a Strategic Mission Imperative
  2. Implement Civilian IC Joint Duty Program
  3. Enhance Information Sharing Policies, Processes, and Procedures
  4. Create Collaborataive Environment for All Analysts
  5. Establish National Intelligence Coordination Center
  6. Implement Acquisition Improvement Plan
  7. Modernize the Security Clearance Process
  8. Align Strategy, Budget, and Capabilities through a Strategic Enterprise Management System
  9. Update Policy Documents Clarifying and Aligning IC Authorities

[edit] Updating FISA

McConnell approached Congress in early August 2007 on the need to "modernize FISA," claiming two changes were needed (initial efforts began in April - see the factsheet for more). First, the Intelligence Community should not be required, because of technology changes since 1978, to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence from "foreign targets" located overseas. He also argued that those who assist protecting the U.S. Government must be protected from liability. [15] Shortly thereafter, McConnell took an active role [16] on Capitol Hill for legislation being drafted by Congress. On August 3, McConnell announced that he "strongly oppose[d]" the House's proposal because it wasn't strong enough. [17] After heated debate, Congress updated FISA by passing the Protect America Act of 2007.

In September 10, 2007 testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, McConnell asserted that the recently passed Protect America Act of 2007 which eased restrictions in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act had helped foil a major terror plot in Germany. U.S. intelligence-community officials questioned the accuracy of McConnell's testimony and urged his office to correct it, which he did in a statement issued September 12, 2007. Critics cited the incident as an example of the Bush administration's exaggerated claims and contradictory statements about surveillance activities. Counterterrorism officials familiar with the background of McConnell's testimony said they did not believe he made inaccurate statements intentionally as part of any strategy by the administration to persuade Congress to make the new eavesdropping law permanent. Those officials said they believed McConnell gave the wrong answer because he was overwhelmed with information and merely mixed up his facts.[18]

McConnell, speaking to a Congressional panel in defense of the Protect America Act, said that the Russian and Chinese foreign intelligence services are nearly as active as during the Cold War.[19] In other September 18, 2007 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, McConnell addressed the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy, saying that that agency had conducted no telephone surveillance of Americans without obtaining a warrant in advance since he became Director of National Intelligence in February, 2007.[20] McConnell called FISA a "foundational law" with "important legacy of protecting the rights of Americans," which was passed in the era of Watergate and in the aftermath of the Church and Pike investigations. He stressed that changes should honor that legacy for privacy and against foreign threats. [21]

[edit] Updating Executive Order 12333

After seeking White House approval, Director McConnell plans to overhaul Executive Order 12333, which outlines fundamental guidance to intelligence agencies. McConnell believes the update is necessary to incorporate the intelligence community’s new organizations and new technologies and methods. In addition, the redo is expected to help the sixteen intelligence agences work together, and to reflect the post 9/11 threat environment. [22] [23][24]

[edit] Career highlights

  • USS Colleton APB 36, Mekong Delta, 1967-1968
  • Naval Investigative Service, Japan, 1968-1970;
  • Commander of Middle East Force Operations, 1971-1974;
  • Executive assistant to Director of Naval Intelligence, 1986-1987;
  • Chief of Naval Forces Division at National Security Agency 1987-1988;
  • Director of Intelligence (N2) Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, 1989-1990
  • Intelligence director for Joint Chiefs of Staff 1990-1992;
  • Director of NSA, 1992-1996;
  • Senior Vice President Booz Allen Hamilton 1996-2006.
  • Director of National Intelligence (2007-)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Associated Press (January 5, 2007). Bush to name retired admiral to top intel post (English). MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
  2. ^ Mazzetti, Mark; Cooper, Helene & Gay Stolberg, Sheryl (January 4, 2007). The Struggle for Iraq; In shift, Director for Intelligence in State Dept. Post (English). The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  3. ^ Associated Press (January 3, 2007). U.S. intelligence chief to switch jobs. CNN.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
  4. ^ President Bush Nominates John Negroponte as Deputy Secretary of State and Vice Admiral Mike McConnell as Director of National Intelligence (English). The White House (January 5, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
  5. ^ President Bush Attends Swearing-In of Mike McConnell as Director of National Intelligence (English). The White House (February 20, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
  6. ^ Mark Mazzetti. "A Spy Chief’s Political Education", The New York Times, 2007-08-08. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. 
  7. ^ Greg Miller. "Intelligence Director McConnell is cast as a lobbyist", The Los Angeles Times, 2008-04-01. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  8. ^ "DNI Addresses the 2007 Border Security Conference in El Paso, TX", ODNI, August 14, 2007. 
  9. ^ Roberts, Chris. "Transcript: Debate on the foreign intelligence surveillance act", El Paso Times, August 22, 2007. 
  10. ^ "Intelligence Chief Reveals Details on Surveillance", Associated Press, August 23, 2007. 
  11. ^ "Intelligence chief: Taliban making gains in Afghanistan", CNN, February 27, 2008. 
  12. ^ a b DNI Releases 100 Day Plan Follow Up Report September 13, 2007
  13. ^ ODNI News Release No. 12-07 April 11, 2007
  14. ^ Intelligence agencies move closer to common personnel system September 18, 2007
  15. ^ Statement by DNI August 2, 2007
  16. ^ Spy Chief Has Learning Curve on Politics Katherine Shrader, Associated Press, September 16, 2007
  17. ^ Statement by the Director of National Intelligence August 3, 2007
  18. ^ Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball. "Spy Master Admits Error", Newsweek, 2007-09-12. Retrieved on 2007-09-13. 
  19. ^ Pamela Hess. "Spy Chief: China, Russia Spying on U.S.", Associated Press, 2007-09-13. 
  20. ^ Risen, James. "Warrantless Wiretaps Not Used, Official Says", The New York Times, 2007-09-13. 
  21. ^ House Judiciary Committee, Statement for the Record, by John Michael McConnell p. 3, September 18, 2007
  22. ^ An overhaul of 12333 « nuke gingrich
  23. ^ Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Strengthening Analytic Practice: Lessons from the World of Journalism November 13, 2007
  24. ^ United States Intelligence Community Information Sharing Strategy. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (2008-02-28). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
William O. Studeman		 Director of the National Security Agency
1992 – 1996		 Succeeded by
Kenneth A. Minihan
Preceded by
John Negroponte		 Director of National Intelligence
February 13, 2007 – Present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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Directors of the National Security Agency
Canine • Samford • Frost • Blake • Carter • Gayler • Phillips • Allen • Inman • Faurer • Odom • Studeman • McConnell • Minihan • Hayden • Alexander
Seal of the National Security Agency
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United States Directors of National Intelligence
Negroponte • McConnell
Seal of the Director of National Intelligence
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