Former counterterrorism official to speak at Penn State

Philip Mudd, former deputy director of both the FBI's National Security Branch and the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, will speak on "Watching the Threat: Views from a Life in the CIA & FBI" from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, in the Lewis Katz Building on Penn State's University Park campus. His talk, which is free to the public, is part of the Speaker Series for International Center for the Study of Terrorism.

Mudd's talk is co-sponsored by Penn State's School of International Affairs, Social Science Research Institute, and Strategic and Global Security Program.

''I think this is an extraordinary event for the entire Penn State community,” said ICST Director John Horgan, associate professor of psychology and science, technology, and society. “Students, faculty, visiting alumni and the general public will be given a rare opportunity to hear an insider's perspective from someone who has fought against terrorism on multiple fronts, both at home and abroad.''

Tiyanjana Maluwa, director of the School of International affairs, agreed. ''A deeper understanding of global security issues is critical to our ability to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. It is also critical to the study of international affairs. We look forward to the insight Mr. Mudd can bring given his diverse experiences.''

Mudd joined the CIA in 1985, began work in the CIA's Counterterrorist Center in 1992, and then served on the National Intelligence Council as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia from 1995 to 1998. He went on to manage Iraq analysis at the CIA from 1999 to 2001. He was promoted to the position of deputy director of the Counterterrorist Center in 2003 and served there until 2005. At the establishment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Security Branch in 2005, FBI Director Robert Mueller appointed Mudd to serve as the branch's first-ever deputy director. During his assignments at the CIA and the FBI, Mudd has commented about terrorism in open and closed Congressional testimony, and he has been interviewed by national print and TV news media.

Mudd is currently a senior research fellow with the New America Foundation studying issues of counterterrorism, intelligence, and homeland security with the Counterterrorism Strategy Initiative. His talk is free to the public and will include a reception following the presentation.

The International Center for the Study of Terrorism is based in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State. For more information about the ICST Speaker Series, visit www.icst.psu.edu