CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta

Summary

Leon Panetta (Panetta Institute) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his lifetime of American public service. Secretary Panetta was the 2023 recipient of SPY’s William H. Webster Award. 

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

• Directing the Central Intelligence Agency
• Intelligence & the Abbottabad Raid
• Working within the Clinton Administration 
• A life’s dedication to the safety of the American public

Reflections

• The power of patience and the ability to listen
• Handing immense pressure and responsibility

And much, much more …

Episode Notes

This week on SpyCast, Andrew is joined by The Honorable Leon E. Panetta, this year’s recipient of the International Spy Museum’s The Honorable William H. Webster Distinguished Service Award.

In this episode, Secretary Panetta discusses his decades of experience working within the public service field, examining the many ways that intelligence has been critical to his roles as Secretary of Defense, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, White House Chief of Staff, and Chair of the House Budget Committee, among others. Tune in to hear insights from a son of Italian immigrants who went on to hold some of the most powerful seats in international government.

And… 

One of Secretary Panetta’s constant companions during his time as Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA was his golden retriever, Bravo. Panetta is quoted to have said that Bravo kept him calm and grounded during times of crisis, and as a critical piece of his career, Bravo is seen at the side of the Secretary in his official DoD and CIA portraits. And no, Bravo never leaked a word from the high-level briefings he sat in on.  

Quotes of the Week

“I really believe that we cannot protect our national security without good intelligence. It's absolutely essential to our ability to make the right decision, and then to accomplish the mission.” – Leon Panetta.

Resources 

SURFACE SKIM

*SpyCasts*

• My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023)
• David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023)
• Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)
• The 75th Anniversary of the CIA with former Director Robert Gates (2022)

*Beginner Resources*

• What Does the Secretary of Defense Do? MasterClass (2022) [Short article]
• How did the US find and kill Osama bin Laden? 60 Minutes Australia, YouTube (2018) [4 min. video]
• Leon E. Panetta, Panetta Institute for Public Policy (n.d.) [Short biography]

DEEPER DIVE

Books

• The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future, C. Whipple (Scribner, 2021)
• The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, C. Whipple (Crown, 2018) 
• Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace, L. Panetta & J. Newton (Penguin Books, 2014)
• SECDEF: The Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense, C. A. Stevenson (Potomac Books, 2007) 

Articles

• Leon Panetta compares fall of Afghanistan to Bay of Pigs, D. Mastrangelo, The Hill (2021) 
• I Helped Open All Military Jobs to Women. We Can’t Go Backward. L. Panetta, The Washington Post (2019) 
• The Fight Against Terrorism is Far From Over, L. Panetta, The Washington Post (2019) 
• The Former Head of the CIA on Managing the Hunt for Bin Laden, L. E. Panetta & J. Bash, Harvard Business Review (2016)
• A place at the table: The emerging foreign policy roles of the White House Chief of Staff, D. B. Cohen et al., American University (2002) 
• Lessons from an immigrant father, J. Asher, Migration World Magazine (1996) 

Video

• Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in Honor of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, The Obama White House, YouTube (2013)
• The Defense Secretary: An interview with Leon Panetta, CBS News, YouTube (2012)

Primary Sources 

• Statement on Syria before the Senate Armed Services Committee (2012)
• Nomination of Hon. Leon E. Panetta to be Secretary of Defense (2011) 
• Statement to Employees by CIA Director Leon Panetta on the Death of Usama Bin Ladin (2011) 
• Nomination of Leon Panetta to be Director, Central Intelligence Agency (2009)
• Memorandum for Leon Panetta on POTUS’ Time Investment (1996)
• Letter from Brown to Panetta Regarding Fiscal Year 1994-1997 (1993)
• Letter to the Honorable Leon E. Panetta from George Bush (1977)

*Wildcard Resource*

• Secretary Panetta now lives on a lovely vineyard in sunny California. Speaking of wine and spies, check out Vint Hill Winery in Warrenton, Virginia. 
• In 1942 the US Army set up top-secret SIGINT operations at the now-vineyard after the farm’s owner, a Ham Radio enthusiast, set up a wire on the roof of the barn that could reach signals from Berlin. The farm was the site of The Signal Corps cryptographic school, which famously intercepted messages from Hiroshi Oshima in 1943.