10.7.06 : McGovern Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness Bringing Retired CIA Analyst and Christian Ministry Director to Lancaster for its Fall Forum October 22, 2006.

LANCASTER, PA -- Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst, author and founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, will address “Prospects for a Moral US Policy in the Middle East” as keynote speaker at the Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness’ third annual Fall Forum on Sunday, October 22, 2006. The event will be held at Lancaster Church of the Brethren from 3 to 5 pm.

The event is open to the public at no charge. A freewill offering will be taken.

Ray McGovern holds an M.A. in Russian studies from Fordham University and a certificate in theological studies from Georgetown University. After a 27 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, he now co directs the Servant Leadership School, a Jubilee Ministry at Washington, DC’s Church of the Saviour.

Respondents to McGovern’s address will be Dr. William Ayres and Dr. Peter Schmiechen. Ayres is director of the Center for Global Citizenship and associate professor of international relations at Elizabethtown College. Schmiechen is president emeritus of Lancaster Theological Seminary.

Ray McGovern’s CIA career spanned administrations from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush. Ray is now co-director of the Servant Leadership School, which provides training and other support for those seeking ways to be in relationship with the marginalized poor. The School is one of ten Jubilee Ministries, not-for-profit organizations inspired by the ecumenical Church of the Saviour and established in an inner-city neighborhood in Washington, DC.

The department Ray heads at the School deals with the biblical injunction to “speak truth to power,” and this, together with his experience in intelligence analysis, accounts for his various writings and media appearances over the past year. His focus dovetails nicely with the passage carved into the marble entrance to CIA headquarters: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”— the ethic mandating that CIA analysts were to “tell it like it is” without fear or favor.

In January 2003, when it became clear that that ethic was in serious jeopardy, a handful of intelligence community alumni/ae, including McGovern, created Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. VIPS now includes over 35 former professionals from the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Army Intelligence, the FBI and the National Security Agency.

In addition to co-authoring some of VIPS’ issuances, Ray has published some 20 op-eds on intelligence-related issues. These have appeared in newspapers and journals around the country including The Boston Globe , The Christian Science Monitor , The Miami Herald and The International Herald Tribune .

He and his VIPS colleagues have also made numerous TV, radio and lecture appearances in the US and Europe. They have appeared in several recent video documentaries as well, notably “Uncovered: the Whole Truth About the Iraq War” (Robert Greenwald) and “Break the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror” (John Pilger).

McGovern’s duties at the CIA included chairing national intelligence estimates and preparing the President’ Daily Brief (PDB). These, the most authoritative genres of intelligence reporting, have been the focus of press reporting on “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq and on what President George W. Bush was told before 9/11. During the mid-eighties, Ray was one of the senior analysts conducting early morning briefings of the PDB one-on-one with the Vice President of the United States, the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

After graduating summa cum laude from Fordham College was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Ray McGovern was designated a distinguished military graduate. He was commissioned upon graduation and served as an infantry/intelligence officer in the US Army from 1962 to 1964. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s advanced Management program.

At his retirement ceremony, McGovern received the Intelligence Commendation Medal and a letter from then-president George H. W. Bush wishing him well in his transition to nonprofit work in inner-city Washington. Ray served on the board of Bread for the City from 1989-1994, the latter two years as president, before becoming co-director of the Servant Leadership School.

Lancaster Church of the Brethren is located at 1601 Sunset Avenue. From Oregon Pike/Route 272 just south of Route 30, turn onto Butler Avenue at Eat ‘n Park Restaurant and then turn right onto Sunset Avenue. The church is in the next block on the left.

The Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness began in 2004 to promote the values of peacemaking and nonviolence for the creation of a more secure, sustainable and just world. The group of Lancaster County Christian clergy, church members, congregations and organizations seeks to explore causes of global war and injustice, promote interchurch conversation and speak thoughtfully to other Christians about the need for just peace solutions to conflict.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness Bringing Retired CIA Analyst and Christian Ministry Director to Lancaster for its Fall Forum October 22, 2006. LANCASTER, PA -- Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst, author and founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, will address “Prospects for a Moral US Policy in the Middle East” as keynote speaker at the Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness’ third annual Fall Forum on Sunday, October 22, 2006. The event will be held at Lancaster Church of the Brethren from 3 to 5 pm. The event is open to the public at no charge. A freewill offering will be taken. Ray McGovern holds an M.A. in Russian studies from Fordham University and a certificate in theological studies from Georgetown University. After a 27 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, he now co directs the Servant Leadership School, a Jubilee Ministry at Washington, DC’s Church of the Saviour. Respondents to McGovern’s address will be Dr. William Ayres and Dr. Peter Schmiechen. Ayres is director of the Center for Global Citizenship and associate professor of international relations at Elizabethtown College. Schmiechen is president emeritus of Lancaster Theological Seminary. Ray McGovern’s CIA career spanned administrations from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush. Ray is now co-director of the Servant Leadership School, which provides training and other support for those seeking ways to be in relationship with the marginalized poor. The School is one of ten Jubilee Ministries, not-for-profit organizations inspired by the ecumenical Church of the Saviour and established in an inner-city neighborhood in Washington, DC. The department Ray heads at the School deals with the biblical injunction to “speak truth to power,” and this, together with his experience in intelligence analysis, accounts for his various writings and media appearances over the past year. His focus dovetails nicely with the passage carved into the marble entrance to CIA headquarters: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”— the ethic mandating that CIA analysts were to “tell it like it is” without fear or favor. In January 2003, when it became clear that that ethic was in serious jeopardy, a handful of intelligence community alumni/ae, including McGovern, created Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. VIPS now includes over 35 former professionals from the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Army Intelligence, the FBI and the National Security Agency. In addition to co-authoring some of VIPS’ issuances, Ray has published some 20 op-eds on intelligence-related issues. These have appeared in newspapers and journals around the country including The Boston Globe , The Christian Science Monitor , The Miami Herald and The International Herald Tribune . He and his VIPS colleagues have also made numerous TV, radio and lecture appearances in the US and Europe. They have appeared in several recent video documentaries as well, notably “Uncovered: the Whole Truth About the Iraq War” (Robert Greenwald) and “Break the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror” (John Pilger). McGovern’s duties at the CIA included chairing national intelligence estimates and preparing the President’ Daily Brief (PDB). These, the most authoritative genres of intelligence reporting, have been the focus of press reporting on “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq and on what President George W. Bush was told before 9/11. During the mid-eighties, Ray was one of the senior analysts conducting early morning briefings of the PDB one-on-one with the Vice President of the United States, the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. After graduating summa cum laude from Fordham College was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Ray McGovern was designated a distinguished military graduate. He was commissioned upon graduation and served as an infantry/intelligence officer in the US Army from 1962 to 1964. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s advanced Management program. At his retirement ceremony, McGovern received the Intelligence Commendation Medal and a letter from then-president George H. W. Bush wishing him well in his transition to nonprofit work in inner-city Washington. Ray served on the board of Bread for the City from 1989-1994, the latter two years as president, before becoming co-director of the Servant Leadership School. Lancaster Church of the Brethren is located at 1601 Sunset Avenue. From Oregon Pike/Route 272 just south of Route 30, turn onto Butler Avenue at Eat ‘n Park Restaurant and then turn right onto Sunset Avenue. The church is in the next block on the left. The Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness began in 2004 to promote the values of peacemaking and nonviolence for the creation of a more secure, sustainable and just world. The group of Lancaster County Christian clergy, church members, congregations and organizations seeks to explore causes of global war and injustice, promote interchurch conversation and speak thoughtfully to other Christians about the need for just peace solutions to conflict.