Obama's National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones (at a glance)

Obama's National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones (at a glance)


Retired General James L. Jones has been appointed by President-Elect Barack Obama as National Security Advisor. James is a four-star general who served as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary William Cohen during President Clinton’s second term. Clinton also appointed Jones as 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, and he served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO from January 2003 – December 2006.

He has a reputation as “one of the best-connected officers in the Pentagon,” and he is no stranger to the arenas of corporate capitalism or the think-tank world. He is Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank chaired by Sam Nunn. He is also chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States.

Further, Jones is President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce affiliated, Institute for 21st Century Energy. Check out their open letter to the 44th President, which calls for immediate expansion of domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production, commitment to expand nuclear energy use, and commitment to use clean coal: http://energyxxi.org/reports/Open_Letter.pdf

Jones sits on the Board of Directors of both Chevron Corporation (also with Sam Nunn) and The Boeing Company, which manufactures military aircrafts, defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. Jones is also on the Board of Directors of Invacare Corporation, a leading US manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment for use in homes.

Additionally, he is on the Board of Directors of Cross Match Technologies, Inc., a provider of “identity management solutions” including, “fingerprint and palm scanners, facial recognition solutions, [and] iris capture devices.”

In an interview with Sea Power Magazine in November 2002, Jones praised the role of technology and transformation in the advancement of military supremacy: “We will truly be able to accomplish missions like Afghanistan without breaking a sweat,” he said. http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/nov_02_11.php

Jones is an advocate of a “Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative,” an “interagency plan to combat terrorism in trans-Saharan Africa using a range of political, economic and security tools.” The bulk of this strategy is aimed at funding, training, and supplying arms to a professional African security force, which will take directions from the United States and NATO.

"Africa's vast potential makes African stability a near-term global strategic imperative," Jones said. "Development of effective security structures in Africa will establish the foundation for future success." http://osd.dtic.mil/news/Mar2006/20060308_4428.html