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Frances Townsend

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This article is about the U.S. Homeland Security advisor. For the old-age pension advocate, see Francis Townsend.
Frances Townsend
3rd United States Homeland Security Advisor
In office
2004–2007
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJohn A. Gordon
Succeeded byKenneth L. Wainstein
Personal details
Born
Frances M. Fragos

(1961-12-28) December 28, 1961 (age 62)
Mineola, New York, United States
SpouseJohn Townsend
Alma materAmerican University
University of San Diego

Frances M. Fragos Townsend (born December 28, 1961) is the former Homeland Security Advisor to United States President George W. Bush and TV personality. Townsend was appointed to this position by President Bush on May 28, 2004. Her resignation was announced November 19, 2007. She chaired the Homeland Security Council and reported to the President on homeland security policy and counterterrorism policy. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism. She is now a CNN contributor.

Biography

Personal life

Frances M. Fragos was born in Mineola, New York, the daughter of a Greek American father who was a roofer and an Irish American mother who was an office manager for a construction company. Raised in Wantagh, Long Island, Townsend was the first in her family to finish high school. Her parents were determined that their only child should receive a college education, but could not afford to send her to school. Townsend saved money by accelerating her course load, waiting tables and working as a dormitory adviser. She graduated cum laude from the American University in 1982 where she received a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Psychology. In 1984, she received her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, and in 1986, attended the Institute on International and Comparative Law in London, England. In 1994, she married lawyer John Townsend; the couple have two sons, ages 14 and 8 years old.

Career

Townsend began her prosecutorial career in 1985, serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. In 1988, she joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

In 1991, she worked in the Office of the Attorney General to assist in establishing the newly created Office of International Programs, the predecessor to the Executive Office for National Security. In December 1993, she joined the Criminal Division where she served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Attorney General and played a critical part in establishing the Division's international training and rule of law programs.

Townsend currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Partnership for a Secure America.

Frances is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations,[1] a prominent policy study group located in New York City.

Townsend serves on the Leadership Council for Concordia, a nonpartisan, nonprofit based in New York City focused on promoting effective public-private collaboration to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.

George W. Bush administration

She came to the White House from the United States Coast Guard, where she had served as Assistant Commandant for Intelligence. Prior to that, Townsend spent thirteen years at the United States Department of Justice in a variety of senior positions, her last assignment as Counsel to the Attorney General for Intelligence Policy.[2][3] In May 2007, she was appointed "National Continuity Coordinator" under the auspices of National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD) 51 [4] and assigned responsibility for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. In late 2007, her name was mentioned as a possible replacement for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.[5]

Support for the People's Mujahedin of Iran

Townsend provided paid advocacy[6] for the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK, also PMOI, MKO)[7], a group listed on the United States State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations until September of 2012[8]. While critics argued that Townsend might have violated federal law and provided the FTO material support[9], Townsend was vehement in her support and ultimately co-authored an article arguing that his advocacy was independent and not illegal and that the group was not a terrorist organization[10].

In early 2012, a controversy arose regarding whether Townsend had committed federal felonies by providing material support to the MEK.[11]

The People's Mujahedin of Iran were listed as a terrorist organization following their assassination of American soldiers and contractors following the Islamic Revolution of 1979[12]. In 1992, the organization coordinated and implemented attacks in several countries, including against the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York[13]. A fundamental pretense of their push to be removed has been that they have reformed and no longer engage in terrorism, however, the United States Department of State repeatedly asserted as evidenced in cables published by Wikileaks, that the People's Mujahedin of Iran both engaged in terrorism and were a threat to United States National Security[14][15][16]. The MEK has been accused of successful and unsuccessful attempts to kidnap or murder U.S. officials in the 1970s. They joined Saddam Hussein's U.S.-backed military to fight against Iran in the eight-year war between Iraq and Iran. They have also been accused of partnering with Israel's Mossad in the assassination of several of Iran's nuclear scientists.[17]

References

  1. ^ http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=S
  2. ^ Glasser, Susan B.; Baker, Peter (August 27, 2005). "An Outsider's Quick Rise To Bush Terror Adviser". Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  3. ^ "Thinking About Terrorism: Taking Stock Four Years After September 11th". Events. United States Institute of Peace (USIP). September 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-06-10. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  4. ^ Bush, George W. (May 9, 2007). "National Security Presidential Directive 51". The White House: George W. Bush. National Archives. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  5. ^ Allen, Mike (March 19, 2007). "White House Seeks Gonzales Replacements". Politico. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  6. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/us/us-supporters-of-iranian-group-mek-face-scrutiny.html?_r=0
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVP6kfUNS1c
  8. ^ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/09/198443.htm
  9. ^ http://www.ohio.com/blogs/akron-law-cafe/akron-law-caf%C3%A9-1.295890/prominent-supporters-of-terrorist-organization-mek-may-not-be-protected-by-first-amendment-1.297218
  10. ^ http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/256689/mek-not-terrorist-group-michael-b-mukasey-tom-ridge-and-frances-fragos-townsend
  11. ^ Greenwald, Glenn (March 12, 2012). "Washington's high-powered terrorist supporters". Salon. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  12. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Mujahedin_of_Iran#Anti-American_campaign
  13. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/06/world/iran-rebels-hit-missions-in-10-nations.html
  14. ^ https://search.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09STATE2046_a.html
  15. ^ http://www.niacouncil.org/wikileaks-releases-involving-mek/
  16. ^ https://search.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09PARIS1291_a.html
  17. ^ Kahn, Gabe (February 9, 2012). "US Officials: Mossad Backing Iranian 'Terrorists'". Retrieved May 8, 2012.

External links

Government offices
Preceded by United States Homeland Security Advisor
2004 – 2007 		Succeeded by


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