Roger Cressey
Encyclopedia
Roger W. Cressey is a former member of the United States National Security Council
staff, where he held the position of Director for Transnational Threats from November 1999 through November 2001. He was until recently the president of the Good Harbor
consulting group, and an adjunct Professor of counter-terrorism policy at Georgetown University
. Currently he is a senior vice present at Booz Allen Hamilton.
in political science
from the University of Massachusetts Lowell
in 1987 and a Master of Arts
in security policy studies from George Washington University
in 1991. He has taught a graduate course on U.S. counter-terrorism policy at Georgetown University
, where he is currently an adjunct professor.
Cressey worked at the Department of Defense
, including as Deputy Director for War Plans. From 1991–95, he served in the Department of State, working on Middle East Security issues. He has also served overseas with the U.S. Embassy in Israel and with United Nations peacekeeping missions in Somalia and the former Yugoslavia.
He was Chief of Staff to the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board at the White House from November 2001 to September 2002. From November 1999 to November 2001, he was Director for Transnational Threats on the National Security Council
staff, where he was responsible for coordination and implementation of US counterterrorism policy. During this period, he managed the U.S. Government's response to the Millennium terror alert, the USS Cole
attack, and the September 11th attacks.
In 2002, Cressey founded the corporate security company Good Harbor Consulting
.
An on-air counter-terrorism analyst for NBC News
, Cressey has been awarded the State Department's Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, and the Defense Department's Exceptional Civilian Service Award.
Cressey has been a foreign policy advisor to President Barack Obama
, but not exclusively.
to describe targeted killing
s, because he thinks it can be misleading. He said:
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...
staff, where he held the position of Director for Transnational Threats from November 1999 through November 2001. He was until recently the president of the Good Harbor
Good Harbor Consulting
Good Harbor Consulting LLC is a corporate security consultancy based outside Washington D.C., with offices in Boston, Albuquerque, and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.-History:...
consulting group, and an adjunct Professor of counter-terrorism policy at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. Currently he is a senior vice present at Booz Allen Hamilton.
Education and career
Cressey received his Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
in 1987 and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in security policy studies from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1991. He has taught a graduate course on U.S. counter-terrorism policy at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, where he is currently an adjunct professor.
Cressey worked at the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, including as Deputy Director for War Plans. From 1991–95, he served in the Department of State, working on Middle East Security issues. He has also served overseas with the U.S. Embassy in Israel and with United Nations peacekeeping missions in Somalia and the former Yugoslavia.
He was Chief of Staff to the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board at the White House from November 2001 to September 2002. From November 1999 to November 2001, he was Director for Transnational Threats on the National Security Council
National Security Council
A National Security Council is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security...
staff, where he was responsible for coordination and implementation of US counterterrorism policy. During this period, he managed the U.S. Government's response to the Millennium terror alert, the USS Cole
USS Cole
Two United States Navy destroyers have borne the name USS Cole. The first Cole was named for Edward B. Cole. The second ship was named for Darrell S. Cole....
attack, and the September 11th attacks.
In 2002, Cressey founded the corporate security company Good Harbor Consulting
Good Harbor Consulting
Good Harbor Consulting LLC is a corporate security consultancy based outside Washington D.C., with offices in Boston, Albuquerque, and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.-History:...
.
An on-air counter-terrorism analyst for NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
, Cressey has been awarded the State Department's Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, and the Defense Department's Exceptional Civilian Service Award.
Cressey has been a foreign policy advisor to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, but not exclusively.
Views on targeted killing
Cressey said that he doesn't like the use of the term assassinationAssassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
to describe targeted killing
Targeted killing
Targeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
s, because he thinks it can be misleading. He said:
I think you should not have political assassination as a tool, and it's banned under Executive Order 12333Executive Order 12333On December 4, 1981 President Ronald Reagan signedExecutive Order 12333,an Executive Order intended toextend powers and responsibilities of US intelligence agencies and direct the leaders of U.S...
. The issue is ... if the United States government makes a decision to go to war, to attack a transnational group, one objective of that decision is to eliminate the leadership. ... We're either going to do it through traditional military means ... or we're going to do it through covert activity. I mean, we're trying to actively hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden. We're not trying to assassinate him. We're trying to kill the senior leadership of al-Qaeda ... right now. That is not assassination, in the way that we have discussed assassination in the past ... because we are at war with this entity known as al-Qaeda ... under the U.N. charter, under Article 51 of self-defense, we can attack another nation in the spirit of self-defense, and under international lawInternational lawPublic international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
that is justified as well. So the difference between launching ... trying to kill bin Laden with a Predator Hellfire missile, in the context of war, that is completely different than a political assassination....
Affiliations
- Good Harbor ConsultingGood Harbor ConsultingGood Harbor Consulting LLC is a corporate security consultancy based outside Washington D.C., with offices in Boston, Albuquerque, and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.-History:...
, President and Founder - Liquid Machines, Director
- Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, former term member - Richard ClarkeRichard ClarkeRichard Clarke may refer to:* Richard Clarke , Jamaican boxer* Richard Clarke , Northern Irish footballer with Portadown* Richard Clarke , Northern Irish footballer with Newry City & Glentoran...
, friend and colleague