Frank Gaffney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Gaffney
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Gaffney speaking at CPAC in 2018
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Frank J. Gaffney Jr.
April 5, 1953 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (BS) Johns Hopkins University, Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (MA) |
| Occupation | Defense policy analyst |
| Known for | Counter-jihad, popular conspiracy theories, conservative political commentary |
| Title | Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (1983–87) |
| Awards | Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service (1987) Zionist Organization of America's Louis Brandeis Award (2003) |
Frank J. Gaffney Jr. (born April 5, 1953) is an American expert who studies defense policy. He is known for starting the Center for Security Policy (CSP). He founded the CSP in 1988 and was its president until 2023. Now, he serves as its executive chairman.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Gaffney worked for the United States government. He held several important roles. One of these was helping to manage nuclear forces and arms control from 1983 to 1987. He also served as an acting assistant secretary for international security affairs during the Reagan administration. In 1987, he received an award for his distinguished public service. In more recent years, some people have described his views as being against certain groups or based on unusual ideas.
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Early Life and Education
Frank Gaffney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1953. His father, Frank J. Gaffney, was a lawyer and loved classical music. His mother was Virginia Reed. Frank's grandfather, Joseph Gaffney, was a city lawyer in Philadelphia. In the early 1900s, his grandfather faced challenges because he was Catholic. Some groups at the time were against Catholics gaining influence in American society.
Gaffney went to Georgetown University and earned a degree in Foreign Service in 1975. Later, in 1978, he received a master's degree in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Government Career
Gaffney started his government work in the 1970s. He worked as an aide for Senator Henry M. Jackson. From 1983 to 1987, he held a position in the Reagan administration. He was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy. In this role, he helped advise on important defense matters.
In 1987, Gaffney was nominated for a higher position. He served as the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs for seven months. During this time, he was not involved in some important arms control talks with the Soviet Union. He later left his government role. After leaving, he began to criticize the arms control agreements that President Reagan was pursuing.
Center for Security Policy
In 1988, Gaffney started the Center for Security Policy (CSP). This organization is a "think tank" based in Washington, D.C. A think tank is a group that does research and offers advice on policy issues. The CSP focuses on studying and highlighting what it sees as threats to the United States.
The CSP has been described in different ways by various groups. Some media outlets and organizations have called its ideas unusual or "disreputable." It has also faced strong criticism from people with different political views. However, its reports have also been used by political figures like former US President Donald Trump. In 2016, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) called the CSP a "hate group." The SPLC also describes Gaffney as a leading figure in promoting negative views about Muslims.
In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz announced that Frank Gaffney would be one of his national security advisors. Cruz said that Gaffney was a "serious thinker" focused on fighting certain threats. Gaffney stepped down as president of the CSP in January 2023 but remains its executive chairman.
Media and Other Activities
Gaffney has also written for conservative media websites like Newsmax and The Washington Times. He hosted a radio show and podcast called Secure Freedom Radio. This show featured many guests, including political figures. In 2020, the radio program became a television show called Securing America TV. Gaffney is also involved with the Committee on the Present Danger.
Unusual Beliefs and Ideas
Some organizations, like the Anti-Defamation League, have stated that Gaffney has promoted several unusual ideas over the years. They say he has a lot of influence for someone with these kinds of beliefs.
The "Civilization Jihad" Idea
One of Gaffney's main ideas is called "Civilization Jihad." This idea suggests there is a secret plan by some Muslims to take over America. This idea became more widely known when a 2016 presidential candidate mentioned it. According to the SPLC, Gaffney's beliefs come from a single source. This source is a document written by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1991. However, the FBI found that this document did not match other documents from the Muslim Brotherhood. It also was not discussed at a 1991 conference.
Despite this, Gaffney believes this document is proof of a "massive Islamist conspiracy." He thinks it shows a plan to build an infrastructure in the United States. The goal, he believes, is to weaken Western society from within.
Disputes and Media Responses
In 2011, Gaffney was not allowed to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The chairman of the American Conservative Union said that Gaffney had become "obsessed" with his beliefs. He felt Gaffney thought anyone who disagreed with him was either uninformed or working against the nation. However, Gaffney has since returned to host panels at CPAC in later years.
Many news outlets and commentators have called Gaffney a "conspiracy theorist." The Washington Post reported that Gaffney's views were "considered radioactive" by many mainstream Republicans.
Examples of Beliefs
Here are some of the unusual ideas Gaffney has promoted:
- He believes the logo of the US Missile Defense Agency is a secret sign. He thinks it shows the U.S. is submitting to Islam. He says it looks like a mix of the Islamic crescent and star with a political campaign logo.
- He believed that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the Oklahoma City bombing.
- He has suggested that a Republican Party strategist had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Other leaders in the American Conservative Union strongly disagreed with these claims.
- He has opposed the building of large Muslim religious sites in the United States. This includes a community center near Ground Zero in New York City.
- He has accused a political aide of being a secret agent for the Muslim Brotherhood. Several US senators and the Speaker of the House dismissed these accusations as "dangerous."
- He has claimed that former President Barack Obama is secretly Muslim. He also claimed that a general had "submitted to Sharia" (Islamic law). He has also suggested that other public figures are tied to certain groups.
- He believes that Muslim enemies of the United States are hidden in plain sight. He thinks they are organizing through mainstream Muslim rights organizations. He once said that they "hollow out the structure of the civil society... for the purpose of creating conditions under which the jihad will succeed."
Works
Films
Gaffney was an executive producer for a documentary film. It was called Islam vs. Islamists: Voices From the Muslim Center.
Images for kids
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Gaffney has asserted that the logo of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is a coded signal showing the "official U.S. submission to Islam."
