Ford School professor of practice Javed Ali has been widely quoted in the news media for his expertise on national security aspects of breaking news in the U.S. and abroad. From the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago to the war in Afghanistan, Ali has given insight. Here is a compendium of his recent appearances:
What Trump Mar-a-Lago photo shows vs. what we know about handling classified documents, USA Today, September 1, 2022
“To access such documents requires an extraordinary level of "special access" clearance and special handling procedures, said Javed Ali, a senior National Security Council official in the Trump administration, who also spent 16 years in top national security positions at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security and FBI. "There's a reason why they're putting that label on there. It's very sensitive," Ali said. "Any compromise of that source could not only shut off the intelligence stream that that source is providing but put a human being at risk for their life. It doesn't get more serious than that."
Historic Legal Filing, CBS News, August 31, 2022
“The last thing you want to do is disclose those capabilities and the insights from them to our adversaries.”
Poll: Half of Americans Say Sending Troops to Afghanistan Was ‘A Mistake’, Defense One, August 31, 2022
“You’re not going to have a defining moment where you can declare victory over your adversary or enemy… They’re not wearing uniforms, and even when they have taken a punch or are under a lot of pressure, they don’t stand up and say, ‘Yes, United States, you got us.’…You’re not going to get the battleship-Missouri moment in 1945 that people remember.”
The Reid Out - FBI documents, MSNBC, August 18, 2022
“The FBI and DHS put out a bulletin last Friday, and so clearly within my former world folks know that there is a heightened threat environment out there. And I would have to believe that both in DHS and the FBI… that the right steps are going forward. But also ramping up efforts to make sure active plots out there can be disrupted in advance.”
Threats toward FBI, law enforcement were already on the rise. Then came Mar-a-Lago, USA Today, August 16, 2022
“We haven’t seen this level of real mobilization to potential violence since the mid-90s. This is really disturbing, and I know firsthand from my colleagues back at the FBI that they’re taking this as seriously as they should be. It’s very upsetting to them.”
Violent threats against the FBI make us less safe, The Hill, August 16, 2022
Much more needs to be done to combat the spread of this type of online vitriol to ensure FBI employees (special agents, analysts and other staff) are protected and allowed to conduct the agency’s important work. The organization has one singular focus — keeping the American public safe from domestic terrorists, foreign jihadists, hostile intelligence services, child predators, cyber hackers and organized criminals. They must do so while operating within rigid guidelines from the Department of Justice to ensure it respects the Constitution and does not violate Americans’ civil liberties.
Senate Intelligence Committee leaders request classified documents taken from Mar-a-Lago, ABC News, August 15, 2022
“If there was a big pool of classified information sitting at President Trump’s residence, try to figure out who knew what, when, or had access to what when, from a chain of custody point of view.”
Fears violent far-right rhetoric against FBI could worsen, ABC Australia, August 15, 2022
“At no point should the FBI as an organization ever feel that it is under threat from American citizens. The FBI is our country’s leading domestic security service and law enforcement organization. And every day, the people there… are trying to do one thing, and that’s keep America safe.”
Former FBI official slams violent threats against federal agents following Trump raid, ABC Australia, August 15, 2022
“As a former FBI official I find this outrageous. It’s one thing for people to demand accountability from the FBI, but this is not an example of that. This is the FBI doing its job, and at no point should FBI personnel feel like now they are under threat.”
U.S. federal judge unseals search warrant used on Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, CBC, August 13, 2022
“The documents from the search warrant that was executed on Monday… it’s pretty striking to see these different levels of classified information – confidential, secret, top secret, and top secret - specially compartmented information – and that last category normally you would have the most sensitive information. So this is a pretty serious development.”
