Richard Clarke Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Richard Clarke
OCCUPATION: Political Leader, Journalist
BIRTH DATE: October 27, 1951 (Age: 61)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Boston, Massachusetts
ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio

Best Known For

Richard Clarke is best known for being the chief counter-terrorism advisor under George W. Bush for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

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Richard Alan Clarke

APA Style

Richard Alan Clarke. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 12:59, May 22, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174.

Harvard Style

Richard Alan Clarke. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174 [Accessed 22 May 2013].

MLA Style

"Richard Alan Clarke." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 22 2013, 12:59 http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174.

MHRA Style

"Richard Alan Clarke," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174 [accessed May 22, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Richard Alan Clarke," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174 (accessed May 22, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

Richard Alan Clarke [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 22] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174.

Bluebook Style

Richard Alan Clarke, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174 (last visited May 22, 2013).

AMA Style

Richard Alan Clarke. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/richard-clarke-241174. Accessed May 22, 2013.

Synopsis

Richard Clarke was the chief counter-terrorism advisor for the National Security Council during the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. Clarke criticized the Administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq, saying it was a costly distraction to the war on terror. He was the only member of the Bush Administration to offer an apology to the victims of 9/11 and to acknowledge the government’s failure.

Profile

Counter-terrorism expert, government official. Born Richard Alan Clarke in 1951. The son of a Boston factory worker, Richard Clarke received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972. He began working for the federal government in 1973 in the Department of Defense.

Clarke has served as an advisor to the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations, eventually focusing his efforts on intelligence, counter-terrorism and cybersecurity. Most notably, he was the chief counter-terrorism advisor for the National Security Council during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

In March 2004, Clarke released a controversial memoir titled Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror--What Really Happened that was deeply critical of the Bush Administration??s stance on terrorism prior to the 9/11 attacks. Clarke also criticized the Administration??s decision to go to war in Iraq, saying it was a costly distraction to the war on terror. During the public 9/11 Commission hearings, he was the only member of the Bush Administration to offer an apology to the victims and to acknowledge the government??s failure.

Richard Clarke is currently Chairman of Good Harbor Consulting, a strategic planning and corporate risk management firm. He has published two novels, The Scorpion's Gate and Breakpoint.