Professor Voices » Joseph Wippl

Faculty and staff reflect on 9/11

Kira Jastive — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:11:11 +0000

In today’s edition of BU Today, several professors and administrators reflect on how the U.S. and world have changed in the decade since the September 11th terrorist attacks.

The story features Andrew Bacevich, professor of international relations; Thomas Robbins, BU’s chief of police and executive director of public safety; Neta Crawford, professor of political science; Kecia Ali, professor of religion; Jack Beermann, professor of law; Hillel Levine, professor of religion; Richard Cornell, professor of music and composition; Shahla Haeri, associate professor of anthropology; Joseph Wippl, professor of international relations; and Margaret Ross, director of behavioral medicine at Student Health Services.

Read BU Today’s complete 9/11 coverage here.

Confirmation hearings begin for Gen. David Petraeus as next director of the CIA

Jo Breiner — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:03:57 +0000

Confirmation hearings begin today for General David Petraeus to replace Leon Panetta as the next director of the CIA. The following Boston University professors are available to offer expert commentary:

Arthur Hulnick is a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, mostly with the CIA. He is the author of “Keeping Us Safe: Secret Intelligence” and “Fixing the Spy Machine: Preparing American Intelligence for the 21st Century.” He can be reached at 617-353-8978, ahulnick@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl is a 30-year CIA veteran. He can be reached at 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Osama Bin Laden killed by U.S. forces

Jo Breiner — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:07:08 +0000

The following Boston University professors are available to offer expert commentary, analysis, and insight on the death of Osama Bin Laden:

Arthur Hulnick, a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, mostly with the CIA

Contact 617-353-8978, ahulnick@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

August Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter: @arnorton

Adil Najam, International relations professor; Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; Expert on Pakistan and Middle East politics

Contact 617-358-4002, anajam@bu.edu, Twitter: @adilnajam

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Tom Whalen, associate professor of Social Sciences; an expert on modern American politics and the American presidency; regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-4785, tjw64@bu.edu

Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication; a former executive editor of the Miama Herald and an expert on American politics; regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-3488, tfiedler@bu.edu, Twitter: @BUCOMDEAN

New terror alert system announced

Jo Breiner — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:07:10 +0000

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced a new terrorism alert system has been set in place. Effective immediately, the new system will replace the color-coded system that was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The following Boston University professors, both from the Department of International Relations, are available to comment:

Arthur Hulnick, a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, mostly with the CIA

Contact 617-353-8978, ahulnick@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 6170353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

CIA operatives sent to Libya

Jo Breiner — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:28:11 +0000

The Obama administration has authorized the CIA to send operatives to Libya to work with and gather information from rebel forces. The following professors from Boston University’s International Relations department, both with CIA experience, are available to offer expert commentary, analysis and insight on this latest move.

Arthur Hulnick, a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, mostly with the CIA

Contact 617-353-8978, ahulnick@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Experts available to comment on Libya

Jo Breiner — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:52:55 +0000

The following Boston University professors are available to offer commentary, analysis, and insight into the current situation in Libya, also known as Operation Odyssey Dawn.

Augustus Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-358-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter @arnorton

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, International relations professor; a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Michael Corgan, International relations professor; a specialist in international security with extensive government service in political and military planning (especially NATO)

Contact 617-353-3553, mcorgan@bu.edu

William Keylor, International relations professor; Author of “A World of Nations: The International Order Since 1945″

Contact 617-358-0197, wrkeylor@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Experts available to comment on the Middle East

Jo Breiner — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:20:16 +0000

The following Boston University professors are available to offer commentary, analysis and insight on the continuing turmoil in the Middle East.

Augustus Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter: @arnorton

Adil Najam, International relations professor; Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; Expert on Pakistan and Middle East politics

Contact 617-358-4002, anajam@bu.edu, Twitter: @adilnajam

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Stephen Kinzer, International relations professor; Former award winning New York Times foreign correspondent; Author of “Reset: Iran, Turkey and America’s Future”

Contact 617-358-6240, skinzer@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, International relations professor; a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Farouk El-Baz, Research professor & Director of the Center for Remote Sensing; Expert in Middle East current events

Contact 617-353-9709, farouk@bu.edu

Experts available for analysis on Egypt

Jo Breiner — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:12:31 +0000

The following Boston University professors are available to offer expert analysis, commentary and insight on the current situation in Egypt:

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen.

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Augustus Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, International relations professor; a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Farouk El-Baz, Research professor & Director of the Center for Remote Sensing; Expert in Middle East current events

Contact 617-353-9709, farouk@bu.edu

CIA and Egypt chaos

Jo Breiner — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:52:14 +0000

What should or could the CIA have known about the Egyptian uprising? Joseph Wippl, a professor of international relations at BU and a 30-year CIA operations officer gives the following view:

“Part of the intent in the creation of the CIA through the National Security Act of 1947 was to avoid surprise, the most noteworthy being the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The authority granted to CIA was to engage in human intelligence, better known as espionage, to avoid surprise and to better understand the cause of events and their implications for the future.

“The question now is did the CIA forewarn regarding the events occurring in Egypt and prior to that in Tunisia? And if not, why not? What kind of clandestine sources were needed then or are needed now?

“Are sources needed in the Egyption armed forces, the Ministry of Interior where police powers reside, the executive offices of the President, the Foreign Ministry, the religious leadership, all the various opposition elements, including the Moslim brotherhood? Have the possible new leaders in Egypt been identified and approached before the crisis?

“There are never enough sources with access to information of importance, but when these sources exist, they are there because of decades of continuous cultivation and handling. Sources can provide invaluable information to the U.S. leadership. Has such a program of long-term agent recruitment taken place? Have other partner countries engaged in these activities which can now assist us in better understanding events?

“In the past, the U.S. intelligence community has missed major events. Usually the reason is a concentration on immediate problems — that is, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq — at the expense of intermediate and long-term problems of as great or greater importance.”

Contact Joseph Wippl, 617- 353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu