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{{Infobox Non-profit {{Infobox organization
| Non-profit_name = The Intelligence Summit | name = The Intelligence Summit
| Non-profit_logo = ] | logo = Summit-logo.jpg
| type = Political, Inellligence, International Security, Cryptology
| Non-profit_type = Political
| founded_date = 2006 | founded_date = 2006
| founder = ] | founder = ]
Chairman's name withheld for security reasons
| location = Washington, DC | location = Washington, DC
| origins = | origins =
| key_people = ], ] | key_people = ], ]
| area_served = ] | area_served = ]
| focus = ] | focus = ]
Line 18: Line 19:
| owner = | owner =
| Non-profit_slogan = | Non-profit_slogan =
| homepage = {{url|www.intelligencesummit.org}} | homepage = via ]
| dissolved = | dissolved =
| footnotes = | footnotes =
}} }}


'''The Intelligence Summit''' is an annual ] run principally by ] and funded an organization he controls, the Intelligence and Homeland Security Educational Center (IHEC).. The stated purpose of these regular meetings is "to provide an opportunity for the international intelligence community to listen to and learn from each other, and to share ideas in the common war against terrorism." '''The Intelligence Summit''' is an annual ] run principally by ] and funded by an organization he controls, the Intelligence and Homeland Security Educational Center (IHEC). The stated purpose of these regular meetings is "to provide an opportunity for the international intelligence community to listen to and learn from each other, and to share ideas in the common war against terrorism."


==Organization== ==Organization==
According to the Intelligence Summit's website, the meetings are run by organizers (Robert Katz and ]) and an Advisory Council, which includes or included in the past "two former heads of ], the head of British Joint Intelligence, senior officials of the ], the former Director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism, the former director of the Indian Counter Intelligence Service, generals of the US Army and Air Force intelligence services, and academic experts". Among the Advisory Council members are the author and consultant ], ] expert ], and retired general and ] military analyst ]. According to the Intelligence Summit's website, the meetings are run by organizers (Robert Katz and ]) and an Advisory Council, which includes or included in the past "two former heads of ], the head of British Joint Intelligence, senior officials of the ], the former Director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism, the former director of the Indian Counter Intelligence Service, generals of the US Army and Air Force intelligence services, and academic experts". Among the Advisory Council members are the author and consultant ], ] expert ], and retired generals and ] military analysts ] and Tom McInerney.


===Funding=== ===Funding===
Ron Jacobs notes that the primary sponsor of the conference, ], "is the subject of controversy and is currently denied entry into the United States because of his indictment on various charges in Russia and Israel." Jacobs points out that "Cherney is well-known among supporters of Israel and has contributed millions of dollars to various organizations on the right end of Israel's political spectrum, as well as several thousands to the US Republican Party."<ref></ref> {{dead link}} The ''St. Petersburg Times'' confirms that Cherney is the main contributor to the Summit and notes that "the United States has denied Cherney a visa since 1999 because of alleged ties to the Russian mafia." Loftus counters that Cherney "was framed by Negroponte."<ref name=spt>Meg Laughlin, "Intelligence conference draws criticism," ''St. Petersburg Times'' (6 March 2007) p. 1A.</ref> Ron Jacobs notes that the primary sponsor of the conference, ], "is the subject of controversy and is currently denied entry into the United States because of his indictment on various charges in ] and ]." Jacobs points out that "Cherney is well-known among supporters of Israel and has contributed millions of dollars to various organizations on the right end of Israel's political spectrum, as well as several thousands to the ]."<ref>Ron Jacobs, </ref> '']'' confirms that Cherney is the main contributor to the Summit and notes that "the United States has denied Cherney a visa since 1999 because of alleged ties to the Russian mafia." Cherney was listed for organized crime and money laundering on the ] ] of wanted persons.<ref>{{cite news |author=Olga Viniar |title=Michael Cherney wanted by Interpol |publisher=] |place=Rishon Lezion, Israel |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3835491,00.html |date=January 18, 2010 |access-date=February 4, 2023}}</ref><ref name="interpol">{{cite web |title=Interpol Red List Entry for Michael Cherney |url=http://www.interpol.int/Wanted-Persons/%28wanted_id%29/2009-21842 |access-date=February 4, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214040717/http://www.interpol.int/public/data/wanted/notices/data/2009/42/2009_21842.asp |archive-date=December 14, 2009}}</ref> Loftus counters that Cherney "was framed by Negroponte."<ref name=spt>Meg Laughlin, , '']'' (6 March 2007) p. 1A.</ref>


===Controversies=== ===Controversies===
John Loftus has come under fire from former representatives of the ], who are concerned about him using the organization's tax-exempt status improperly to promote his intelligence activities. The ''St. Petersburg Times'' noted that "Walter Loebenberg, who founded the Holocaust education center and approved of turning the name over to Loftus in 2005 because of his high regard for him, says that he knew Loftus was doing intelligence work at the time. 'But ... we agreed he would change the name if he did his intelligence work under the name of the Holocaust education center. It has gone farther than we expected,' said Loebenberg. 'We never would have organized or sponsored an intelligence conference.'" An IRS spokesperson explained the impropriety: "If a tax-exempt charitable organization changes the name, the purpose or the structure, it must let IRS know by corresponding with us. And, it must remain neutral and nonpartisan."<ref name=spt>Meg Laughlin, "Intelligence conference draws criticism," ''St. Petersburg Times'' (6 March 2007) p. 1A.</ref> John Loftus has come under fire from former representatives of the ], who are concerned about him using the organization's ] improperly to promote his intelligence activities. The '']'' noted that "Walter Loebenberg, who founded the Holocaust Education Center and approved of turning the name over to Loftus in 2005 because of his high regard for him, says that he knew Loftus was doing intelligence work at the time. 'But ... we agreed he would change the name if he did his intelligence work under the name of the Holocaust Education Center. It has gone farther than we expected,' said Loebenberg. 'We never would have organized or sponsored an intelligence conference.'" An ] spokesperson explained the impropriety: "If a tax-exempt charitable organization changes the name, the purpose or the structure, it must let IRS know by corresponding with us. And, it must remain neutral and nonpartisan."<ref name="spt"/>


Loftus has also been criticized for listing sponsors of the Summit who never consented to being so listed, including ] and ] board member Bruce Epstein.<ref name=spt></ref> Loftus has also been criticized for listing sponsors of the Summit who never consented to being so listed, including ] and ] board member Bruce Epstein.<ref name="spt" />


==Objectives== ==Objectives==
The Intelligence Summit's emphasis is upon terrorism- and jihad-related issues<ref> - '' March 26, 2007, India Cause''</ref>; former ] terrorist and author ] is on the Summit's Advisory Council. Ahmed Bedier of the ] noted of Hamid's participation in the Summit, "The Intelligence Summit is a group of neoconservatives and private intelligence agencies that are benefiting from the war on terrorism. And opportunists like Hamid and others at this event are bashing and cashing and making money from it."<ref>Glenn Beck, "Moderate Muslims Speak out Against Extremism," ''CNN'' (5 March 2007).</ref> Legal analyst ] said, "This is not a mainstream conference with recognized names in the field. I've been in the intelligence and terrorism world a long time, and I would not suggest going to this conference for intelligence or terrorism information."<ref name=spt>Meg Laughlin, "Intelligence conference draws criticism," ''St. Petersburg Times'' (6 March 2007) p. 1A.</ref> The Intelligence Summit's emphasis is upon ] and ] related issues;<ref>{{cite news |author=Narain Kataria |title=Intelligence Summit Discusses Jihad in India |work=India Cause |date=March 26, 2007 |url=http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_070326.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031082828/http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_070326.htm |archive-date=October 31, 2007}} </ref> former ] terrorist and author ] is on the Summit's Advisory Council. ] of the ] noted of Hamid's participation in the Summit, "The Intelligence Summit is a group of neoconservatives and private intelligence agencies that are benefiting from the war on terrorism. And opportunists like Hamid and others at this event are bashing and cashing and making money from it."<ref>], , '']'' (5 March 2007).</ref> Legal analyst ] said, "This is not a mainstream conference with recognized names in the field. I've been in the intelligence and terrorism world a long time, and I would not suggest going to this conference for intelligence or terrorism information."<ref name="spt"/>


==2006 Intelligence Summmit== ==2006 Intelligence Summit==
The Intelligence Summit gained prominence in February 2006<ref> - ''CNN, February 19, 2006''</ref>, when a conference speaker, former US Deputy Undersecretary of ] ], asserted that ] had helped ] ] his ]s; he also claimed that the ] and ] had interfered with his investigations. Shaw's accusations became part of the controversy surrounding the ].<ref> - ''St. Petersburg Times, March 6, 2007''</ref> <ref> - ''Jamie Glazov, FrontPageMagazine.com, May 29, 2006''</ref> <ref> - ''Newsmax, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006''</ref> The ] Administration purportedly ordered government personnel not to associate with The Intelligence Summit or attend its conferences; the ''New York Sun'' reported, "(B)oth ] and ] abruptly left their positions at Intelligence Summit, according to its president, John Loftus, who said their departure is part of a campaign by the directorate of national intelligence to punish him for releasing the recordings...."<ref> - ''The New York Sun, February 16, 2006''</ref> Woolsey denied that there had been any pressure to withdraw, stating that "If Loftus is saying that anyone pressured me about this issue he is quite wrong."<ref>Shaun Waterman, "Intel summit overshadowed by fund concern," ''UPI'' (18 February 2006).</ref> ] reported that Deutch and Woolsey resigned from the Board after learning that the conference's primary sponsor was ], who "has been investigated or blacklisted on suspicion of money laundering, illegal business deals and connections to the Russian mafia by half a dozen European countries and barred from entry by the U.S. authorities."<ref>Sergei Markov, "Outside View: Fearing oligarchs -- Part 2," ''UPI'' (3 May 2007).</ref> The Intelligence Summit gained prominence in February 2006,<ref>] ''et al.'', - '']'', February 19, 2006</ref> when a conference speaker, former US Deputy Undersecretary of ] ], asserted that ] had helped ] ] his ]s; he also claimed that the ] and ] had interfered with his investigations. Shaw's accusations became part of the controversy surrounding the ].<ref name="spt"/> Shaw had been fired from the ] in 2004 in the wake of an FBI corruption probe allegedly tied to false accusations being used to manipulate contract awards in Iraq.<ref name="latimes">], , '']'', 11 December 2004.</ref> Numerous examples of Shaw's claims were public, including placing stories in the Financial Times<ref name="bloodmoney">{{cite book |author=] |title= Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq |place=New York |publisher=] |date=2007 |page=63 |isbn=978-0316166287}}</ref> and Washington Times,<ref name="mediamatter">Andrew Seifter, , ], 29 October 2004.</ref> an "official" DoD Report that Shaw produced without authorization<ref name="latimes" /><ref name="unauthorized">], , '']'', 7 July 2004.</ref> and an official DoD press release that was subsequently withdrawn,<ref name="Grassley">], , 27 July 2005.</ref> allegedly with the intent to damage specific competitors and help his "friends" bidding for reconstruction contracts in Iraq.<ref name="latimes" /> Shaw made these statements in the face of several official investigations to the contrary, most notably the ] of the ] led by ] published on 30 September 2004.<ref name="BBCNoWmd">, ], 7 October 2004.</ref>

Shortly after the 2006 event, the ] Administration purportedly ordered government personnel not to associate with The Intelligence Summit or attend its conferences; '']'' reported, "(B)oth ] and ] abruptly left their positions at Intelligence Summit, according to its president, John Loftus, who said their departure is part of a campaign by the ] to punish him for releasing the recordings ]]...."<ref>{{cite news |author=] |title=Furor Erupts Over Recordings of Saddam |url=http://www.nysun.com/article/27684 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060226040641/https://www.nysun.com/article/27684 |date=February 16, 2006 |archive-date=February 26, 2006 |work=]}}</ref> Woolsey denied that there had been any pressure to withdraw, stating that "If Loftus is saying that anyone pressured me about this issue he is quite wrong."<ref>Shaun Waterman, , '']'', 18 February 2006.</ref> ] reported that Deutch and Woolsey resigned from the Board after learning that the conference's primary sponsor was ], who "has been investigated or blacklisted on suspicion of money laundering, illegal business deals and connections to the Russian mafia by half a dozen European countries and barred from entry by the U.S. authorities"<ref>], '']'', 3 May 2007.</ref>


==2007 Intelligence Summit== ==2007 Intelligence Summit==
UPI reported of the 2007 conference that "most, if not all panelists seemed to be preaching to the choir. The conference, at times, had an air of a reunion of good ol' boys; all in sync with the program, rather than a group of very serious professionals out to warn the free world of the dangers facing democracies.... Many would rather 'not waste time' talking with governments they say will never keep its word. Instead, they would prefer to simply 'kick butt,' as one speaker put it, and making realistic plans to enable regime change in Syria and Iran through assassinations and intimidation. His comments were received with applause and cheers from the audience."<ref> Claude Salhani UPI (8 March 2007).</ref> The 2007 summit was organized with the ], which was held simultaneously with the Intelligence Summit.<ref name=kuna>{{cite news |publisher=] |date=Feb 2007 |url=http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1714231&language=en |title=First 'Secular Islam Summit' to convene early next month in Florida |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203082755/http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1714231&language=en |url-status=live |archivedate=2014-02-03}}</ref> ] reported of the 2007 conference that "most, if not all panelists seemed to be preaching to the choir. The conference, at times, had an air of a reunion of good ol' boys; all in sync with the program, rather than a group of very serious professionals out to warn the free world of the dangers facing democracies.... Many would rather 'not waste time' talking with a government they say will never keep its word. Instead, they would prefer to simply 'kick butt,' as one speaker put it, and making realistic plans to enable ] in ] and ] through assassinations and intimidation. His comments were received with applause and cheers from the audience."<ref>
{{cite news
| first = Claude
| last = Salhani
| author-link = Claude Salhani
| title = Intelligence Summit Takes Flak
| publisher = United Press International
| url = http://www.spacewar.com/news/iran-05zzzzzzzo.html
| date = 9 March 2007
| access-date = 19 August 2022}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
Line 54: Line 66:


==External links== ==External links==
* * via ]
* by Patrick Radden Keefe ] * by Patrick Radden Keefe. '']'', February 13, 2005.


{{DEFAULTSORT:Intelligence Summit}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Intelligence Summit}}
{{morecat|date=June 2024}}
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Latest revision as of 20:45, 27 December 2024

The Intelligence Summit
Founded2006
FounderJohn Loftus Chairman's name withheld for security reasons
TypePolitical, Inellligence, International Security, Cryptology
Focusterrorism
Location
  • Washington, DC
Area served United States
Methodconferences
Key peopleJohn Loftus, Michael Cherney
Revenueprivate donations (primarily from Michael Cherney)
Websitewww.intelligencesummit.org via Archive.org

The Intelligence Summit is an annual conference run principally by John Loftus and funded by an organization he controls, the Intelligence and Homeland Security Educational Center (IHEC). The stated purpose of these regular meetings is "to provide an opportunity for the international intelligence community to listen to and learn from each other, and to share ideas in the common war against terrorism."

Organization

According to the Intelligence Summit's website, the meetings are run by organizers (Robert Katz and John Loftus) and an Advisory Council, which includes or included in the past "two former heads of CIA, the head of British Joint Intelligence, senior officials of the Mossad, the former Director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism, the former director of the Indian Counter Intelligence Service, generals of the US Army and Air Force intelligence services, and academic experts". Among the Advisory Council members are the author and consultant Yossef Bodansky, special operations expert Richard Marcinko, and retired generals and Fox News military analysts Paul E. Vallely and Tom McInerney.

Funding

Ron Jacobs notes that the primary sponsor of the conference, Michael Cherney, "is the subject of controversy and is currently denied entry into the United States because of his indictment on various charges in Russia and Israel." Jacobs points out that "Cherney is well-known among supporters of Israel and has contributed millions of dollars to various organizations on the right end of Israel's political spectrum, as well as several thousands to the US Republican Party." St. Petersburg Times confirms that Cherney is the main contributor to the Summit and notes that "the United States has denied Cherney a visa since 1999 because of alleged ties to the Russian mafia." Cherney was listed for organized crime and money laundering on the Interpol Red List of wanted persons. Loftus counters that Cherney "was framed by Negroponte."

Controversies

John Loftus has come under fire from former representatives of the International Holocaust Education Center, who are concerned about him using the organization's tax-exempt status improperly to promote his intelligence activities. The St. Petersburg Times noted that "Walter Loebenberg, who founded the Holocaust Education Center and approved of turning the name over to Loftus in 2005 because of his high regard for him, says that he knew Loftus was doing intelligence work at the time. 'But ... we agreed he would change the name if he did his intelligence work under the name of the Holocaust Education Center. It has gone farther than we expected,' said Loebenberg. 'We never would have organized or sponsored an intelligence conference.'" An Internal Revenue Service spokesperson explained the impropriety: "If a tax-exempt charitable organization changes the name, the purpose or the structure, it must let IRS know by corresponding with us. And, it must remain neutral and nonpartisan."

Loftus has also been criticized for listing sponsors of the Summit who never consented to being so listed, including Konica Minolta and Florida Holocaust Museum board member Bruce Epstein.

Objectives

The Intelligence Summit's emphasis is upon terrorism and jihad related issues; former Jamaa Islamia terrorist and author Tawfik Hamid is on the Summit's Advisory Council. Ahmed Bedier of the Council on American-Islamic Relations noted of Hamid's participation in the Summit, "The Intelligence Summit is a group of neoconservatives and private intelligence agencies that are benefiting from the war on terrorism. And opportunists like Hamid and others at this event are bashing and cashing and making money from it." Legal analyst Victoria Toensing said, "This is not a mainstream conference with recognized names in the field. I've been in the intelligence and terrorism world a long time, and I would not suggest going to this conference for intelligence or terrorism information."

2006 Intelligence Summit

The Intelligence Summit gained prominence in February 2006, when a conference speaker, former US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense John A. Shaw, asserted that Russia had helped Saddam Hussein smuggle out his WMDs; he also claimed that the DIA and CIA had interfered with his investigations. Shaw's accusations became part of the controversy surrounding the Iraq War. Shaw had been fired from the Department of Defense in 2004 in the wake of an FBI corruption probe allegedly tied to false accusations being used to manipulate contract awards in Iraq. Numerous examples of Shaw's claims were public, including placing stories in the Financial Times and Washington Times, an "official" DoD Report that Shaw produced without authorization and an official DoD press release that was subsequently withdrawn, allegedly with the intent to damage specific competitors and help his "friends" bidding for reconstruction contracts in Iraq. Shaw made these statements in the face of several official investigations to the contrary, most notably the Report of the Iraq Study Group led by Charles Duelfer published on 30 September 2004.

Shortly after the 2006 event, the Bush Administration purportedly ordered government personnel not to associate with The Intelligence Summit or attend its conferences; The New York Sun reported, "(B)oth John Deutch and James Woolsey abruptly left their positions at Intelligence Summit, according to its president, John Loftus, who said their departure is part of a campaign by the Directorate of National Intelligence to punish him for releasing the recordings ...." Woolsey denied that there had been any pressure to withdraw, stating that "If Loftus is saying that anyone pressured me about this issue he is quite wrong." UPI reported that Deutch and Woolsey resigned from the Board after learning that the conference's primary sponsor was Michael Cherney, who "has been investigated or blacklisted on suspicion of money laundering, illegal business deals and connections to the Russian mafia by half a dozen European countries and barred from entry by the U.S. authorities"

2007 Intelligence Summit

The 2007 summit was organized with the Secular Islam Summit, which was held simultaneously with the Intelligence Summit. UPI reported of the 2007 conference that "most, if not all panelists seemed to be preaching to the choir. The conference, at times, had an air of a reunion of good ol' boys; all in sync with the program, rather than a group of very serious professionals out to warn the free world of the dangers facing democracies.... Many would rather 'not waste time' talking with a government they say will never keep its word. Instead, they would prefer to simply 'kick butt,' as one speaker put it, and making realistic plans to enable regime change in Syria and Iran through assassinations and intimidation. His comments were received with applause and cheers from the audience."

See also

References

  1. Ron Jacobs, "Kenneth Timmerman's Iranian 'Democracy' and the 'Intelligence' Summit"
  2. Olga Viniar (January 18, 2010). "Michael Cherney wanted by Interpol". Rishon Lezion, Israel: Ynetnews. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  3. "Interpol Red List Entry for Michael Cherney". Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  4. ^ Meg Laughlin, "Intelligence conference draws criticism", St. Petersburg Times (6 March 2007) p. 1A.
  5. Narain Kataria (March 26, 2007). "Intelligence Summit Discusses Jihad in India". India Cause. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Alt URL
  6. Glenn Beck, "Moderate Muslims Speak out Against Extremism", CNN (5 March 2007).
  7. David Ensor et al.,"On tape, Hussein talks of WMDs" - CNN, February 19, 2006
  8. ^ T. Christian Miller, "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation", Los Angeles Times, 11 December 2004.
  9. T. Christian Miller (2007). Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq. New York: Little, Brown and Company. p. 63. ISBN 978-0316166287.
  10. Andrew Seifter, "Conservative pundits forwarded discredited Wash. Times article blaming Russians for missing explosives in Iraq", Media Matters, 29 October 2004.
  11. T. Christian Miller, "Pentagon Deputy's Probes in Iraq Weren't Authorized, Officials Say", Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2004.
  12. Senator Charles E. Grassley, Letter to Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld concerning false press release, 27 July 2005.
  13. "Report concludes no WMD in Iraq", BBC News, 7 October 2004.
  14. Eli Lake (February 16, 2006). "Furor Erupts Over Recordings of Saddam". The New York Sun. Archived from the original on February 26, 2006.
  15. Shaun Waterman, "Intel summit overshadowed by fund concern", UPI, 18 February 2006.
  16. Sergei Markov, "Outside View: Fearing oligarchs — Part 2," UPI, 3 May 2007.
  17. "First 'Secular Islam Summit' to convene early next month in Florida". Kuwait News Agency. Feb 2007. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03.
  18. Salhani, Claude (9 March 2007). "Intelligence Summit Takes Flak". United Press International. Retrieved 19 August 2022.

External links


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