Javed Ali
Javed Ali is an associate professor of practice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy where he delivers courses on counterterrorism and domestic terrorism, cybersecurity, and national security law and policy. Ali brings more than 20 years of professional experience in national security and intelligence issues in Washington, DC. He held positions in the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security before joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While at the FBI, he also held senior roles on joint duty assignments at the National Intelligence Council and the National Counterterrorism Center, and the National Security Council under the Trump Administration. Ali holds a BA in political science from the University of Michigan, a JD from the University of Detroit School of Law, and an MA in international relations from American University. He provides TV and radio interviews on a range of national security issues to US and international networks and similar print commentary in such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Hill, and Newsweek.
Recent Media
- Trump Pledges FBI Reform, but Big Purge of Agents Could Backfire, Christian Science Monitor, February 5, 2025
- Trump Pledges FBI Reform, but Big Purge of Agents Could Backfire, Christian Science Monitor, February 5, 2025
- Trump Pledges FBI Reform, but Big Purge of Agents Could Backfire, Christian Science Monitor, February 5, 2025
Title: Trump Pledges FBI Reform, but Big Purge of Agents Could Backfire
Platform: Christian Science Monitor
Date: February 5, 2025
Summary:
In this article, Javed Ali, a former FBI official and current professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, discusses the potential consequences of widespread personnel changes within the FBI under the Trump administration. He highlights concerns about whether agents who worked on politically sensitive cases will face removal, even if they were simply performing their duties without partisan intent. Ali questions the impact of these structural and personnel shifts on the FBI’s ability to fulfill its mission, particularly in national security. “Certainly, at the line level, you don’t really get a choice what you’re working on,” he explains. He further stresses the need for careful consideration of the tradeoffs and risks involved in any major changes to the Bureau, emphasizing, “If there are major changes to the FBI, we’d like to think the administration is thinking about the implications for national security.”
Link: Trump pledges FBI reform, but big purge of agents could backfire
Educational background
- BA in political science, University of Michigan
- JD, University of Detroit School of Law
- MA in international relations, American University
