President George W. Bush announced plans Friday to appoint Philip Zelikow to serve on the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Zelikow is the acting director of the Miller Center Public Affairs and the White Burkett Miller Professor of History.
Bush also appointed 14 other individuals who all will serve two-year terms. Former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft will chair the board.
Zelikow will continue with his positions at the University while serving on the board. All 15 members work part time and are unpaid excluding expenses.
According to a press release from the Miller Center, part of Zelikow's position will be "assessing the quality, quantity and adequacy of intelligence collection, analysis and estimates, counterintelligence, and other intelligence activities."
Board members, including Zelikow, were selected because of their expertise in these areas as well as their nonpartisan status as members of the general public.
From 1989 to 1991, Zelikow was the director of European security affairs and advised former President George Bush and Scowcroft when he was national security adviser.
The release continued outlining the role of the board by stating, "It has the authority to review continually the performance of all agencies of the Federal Government engaged in intelligence work of any kind." After reviewing these agencies, the board will present its findings to the president.
Zelikow said that he was aware of his consideration for the position and was honored when he got the call from the White House. Although Bush announced the planned appointment Friday, Zelikow said that a start date for the board was not known and specific goals facing the board were a matter of confidentiality. He did say, however, that intelligence matters surrounding the Sept. 11 attacks and retaliatory efforts would be important.
"I'm sure the new challenges will be a focus of the board," he said.
Zelikow said he thinks his position also can benefit University students.
"I think the faculty has a broader understanding of issues and they can impart some of that understanding to the students," he said.
He added that the University is right in allowing faculty members to fill positions of public service.
History Prof. Chen Jian said Zelikow has been a very influential colleague and described him as a first-class scholar. Jian's work experience with Zelikow has been "very, very, positive," he said. Jian is the C.K. Yen Professor of Chinese American Relations at the Miller Center.
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