Vincent Cannistraro
Encyclopedia
Vincent Cannistraro was Director of Intelligence Programs for the United States National Security Council
(NSC) from 1984 to 1987; Special assistant for Intelligence in the Office of the Secretary of Defense
until 1988; and Chief of Operations and Analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency
's (CIA) Counterterrorist Center
until 1991.
Before 1984, he was an officer with the CIA's Directorate of Operations in the Middle East
, Africa
, Europe
, and Central America
.
Since leaving the CIA in 1991, after 27 years with the agency, Cannistraro has worked as a consultant on terrorism
and security issues for a number of corporate and government clients, including ABC News
and the Vatican
.
. In 1989, he received the Secretary of Defense's Award for Meritorious Civilian Service. He has also received the CIA Medal for Distinguished Service.
. The Contra program was transferred in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan
to the NSC, and Cannistraro was made Director of Intelligence there later that year. As director, he was responsible for monitoring the US intelligence community budget. and coordinating the approval process for covert action
. He also chaired the Afghanistan
Working Group at the White House
. "About Vincent Cannistraro", Intelligence Brief, Cannistraro's website.
Later, as Chief of Operations and Analysis at the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, Cannistraro led the agency's "investigation" into the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
over Lockerbie
, which resulted in the conviction in 2001 of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libya
n intelligence officer. Originally listed as a prosecution witness, Cannistraro was not called to testify at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
.
Cannistraro also linked Iraq
with Osama bin Laden
when he alleged that Iraqi intelligence agent Farouk Hijazi
had invited bin Laden to live in Iraq during a December 1998 meeting in Afghanistan
, though he maintained that bin Laden refused the invitation and did not accept support from Saddam Hussein.
He reported on the forged Niger
"yellowcake
" uranium documents as an attempt by some Bush Administration supporters to link Iraq with nuclear weapons development in order to increase public support for the Iraq war), and on the related disclosure of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame
.
The front company, Brewster Jennings & Associates
, apparently also was used by other CIA officers whose work now could be at risk, according to Cannistraro.
Cannistaro runs IntelligenceBrief, a security and information service for private clients. The Vatican is one such client.
On September 12, 2001, Cannistraro stated that five of the hijackers had entered the United States in Maine from Canada via Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and/or a remote border point near Jackman, Maine, several hundred kilometres southeast of Quebec City. A Canadian Intelligence officer declared that Cannistraro was wrong. "They didn't hijack Canadian planes, they got through airport security in the U.S., not here."
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
(NSC) from 1984 to 1987; Special assistant for Intelligence in the Office of the Secretary of Defense
Office of the Secretary of Defense
The Office of the Secretary of Defense is a headquarters-level staff of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It is the principal civilian staff element of the Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out authority, direction and control of the Department...
until 1988; and Chief of Operations and Analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
's (CIA) Counterterrorist Center
Counterterrorist Center
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's Counterterrorism Center was established in 1986. It is not to be confused with the National Counterterrorism Center, a separate entity.-Foundation and early years:...
until 1991.
Before 1984, he was an officer with the CIA's Directorate of Operations in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
Since leaving the CIA in 1991, after 27 years with the agency, Cannistraro has worked as a consultant on terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and security issues for a number of corporate and government clients, including ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
and the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Education and awards
Cannistaro has a B.A. and M.A. from Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. In 1989, he received the Secretary of Defense's Award for Meritorious Civilian Service. He has also received the CIA Medal for Distinguished Service.
Professional life
While at the CIA, Cannistraro ran the agency's Central American task force that supervised covert action in the region, including the Nicaraguan Contras (both the left wing guerillas in the South and the right wing contras in the North). He moved to the Reagan NSC by the direction of CIA Latin American Chief Duane Clarridge, who supported Col. Oliver NorthOliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
. The Contra program was transferred in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
to the NSC, and Cannistraro was made Director of Intelligence there later that year. As director, he was responsible for monitoring the US intelligence community budget. and coordinating the approval process for covert action
Covert operation
A covert operation is a military, intelligence or law enforcement operation that is carried clandestinely and, often, outside of official channels. Covert operations aim to fulfill their mission objectives without any parties knowing who sponsored or carried out the operation...
. He also chaired the Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
Working Group at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. "About Vincent Cannistraro", Intelligence Brief, Cannistraro's website.
Later, as Chief of Operations and Analysis at the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, Cannistraro led the agency's "investigation" into the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
over Lockerbie
Lockerbie
Lockerbie is a town in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-western Scotland. It lies approximately from Glasgow, and from the English border. It had a population of 4,009 at the 2001 census...
, which resulted in the conviction in 2001 of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n intelligence officer. Originally listed as a prosecution witness, Cannistraro was not called to testify at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial began on 3 May 2000, 11 years, 4 months and 13 days after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988...
.
Cannistraro also linked Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
when he alleged that Iraqi intelligence agent Farouk Hijazi
Farouk Hijazi
Farouk Hijazi is a former Iraqi government official who served the Iraqi government during the rulership of Saddam Hussein. Hijazi served as Hussein's Director of External Operations for the Mukhabarat, the Iraqi intelligence service for many years before becoming Iraq's ambassador to Turkey.The...
had invited bin Laden to live in Iraq during a December 1998 meeting in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, though he maintained that bin Laden refused the invitation and did not accept support from Saddam Hussein.
He reported on the forged Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
"yellowcake
Yellowcake
Yellowcake is a kind of uranium concentrate powder obtained from leach solutions, in an intermediate step in the processing of uranium ores. Yellowcake concentrates are prepared by various extraction and refining methods, depending on the types of ores...
" uranium documents as an attempt by some Bush Administration supporters to link Iraq with nuclear weapons development in order to increase public support for the Iraq war), and on the related disclosure of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame
Valerie Plame
Valerie Elise Plame Wilson , known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E. Wilson, and Valerie Plame Wilson, is a former United States CIA Operations Officer and the author of a memoir detailing her career and the events leading up to her resignation from the CIA.-Early life :Valerie Elise Plame was born on...
.
The front company, Brewster Jennings & Associates
Brewster Jennings & Associates
Brewster Jennings & Associates was a front company set up in 1994 by the Central Intelligence Agency as a "cover" for its agents. The most famous is Valerie Plame, a "covert employee of the CIA" whose employment status was "classified" and whose then-classified covert identity was published in a...
, apparently also was used by other CIA officers whose work now could be at risk, according to Cannistraro.
Cannistaro runs IntelligenceBrief, a security and information service for private clients. The Vatican is one such client.
On September 12, 2001, Cannistraro stated that five of the hijackers had entered the United States in Maine from Canada via Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and/or a remote border point near Jackman, Maine, several hundred kilometres southeast of Quebec City. A Canadian Intelligence officer declared that Cannistraro was wrong. "They didn't hijack Canadian planes, they got through airport security in the U.S., not here."