Colin Kahl

Colin Kahl   (spook)
Born	June 1, 1971 Michigan, USA
Nationality	US
Alma mater	University of Michigan, Columbia University
Member of	Center for a New American Security, Council on Foreign Relations/Members 2
Nominated as Biden's Under Secretary of Defense for Policy  Under Secretary of Defense for Policy  In office 28 April 2021 - July 17, 2023 Biden Administration  National Security Advisor to the Vice President In office August 1, 2014 - January 26, 2017 Appointed by Joe Biden

Colin Hackett Kahl is an American political adviser and academic who was the National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States. He is currently the Steven C. Házy Senior Fellow at Stanford University. President Joe Biden appointed him to Under Secretary of Defense for Policy,, which he was from 28 April 2021 to July 17, 2023.

In the Barack Obama administration, Kahl was involved in the negotiations of the Iran Nuclear Deal. After leaving the administration, he was subject to investigations by the Israeli intelligence company Black Cube.

Early life and education

Kahl was born in Michigan and raised in Richmond, California. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1989. Kahl earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan in 1993 and a PhD in political science from Columbia University in 2000. Under his advisors Robert Jervis and Jack Snyder, Kahl's doctoral thesis was entitled States, scarcity, and civil strife in the developing world [Kenya].

Career

From 1997 to 1998, he was a national security fellow at Harvard University. From 2005 to 2006, he was a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, working on stability operations policy at the Department of Defense. He has been a professor at the University of Minnesota. Kahl has published in leading security studies journals, such as International Security and Security Studies, as well as Foreign Affairs.

Barack Obama administration

From 2009 to 2011, he was the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Barack Obama administration. In 2011, he was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. In 2014, he became national security adviser to then-Vice President Joe Biden. In the Obama administration, Kahl was directly involved in negotiating the Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as publicly advocating for it.

In May 2018, it was revealed that the Israeli intelligence firm Black Cube (whose "political work frequently intersects with Israel’s foreign policy priorities") had investigated and possibly tried to entrap him. According to some sources, this work was done on behalf of Donald Trump aides.

Joe Biden administration

In November 2020, Kahl was named a member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the National Security Council.

Kahl was een nominated by Biden to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. His nomination has been subject to controversy in the Senate, with the Republican Caucus unanimously opposing his confirmation due to his support for the Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as for his criticisms of Trump administration policies. Republicans also argued that Kahl had tweeted out classified information, demanding an FBI investigation into it; experts on classification said the Republican accusations against Kahl were politically motivated and baseless.

In May 2023 it became known that Kahl would return to his role as a professor at Stanford University after being granted a two-year leave of absence.

Works

• States, Scarcity, and Civil Strife in the Developing World, Princeton, N.J.; Woodstock: Princeton University Press, 2008.

 

Event Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)	Description
Halifax International Security Forum/2010	20 November 2010	22 November 2010	Halifax Nova Scotia Canada	Spooky conference in Canada in November 2010

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