Richard A. Clarke

American civil servant who was catapulted from a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat to the spotlight on March 21, 2004 when he was interviewed on the news show, "60 Minutes." Clarke’s appearance on the show coincided with the release of his book, "Against All Enemies," in which he accuses President George W. Bush of doing a "terrible job" of fighting terrorism. He makes two central allegations in his book:

1. Bush failed to make terrorism "an urgent issue."

2.Bush and his administration were focused on Iraq and Saddam Hussein even though Clarke and others could not find any evidence that the Iraqi dictator was linked to Osama bin Laden. Clarke claims that "By invading Iraq, the president of the United States has greatly undermined the war on terrorism."

His "60 Minutes" interview, his book, and his subsequent TV appearances caused an uproar in Washington, particularly because they coincided with the hearings of the independent 9/11 Commission. Clarke appeared under oath before the commission, and apologized to those families of 9/11 victims and its survivors by saying, "Your government failed you, those entrusted with protecting you failed you and I failed you." His testimony and apology touched some and offended others. White House officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell, all disputed his claims. In their efforts to cast aspersions on his credibility, they sometimes seemed to contradict one another. Clarke has countered by saying that the White House is engaging in character assassination rather than addressing the issues he raises.

Clarke has spent 30 years of his life in government service and has served in top positions under three Presidents. He began his career in 1973 in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In the intervening years, he worked in the Pentagon, the Intelligence Community and the State Department. In 1992 he was appointed to the National Security Council staff.