Which cofounder of the Center for a New American Security served as a principal advisor to U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta?
Center for a New American Security The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2007 by co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell. It specializes in the United States' national security issues. CNAS's stated mission is to "develop strong, pragmatic and principled national security and defense policies that promote and protect American interests and values." CNAS focuses on terrorism and irregular warfare, the future of the U.S. military, the emergence of Asia as a global power center, and the national security implications of natural resource consumption. Former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg called CNAS "an indispensable feature on the Washington landscape." Speaking at the CNAS annual conference in June 2009, U.S. Central Command Commander GEN David Petraeus observed that "CNAS has, in a few years, established itself as a true force in think tank and policy-making circles."
Cofer Black Joseph Cofer Black (born 1950) is a former CIA official who was appointed Ambassador at Large and Coordinator for Counter-terrorism by President George W. Bush and led the Office of Counterterrorism in the U.S. State Department until his resignation in 2004. Previously Black served as the Directorate of Operations at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC).