Philip Mudd
Mudd in 2019
Associate Executive Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Security Branch
In office
August 12, 2005 – August 31, 2009
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byJohn K. Mullen[1]
Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency's Counterterrorism Center
In office
December 2003 – August 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Personal details
Born (1961-12-11) December 11, 1961 (age 62)
NationalityAmerican
EducationVillanova University (BA)
University of Virginia (MA)
OccupationCounterterrorism Analyst
AwardsDistinguished Intelligence Medal
Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal

John Philip Mudd[2][3] (born December 11, 1961) is an American media commentator and former counterterrorism official in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Early life and education

Mudd was born on December 11, 1961,[4][5] to his father, who worked in real estate, and his mother, a teacher at Barry University. He grew up in South Miami, where he attended LaSalle High School.[6] Mudd graduated cum laude from Villanova University with a B.A. in English Literature in 1983. The following year he earned an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Virginia.[7][8]

Career

Central Intelligence Agency

Mudd joined the CIA in 1985 as an analyst specializing in South Asia and the Middle East. In 1992 he joined the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (CTC). From 1995 to 1998 he served on the National Intelligence Council as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia. In 2001, he began a policy assignment at the White House, detailed from the CIA to serve as the Director for Gulf Affairs on the White House National Security Council. After the September 11 attacks and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, he joined Ambassador James Dobbins in an effort to constitute a new government in Afghanistan.[9] Mudd returned to the CIA in January 2002 to become Deputy Director of the CTC's Office of Terrorism Analysis.[9][8] There, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Director of the CTC in December 2003, and served there until August 2005.[9][8][10] During a 2013 interview on The Colbert Report, Mudd stated in response to a question of whether he had renditioned anybody, "I signed papers to do it, to have people renditioned", also saying that he thought it was the right thing to do.[11]

Federal Bureau of Investigation

On August 12, 2005, FBI Director Robert Mueller appointed Mudd to serve as the National Security Branch's Associate Executive Assistant Director, with the task to transform the FBI into a domestic intelligency agency.[9][12][13] Some of Mudd's new concepts were criticized by FBI officials as "vague" and concerns about "ethnic targeting" were raised. Mudd encouraged agents to postpone the arrest of terrorism suspects and argued to instead surveil them in order to gain intelligence regarding connections to other operatives as well as information about groups' financial ties, a concept he initially struggled to implement.[14] In April 2009, Mudd was nominated to the post of Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security by President Obama.[10] He later withdrew himself from consideration after Senator Kit Bond had declared his intent to question Mudd regarding his involvement with the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation program. Mudd stated that he believed he would "become a distraction to the president" were his nomination to continue forward.[15][16][17] From 2009 to 2010 he was a senior intelligence adviser to the FBI.[18]

Life after government service

Mudd resigned from government service in March 2010 and later became a regular commentator on CNN. His commentary has also been published by various other networks and print publications. He has authored three books.[7]

On August 20, 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he may revoke Mudd's security clearance, invoking Mudd's "mental condition" in a post on Twitter and referencing one of Mudd's appearances on CNN. On August 17, Mudd had engaged in a heated on-air discussion with fellow CNN contributor Paris Dennard concerning Trump's intent to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance. Former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden expressed support for Mudd, calling him a "hero" and a "counter terrorism giant".[19][20] As of March 2019, Mudd's security clearance had not been revoked.[21]

In early 2023, Mudd retired from his position at CNN.[22]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ "John K. Mullen – Associate Executive Assistant Director, FBI National Security Branch". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  2. ^ Mudd, John P. (March 21, 2007). "In Domestic Intelligence Gathering, the FBI Is Definitely on the Case". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "29th Annual Pension & Benefits Seminar Program" (PDF). National Association of Police Organizations. 2017. p. 11.
  4. ^ "The Lead with Jake Tapper" (Transcript). CNN. December 11, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Gill, Leonard (August 1, 2013). "The Agency". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Davies, Frank (December 27, 2005). "Miami-raised FBI agent leads terrorist hunt". Miami Herald. pp. 1A, 2A – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "CNN Profiles - Philip Mudd - Counterterrorism Analyst". CNN. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Philip Mudd – Associate Executive Assistant Director, National Security Branch". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on September 2, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d FBI National Press Office (August 12, 2005). "FBI Director Mueller Announces Leadership of National Security Branch". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Secretary Napolitano's Statement on Philip Mudd Nomination, Bart Johnson Appointment". Department of Homeland Security. April 23, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Philip Mudd. The Colbert Report. Comedy Central. September 12, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  12. ^ Schmitt, Richard B.; Meyer, Josh (August 13, 2005). "FBI Names Intelligence Team". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  13. ^ "Interview Phil Mudd". PBS. October 10, 2006. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  14. ^ Shane, Scott; Bergman, Lowell (October 10, 2006). "F.B.I. Struggling to Reinvent Itself to Fight Terror". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  15. ^ "DHS nominee drops out over ties to CIA tactics". NBC News. Associated Press. June 5, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Rozen, Laura (June 5, 2009). "DHS intel nominee withdraws (UPDATED)". Foreign Policy. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  17. ^ Miller, Greg (June 6, 2009). "CIA ties derail intelligence nominee". Los Angeles Times. p. A13 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Mudd, Philip (June 4, 2010). "Mirandizing terrorists: Not so black and white". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  19. ^ Samuels, Brett (August 20, 2018). "Trump threatens ex-intel official's clearance, citing comments on CNN". The Hill. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  20. ^ Wagner, John (August 21, 2018). "Trump threatens clearance of former official after seeing him in heated TV debate". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  21. ^ Choi, David (March 1, 2019). "'The president threatened me — too much of a coward to act': Former CIA analyst calls Trump's bluff after he threatened to revoke his security clearance". Business Insider. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  22. ^ "327: A Conversation with Philip Mudd, Former CNN Correspondent and Counterterrorism Analyst". The Startup Junkies Podcast (Podcast). Startup Junkie. February 6, 2023. Event occurs at 04:30. Retrieved July 12, 2023. I did serve actually until about a week ago as a CNN commentator, I just recently retired, life is getting quieter.

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