James L. Jones
Table of contents
Credit: Chip Somodevilla /Getty Images
Current Position: National Security Adviser (since January 2009)
Boss: President Barack Obama
Why He Matters
At a Glance
Current Position: National Security Adviser nominee (since Dec. 2008)
Career History: President of the United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy (since 2008); Special envoy for Middle East security (2006 to 2008); Supreme Allied Commander, NATO (2003 to 2006)
Birthday: Dec. 19, 1943
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Alma Mater: Georgetown School of Foreign Service, BS, 1966; National War College, 1985
Spouse: Diane Johnson
Religion: N/A
Office: Institute for 21st Century Energy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20062
(202) 463-5558
The widely-respected general advised both President Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)’s 2008 presidential campaigns. He is as much a diplomat as a military leader, serving as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and as Commandant of the Marine Corps. Obama appointed him National Security Adviser in December 2008.
He has been hailed across the political spectrum as a non-partisan and self-effacing talent who will impose thoughtfulness and discipline on Obama’s strong-willed national security team, which includes Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates . Allen, Mike, "Axelrod: No ‘Potted Plants’ in Cabinet," Politico, Nov. 23, 2008
As NATO commander, Jones stirred the pot when in a 2008 report he declared that the U.S. was losing the war in Afghanistan. Shanker, Thom, "James L. Jones," New York Times, Nov. 10, 2008
Path to Power
Jones was born on Dec. 19, 1943, in Kansas City, Mo. He grew up in Paris and is fluent in French.
The 6’ 4” athlete played basketball for Georgetown University. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in 1966.
Jones served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was a platoon and company commander. He took command positions at Camp Pendleton and Okinawa.
Jones returned to Washington in the early 1980s to work as the Marine Corps liaison officer to the Senate. In that position, he developed a friendship with Sen. McCain.Myers, Steven Lee, "Politically Astute Generals Picked to Lead Services," New York Times, April 22, 1999
In 1986, he returned to a leadership position in the Marine Corps. In 1992, following the first Gulf War, he ran a mission to help thousands of Kurdish refugees who had been forced to flee northern Iraq after the Iraqi Army quelled an uprising by forcing the Kurds out of their homes."Bush Looks to Marine to Lead NATO Forces," New York Times, April 12, 2002
In 1997, Jones accepted a position as military assistant to Clinton Defense Secretary William Perry. In 1999, he was nominated to serve as Commandant of the Marine Corps by President Bill Clinton, beating out several other prominent four-star candidates.
In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Jones the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO military forces, a position that made him the first Marine to hold the prestigious position. Bush said he nominated Jones in an effort to “shake off” Cold War thinking and make the Armed Forces more mobile and up-to-date.Marquis, Christopher, "General Urges NATO to Send Afghanistan More Troops," New York Times, Jan. 28, 2004
In that role, Jones worked tirelessly to convince NATO nations to unite to develop a military strategy in Afghanistan. He struggled to convince U.S. allies to provide troops they had promised. In 2004, Jones called for a doubling of the troops provided to the region in order to secure the country beyond Kabul, its capital.Shanker, Thom, "Leaving NATO, U.S. General Still Seeks Troops for Afghanistan," New York Times, Dec. 21, 2006
Jones stepped down as NATO commander in February 2006. He has continued to urge NATO to increase its ground force in Afghanistan.Brumett, John, "Obama Reaches for Military Cover," Las-Vegas Journal Review, June 15, 2008
In his post-NATO life, Jones continued to work with top Bush administration officials to develop foreign policy and military strategy. Then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Jones as a special envoy for Middle East security. He also headed the non-partisan Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, an independent group that examined the effectiveness of Iraq’s police force in 2006. The report was paid particular attention by Congress.
Jones is close friends with McCain, and though he briefed President Obama on Afghanistan and energy policy during the 2008 presidential campaign, he did not endorse Obama.
Nonetheless, Jones was mentioned as a possible Democratic vice presidential contender, although reports suggest he wasn’t formally vetted and was not a finalist for the job. Some speculated that Jones’ name had only been leaked to lend President Obama national security credentials."Top marine in the Zone for Foreign Policy Post," The Australian, Nov. 24, 2008
Jones is the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy, a group that works inside the chamber to develop approaches to sustainable energy creation and consumption.
Early Days in the White House
In his first several months in Obama's White House, Jones was criticized by some staffers for spending too little time with Obama and in the office. Jones will sometimes leave work at lunch for a bike ride, and returns home around 7 P.M. every day, unusual in an office full of staffers used to burning the midnight oil. "The national security adviser needs to be behind the president," author and blogger David Rothkopf told the New York Times. Jones is not "seen as a guy in the room."Cooper, Helene, "National Security Adviser Tries Quieter Approach, " New York Times, May 7, 2009
But his leadership style seems to fit quite naturally with Obama. As head of the National Security Council, Jones emphasized team building, and has advocated for a "bottom-up approach" where working groups develop proposals for solutions, then pass them on to a committee of deputies. He was praised in The Washington Post for launching a restructuring of the council so that it could tackle modern issues like energy and climate change. "If you want things to go beyond your tenure you'd better get a lot of buy-in into the big things," he told the Post.DeYoung, Karen, "In Frenetic White Houes, A Low-key 'Outsider,'" The Washington Post, May 7, 2009
His intimate relationship with Obama was only strengthened by the President's deliberations over Afghanistan. In Oct. 2009, Obama faced pressures to increase his troop presence in the failing country, and he relied on the retired general both for advice and as a conduit to communicate with other generals.Rozen, Laura, "President Obama's New Defense Shield: Jim Jones," Politico, Oct. 7, 2009
The Issues
Jones is a fierce critic of U.S. anti-terrorism policies, which he regards as unfocused and detrimental to the country’s international reputation. He has called for a stepped-up effort to stem terrorism in Afghanistan and a more concentrated attempt to prepare Iraq for self-governance.Stewart, Alison and Wolff, Bill, "Wars’ Fallout Continues for Civilians," National Public Radio, Feb. 1, 2008
Jones has called for the “proactive use of military force,” which he says is the only way to combat symmetric threats like weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. “I worry about loss of momentum” in fighting terrorism abroad, he told Congress in 2007. “I worry about the fact that the safe havens for the insurgents are more numerous now than they were one or two or three years ago.”Shanker, Thom, "James L. Jones," New York Times, Nov. 10, 2008
Jones has called for a more coherent national security policy that incorporates fresh elements to address a broader swath of problems like global warming, terrorism and foreign oil dependence. He would like to include non-governmental organizations and energy department officials in the National Security Council and believes the military should increase its focus on reconstruction and development.
Jones and the National Security Council will oversee the White House's High Value Detainee Interrogation Program, which will train a team of specialists the most effective interrogation methods. The team will only use techniques approved in the Army Field Manual, but will research other lawful ways to collect high-value information from detainees.
Afghanistan
Developing a winning strategy in Afghanistan is one of Jones’ foremost concerns. As NATO commander, Jones put his reputation on the line to convince U.S. allies to support the war effort. He bluntly stated that the war there is severely undermanned and not enough resources exist in the region to win. Additionally, he has emphasized the importance of dispersing troops more broadly across the country. In a study, he wrote that NATO is losing the war in Afghanistan.Shanker, Thom, "Leaving NATO, U.S. General Still Seeks Troops for Afghanistan," New York Times, Dec. 21, 2006
He has also warned that NATO cannot simply stem fighting in Afghanistan. In order to help make the country safer, NATO and U.S. forces must also reduce the narcotics trade (which he called the “Achilles hill” of the mission); help develop a credible court system; and rebuild the police force.Shanker, Thom, "James L. Jones," New York Times, Nov. 10, 2008
Jones has also warned that defeat in Afghanistan will send “a very clear message to the terrorist organizations that the U.S., the U.N. and the 37 countries with troops on the ground can be defeated.”Cloud, David, "Panel Sees More Than a Year Before Iraq Can Handle Security," New York Times, Sept. 6, 2007
He was a key player in President Obama's decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan for what was dubbed a temporary surge; those troops are expected to start coming home in July 2011.Stolberg, Sheryl Gay, The New York Times, "Obama Adds Troops, but Maps Exit Plan," Dec. 1, 2009
Iraq
Jones has made several trips to Iraq and was asked to chair the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, a committee sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that was designed to assess the effectiveness of the Iraq police force.
After almost 16 months of study, the general and his team concluded that the Iraqi police force had “limited operational effectiveness” and recommended a complete overhaul of the forces in order to remove corrupt officers and those who are complicit in sectarian killings. The commission also concluded the current force is too large and must be redeveloped into an “elite” force.
Gen. Jones told Congress in September 2007 that the Iraqi government needed at least a year and a half more before it could act as its own protective force.Panel II of a Hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subject: Afghanistan Strategy, Federal News Service, March 8, 2007
He has said that Iraq has distracted the U.S. and overstretched its armed forces.
Pakistan
Jones says Pakistan is central to winning the Iraq war, but he warns that the Pakistani military is not currently working effectively with the U.S. He has called on Pakistan to work more closely with Afghanistan, and to recognize that it has a significant stake in reducing violence in Afghanistan. If Pakistan is unwilling to support the United States’ effort, he would like NATO to band together to sanction Pakistan. "Libya Takes Part in NATO Exercise," World Tribune, April 4, 2008Libya
Jones would like to turn Libya into an ally in the war on terror. In 2004, he suggested that the country’s decision to abandon its unconventional weapons program was a sign of a new commitment for change. He wanted to invite Libya to join NATO. Though the country has not yet become a full member, it participated in naval exercises in 2008, and has committed to working with U.S. forces to stop Al Qaeda. Plumer, Bradford, "What Obama’s Security Team Means for Energy," New Republic, Dec. 2, 2008Energy and National Security
As the president of the U .S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, Jones has supported efforts to promote greater energy efficiency, diversify energy supplies, improve environmental protections and enhance the nation’s energy infrastructure.Fletcher, Michael, "Jones Would Bring Broad Experience To Security Post," Washington Post, Nov. 22, 2008
Some have accused the group of pushing only conservation efforts that benefit business and of downplaying the impact of global warming and climate change.Lovely, Erika, "Chevron ties problematic for Gen. Jones," Politico, Nov. 18, 2008
He would like the National Security Council to play a larger role in setting energy policy. He called the production and distribution of fuels like oil a “national security issue of the highest order.”"Top marine in the Zone for Foreign Policy Post," The Australian, Nov. 24, 2008
To address this, he has called for a new White House office to implement national and international energy policy. This person would sit on the National Security Council and National Economic Council.
However, Jones sits on Chevron Corporation’s board of directors, a tie that has some environmentalists concerned about his ability to push a green agenda.Lovely, Erika, "Chevron ties problematic for Gen. Jones," Politico, Nov. 18, 2008
The Network
As a Senate staffer, Jones befriended former Sen. William Cohen (R-Maine). When Cohen was named Secretary of Defense, he brought Jones to the White House with him.
He is friendly with a number of Senators, including Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain, who he advised on energy policy during his 2008 presidential campaign.
In 2006, Condoleezza Rice twice requested that Jones serve as her deputy, but he declined."Top marine in the Zone for Foreign Policy Post," The Australian, Nov. 24, 2008
Footnotes
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