John M. Deutch
Encyclopedia
John Mark Deutch is an American
chemist
and civil servant. He was the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
from 1994 to 1995 and Director of Central Intelligence
(DCI) from May 10, 1995 until December 15, 1996. He is presently an Institute Professor
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and serves on the Board of Directors of Citigroup
, Cummins
, Raytheon
, and Schlumberger
Ltd. Deutch is also a member of the Trilateral Commission
.
, Belgium
, to a Russian Jewish father, and became a US citizen in 1945. He graduated from the Sidwell Friends School
in Washington, DC and earned a bachelor's degree in History and Economics from Amherst College
. In 1961, he earned an B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering
and, in 1966, he earned a PhD in Chemistry
, both from MIT. He holds honorary degrees from Amherst College, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and Northeastern University.
From 1977 to 1980, he served in several positions for the U.S. Department of Energy: as Director of Energy Research, Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Technology, and Undersecretary of the Department. In 1978, Deutch published two physical-chemistry papers (in, Combustion and Flame, 1,223;31,215) on the mechanism of the Fuel/Air Explosive (FAE), a thermobaric weapon
. He served as the provost
of MIT from 1985 - 1990. As MIT Dean of Science and Provost, Deutch oversaw the disbanding of the Department of Applied Biological Sciences, including its toxicology faculty.
appointed him Director of Central Intelligence
(cabinet rank in the Clinton administration). However, Deutch was initially reluctant to accept the appointment. As head of the CIA
, Deutch continued the policy of his predecessor R. James Woolsey to declassify records pertaining to U.S. covert operations during the Cold War
. He put restraints on what he considered to be politically incorrect
agent recruitment and sought to encourage more diversity
at the Agency in order to include more women and minorities in its ranks.
On November 15, 1996, Deutch was at Locke High School in Los Angeles at a town hall meeting on the topic of drug dealing. He was visibly taken aback by the confrontational testimony from an LAPD narcotics officer, Michael Ruppert
, that he had seen evidence of CIA complicity in drug dealing for a long time.
Deutch left the CIA on December 15, 1996 and later that year it was revealed that several of his laptop computers contained classified materials
designated as unclassified. In January 1997, the CIA began a formal security investigation of the matter. Senior management at CIA declined to fully pursue the security breach. Over two years after his departure, the matter was referred to the Department of Justice
, where Attorney General Janet Reno
declined prosecution. She did, however, recommend an investigation to determine whether Deutch should retain his security clearance. President Clinton pardoned Deutch on his last day in office.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
and civil servant. He was the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
The Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Deputy Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate...
from 1994 to 1995 and Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
The Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
(DCI) from May 10, 1995 until December 15, 1996. He is presently an Institute Professor
Institute Professor
Institute Professor is the highest title that can be awarded to a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
and serves on the Board of Directors of Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
, Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
, Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
, and Schlumberger
Schlumberger
Schlumberger Limited is the world's largest oilfield services company. Schlumberger employs over 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities working in approximately 80 countries...
Ltd. Deutch is also a member of the Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
.
Background
Deutch was born in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, to a Russian Jewish father, and became a US citizen in 1945. He graduated from the Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
in Washington, DC and earned a bachelor's degree in History and Economics from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
. In 1961, he earned an B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
and, in 1966, he earned a PhD in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, both from MIT. He holds honorary degrees from Amherst College, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and Northeastern University.
From 1977 to 1980, he served in several positions for the U.S. Department of Energy: as Director of Energy Research, Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Technology, and Undersecretary of the Department. In 1978, Deutch published two physical-chemistry papers (in, Combustion and Flame, 1,223;31,215) on the mechanism of the Fuel/Air Explosive (FAE), a thermobaric weapon
Thermobaric weapon
A thermobaric weapon, which includes the type known as a "fuel-air bomb", is an explosive weapon that produces a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives. This is useful in military applications where its longer duration increases the numbers of...
. He served as the provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of MIT from 1985 - 1990. As MIT Dean of Science and Provost, Deutch oversaw the disbanding of the Department of Applied Biological Sciences, including its toxicology faculty.
CIA career
In 1995, President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
appointed him Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
The Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
(cabinet rank in the Clinton administration). However, Deutch was initially reluctant to accept the appointment. As head of the CIA
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...
, Deutch continued the policy of his predecessor R. James Woolsey to declassify records pertaining to U.S. covert operations during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. He put restraints on what he considered to be politically incorrect
Politically incorrect
The phrase "politically incorrect" may refer to:* Someone or something which does not meet a standard of political correctness* Politically Incorrect, a late-night U.S. political talk show* Politically Incorrect, a German political blog...
agent recruitment and sought to encourage more diversity
Diversity (politics)
In the political arena, the term diversity is used to describe political entities with members who have identifiable differences in their backgrounds or lifestyles....
at the Agency in order to include more women and minorities in its ranks.
On November 15, 1996, Deutch was at Locke High School in Los Angeles at a town hall meeting on the topic of drug dealing. He was visibly taken aback by the confrontational testimony from an LAPD narcotics officer, Michael Ruppert
Michael Ruppert
Michael C. Ruppert is an American author, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, and investigative journalist and peak oil theorist....
, that he had seen evidence of CIA complicity in drug dealing for a long time.
Deutch left the CIA on December 15, 1996 and later that year it was revealed that several of his laptop computers contained classified materials
Classified information in the United States
The United States government classification system is currently established under Executive Order 13526, the latest in a long series of executive orders on the topic. Issued by President Barack Obama in 2009, Executive Order 13526 replaced earlier executive orders on the topic and modified the...
designated as unclassified. In January 1997, the CIA began a formal security investigation of the matter. Senior management at CIA declined to fully pursue the security breach. Over two years after his departure, the matter was referred to the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, where Attorney General Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
declined prosecution. She did, however, recommend an investigation to determine whether Deutch should retain his security clearance. President Clinton pardoned Deutch on his last day in office.
External links
- Deutch's MIT Biography
- "Nora Slatkin's Mission Impossible: The CIA," BusinessWeek, Feb. 26, 1996 (About the CIA executive director hired by Deutch to improve diversity at the CIA.)
- "Back-stabbing, CIA-style", Salon, Feb. 3, 2000
- "Who was John Deutch spying for?, disinformation.com, Oct. 18, 2000