CIA welcomes new deputy director

CIA Director John Brennan announced on January 9 that President Obama has selected David S. Cohen to be the new CIA Deputy Director, replacing Avril Haines who is departing CIA to be the President’s Deputy National Security Advisor.

“We will sorely miss Avril as she assumes her new post, but I am delighted to have David join our leadership team. He is an outstanding public servant with whom I have worked closely over the past several years. David brings a wealth of experience on many of the issues that we focus on as an Agency and I look forward to his insights, expertise, and energy as we address the growing number and diversity of national security challenges facing America today,” said Director Brennan.

Since June 2011, Mr. Cohen has served as the Department of Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. In this position, he led Treasury’s policy, enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence functions aimed at identifying and disrupting the lines of financial support to international terrorist organizations, proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, narcotics traffickers, and other illicit actors posing a threat to U.S. national security. He has also been responsible for overseeing the Department’s efforts to combat money laundering and financial crimes.

Previously, Cohen served as the Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, where he was responsible for formulating and coordinating the Department’s counterterrorist financing and anti-money laundering efforts.  Before returning to the Treasury in 2009, Cohen practiced law in private practice for seven years.

Cohen first joined the Treasury Department in 1999, working in the Office of the General Counsel as Senior Counsel to the General Counsel, where he was involved in crafting legislation that formed the basis of the Title III of the USA Patriot Act, and the 2001 update to the Bank Secrecy Act. Before his work at Treasury, Cohen practiced law for nine years in the private sector. He received his law degree from Yale Law School and his undergraduate degree from Cornell University.

Cohen is scheduled to assume his position as CIA Deputy Director in February.

Source: CIA