Fred Burton facts for kids
Fred Burton is an expert in security and intelligence. He works as a vice president for intelligence at a company called STRATFOR. This company gathers and analyzes information from around the world to understand global events. Many people think Fred Burton is one of the best intelligence workers in the world, especially when it comes to understanding security and how to deal with dangerous groups.
He used to be a special agent for the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. This is a part of the U.S. government that protects diplomats and important people, and also investigates threats to the country.
Contents
Early Career and Investigations
Fred Burton played a key role in many important investigations during his time as a special agent.
Helping with Big Cases
The U.S. government asked Burton to help investigate the death of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He also worked as a deputy chief in the counter-terrorism section of the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service. This means he helped lead efforts to stop terrorism.
Important Investigations
Burton investigated the death of Rabbi Meir Kahane. He also looked into plots by the al Qaeda group to bomb places in New York City before the September 11 attacks. He helped investigate attacks supported by Libya against diplomats in Sana'a and Khartoum. One of his big achievements was helping to arrest Ramzi Yousef. Yousef was responsible for the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
Author and Public Service
Fred Burton has also shared his experiences through books and worked in public service roles.
Writing Books
Burton has written two books about his experiences. One is a memoir (a book about his own life) called Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent. It was published in 2008 by Random House. His other memoir is Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice, which came out in 2011 from Palgrave Macmillan. These books tell stories from his career as an agent.
Work in Texas
On September 11, 2007, Governor Rick Perry appointed Fred Burton to the Texas Border Security Council. This group works on keeping the border safe. In August 2009, he was hired as the Assistant Director for Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism for the Texas Department of Public Safety. However, he left this job after only two months. He decided to leave so he could focus more on his writing and speaking career.
