Carl W. Ford Jr.

For persons of a similar name, seeCarl Ford (disambiguation).

Carl W. Ford, Jr.
15thAssistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
In office June 1, 2001 – October 3, 2003
Preceded by	J. Stapleton Roy
Succeeded by	Thomas Fingar
Personal details
Born	1943
Education	Florida State University(BA, MA)

Hon. Carl W. Ford, Jr.(born 1943) is anAmericanpolitical scientist,consultant, defense administrator, andAsianspecialist originally fromHot Springs,Arkansas.AsAssistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research,he headed theBureau of Intelligence and Research(INR) in theState Departmentfrom 2001 until 2003. He reported directly to thenSecretary of StateColin Powell.

Biography

Ford holds aBachelor of ArtsinAsian studiesand aMaster of Artsin East Asian studies fromFlorida State UniversityatTallahassee.He is anIndependentpolitically.

From 1965 to 1989, Ford served two tours of duty inVietnam,was aUnited States Armymilitary intelligenceofficer, a United StatesDefense Intelligence AgencyChina strategic intelligence officer, aCentral Intelligence Agency(CIA) China military analyst, a professional staff member for East Asia on the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the United States National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the CIA.

Beginning in early 1989, Carl Ford spent four years working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). He first served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs (ISA) and concurrently as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia. After the Gulf War he became the Deputy Assistant for the Middle East and South Asia while keeping his principal deputy position. He remained on as acting assistant secretary until aBill Clintonadministration selection could be confirmed.

In 1993, Ford established Ford and Associates, his own international consulting firm in Washington, D.C. to provide strategic and tactical advice to American companies such asLockheed Martin,Boeing,andRaytheondoing business with the militaries ofJapan,South Korea,andTaiwan.

Ford joined the State Department as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research (INR) on the appointment of PresidentGeorge W. Bushin May 2001. He was also directly involved in crafting policy related to the war on terrorism, theIraq Warand reconstruction, and issues regarding theChinese military,nuclear proliferation,theMiddle East peace process,and the North Korean military threat.

In the fall of 2003, Ford joinedCassidy & Associates,a firm specializing in international policy and defense issues, with a particular focus on East Asia and the Middle East. He held the position of executive vice president until retiring in February 2006. He served as an adjunct professor atGeorgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he led a seminar on Executive Branch decision-making, and taught a graduate course on intelligence theory and practice atGeorge Mason UniversityinFairfax,Virginia.He is currently an adjunct at National Park College in Hot Springs, Arkansas, teaching American national government and state and local government.

In 2020, Ford, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted thatPresident Trumpwas unfit to serve another term, and "To that end, we are firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him."

Quotes

• Ford stated onCNN's documentaryDead Wrong: Inside an Intelligence Meltdown(2005) that the United States' intelligence departments "threw everything they had" into Colin Powell's speech talking about the prospects ofweapons of mass destructionin Iraq which led to the2003 invasion of Iraq.
• Carl Ford calledJohn R. Bolton"Kiss-Up, Kick-DownSort of Guy "onDemocracy Now!April 13, 2005.

See also

• CIA leak grand jury investigation
• Plame Affair

External links

• AppearancesonC-SPAN
• U.S. Department of State[1]
• Bureau of Intelligence and Research[2]
• PBS Frontline interview, January 10, 2006
• Ex-State Dept. Intel Chief Calls Bolton “Kiss-Up, Kick-Down Sort of Guy”Democracy Now,April 13, 2005
• Speeches
  • StatementBefore theSenate Select Committee on IntelligenceWashington, DC February 11, 2003
• State Department Press Briefing
  • April 7, 2005[3]
  • April 21, 2005[4]