J. Michael “Mike” McConnell is a former admiral in the United States Navy. He served as a Director of the National Security Agency. IN fact, he is in line to become the nation’s top intelligence official this season. Mr. John Michael “Mike” McConnell has been a leading figure in outsourcing U.S intelligence operations to private industry, records and interviews show. McConnell retired in US Navy as vice admiral and he decided to lead the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996 before he decided to be part and join Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. It is a consulting firm based in McLean, Virginia. According to the reports, the White House officials already confirmed and stated that McConnell’s appointment to replace Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte but White House failed to identify Mr. John Michael “Mike” McConnell by name because the nomination has not been formally announced. The Senate announced the McConnell’s nomination and confirmation. It would be between two current trends in intelligence gathering. One is to emphasis the technology and the other is to heighten the role of private contractors in the specific analyzing data and in preparing reports that once might have been written by the government intelligence officers. Stephen Marrin, the former CIA analyst who teaches intelligence studies at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. said that “The mission has expanded, the money is there, and there just aren’t enough (intelligence officers) to do the job without outside help.” It is not that clear how many private contractors are employed by the CIA and in other intelligence agencies. The budget and hiring have been classified. Last year 2006, Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte began to audit the number of private contractors that all 16 intelligence agencies used and owned. It was started because of the concerns about how outsourcing affected intelligence. Chad Kolton, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that the said concerns has been continuing. Last September, The CIA also started a case studies to determine whether the contractors were hurting and affecting the agency’s work by captivating away CIA officers with higher wage rate but suddenly the CIA did not say anything to update the public. Booz Allen is the large supplier of intelligence contracting and the contract details have been classified and considered. McConnell’s experience as National Security Agency director is really an advantage for him and a private contractor make him a good choice. Ralph Shrader, Booz Allen Hamilton’s chairman and CEO, believes in the integrity and ability of John Michael “Mike” McConnell. He believes that Mr. McConnell will work very hard to do the right thing. He also added that “He’s someone who can solicit lots of opinions, collect them all up, and produce something that takes the needs of the entire country into consideration and He’s very hands-on. The record show that Booz Allen has received at least $50 million in Pentagon contracts since November 2005. Some involve remnants of the Pentagon’s “Total Information Awareness” program. Congress killed the program in 2003 amid concerns because it might invade the privacy of ordinary Americans. The $63 million contract signed with Booz Allen in 2002 called for the outsourcing firm to develop and improve a single system to collect and search through huge databases of government, personal and business records for signs of terrorist activities. McConnell also signed that contract on Booz Allen’s behalf. It’s a critical concern. Mr Wyden was the one who led the efforts to kill TIA in 2002. Outsourcing itself is really helpful in the outsourcing intelligence. It really plays a big role even in the economy of a country. It has a positive impact on it.
