John O. Brennan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John O. Brennan
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Official portrait, 2013
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| 5th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |
| In office March 8, 2013 – January 20, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Avril Haines David Cohen |
| Preceded by | David Petraeus |
| Succeeded by | Mike Pompeo |
| 5th United States Homeland Security Advisor | |
| In office January 20, 2009 – March 8, 2013 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Ken Wainstein |
| Succeeded by | Lisa Monaco |
| Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center | |
| In office August 27, 2004 – August 1, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | John Scott Redd |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Owen Brennan
September 22, 1955 North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse | Kathy Pokluda |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Fordham University (BA) University of Texas at Austin (MA) |
John Owen Brennan (born September 22, 1955) is a former American intelligence officer. He served as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from March 2013 to January 2017. Before that, he was a top advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama on keeping the country safe from threats.
Brennan worked for the CIA for 25 years. During this time, he was an analyst focusing on the Near East and South Asia. He also served as the CIA's station chief in Saudi Arabia. Later, he became the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, which works to prevent terrorism.
After leaving government service in 2005, Brennan worked in security consulting. He also led an association for intelligence professionals. He returned to government in 2009 to advise President Obama on homeland security.
In 2013, President Obama nominated Brennan to lead the CIA. Some groups, like the ACLU, wanted to make sure all his past actions were legal. However, the Senate Intelligence Committee approved him, and he became the Director of the CIA.
After leaving the CIA, Brennan became a national security expert for NBC News and MSNBC. He often shares his thoughts on world events and intelligence matters.
Early Life and Education
Where Did John Brennan Grow Up?
John Brennan was born and raised in North Bergen, New Jersey. His father, Owen V. Brennan, was from Roscommon, Ireland, and came to New Jersey in 1948. He worked as a steamfitter. John's mother, Dorothy Dunn, was born in Jersey City and grew up in Hoboken. She worked for a shipping company and was active in her community.
John has a sister and a brother. He went to Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School. He then graduated from Saint Joseph of the Palisades High School in West New York, New Jersey.
What Did John Brennan Study?
Brennan attended Fordham University and earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1977. During his studies, he spent a year in Cairo, Egypt, learning Arabic. He can speak Arabic very well.
After Fordham, Brennan went to the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a master's degree in government in 1980, focusing on the Middle East.
How Did He Join the CIA?
While in college, Brennan saw an advertisement for the CIA. He thought a career with the CIA would be a good fit for his desire to travel and serve the public. He applied in 1980. During his application, he mentioned that he had voted for a Communist Party candidate in a past election. To his surprise, he was still accepted. He later said this showed him that the CIA valued freedom of speech.
Career in Public Service
Early Years at the CIA
Brennan started his CIA career as an analyst. He spent 25 years working for the agency. He was a daily intelligence briefer for President Bill Clinton. In 1996, he was the CIA station chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This was when the Khobar Towers bombing happened, which killed 19 U.S. service members.
In 1999, he became chief of staff to George Tenet, who was then the Director of the CIA. Brennan also directed the Terrorist Threat Integration Center from 2003 to 2004. This office collected and organized information for President Bush's daily intelligence briefings.
Working for President Obama
Brennan was an early advisor to Barack Obama when he was running for president. In 2008, he was considered for the role of CIA Director. However, he withdrew his name due to concerns about his past statements on certain questioning methods used during the George W. Bush administration.
Instead, President Obama appointed him as his chief advisor on keeping the country safe from terrorism. This role did not require Senate approval. His job included overseeing plans to protect the country and respond to emergencies. He met with the president every day.
In August 2009, Brennan spoke about some past anti-terror policies. He said that certain controversial questioning methods had made it harder for the U.S. to work with other countries. He also explained that the Obama administration focused on "extremists" rather than using terms that might suggest a war against a religion.
Brennan was in the Situation Room in May 2011 when the U.S. military operation that killed Osama bin Laden took place. He called President Obama's decision to go forward with the mission a very brave choice.
Drone Program and Oversight
In April 2012, Brennan was the first Obama administration official to publicly talk about CIA drone strikes. He explained why the program was considered legal, moral, and effective. He also helped to organize the process for identifying individuals who might be targeted by drones outside of war zones.
Brennan stated in June 2011 that U.S. counter-terrorism operations had not caused any accidental civilian deaths in the past year. However, some organizations later presented research that suggested otherwise, indicating that some civilians, including children, had been killed by drone strikes during that period.
Leading the CIA (2013–2017)
Becoming CIA Director
President Obama nominated Brennan to be the Director of the CIA for a second time. On March 5, 2013, the Senate Intelligence Committee approved his nomination.
However, before the full Senate could vote, Senator Rand Paul spoke for 13 hours to delay the vote. He raised concerns about the use of combat drones against Americans. After this long speech, Brennan was confirmed by a vote of 63 to 34. He officially became the Director of the CIA on March 8, 2013.
Key Actions as Director
Two months after becoming director, Brennan made some changes to the CIA's leadership. In June 2013, he appointed Avril Haines as the Deputy Director of the Agency.
In April 2014, Brennan visited Kyiv, Ukraine. He met with Ukrainian leaders to discuss sharing intelligence between the United States and Ukraine.
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In December 2014, Brennan defended some of the CIA's past questioning methods. He said they had provided "useful" information, even though he admitted some actions were "abhorrent" and went beyond legal limits. He also stated that the CIA had done many things right to keep the country safe.
In June 2016, Brennan warned the Senate Intelligence Committee about the threat from ISIL. He said they had many fighters from Western countries and that "lone wolf" attackers were a big challenge for intelligence agencies.
Brennan also created ten new "mission centers" at the CIA. These centers focus on threats in cyberspace, where analysts and hackers work together on specific global issues. He also created the Directorate for Digital Innovation (DDI) to improve the agency's skills in information technology and cyber-espionage.
Just before leaving office in January 2017, Brennan shared some criticisms of incoming President Trump. He said he didn't think Trump fully understood Russia's capabilities and actions.
Personal Life
John Brennan is married to Kathy Pokluda Brennan. They have three children together. He was raised Catholic but now identifies as agnostic.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2013
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Brennan with Kathleen Sebelius and Rahm Emanuel, White House, April 2009
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Brennan and President Barack Obama at a meeting of the Homeland Security Council, May 2009
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Brennan being sworn in as CIA Director, March 8, 2013
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Brennan at the White House in April 2013, discussing the Boston Marathon bombing
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Brennan and James Clapper at the LBJ Presidential Library, September 16, 2015
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Brennan and former National Security Advisers Sandy Berger and Brent Scowcroft in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2015
See also
In Spanish: John O. Brennan para niños
