19 Facts About Cofer Black

Cofer Black then was accepted to a doctoral program at USC, but left in 1975 to join the CIA.

At the CIA, Cofer Black trained for the clandestine service and volunteered for Africa based on his knowledge of the region from childhood travels with his father across the continent.

Cofer Black then transferred to Somalia, where he served for two years during the conflict between Ethiopians and Somalis.

Cofer Black worked in South Africa during the National Party government's war against guerrilla movements opposing the apartheid system.

In 1993, Cofer Black transferred from London to Khartoum, Sudan, where he served as CIA station chief until 1995.

Cofer Black was responsible for the collection of intelligence that led to the 1994 capture of the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal.

In 1995, Cofer Black was named the Task Force Chief in the Near East and South Asia Division.

Cofer Black's promotion was a part of Tenet's "grand plan" for dealing with Al Qaeda.

Cofer Black was the operational chief in charge of this effort.

Cofer Black still headed the CTC at the time of the September 11,2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Cofer Black wanted recruitments and he wanted to develop commando or paramilitary strike teams made up of officers and men who could "blend" into the region's Muslim populations.

Cofer Black became a "vocal advocate" of arming the aircraft with missiles to target bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders.

Cofer Black urged Tenet to promote the matter at the long-awaited Cabinet-level Principals Committee meeting on terrorism of September 4,2001.

On September 13,2001, Black briefed President George W Bush in the White House Situation Room and outlined a CIA-led campaign in Afghanistan in which small teams of CIA officers and Green Berets would work with the Northern Alliance to topple the Taliban government and expel Al Qaeda.

Cofer Black was appointed as the US Department of State's Ambassador-at-Large for counter-terrorism in late 2002.

Cofer Black resigned in 2008 reportedly after learning of illegal payments to Iraqi officials.

Cofer Black later served as chairman of Total Intelligence Solutions, a private intelligence gathering group.

In October 2011, Cofer Black was chosen by Romney to serve as "Special Adviser" on all foreign policy issues during his 2012 presidential campaign.

Cofer Black's name appears in volume five of the 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections produced following the investigation by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.