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Leon Panetta

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Leon Panetta
Official portrait, 2011
23rd United States Secretary of Defense
In office
July 1, 2011 – February 26, 2013
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyWilliam J. Lynn III
Ash Carter
Preceded byRobert Gates
Succeeded byChuck Hagel
3rd Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
In office
February 13, 2009 – June 30, 2011
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyStephen Kappes
Michael Morell
Preceded byMichael Hayden
Succeeded byDavid Petraeus
18th White House Chief of Staff
In office
July 17, 1994 – January 20, 1997
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byMack McLarty
Succeeded byErskine Bowles
29th Director of the Office of Management and Budget
In office
January 21, 1993 – July 17, 1994
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byRichard Darman
Succeeded byAlice Rivlin
Chair of the House Budget Committee
In office
January 3, 1989 – January 21, 1993
Preceded byWilliam H. Gray
Succeeded byMartin Olav Sabo
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
January 3, 1977 – January 21, 1993
Preceded byBurt Talcott
Succeeded bySam Farr
Constituency16th district (1977–1993)
17th district (1993)
Personal details
Born
Leon Edward Panetta

(1938-06-28) June 28, 1938 (age 86)
Monterey, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (1971–present)
Other political
affiliations
Republican (before 1971)
SpouseSylvia Varni
Children3, including Jimmy
EducationSanta Clara University (BA, JD)
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1964–1966
RankFirst Lieutenant
AwardsArmy Commendation Medal

Leon Edward Panetta (born June 28, 1938)[1] is an American retired politician and government official who has served under several Democratic administrations as secretary of defense (2011–2013), director of the CIA (2009–2011), White House chief of staff (1994–1997), director of the Office of Management and Budget (1993–1994), as well as a U.S. representative from California (1977–1993).

Panetta was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993. He served under President Bill Clinton as director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1993 to 1994 and as White House chief of staff from 1994 to 1997. He cofounded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy in 1997 and served as a distinguished scholar to chancellor Charles B. Reed of the California State University System and as a professor of public policy at Santa Clara University.

In January 2009, newly elected president Barack Obama nominated Panetta to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[2][3] Panetta was confirmed by the Senate in February 2009. As director of the CIA, Panetta oversaw the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. On April 28, 2011, Obama announced the nomination of Panetta as defense secretary to replace the retiring Robert Gates. In June, the Senate confirmed Panetta unanimously and he assumed the office on July 1, 2011.[4][5] David Petraeus became CIA director on September 6, 2011.[6]

Since retiring as secretary of defense in 2013, Panetta has served as chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, located at California State University, Monterey Bay, a campus of the California State University that he helped establish during his tenure as congressman.[7] The institute is dedicated to motivating and preparing people for lives of public service and helping them to become more knowledgeably engaged in the democratic process. He also serves on a number of boards and commissions and frequently writes and lectures on public-policy issues.

Secretary Panetta's son, Jimmy Panetta, has held the elder Panetta's former seat in the US House of Representatives since 2017.

Early life, education, and military service

[edit]

Panetta was born in Monterey, California, the son of Carmelina Maria (Prochilo) and Carmelo Frank Panetta, Italian immigrants from Siderno in Calabria, Italy. In the 1940s, the Panetta family owned a restaurant in Monterey.[8]

He was raised in the Monterey area and attended two Catholic grammar schools: San Carlos School (Monterey) and Junípero Serra School (Carmel). He attended Monterey High School, where he became involved in student politics, and was a member of the Junior Statesmen of America.[9] As a junior, he was the vice president of the student body, and as a senior, he became its president.[10] In 1956, he entered Santa Clara University and graduated magna cum laude in 1960 with a BA in political science. In 1963, he received a Juris Doctor from the Santa Clara University School of Law.

In 1964, he joined the United States Army as a second lieutenant, served as an officer in the Army Military Intelligence Corps, and received the Army Commendation Medal.[11] In 1966, he was discharged as a first lieutenant.[12]

Political career

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Early political career

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Panetta started in politics in 1966 as a legislative assistant to Republican senator Thomas Kuchel, the Senate Minority whip from California, whom Panetta has called "a tremendous role model."[13]

In 1969, he became the assistant to Robert H. Finch, secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under the Nixon administration. Soon thereafter, he was appointed director of the Office for Civil Rights.[14]

Panetta chose to enforce civil rights and equal-education laws over the objection of Richard Nixon, who wanted enforcement to move slowly in keeping with his strategy to gain political support among Southern whites.[15] Robert Finch and assistant secretary John Veneman supported Panetta and refused to fire him, threatening to resign if forced to do so.[16] Eventually forced from office in 1970, Panetta left Washington to work as an executive assistant for John Lindsay, the mayor of New York City. Panetta wrote about his Nixon administration experience in his 1971 book Bring Us Together.[17]

He returned to Monterey to practice law at Panetta, Thompson & Panetta from 1971 to 1976.[18]

U.S. House of Representatives

[edit]

Elections

[edit]
1977 congressional portrait of Panetta

Panetta switched to the Democratic Party in 1971, citing his belief that the Republican Party was moving away from the political center.[19] In 1976, Panetta was elected to the U.S. Congress to represent California's 16th congressional district, unseating incumbent Republican Burt Talcott with 53% of the vote. He would never face another contest nearly that close, and was reelected eight times.[20][21][22]

Tenure

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During his time in Congress, Panetta concentrated mostly on budget issues, civil rights, education, healthcare, agriculture, immigration, and environmental protection, particularly preventing oil drilling off the California coast. He wrote the Hunger Prevention Act (Public Law 100–435) of 1988 and the Fair Employment Practices Resolution. He was the author of legislation establishing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary,[23] and legislation providing Medicare coverage for hospice care. Working with chancellor Barry Munitz, he helped establish California State University, Monterey Bay at the former Fort Ord military base.

He also attempted to form the Big Sur National Scenic Area with senator Alan Cranston.[24] The bill would have created a 700,000-acre (280,000-ha) scenic area administered by the U.S. Forest Service. It budgeted $100 million to buy land from private land owners, up to $30 million for easements and management programs, and created a state plan for a zone about 75 miles (121 km) long and 5 miles (8.0 km) wide along the Big Sur coast.

The bill was opposed by California senator S. I. Hayakawa, development interests, and Big Sur residents. Local residents mocked the plan as "Panetta's Pave 'n' Save" and raised a fund of more than $100,000 to lobby against the proposal.[25][26] The legislation was blocked by Hayakawa in the energy committee and did not reach a vote.[27][28][29]

Budget committee

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Panetta was a member of the House Committee on the Budget from 1979 to 1989, and its chairman from 1989 to 1993, Panetta played a key role in the 1990 budget summit.[30][31]

Committee assignments

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His positions included:

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

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Though elected to a ninth term in 1992, Panetta left the House in early 1993 after president-elect Bill Clinton selected him to serve as director of the United States Office of Management and Budget. In that role, he developed the budget package that would eventually result in the balanced budget of 1998.[citation needed]

White House chief of staff

[edit]
Panetta with President Bill Clinton and Anthony Lake in October 1994

In 1994, President Clinton became increasingly concerned about a lack of order and focus in the White House, an issue that stretched from foreign to domestic policy and political matters. Clinton, who had vowed to run a professional operation, asked Panetta to become his new chief of staff, replacing Mack McLarty. According to author Nigel Hamilton, "Panetta replaced McLarty for the rest of Clinton's first term—and the rest is history. To be a great leader, a modern president must have a great chief of staff—and in Leon Panetta, Clinton got the enforcer he deserved."[32] Panetta was appointed White House chief of staff on July 17, 1994, and he held that position until January 20, 1997. He was a key negotiator of the 1996 budget, which was another important step toward bringing the budget into balance.[33][34]

Director of the CIA

[edit]

Nomination

[edit]
President Barack Obama speaks to CIA employees at CIA Headquarters in Langley, April 20, 2009

On January 5, 2009, President-elect Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Panetta to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[2]

At the time of his selection, journalists and politicians raised concerns about Panetta's limited experience in intelligence, aside from his two-year service as a military intelligence officer in the 1960s. California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, expressed concerns that she was not consulted about the Panetta appointment and stated her belief that "the agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."[35]

Former CIA officer Ishmael Jones stated that Panetta was a wise choice, because of his close personal connection to the president and lack of exposure to the CIA bureaucracy.[36][37] Also, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius said that Panetta did have exposure to intelligence operations as director of the OMB and as chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, where he "sat in on the daily intelligence briefings as chief of staff, and he reviewed the nation's most secret intelligence-collection and covert-action programs in his previous post as director of the Office of Management and Budget".[38]

On February 12, 2009, Panetta was confirmed in the full Senate by voice vote.[39]

Tenure

[edit]
Panetta as director of the CIA

On February 19, 2009, Panetta was sworn in as director of the Central Intelligence Agency by vice president Joe Biden before an audience of CIA employees. Panetta reportedly received a "rock star welcome" from his new subordinates.[40]

As CIA director, Panetta traveled extensively to intelligence outposts around the world and worked with international leaders to confront threats of Islamic extremism and Taliban. In 2010, working with the Senate Intelligence Committee, he conducted a secret review of the use of torture by the CIA (euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation techniques") during the administration of George W. Bush. The review, which came to be known by 2014 as the Panetta Review, yielded a series of memoranda that, according to The New York Times, "cast a particularly harsh light" on the Bush-era interrogation program.[41] The Times noted: "The effort to write the exhaustive history of the C.I.A.’s detention operations was fraught from the beginning. President Obama officially ended the program during his first week in office in 2009. The intelligence committee announced its intention to take a hard look at the program, but there was little appetite inside the [Obama] White House to accede to the committee’s request for all classified C.I.A. cables related to it." The findings of the Panetta Review reportedly aligned with much of what the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture[41] found in its factual accounting. Both reports were largely seen as an effort in fact-finding and prevention, but not a governmental path towards some possible project of accountability or punishment for past interrogation or torture.

Panetta supported the Obama administration's campaign of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, which he identified as the "most effective weapon" against senior al-Qaeda leadership.[42][43] Drone strikes increased significantly under Panetta, with as many as fifty suspected al-Qaeda militants being killed in May 2009 alone.[44][45]

As director of the CIA, Panetta oversaw the hunt for terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, and played a key role in the operation in which bin Laden was killed on May 1, 2011.[46][47]

Secretary of defense (2011–2013)

[edit]

Nomination

[edit]
Panetta being sworn in as secretary of defense

On April 28, 2011, President Obama announced the nomination of Panetta as United States secretary of defense as a replacement for retiring Secretary Robert Gates. On June 21, 2011, the Senate confirmed Panetta in an unusual 100–0 vote.[48] He was inaugurated on July 1, 2011.

Tenure

[edit]

One of Panetta's first major acts as defense secretary was to jointly certify with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the military was prepared to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which triggered final repeal after 60 days.

In August 2011, Panetta publicly warned that deeper cuts in the defense budget risked hollowing out the military and would hamper Pentagon efforts to deal with rising powers such as China, North Korea, and Iran and he urged Congress not to go beyond the roughly $500 billion in defense cuts required over the next decade under the debt reduction bill signed by president Barack Obama. Working with military and civilian leaders at the Department of Defense, Panetta developed a new defense strategy.

Funding the United States military, in the face of tightening budget constraints, became an ongoing theme of Panetta's tenure. He also warned that future service members may see changes in retirement benefits, and that the military healthcare system may need reforms, to rein in costs, while also ensuring quality care.[49]

Panetta with Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Pentagon, April 11, 2012
Leon Panetta with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in Rome
Panetta being interviewed by Jake Tapper, May 2012

Another major issue during Panetta's tenure as defense secretary was the Obama administration's diplomatic effort to dissuade Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In January 2012, Panetta stated that nuclear weapons development was a "red line" that Iran would not be allowed to cross—and that the United States was keeping all options, including military ones, open to completely prevent it. He said that Iran would not be allowed to block the Straits of Hormuz.

In January 2013, shortly before his departure from the defense secretary post, Panetta announced that women would be allowed to enter all combat jobs in the military, citing an assessment phase in which "each branch of service will examine all its jobs and units not currently integrated and then produce a timetable for integrating them."[50]

Other activities

[edit]
Panetta giving his farewell speech to Europe at King's College London in January 2013[51]
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta gives the traditional Cambodian thank you from the steps of his aircraft before departing Siem Reap, Cambodia on 16 November 2012

Panetta and his wife Sylvia founded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy in December 1997 and served as co-directors there until 2009, when Panetta was appointed CIA director by Barack Obama while he was president. He has since returned to the institute in the role of chairman, while his wife serves as co-chair and CEO, supervising the institute's day-to-day operations. The institute is located at California State University, Monterey Bay, a campus Panetta was instrumental in creating on the site of the decommissioned Fort Ord Army base when he was a Congressman. Coincidentally, Panetta was stationed at Fort Ord in the 1960s during his service as an Army intelligence officer.

Panetta served on the board of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation, as a Distinguished Scholar to the Chancellor of California State University[52] and as a Presidential Professor at Santa Clara University. He was urged to consider running for Governor of California during the recall election in 2003 but declined in part because of the short time available to raise the necessary campaign funds.[53]

Panetta has long been an advocate for the world's oceans. In addition to introducing legislation and winning passage of ocean protections measures such as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary during his time in Congress,[52][54][55] he was named chairman in 2003 of the Pew Oceans Commission, which in 2005 combined with the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy to establish the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. Panetta now cochairs the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative with Admiral James D. Watkins[56] and continues to serve as a commission member. Panetta also serves as an advocate and information source for other ocean organizations, including the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation[57] and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.[58]

In 2006, Panetta was part of the presidentially-appointed Iraq Study Group, or Baker Commission, which studied potential changes in U.S. policy in Iraq.[59][60]

Panetta speaks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, July 27, 2016
Panetta with Defense Secretary Mark Esper on December 7, 2019

In 2014, Panetta published his memoir Worthy Fights, in which he recounted his long career in public service. While overwhelmingly positive in his assessment of the Obama presidency, Panetta aired some disagreements in the book with the President's policies in Syria and Iraq. Panetta said: "By failing to persuade Iraq's leader to allow a continuing force of US troops, the commander in chief "created a vacuum . . . and it's out of that vacuum that ISIS began to breed."[61]

He regularly obtains fees for speaking engagements, including from the Carlyle Group.[62] He is also a supporter of Booz Allen Hamilton.[63][64]

Later career (2013–present)

[edit]

Panetta was a speaker on the third day of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in which Hillary Clinton was nominated to run as the Democratic candidate in the presidential election that year. His speech was booed by antiwar supporters of Bernie Sanders who protested his war record.[65]

Panetta told CBS News that Congress releasing the Nunes Memo, which purported to provide intelligence about the open Russia probe, could cause damage to national security.[66]

Panetta serves as an advisor to the COVID-19 Technology Task Force, a technology industry coalition founded in March 2020 collaborating on solutions to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.[67]

In October 2020, Panetta and a group of 50 other former senior intelligence officials signed a letter stating the Hunter Biden laptop controversy had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian disinformation operation" because it contained potentially damaging information to the Biden campaign.[68] However, in 2022, several media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, confirmed the laptop's authenticity.[69]

Panetta compared the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021 to the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba in 1961, saying that "President Kennedy took responsibility for what took place. I strongly recommend to President Biden that he take responsibility . . . admit the mistakes that were made."[70]

Panetta, one of ten living former secretaries of defense, published a Washington Post op-ed piece in January 2021 telling President Trump not to involve the military in determining the outcome of the 2020 elections.[71]

In October 2022, Panetta joined the Council for Responsible Social Media project launched by Issue One to address the negative mental, civic, and public health impacts of social media in the United States, cochaired by former House Democratic Caucus leader Dick Gephardt and former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey.[72][73]

In August 2024, Panetta was a speaker on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention.[74][75]

In September 2024, Panetta referred to Israel's pager attack in Lebanon as an act of terrorism.[76]

Responsibilities

[edit]

Panetta has held positions within a number of institutions and corporations, including:

In June 2002, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops appointed Panetta to their National Review Board,[88] which was created to look into the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal. This created controversy because of Panetta's pro-choice stance on abortion and other views seen as conflicting with those of the church.

Panetta is also a member of the Partnership for a Secure America's bipartisan advisory board. The Partnership is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that promotes bipartisan solutions to national security and foreign policy issues.

Panetta serves on the Advisory Board of the Committee to Investigate Russia.[90]

Personal life

[edit]

Panetta is married to Sylvia Marie Varni, who administered his home district offices during his terms in Congress.[91][92] They live on his family's 12-acre (4.9 ha) walnut farm in Carmel Valley, California. They have three sons and six grandchildren.[23] In 2016, their third son, Jimmy Panetta, a former Monterey County Deputy District Attorney, won election to his father's old congressional seat, now numbered as the 19th District.

Awards

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Books

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  • Panetta, Leon (2014). Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace. Penguin Press HC. ISBN 978-1594205965.

References

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  1. ^ "PANETTA, Leon Edward". History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Leon Panetta Tapped to Head CIA, Prompting Criticism From Lawmakers". Fox News. January 5, 2009.
  3. ^ "Obama names Panetta for CIA". Associated Press. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  4. ^ "Leon E. Panetta - Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense - Historical Office.
  5. ^ "Obama bids farewell to defense secretary". NBC News. June 30, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Quemener, Tangi (September 6, 2011). "Petraeus sworn in as new CIA chief". Agence France-Presse. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  7. ^ "The Panetta Institute for Public Policy |". panettainstitute.org. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  8. ^ Moritz, Charles (December 31, 1993). Current Biography Yearbook - 1993. H. W. Wilson Company. ISBN 9780824201289. Retrieved December 2, 2016 – via Amazon.com.
  9. ^ "Hon. Leon Panetta Appointed CIA Director". Alumni. JSA and the Junior Statesmen Foundation. May 21, 2009. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  10. ^ Profile of Leon Panetta Archived March 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Santa Clara University Law School, accessed April 28, 2011
  11. ^ "Message to the Department of Defense from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  12. ^ Biography, Leon Panetta, News Hour, Public Broadcasting Service, accessed April 28, 2011
  13. ^ "Conversation with Leon Panetta" Archived September 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, p. 2
  14. ^ Gizzi, John (April 28, 2011), "Leon Panetta: Bipartisan in Spirit but a Liberal at Heart", Human Events
  15. ^ Waters, Michelle. "Leon Panetta '60, JD '63 spoke with POLITICO about Trump's foreign policy regarding North Korea". Santa Clara Law.
  16. ^ "The Victoria Advocate - Google News Archive Search". Google News.
  17. ^ Gall, Peter; E, Panetta, Leon (1971). Bring us together: the Nixon team and the civil rights retreat ([1st ed.] ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ Study group member profile, Leon Panetta, published by Iraq Study Group, accessed April 28, 2011
  19. ^ "Leon Panetta B.S. '60, J.D. '63". Lawyers Who Lead. Santa Clara University School of Law. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  20. ^ Opinion column, Democrats See Potential Gains, by Matt Pinkus, Congressional Quarterly, published in Eugene Register-Guard, August 23, 1976
  21. ^ Newspaper article, Democrats in Congress Keep Old Seats, Take 1 From GOP Archived January 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times, November 4, 1976
  22. ^ Newspaper article, State Democrats Gain By One Seat In Congress, by Associated Press, published in Modesto Bee, November 4, 1976
  23. ^ a b "Hon. Leon E. Panetta". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-27., U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
  24. ^ Resources, United States Congress Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Parks, Recreation, and Renewable (March 23, 1980). "The Big Sur Coast National Scenic Area Act: hearing before the Subcommittee on Parks, Recreation, and Renewable Resources of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session, on S. 2551 ... April 24, 1980". U.S. G.P.O. – via Google Books.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Lindsey, Robert; Times, Special to the New York (1986). "Plan for Big Sur Severely Restricts Development". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  26. ^ Sinclair, Ward (October 15, 1980). "Big Sur Coastline Caught Up in a Riptide on Potomac". Washington Post. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  27. ^ Turnage, Robert (March 4, 1980). "Ansel Adams - The Role of the Artist in the Environmental Movement". Ansel Adams Gallery. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  28. ^ Stammer, LARRY B. (March 6, 1986). "Bill Proposed to Ban New Development in Big Sur Area". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  29. ^ "County Local Coastal Plan Lacks Funds" (PDF). February 27, 1980. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  30. ^ "Budget Summit Opens", by Tom Raum, Associated Press, published in Hendersonville Times-News, May 16, 1990
  31. ^ "As Budget Chief, Panetta May Be Frugal Deficit Foe", Christian Science Monitor, December 11, 1992
  32. ^ Hamilton, Nigel (2007). Bill Clinton: Mastering the Presidency. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-516-0.
  33. ^ Newspaper column, Clinton Is Winning On Balanced Budget, by Morton Kondracke, Pomeroy-Middleton Daily Sentinel, January 23, 1996
  34. ^ Newspaper article, Flexibility Shown in Budget Talks, by Associated Press, published in Williamson Daily News, September 17, 1996
  35. ^ "Dianne Feinstein Not Too Pleased With Panetta Pick « The Washington Independent". Washingtonindependent.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  36. ^ "JONES: Where loyalty is vital". The Washington Times. January 8, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  37. ^ "Panetta a 'Brave' Choice, Says Former CIA Agent – The Corner – National Review Online". Corner.nationalreview.com. January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  38. ^ Ignatius, David (January 7, 2009). "A Surprise for Langley". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  39. ^ "Senate confirms Panetta as CIA director". Associated Press. February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.[dead link]
  40. ^ "Leon Panetta Gets a Rock Star Welcome at CIA Headquarters". The Wall Street Journal. February 19, 2009.
  41. ^ a b Mazzetti, Mark (March 7, 2014). "Behind Clash Between C.I.A. and Congress, a Secret Report on Interrogations". The New York Times.
  42. ^ "CIA Pakistan Campaign Is Working, Director Says", Mark Mazzetti and Helene Cooper, New York Times, February 26, 2009, A15
  43. ^ Gerstein, Josh. "CIA Director Panetta Warns Against Politicization". NBC New York. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  44. ^ "25 Militants Are Killed In Attack In Pakistan". The New York Times. May 17, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  45. ^ "Drone Wars Pakistan: Analysis". New America Foundation.
  46. ^ Leon E. Panetta & Jeremy Bash, The Former Head of the CIA on Managing the Hunt for Bin Laden, Harvard Business Review (May 2, 2016).
  47. ^ "Leon Panetta Biography and Interview". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  48. ^ "U.S. Senate Periodical Press Gallery". Senate.gov. Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  49. ^ Pincus, Walter (October 10, 2011). "On Pentagon budget matters, telling it like it is". The Washington Post.
  50. ^ "Military to open combat jobs to women" Archived March 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. CNN.
  51. ^ Leon Panetta calls for 'relentless pressure on al-Qaida', The Guardian, January 18, 2013
  52. ^ a b "Panetta Institute – Leon Panetta – retrieved 11/22/2008". Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.
  53. ^ Newspaper article, Panetta Doesn't Seek Governorship, San Jose Mercury News, July 20, 2003
  54. ^ "Joint Ocean Commission Initiative – Panetta bio". Jointoceancommission.org. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  55. ^ "HON. LEON E. PANETTA | Ocean Leadership". July 5, 2008. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008.
  56. ^ "Watkins bio". Jointoceancommission.org. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  57. ^ National Marine Sanctuary Foundation – Leon Panetta Archived August 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  58. ^ "Stanford University, Monterey Bay Aquarium launch center to save oceans". News.mongabay.com. January 9, 2008. Archived from the original on January 16, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  59. ^ Television news report transcript, Iraq Survey Group Report Released, by Kim Landers, the World Today, ABC (Australia), December 7, 2006
  60. ^ Newspaper article, Iraq Study Group to Present Report to Bush, by Brian Knowlton, New York Times, December 3, 2006
  61. ^ "Former CIA Director: Obama ‘lost his way’ on national security". New York Post. October 7, 2014.
  62. ^ "Panetta, Obama Choice for C.I.A. Chief, Discloses Finances", Mark Mazzetti. New York Times. February 4, 2009. Retrieved 5 feb 2017
  63. ^ "Pearl Harbor Offers Lessons for Today's Cyber Security Challenges", Mike McConnell. Booz Allen Hamilton. June 26, 2012. Retrieved 5 feb 2017
  64. ^ "SHELL GAME: A Military Whistleblowing Report to the U.S. Congress Exposing the Betrayal and Cover-Up by the U.S. Government of the Union Bank of Switzerland-Terrorist Threat Finance Connection to Booz Allen Hamilton and U.S. Central Command", 2LT Scott Bennett 11th Psychological Operations Battalion. p. 77. Retrieved 5 feb 2017
  65. ^ "Leon Panetta scorches Trump at DNC, as crowd boos and chants, 'No more war!'". Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  66. ^ "Transcript: Former CIA Director Leon Panetta discusses GOP memo release". CBS News. February 2, 2018.
  67. ^ Jacox, Madi (February 12, 2021). "Leadership". COVID-19 Technology Task Force. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  68. ^ "Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say". October 19, 2020.
  69. ^ "The New York Times's 'Late Breaking News' on Hunter Biden". March 24, 2022.
  70. ^ "Leon Panetta compares fall of Afghanistan to Bay of Pigs". The Hill. August 16, 2021.
  71. ^ "All 10 living former defense secretaries: Involving the military in election disputes would cross into dangerous territory". The Washington Post. January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  72. ^ Feiner, Lauren (October 12, 2022). "Facebook whistleblower, former defense and intel officials form group to fix social media". CNBC. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  73. ^ "Council for Responsible Social Media". Issue One. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  74. ^ "Here's the schedule for the DNC's fourth and final night leading up to Harris' acceptance speech". AP News. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  75. ^ Wetli, Patty (August 22, 2024). "Thursday DNC Speaker List: Kamala Harris Takes Center Stage, Pink and the Chicks to Perform". Archived from the original on August 23, 2024.
  76. ^ Fields, Ashleigh (September 23, 2024). "Ex-CIA chief: Pager blasts in Lebanon are 'terrorism'". The Hill. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
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Further reading

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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 16th congressional district

1977–1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 17th congressional district

1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the House Budget Committee
1989–1993
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Director of the Office of Management and Budget
1993–1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by White House Chief of Staff
1994–1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Secretary of Defense
2011–2013
Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
2009–2011
Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Cabinet Member Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Cabinet Member
Succeeded byas Former US Cabinet Member