Rand Beers

Why He Matters

Beers is an expert on counterterrorism with more than 30 years of experience in Democratic and Republican administrations.

Although Beers is a career civil servant, and was not seen as a partisan figure, he gained notoriety for quitting President George W. Bush’s National Security Council five days before the start of the Iraq war in 2003, which he argued would make it more difficult for the United States to fight al-Qaeda.

As he said in February 2008 Senate testimony, “The Iraq war has not only made the world a more dangerous place, but has distracted the United States from pivotal foreign policy priorities, harmed America’s prestige and international credibility and hurt our ability to respond to emerging challenges.Shane, Scott, “Rand Beers,” New York Times, Nov. 18, 2008

Beers, who worked on the National Security Council in the Reagan and first Bush administrations, as well as under Bill Clinton, took the unusual step of airing his concerns publicly. And shortly after quitting the Bush administration, he volunteered as an adviser to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) who was then running for president in the 2004 Democratic primary, saying he "never felt so strongly about something in my life." 

Blumenfeld, Laura, “Former Bush Intelligence Insider Assails Counterterrorism Tactics,” Boston Globe, June 16, 2003   

"The administration wasn't matching its deeds to its words in the war on terrorism,” Beers told the Boston Globe at the time. “They're making us less secure, not more secure. As an insider, I saw the things that weren't being done. And the longer I sat and watched, the more concerned I became, until I got up and walked out."

Blumenfeld, Laura, “Former Bush Intelligence Insider Assails Counterterrorism Tactics,” Boston Globe, June 16, 2003  

After Bush won re-election, Beers started the National Security Network, a left-leaning foreign policy think tank. He advised multiple Democratic candidates in 2008, including Obama’s chief rival, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. At DHS, Beers will focus on risk-reduction, overseeing cybersecurity and infrastructure protection, among other tasks. 

Path to Power

Beers was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He went to Dartmouth College and spent four years in the Army afterwards, during which time he led a rifle company in Vietnam He received a master’s degree in history from the University of Michigan in 1970.

Shane, Scott, “Rand Beers,” New York Times, Nov. 18, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/us...rssnyt&emc=rss 

Beers entered the Foreign Service in 1971 and held a variety of positions there until 1983. From 1983 to 1988 during the Reagan administration, he held civil service positions in the State Department. During his tenure at state, he was: deputy assistant secretary for regional affairs and export control, deputy for strategy and the operations coordinator for regional affairs and security assistance, director of the Office of Security Analysis and the Office of International Security Policy and deputy director of the Office of Policy Analysis.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rand_Beers 

In 1988, Beers joined the National Security Council (NSC) under President Ronald Reagan. From 1988 to 1998, he served on the NSC staff as the White House as director for Counter-terrorism and Counter-narcotics, director for Peacekeeping, and senior director for Intelligence Programs. From 1998 to 2003, he served as assistant secretary of state for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, a position that proved controversial.

From 2002 to 2003, Beers was special assistant to the president and senior director for Combating Terrorism. He resigned in March 2003 to work on Kerry's presidential campaign as national security/homeland security issue coordinator. He is now the president of the National Security Network, a group of national security experts committed to talking about “sensible” national security policy with the American public.

He is married to Bonnie Beers and they have two children.

The Issues

Beers advocates a policy of engagement that is consistent with Obama’s campaign pledge to always use diplomacy before military force. “You have to find ways to talk about this that doesn’t sound like you’re condemning the entire Islamic world,” said Beers. “You’re not going to ultimately succeed unless we can find friends and allies in the Muslim world.”

Shane, Scott, “Rand Beers,” New York Times, Nov. 18, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/us...rssnyt&emc=rss 

In the years since he left the White House, Beers has spoken and written publicly about his foreign policy views, articulating an approach that emphasizes using non-military as well as military personnel in the war against terror. “We are asking our firemen, policemen, Customs and Coast Guard to do far more with far less than we ever ask of our military,” he told the Boston Globe.

Blumenfeld, Laura, “Former Bush Intelligence Insider Assails Counterterrorism Tactics,” Boston Globe, June 16, 2003, http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0616-01.htm 

The Network

With over three decades in the federal government, Beers is well-connected throughout foreign policy circles in Washington, D.C. He worked closely with former chief counter-terrorism adviser on the NSC Richard A. Clarke, who attracted attention in 2004 when he released his memoir Against All Enemies. Clarke, like Beers, is a career civil servant who served in Republican and Democratic presidential administrations. He was opposed to what he saw as the reckless course of the George W. Bush administration.

The National Security Network's advisory board reads as a who’s who of major left-leaning defense and security experts.

http://www.nsnetwork.org/about/board 

Beers is also close to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 111th Congress. Beers advised Kerry throughout the 2004 presidential campaign, and is on good terms with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who consulted Beers during her primary run against Obama.