Paul Pillar

Paul Pillar is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Previously, he served as a Visiting Professor at Georgetown University (2005–2012) and held a 28-year career in the U.S. intelligence community, including roles as National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia. He retired from the CIA in 2005 after serving in analytical and managerial positions such as Counterterrorist Center deputy chief and National Intelligence Council member. His expertise spans counterterrorism, intelligence analysis, and U.S. foreign policy.

• Education: A.B. Dartmouth College (1969), B.Phil Oxford University (1971), M.A. and Ph.D. Princeton University (1975, 1978)
• Research Focus: Intelligence-policy dynamics, terrorism studies, Iraq War analysis, and national security strategy

His work critiques intelligence politicization and emphasizes the need for clear separation between intelligence and policy advocacy. He has authored influential books including Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy (2004) and Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy (2011). Pillar’s analyses often address intelligence failures and the consequences of policy decisions during the Iraq War.