Charles E. Allen (born 1936) is an American public servant, notable for his roles at the United States Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis and, before that, the Central Intelligence Agency.
Department of Homeland Security
In August 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Charles E. Allen, to the dual role of Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security as well as the DHS Chief of Intelligence. Effective November 2007, Charles Allen's position was elevated to Under Secretary for the renamed Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, an office he held until January 20, 2009. Prior to his appointment to DHS, Allen served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Anwar al-Awlaki
In October 2008, Allen warned that Anwar al-Awlaki "targets US Muslims with radical online lectures encouraging terrorist attacks from his new home in Yemen." Quoting Allen, Al-Awlaki responded in December 2008: "I would challenge him to come up with just one such lecture where I encourage 'terrorist attacks'". The FBI later investigated (but dismissed) al-Awlaki's connections to both the November 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting sole suspect, Nidal Hasan, as well as to the Northwest Flight 253 bombing attempt in which he is believed to have played a part in the al-Qaeda operation, and trained and blessed the suspect.
Career highlights Central Intelligence Agency
Served with the CIA since 1958, holding a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, both analytic and managerial. Analyzed intelligence from the Berlin Tunnel operation. Served as an analyst tracking the names of Soviet missile technicians in Cuba, 1962. CIA's national intelligence officer for counterterrorism (1985) Director of the National Security Council's Hostage Location Task Force (1985) National Intelligence Officer for Warning (1986) Served as Assistant Director of Central Intelligence [ADCI] for Collection, June 1998 until June 2005. In that capacity, he was in charge of coordinating all the community spy systems and chaired the National Intelligence Collection Board, which ensures that collection is integrated and coordinated across the intelligence community.
"Appointed as Assistant Director of Central Intelligence (ADCI) for Collection, coordinating the entire intelligence community intelligence collection system, was Charles Allen, a thirty year veteran operations officer. He will oversee the decisions of the various committees deciding the targets of national systems. He allegedly was chosen on the basis of his reputation for holding contrariness views and willingness to challenge the system."
C.I.A. Inspector General's report on 9/11 intelligence failures
In August 2005 the New York Times reported that supporters of former C.I.A. Director George Tenet were critical of the CIA Inspector General's report on the intelligences failures ahead of the September 11 terrorist attacks for having failed to interview Allen, who was assistant director of central intelligence for collection.
In 1998, after the bombing of two American embassies in East Africa, Mr. Allen was assigned by George Tenet to organize the agency's efforts against the terrorist network, according to testimony Mr. Tenet gave last year. He said that at the advice of Mr. Allen, he created a special unit with officers from the C.I.A., the National Security Agency and the NGA to meet daily and focus on Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Comments about Charles Allen
Mark Perry offers this commentary about Allen based on information from colleagues: "An eccentric workaholic who often picked fights with superiors" "A tall graying man given to sober suits and precise grammar." "More than just a little weird; it was hard to know just where he was coming from." "At times during his career Allen seemed almost out of control as he often spent all night at his office and made unreasonable demands on his secretarial staff." "Allen was known for his offbeat views, and his detractors said he had a huge ego." "A 'brilliant man' with 'a yen for controversy'"
From an August 2004 U.S. News & World Report article:
"…more of a legend than a man around the CIA. 'If you don't think you're getting your money's worth out of the federal government,' says an admirer, 'you should meet Charlie Allen.' A workaholic, Allen had served as an intelligence officer for 40 years and earned a reputation as a plain-spoken professional who regularly bucked the bureaucracy…"
Duane Clarridge remarked in his memoir:
"He (Allen) was a bit of a maverick; bright absolutely dedicated, on occasion short on diplomacy, and a workaholic."