Flynt Leverett

From SourceWatch

This article is part of the Nuclear spin analysis project of SpinWatch (UK) and the Center for Media and Democracy.

Flynt Lawrence Leverett became a Senior Fellow and Director of Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Energy Security Project at the New America Foundation in June 2006, when he left the Brookings Institution think tank. [1][2]

Leverett served as "the senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council from March 2002 to March 2003." He developed President George W. Bush's "approach to promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace, and advised the president and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice on relations with Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

"Prior to joining the National Security Council, Leverett was a Middle East and counterterrorism expert on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff. Before that he was the senior CIA analyst on Syria and Middle East affairs." [3]

• Expert, Campaign for New American Policy on Iran ^[1]

Controversy

"After leaving government [in March 2003], Leverett has criticized the Bush Administration on a number of fronts. On a Lehrer New Hour roundtable, [2 June 2004] he stated that when a dissident voice was expressed at the National Security Council regarding Ahmed Chalabi's shady background and impure motives -- reservations that while inconvenient at the time proved entirely correct later -- that person was dismissed from the NSC altogether.

"A paper How Bush Bungled the War on Terror, published on Democracy Now!, documents how in March, 2002 -- only six months after the 9/11 attacks -- U.S. special forces, CIA, and foreign language experts assigned to hunting Osama bin Laden were pulled off that task and reassigned to Iraq." [4]

Profiles

In May 2003, Leverett joined Brookings' Saban Center for Middle East Policy as a visiting fellow. His research was to "focus on the politics of Syria and the Levant and Syria's role in the war on terrorism and in the Middle East peace process." [5]

"Leverett holds a Ph.D. in politics and an M.A. in politics from Princeton University. He earned his B.A from Texas Christian University in 1978." [6]

Published Works by Flynt Leverett

• "Inheriting Syria. Bashar's Trial by Fire", Brookings Institution Press, 2005, ISBN ISBN 0815752032/ISBN 0815752042. [7]

Articles by and Interviews with Flynt Leverett

• Daily Show Celebrity Interview - Flynt Leverett.
• "How Bush Bungled the War on Terror," Democracy Now!, April 2, 2004.
• Op-Ed: "Don't Rush on the Road to Damascus," New York Times, March 2, 2005.
• Robert Siegel, Interviewer, "Deconstructing Syria's Mixed Messages on Lebanon," All Things Considered/NPR, March 2, 2005.
• "The Middle East: Thinking Big. President Bush’s several policies don’t connect. Here’s a better way to bring greater security, democracy, and development to the region," The American Prospect, March 5, 2005.
• Terry Gross, Interviewer, "'Inheriting Syria' in the Modern Age," Fresh Air from WHYY/NPR, March 31, 2005.
• Robert Siegel, Interviewer, "Assessing Assad and the Baath Party Message," All Things Considered/NPR, June 6, 2005.
• Op-Ed: "The Gulf Between Us," New York Times, January 24, 2006.
• Jane Fair Bestor, Interviewer, Interview with Flynt Leverett, Harvard Law School International Legal Studies, March 29-30, 2006.
• Bernard Gwertzman, Consulting Editor, Interviewer, "Leverett: Bush Administration ‘Not Serious’ About Dealing With Iran," Council on Foreign Relations, March 31, 2006.
• Op-Ed: "The Race for Iran," New York Times, June 20, 2006.
• "Illusion and Reality. The violence in the Middle East shows the negative consequences of the administration’s contempt for engagement. But the tough talk has failed," The American Prospect, September 12, 2006.

Contact Information

New America Foundation
Phone: 571 239-2205 (for comment)
Email: leverett at newamerica.net

External links

Profiles

• Profile: Flynt Leverett, New America Foundation. Includes links to articles by Leverett.
• Profile: Flynt Leverett, NNDB.com.

Articles & Commentary

• "Statement by the Press Secretary," Office of the White House Press Secretary, December 2, 2002. Announcement of Leverett appointment by Condoleezza Rice.
• "Flynt Leverett, Middle East Expert and Former Administration Official, Joins Brookings Saban Center as Visiting Fellow," Brookings Institution, May 20, 2003.
• Caroline Drees, "U.S. Terrorism Policy Spawns Steady Staff Exodus," Reuters (Forbes), April 7, 2004.
• Sidney Blumenthal, "What the 9/11 commission won't ask. The inside story of how Condoleezza Rice destroyed the Middle East peace process," Salon, April 8, 2004.
• Fred Kaplan, "Red Herrings. Can the CIA be saved?" Slate, July 9, 2004.
• Nick Turse, "Casualties of the Bush Administration," TomGram/TomDispatch.com, October 14, 2005.
• Steven C. Clemons, "Flynt Leverett Calls It Civil War; James Woolsey Calls It 'BLEEDING KANSAS'," The Washington Note, March 22, 2006.
• Steven C. Clemons, "Flynt Leverett Joining New America Foundation," The Washington Note, June 16, 2006.
• Mosaddegh Katouzian. "Iran: Expert Says Current U.S. Approach 'Not Fruitful'," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, October 25, 2006.
• "Not Just for Iraq, Says Middle East Expert: U.S. Needs a Bold Deal With Iran to Halt Nuclear Development, Stabilize the Region; Flynt Leverett Calls for Coherent New Approach in Century Foundation Report," AScribe Newswire (TMCNET.com), December 6, 2006.
• News Release: "Not Just for Iraq, Says Middle East Expert: U.S. Needs a Bold Deal with Iran to Halt Nuclear Development and Stabilize the Region. Flynt Leverett Calls for Coherent New Approach in Century Foundation Report," U.S. Newswire, December 8, 2006.
• "EXCLUSIVE: White House Forbids Publication Of Op-Ed On Iran By Former Bush Official," Think Progress, December 15, 2006.
• Paul Richter, "White House accused of censorship: A former CIA analyst says the agency was told to cut parts of his op-ed column," Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2006.