Michael Morell

For the California politician, see Mike Morrell.
Michael Morell
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Acting
In office
November 9, 2012 – March 8, 2013
President Barack Obama
Preceded by David Petraeus
Succeeded by John Brennan
In office
July 1, 2011 – September 6, 2011
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Leon Panetta
Succeeded by David Petraeus
Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
In office
May 6, 2010 – August 9, 2013
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Stephen Kappes
Succeeded by Avril Haines
Personal details
Born Michael Joseph Morell
(1958-09-04) September 4, 1958
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, U.S.
Political party Independent
Alma mater University of Akron
Georgetown University

Michael Joseph Morell (born September 4, 1958) is an American intelligence analyst. He served as the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency as well as its acting director twice, first in 2011 and then from 2012 to 2013. Since November 2013, he has been a Senior Counselor to Beacon Global Strategies LLC. He is a critic of the Senate Intelligence Committee's 2014 report on the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation techniques, which many consider to be torture, and is also a proponent of the CIA's targeted killings by drones.[1]

Early life and education

Morell is a native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and went to Saint Joseph's School and Cuyahoga Falls High School there. His formal education includes a BA from the University of Akron and an MA from Georgetown University, both in economics.[2] He joined the CIA in 1980.

Career

Most of Morell's early work in the agency was devoted to Asian projects.[2] Later in his career, he managed the staff that produced the Presidential Daily Briefings and he was the Executive Assistant to DCI George Tenet. Morell was also Bush’s briefer during the September 11, 2001, attacks, and, when asked by Bush who was responsible, Morell said "I would bet my children's future that the trail would lead to the doorstep of Usama bin Ladin and al Qa'ida." Later, as deputy director, Morell would be a trusted advisor to President Barack Obama in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011.[2][3] Before his 2010 nomination as deputy director, he served as director for intelligence, a position he had held since 2008. He served as the CIA's first associate deputy director from 2006 to 2008.[4]

Morell, Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton and other members of Obama's national security team in May 2011

In May 2010, Morell was sworn in as the deputy director of the CIA, succeeding Stephen Kappes.[5] From July 1, 2011, to September 6, 2011, he served his first stint as acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, replacing Leon Panetta who was named as secretary of defense.[6] On November 9, 2012, Morell once again became acting director after the resignation of David Petraeus, following a sex scandal.[7] President Obama chose John Brennan as Director; he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by 63 to 34 vote on March 5, 2013.[8]

Morell announced his retirement from the CIA on June 12, 2013.[9] In November, 2013, he joined Beacon Global Strategies as a Senior Counselor.[10]

In the wake of Edward Snowden's 2013 unlawful leak of documents on international espionage conducted by the National Security Agency, Morell was appointed as a member of President Obama's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies.By the end of 2013, the group presented a report to the White House.Nearly all the Review Group's recommendations were accepted. Morell has been a regular critic of Snowden, saying that ISIS benefitted from Snowden's disclosures, adding that "Americans may well die at the hands of terrorists because of Edward Snowden's action.".[11]

Meanwhile, in January, 2014, Morell joined CBS News as an on-air contributor in intelligence and national security.[12]

In May 2015, Morell's book entitled The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism—From al Qa'ida to ISIS was released. The book was touted as "an assessment of CIA's counter-terrorism successes and failures of the past twenty years" and one that "illuminates new, growing threats from terrorist groups that, if unaddressed, could leave the country vulnerable to attacks that would dwarf 9/11 in magnitude".[13] In the book, Morell defended targeted killings by drones.[1][14] He also criticized the Senate Intelligence Committee’s analysis of CIA torture.[15][16]

On 19 May 2015, Morell, a former intelligence briefer to President George W. Bush before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, stated that Vice President Dick Cheney lied about Iraq's nuclear weapons program on Meet the Press before the war in 2003.[17][18] MSNBC host Chris Matthews said: " ... here on HARDBALL last night, the top CIA official, the man who briefed President Bush on a daily basis, said that what Cheney said was not true. ... I`ve been doing this business for a long time, rarely do you get that Perry Mason moment. When the guy comes and just says, You know what? I`m the top briefer from the CIA for the president. I`m deputy DCI. I`m right there telling them all we knew, and we never knew and never said he had a nuclear weapon. And yet we went into war with that argument."[19]

Also in his book, Morell apologized to former Secretary of State Colin Powell for the CIA’s erroneous assessments of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs.[20]

In an August 2016 op-ed for The New York Times, Morell endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Stating that he was registered with neither the Democratic nor Republican parties, and had always been silent about his political preferences, Morell stated that Donald Trump was "not only unqualified for the job, but he may well pose a threat to our national security."[21][22][23] Morell left his job as a CBS News analyst before making the endorsement.[24] In a subsequent Q&A article with the Times, he responded to allegations that his current employer, Beacon Global Strategies, "was co-founded by former associates of Mrs. Clinton", by saying it was a non-partisan firm and that he had spoken out "entirely on [my] own, with no other consideration given any thought."[25]

In two interviews with Charlie Rose, in August 2016, Morell blamed Syrian President Assad, Russia, and Iran for the horrific killing in Syria.[26] He called on the moderate opposition in Syria to make Russia and Iran "pay a price" for their involvement in Syria, in part by targeting their military personnel in the country. He also called on the US to begin bombing Syrian government targets in order to bring Assad to the negotiating table.

Personal life

By his wife Mary, Morell has two sons and a daughter.

References

  1. 1 2 Dilanian, Ken (May 4, 2015). "Former CIA leader defends drone strikes, torture". PBS. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Dyer, Bob (2006-08-17). "Here's the dossier on new No. 3 guy at the CIA: Cuyahoga Falls native, UA grad says spy agency wasn't part of original career plan.". Akron Beacon Journal. Ohio.
  3. ↑ "Biography for Michael Morell". Silobreaker. 2006-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  4. ↑ Morell, Michael (2015). The Great War of Our Time. Twelve.
  5. ↑ "CIA deputy director steps down". CNN. April 14, 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Leadership". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  7. ↑ "CIA director David Petraeus resigns over extramarital affair". CNN. November 9, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  8. ↑ Finn, Peter; Blake, Aaron (7 March 2013). "John Brennan confirmed as CIA director, but filibuster brings scrutiny of drone program". Washington Post.
  9. ↑ "Reports: CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell Retires". NPR. June 12, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  10. ↑ "MICHAEL MORELL". Beacon Global Strategies. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ Morell, Michael (2015). The Great War of Our atime. Twelve.
  12. ↑ "Reports: Michael Morell Joins CBS News". Politico. January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  13. ↑ "The Great War of Our Time". Hachette Book Group. Grand Central Publishing. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "CIA Official Refused Role in Powell’s Iraq Speech, Morell Writes". Bloomberg. May 4, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Former CIA official cites agency’s failure to see al-Qaeda’s rebound". The Washington Post. May 3, 2015.
  16. ↑ Morell, Michael. The Great War of Our Time. Twelve.
  17. ↑ "Fmr. CIA Deputy Director grilled on Iraq War". MSNBC. May 19, 2016.
  18. ↑ "'Hardball with Chris Matthews' for Tuesday, May 19th, 2015". NBC News. May 19, 2015.
  19. ↑ "'Hardball with Chris Matthews' for Wednesday, May 20th, 2015". NBC News. May 20, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Morell "wanted to apologize" to Powell about WMD evidence". CBS News. May 11, 2015.
  21. ↑ Alvarez, Priscilla (August 5, 2016). "Why a Former CIA Chief Says Trump Is a 'Threat' to National Security; Michael Morell the latest in a string of ex-national-security officials to back Hillary Clinton as she embraces an image centered on defense.". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  22. ↑ Morell, Michael J. (August 5, 2016). "I Ran the C.I.A. Now I'm Endorsing Hillary Clinton.". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  23. ↑ Phillip, Abby (August 5, 2016). "In endorsing Clinton, ex-CIA chief says Putin made Trump his 'unwitting agent'". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  24. ↑ Gold, Hadas (August 5, 2016). "Michael Morell dropped CBS News analyst job to support Hillary Clinton". Politico. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  25. ↑ Morell, Michael J. (August 12, 2016). "Q. & A. With Michael Morell: Why I'm Endorsing Hillary Clinton". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  26. ↑ [The Charlie Rose Show, August 8, 2016 and August 17, 2016 "Interviews with Michael Morell"] Check |url= value (help).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Morell.
Government offices
Preceded by
Stephen Kappes		 Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
2010–2013 		Succeeded by
Avril Haines
Preceded by
Leon Panetta		 Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Acting
2011 		Succeeded by
David Petraeus
Preceded by
David Petraeus		 Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Acting
2012–2013 		Succeeded by
John Brennan
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