3 REASONS YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT ELECTION DAY

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/three-reasons-you-should-care-about-election-day

It's the last Tuesday in October, just one week away from Election Day. I've noticed in some (not all) American Christian corners a silence about issues in the political realm. This may have to do with a few possibilities: the rejection of old-school Moral Majority hypocrisy and overreach, the rejection of Obama-as-Messiah liberalism, a distaste for corrupt government and flawed candidates, some kind of notion that secular nations like ours aren't our Christian business, or ignorance about self-rule in our country. As believers, we know that the purpose of government is not to save souls, but to "punish those who do evil and praise those who do good" (1 Pet. 2:14).

Whatever the cause of the silence, here are three reasons American Christians should be politically principled, informed, opinionated, and involved.

1. You are a ruler, and God calls kings to rule well.

There is no one king in America. You and I are kings, for we hire and fire our elected representatives. While you may not have asked for this burden, when you are an American citizen you live in country that has given its people self-rule. It follows that, as kings, Christians would seek the advice given to rulers in Scripture.

Some guidance in Scripture for rulers is direct. God has direct guidance for King Lemuel in Proverbs (Prov. 31:1–9). Lemuel is to rule soberly, justly, and fairly, looking out for those who are oppressed and those whose rights are being stolen. The proverbs have many statements about kings: they take pleasure in honesty, they appreciate skilled labor, they mete out justice.



Some guidance in Scripture is by example. The king of Ninevah (a non-Jewish king of a non-Jewish people) was a king who did well. He repents of his moral sins, and he legislates that his people repent as well, thereby saving them from destruction. Again, these were not Israelites (Jonah 3:7–10). For another example, in the New Testament Paul calls on believers to pray for rulers, that they would help us live peaceful and quiet lives, that we might be "godly and dignified in every way" (1 Tim. 2:1–4). It would follow that Christians would wish to rule in such a way that those prayers are answered.

2. You are a Christian, and God calls you to love well.

Christ calls us to love our neighbor. It is the second half of his summation of all the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:34–40). Christian, do you love your neighbor? If you do, you will care about the types of laws he lives under. You will care about the just, merciful, and sensible implementation of such laws, too, for these things affect your neighbor. You will keenly study and deduce the things your elected officials wish to reward and encourage, and that which they wish to punish or discourage, and you will vote accordingly. These things affect your neighbor.

You will keenly study and deduce which policies work, and which are well-intentioned yet bound to fail. They affect your neighbor, and you love her. You will weigh a flawed candidate with sensible policies that achieve good things for your country and culture—against another flawed candidate with well-intentioned but foolish or destructive policies.

You will need to think philosophically about the human condition, and weigh the two parties and their approach to legislation, and you will decide which party has more sensible and upright policies. You will need to be shrewd about propaganda, false narratives, cover-ups, and the like, and you will need to learn from history. Because you love your neighbor.

You will do this because in your city, county, state, and country the crime rate, education, educational freedom, corruption, defense, and how the international community treats your countrymen—to name a few issues—matter to your neighbors. And you love them.

Christian, you love your neighbor, even—especially—the tiniest ones. I am speaking of our neighbors in utero who deserve the right to live. May I submit that you consider these—your smallest, weakest neighbors—when you weigh candidates and legislation?

3. You have the Word, and you already know 'it's complicated.'

As a child of God, you hold in your hands the book that thoroughly explains the human condition. Again, whether you like it or not, to whom much is given much shall be required. By describing life, humanity, family, community, and kingdoms, the Bible is relevant to people living in every possible "-archy" and "-ism." Its message is eminently applicable to image-bearers living in monarchies, oligarchies, aristocracies, kleptocracies, and democracies, and under fascism, communism, and socialism. It's relevant because government is about people, and the Bible is the definitive, inerrant story of God and humanity.

And it's yours. It's in your hands.

The Bible teaches us about human nature and experience, how we thrive, and what brings out the best and the worst in us. It describes how true oppression looks and what true human rights and duties we ought to pursue. Of course human candidates, parties, and platforms are not perfect. Far be it from any believer to be surprised by sin, corruption, or imperfection. But somehow we still scorn and turn away from a system made up of flawed people. What did we expect? As Americans, we can turn away from brokenness in our culture, government, and systems. We can reject "those people and their government" and God's call on us as rulers and Christians, because we cannot find the flawless candidate or party or legislation. We can hunker down in our "Christian ghetto.”

As Christians, however, we are called to turn toward our neighbors. We are called to live in this world and engage our communities and love those around us. We can do this by exercising the gift of self-rule wisely, shrewdly. As Christ's regents, we can support sensible candidates and policies to help bring about freedom and quiet living rather than oppression, here in our little 21st-century kingdom called America.

Anne Chamberlin lives in Allen, Texas, and blogs at Tales from Shangri-La.

U.S. counterterrorism agencies finding potential homegrown extremists in U.S.

U.S. counterterrorism officials say they are uncovering homegrown Islamic radicals inside the United States who lack formal ties to al-Qaeda and operate independently.

Those independent qualities — combined with the radicals' ability to organize and plot on the Internet — make them particularly difficult to disrupt, retired Vice Adm. John Scott Redd, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday.

In a hearing on the changing face of terror, Redd said the threat from homegrown extremism is a recent trend that was seen in successful transit attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005.

...

Redd pointed to what he said were three potential homegrown organizations that have been disrupted in the U.S. in just over a year:

• Two Atlanta-area men, charged earlier this year in a terrorism case, have been publicly linked to some of the Canadian suspects. Prosecutors have said the two traveled to Washington to shoot "casing videos" of the Capitol and other potential targets. The lawyer for one suspect has insisted it wasn't part of any terrorism plot.

• In Torrance, Calif., the head of a radical Islamic prison gang and three others were indicted last year on federal charges of planning terrorist attacks against U.S. military facilities, the Israeli Consulate and other Los Angeles-area targets.

• In the farming town of Lodi, Calif., a young Pakistani man faces at least 30 years in prison for supporting terrorism by attending an al-Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in 2003 and lying to the FBI. His father pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle $28,000 in cash to Pakistan.

Showing how the government's mission has changed, Redd said that before 9/11 the FBI wrote 25 intelligence-information reports a year, but now the bureau produces more than 1,000 annually.

...

Redd said the merger between Zarqawi's group and al-Qaeda's central organization gives terror leaders a more diverse pool of "battle-hardened" operatives from which to draw. Intelligence officials, he said, are also seeing signs that Zarqawi's group was hatching plots outside Iraq. But he did not elaborate.

Redd and Henry Crumpton, the State Department's counterterrorism coordinator, agreed that al-Qaeda remains the pre-eminent concern of counterterror agencies. But they are also worried about other threats, including the Shiite extremist group, Hezbollah, which is closely allied with Iran.

SCOTT REDD APPOINTED FIRST PRESIDENT FOR REFORMED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN WASHINGTON D.C.

(JACKSON, MS) September 19, 2011 —The executive committee of the Reformed Theological Seminary Board of Trustees has appointed Professor Scott Redd, Jr., as the first president of RTS/Washington D.C., effective June 2012. Redd is currently an assistant professor of Old Testament and dean of students at RTS/Orlando.

In addition to teaching at RTS/Orlando, Redd is a graduate of The College of William and Mary and RTS/Orlando, where he received his Master of Divinity degree. During his doctoral studies, he taught at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Md., and later ministered at Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, N.C. Redd also taught at Catholic University and the Augustine Theological Institute in Malta, a theological training center operated by the Arab World Evangelical Ministers Association. Redd currently belongs to the board of the International Training Institute, an organization dedicated to the training of pastors in the Arab world.

He and his wife Jennifer have four daughters: Naomi, Mary, Charlotte and Catherine. Scott Redd, Jr. is also the son of The Honorable and Mrs. John Scott Redd, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Chancellor Ric said of Redd, “I am thrilled about the appointment of Scott Redd, Jr. as the new president for RTS/Washington D.C. Scott caught the attention of many of us as a student and later as a faculty and staff member at RTS/Orlando. He will bring enthusiasm and vigor as well as leadership and vision to this strategic campus in the capital of our country. Scott is just the right man ‘for such a time as this’.”

Michael Milton, chancellor-elect said, “I am so thankful for the appointment of Professor Scott Redd to become president of RTS/Washington D.C. His background in business, pastoral ministry, campus leadership, and his passion to preach and cast a biblical vision is a tremendous blessing to RTS as a whole and to our nation's capital in particular.”

Redd will continue to teach through this academic year in his current position at the RTS/Orlando campus. During this time, he plans to complete his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.

What the Secret Neighbors Do: Look for Terrorist Threats, Share the Information to Thwart Them

Three times a day officials sit in a windowless secure video conference room in one of McLean's most secure buildings and give other high-ranking officials around the government a rundown of the most prominent terrorist threats facing the U.S.

The first briefing of the day occurs at 1 am. The biggest occurs at 8 am. The last at 3 pm. The building works like a factory with three shifts a day.

These briefings are central to the job description of the National Counterterrorism Center, one of McLean's newest secret neighbors, spawned directly from the ashes of 9-11.

Sunday we told you the story we pieced together of how the NCTC and the Director of National Intelligence became our neighbors. Today we'll tell you what they say they do.

Within the sprawling intelligence community, the National Counterterrorism Center
(NCTC) was formally established in 2004 to bring together all available information on
terrorism, analyze the information, and warn of potential attacks on the U.S.

One of the most painful findings after 9-11, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies didn't talk to each other.

What they don't do: The Center’s work excludes terror that is exclusively domestic. The FBI does that. NCTC says they don't do operations. They simply collect data, analyze and share it.

They also create the "watch lists" also called No Fly lists.

"We are one of the bright shining stars in the post-9-11 environment," said NCTC spokesman Carl Kropf.

The Washington Post reported last year that some blamed the NCTC for failing to undercover a man before he boarded a Northwest Airlines flight and attempted to blow it up as it was landing in Detroit on Christmas Day.

The NCTC and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), were created to force the 16-agency intelligence community to share information in ways that eluded it leading up to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

As the central repository for "all-source" intelligence on international terrorism, the NCTC is supposed to find the important dots, connect the dots and advise the government on threats, the Postexplained.

"We are to connect and make sense of an unbelievable amount of information we receive about plots and threats" from foreign intelligence sources, from the military, and a myriad of other sources," Kropf explained.

"There is an unbelievable amount of data in our world and the ability to understand what is relevant and important and to make those judgements as quickly as possible," is what the agency does, he said.

The NCTC command center brings together staffers from the FBI, the Department of Defense, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, Homeland Security, etc.

In a large two-story room filled with 16-20 desks arranged in pods of four, analysts watch information flowing into the three screens on their desk. The room looks like a sound stage with "movie" lights hanging from the ceiling. That's because it was designed by a set director from the Disney company, McLean Patch was told during a recent tour.

A huge TV screen dominates the front of room. When visitors come the screen shows CNN.

The folks sitting at the desks come from the "partner" agencies. "This is part of breaking down the walls . . . they are really in the same room. . . You walk to your (intelligence) colleagues 20 feet over there," said the command center administrator. "This is a real example of how the barriers have broken down on counter terror."

Who's in Charge

The director of the NCTC reports to both the President of the United States and to their next-door neighbor, the Director of National Intelligence.

Vice Adm. John Redd was the first director of the National Counterterrorism Center, in August 2005. He resigned in November 2007 because he needed replacement surgery on both knees, which would require a prolonged absence if he were to stay as director, Carl Kropf was quoted as saying.

He was succeeded by his deputy Michael Leiter, who was confirmed in 2008 and departed this summer.

Matthew G. Olsen was sworn in as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in August following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Olsen is the top attorney at the National Security Agency, which is responsible for cracking enemy communications and encrypting ours, and he’s also a law professor at Georgetown University, according to the New York Daily News. He's now our new neighbor.

James R. Clapper, Jr. was sworn in as the fourth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on August 9, 2010. He is a retired lieutenant-general of the U.S. Air Force.

As DNI, Mr. Clapper oversees the United States Intelligence Community and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the President.

Remembering Their Roots

The NCTC contains a permanent 9-11 Memorial.

A glass case on the first floor holds a large piece of limestone from the Pentagon. A flag that flew over the ashes of the World Trade Center. A piece of twisted stell from the World Trade Center.

"We do this for our families, our community and for our nation," said Kropf.

We pray that they succeed.

Related Topics: Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, Matthew G. Olsen, mclean VA, andnational counterterrorism center

Gates, Cook, Redd offer grads words of encouragement, challenge

Media Contact:

Darin Watkins, WSU News, 509-335-4456, darin.watkins@wsu.edu

PULLMAN, Wash. – Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates issued a ringing call to public service in addressing Washington State University graduates at the second of three commencement ceremonies held at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum on the university’s Pullman campus Saturday.

“It’s precisely during these trying times that America needs its best and brightest young people, from all walks of life, to step forward to bring their talents and fresh perspectives to bear on the challenges facing this country,” said Gates, who has served as defense secretary since December 2006 under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. He has announced plans to retire later this year.

Gates spoke to just over 1,000 graduates of WSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

“To serve our country, you don’t need to deploy in a war zone or a Third World country or be buried in a windowless cube in a gothic structure by the Potomac River. You don’t have to be a CIA spy or analyst or Navy SEAL who track down and bring to justice the most notorious terrorist in the world,” said Gates, making his only reference to Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a U.S. military operation in Pakistan Monday.

“Whatever the job, working in the public sector at some level offers a chance to serve your fellow citizens as well as learn the inner workings of our government and build skills that will stand you in good stead in facing other challenges in your career and in your life,” Gates said.

He urged graduates not to shrink from today’s challenges, saying that he can clearly remember other times – the Soviet Sputnik launch, the Vietnam War, the OPEC oil embargo, and the economic crises of the late 1980s – when it seemed to some that the nation faced insurmountable obstacles.

“I lived through each of those periods of “declinism,” when many were convinced that America was stuck in a downward spiral. And yet, after meeting the many challenges we faced head-on, our nation emerged from each of these periods stronger than before – and I am convinced that we will do so again,” he said.

Gates, whose wife Becky and son Brad are both WSU graduates, was warmly received by the crowd. He praised WSU’s efforts to help returning veterans realize the goal of earning a college degree and he administered the oath to 19 graduates of WSU’s ROTC program who were commissioned as officers.

The day’s three ceremonies, presided over by WSU President Elson S. Floyd, marked the university’s 115th spring commencement.

Speaking to graduates of the WSU colleges of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Pharmacy, Sciences and Veterinary Medicine at the first ceremony of the day, former WSU Dean and Professor Emeritus R. James Cook told the graduating students that America needs them to be and stay competitive in their chosen fields.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences who this year received the 2011 international Wolf Prize for Agriculture, Cook – who served as the R. J. Cook Endowed Chair in Wheat Research during his 40-year tenure at WSU – urged graduates to resolve themselves to lead the changes that will occur throughout their lifetimes, rather than simply attempt to keep pace with them.

“The U.S. now ranks 20th in high school completion rate among industrialized nations and 16th in college completion rates,” he said. “The total annual federal investment in research in mathematics, physical sciences and engineering is now equal to the increase in U.S. healthcare costs every nine weeks.

Cook said a committee formed by the National Academy recently concluded that essentially no progress had been made over the past five years in strengthening the science and technology enterprise in America.

“How can America be competitive if we the citizens that make up the nation’s workforce are not competitive in this global market place,’ Cook asked. “Just assume that, whatever your field, someone will raise the bar. Why not have it be you?

“The world may be flat when it comes to the global market place and employment, but it is not flat when it comes to innovation,” he said. “The innovators of the world still want to pursue their dreams in America. No one knows exactly why, but somehow the environment in America brings out the best in entrepreneurship and innovation.”

In addressing graduates of the WSU colleges of Business, Education and Nursing later Saturday afternoon, Retired Admiral John S. Redd, the first Senate-confirmed director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, was expected to stress the importance of maintaining a lifelong checklist of key personal qualities that will support success, including vision, excellence, character, teamwork, organization, and respect.

“Character is both the most important and the most personal of the attributes you’ll need in life,” said Redd in his prepared remarks. “Your character reflects what you believe, which is the basis for your personal sense of morality. It drives everything else you do.

“Remember this,” he said. “If you fail, it will probably not be for lack of ability, but for lack of character. In short, your character is the foundation on which you build your life. Build it wisely. Guard it carefully.”

Redd served in several senior policy positions in the Pentagon and as executive director for the WMD Intelligence Commission.

Note to Producers/Assignment Editors: B-Roll of Commencement and Soundbites from Robert Gates are available for download at this link: http://134.121.160.190/Dropboxes/WSUGrad2011/
Multiple formats for Radio/TV media are available for download. Gates’ address is called “gatesWSU” and broll is called “wsugradbroll”

Right-click to download to local machine. NOT for viewing in browser!

2011 Washington State University Commencement Address,VADM Scott Redd

2011 Spring Commencement 5/7/2011 8:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 3:00 PM
		Watch 8:00am Live Stream
		Watch 11:30am Live Stream
		Watch 3pm Live Stream
The keynote speakers will be as follows: Jim Cook - 8am Dean and Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert M. Gates - 11:30am Secretary of Defense Admiral John S. Redd - 3pm Former vice admiral of the United States Navy For more information about our keynote speakers please visit here.

US Intelligence Victory

The U.S. Intelligence Community has taken a lot of flak - some of it deserved - since the Nine Eleven attacks. Now those same organizations have something very big to show for their work in the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

Often we are told in Washington, D.C. that U.S. Intelligence can't publicly talk about how an attack was prevented, or how the U.S. avoided some kind of terror troubles.

But this one is more than just a high profile success story - it's the most wanted terrorist on the face of the planet.

"Since 9/11, this is what the American people have expected of us, and today, in this critical operation, we were able to finally deliver," said a Senior Administration Official a few hours after Bin Laden had been killed.

"The operation itself was the culmination of years of careful and highly advanced intelligence work. Officers from the CIA, the NGA, the NSA all worked very hard as a team to analyze and pinpoint this compound," he added.

But even after identifying the compound, there was no guarantee that Bin Laden was really there, or that he had even been there at some point.

"The bottom line of our collection and our analysis was that we had high confidence that the compound harbored a high-value terrorist target," said another senior official.

"The experts who worked this issue for years assessed that there was a strong probability that the terrorist that was hiding there was Osama bin Laden."

The cooperation among intelligence agencies enjoyed further synergy with the Joint Special Operations Command, which conducted the Bin Laden raid, showcasing even more improvement in the way that intelligence is dealt with by the Intelligence Community.

Remember, one grand lesson of Nine Eleven was that U.S. intelligence featured a lot of turf wars and a lack of intelligence sharing.

Don't get me wrong - there are still turf wars and infighting - but in this case, the system seemed to work as we might well have imagined.

“Bin Laden’s death is a major milestone in the global war on terrorism," said Scott Redd, a former director of the National Counterterrorism Center during the Bush Administration.

"It’s the results of years of patient and painstaking work by an integrated intelligence community and was brought to conclusion by the kind of interagency teamwork which was put in place after 9/11."

Can that continue? The struggle is by no means over.

Secretary of Defense, Adm. Scott Redd among WSU commencement speakers

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Admiral John Scott Redd and R. James Cook, Washington State University dean and professor emeritus, will be the featured speakers at WSU's spring commencement May 7 at Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum.

Gates will speak at the 11:30 a.m. ceremony for graduates from the College of Liberal Arts and The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Cook will speak at the 8 a.m. ceremony to graduates from the colleges of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Pharmacy, Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.

Redd will address the graduates of Business, Education and Nursing at the 3 p.m. ceremony.

More than 2,350 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to participate.

National Security in an Insecure World, by VADM John Scott Redd

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Admirals Adventure @ Papa Forty Navy; Retired Navy Pals Run The Bands And Pile Ups From Aruba

By Jamie Dupree NS3T radio-sport.net
Posted March 15, 2010

It didn't matter that conditions in the 2010 ARRL DX SSB Contest weren't as good as two weeks earlier in the CW leg. It didn't matter that one of the operators hadn't contested in years. But it still added up to a winning formula for K0DQ and N4OC at "Papa Forty Navy".

(Retired U.S. Navy colleagues K0DQ and N4OC)

For Scott Redd K0DQ and Ed Giambastiani N4OC, the story of the 2010 ARRL DX SSB Contest is a combination of contesting and military service, two colleagues who are more than enjoying their retirement with a dose of ham radio.

The Admirals Adventure - 2010 ARRL DX SSB

The plan was for an "easy, laid back M/S" at the QTH of Carl Cook P49V in Aruba, said Redd before ARRL SSB.

"I think we're the top seed in the "Old Admirals" class, but not much more," he joked.

In fact, Redd and Giambastiani were both Admirals in the U.S. Navy, both rising very high in the ranks.

Redd retired in 2007 as the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, capping a career that included 36 years of active duty in the U.S. Navy.

Giambastiani retired in 2007 as well, his last post as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, one of the highest ranking U.S. military jobs.

Both had a love for the Navy and both had a love for ham radio contesting as well.

Redd said Giambastiani came to him about a year ago to talk about getting back into the game.

"He had operated from W1ZM 30+ years ago," Redd said. "We decided a Caribbean vacation combined with a low key phone operation would be just trick."

It also worked out well that the Admirals could take their wives along too for a warm, wintertime vacation.

The Goal Was to "Have Fun"

While K0DQ had managed to squeeze in some major contests during his Navy career, N4OC for the most part had only been keeping his license active.

"Ed had made maybe a few dozen contacts in the last decade and none from a DX location," Redd said. "He'd never used a computer in a contest."

The contest started on Friday night local time with K0DQ at the mic for the first four hours. Then it was time for a change of command on the bridge.

"Ed took the chair about 04Z and I went to bed," Redd recounted. "He went from zero to 60 in short order."

At first, "typing and talking simultaneously were a challenge" for Giambastiani, known as "Admiral G" by many in the Navy during his later years.

"Within a few hours he was hitting 150/hour rates," said Redd, who said his fellow operator ended up operating "probably over 60 percent of the time."

How well did the pair of Retired Admirals do? Right now, P40N is in first place on the DX side for Multi-Single claimed scores, with 7.52 million, almost a million points up on Team PJ4G.

"Did a lot better than I thought we would," Redd told radio-sport.net after returning to the U.S.

"Lots of fun running the big piles while Ed kept the steady rate going."

"As for Ed, he's hooked," said Redd.

"What's the next contest?" was the response from Admiral G.

So if you hear "Papa Forty Navy" again in the future, you might just be chatting with a pair of pretty happy Navy buddies.

2008 CQ World Wide CW Contest Marks Major Milestone for Scott Redd

2008 CQ World Wide CW Contest Marks Major Milestone for K0DQ

Becomes Possibly the Only Person Ever to Win All Six Major Ham Radio Contests

(Hicksville, NY – August 4, 2009) – Scott Redd, K0DQ, operating the 2008 CW weekend of the CQ World Wide DX Contest from Aruba as P40Q, racked up over a million more points than his closest competitor in the Single-Operator Low Power Class, and became perhaps the only person ever to win single-op world championships in all six major ham radio DX contests.

"I don't know of anyone else" who has won all the major contests, said CQWW Contest Director Bob Cox, K3EST, in announcing the results, which will be published in the September issue of CQ magazine.

Scott had his first taste of contest victory back in 1966, as a young Navy officer posted to Uruguay and operating CX2CO in the phone weekend of the CQ World Wide DX Contest. Over the succeeding years, Scott worked his way through the Navy ranks to Vice Admiral and became Commander of the Fifth Fleet, then served as a civilian in the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority and as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center before retiring in late 2007. But ham radio and contesting were never far away, and operating from Mexico as XE1IIJ in the early 1970s, Scott won single-op world championships in the CQWW Phone Contest, the ARRL DX Phone and CW Contests and the CQ WPX Phone Contest. Thirty years later, when his professional life permitted a little more hamming time, Scott added the WPX CW crown as P41P, operating from P43P's station in Aruba, in 2002. The only prize that eluded him -- until now -- was the CQWW CW.

"I've been trying like a son-of-a-gun to win (the) CQ World Wide CW," Scott commented in a 2008 interview with CQ. "I've come in number two, I've come in number three, but I've never won that one … so that's still my goal, every time I get close, in CQ World Wide CW, to win the world."

When informed that he had finally achieved that goal, K0DQ said, "I guess the message is if you keep at it long enough good things happen. In this case, four decades. It's been a great ride ... and it's still magic!"

CQ congratulates Scott -- already a member of the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, for his contesting achievements on top of all his other achievements.

Scott Redd, K0DQ: The Biggest Gun of All

K0DQ Leads All Single Ops In 2009 ARRL DX CW; NN3W Tops In USA, ZF2AM Heads DX Battle

Scott Redd K0DQ operated VY2ZM to just over 5 million points and has the top single op score in ARRL CW 2009

Colbert Shout Out - 2009 Counterterrorism Calendar

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Redd Appears on Fox's 24

On Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, Redd's photo appeared in the 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM hour (Season 7: Episode 7) of Fox's 24 (TV Series). The photo can be seen in a long shot of the FBI director standing in his filing cabinets from 4:49:-5:07 of the episode. It is the only photo on the filing cabinets.

NATIONAL SECURITY MEDAL AWARDED TO FORMER NCTC DIRECTOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2009

NATIONAL SECURITY MEDAL AWARDED TO FORMER NCTC DIRECTOR

President George W. Bush awarded the National Security Medal to retired Vice Adm. John “Scott” Redd at a White House Ceremony Jan. 16, 2009. Redd was recognized by the President for “his more than 40 years of exceptional service to the Nation strengthening its intelligence capabilities and improving national security.” The National Security Medal is America’s highest intelligence award reserved for those with distinguished achievements or outstanding contributions in the field.

Redd became the first Senate confirmed director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in August 2005 and served in that position until November 2007. NCTC leads the U.S. Government’s counterterrorism efforts by analyzing and sharing threat information and integrating all elements of national power to defeat terrorist threats at home and abroad.

In awarding the medal, the President called Redd “an innovator, a strategic thinker, an inspirational leader and a dedicated servant to the Nation, respected for his vision, courage and integrity.” During his remarks the President also thanked Redd’s wife Donna for her service over many years. The Redd’s daughter Anne Redd Chamberlin and sons Scott Redd Jr., and Adam Redd attended the White House ceremony.

Redd served 36 years in the Navy, commanded eight organizations and served in several senior policy positions in the Pentagon. His last active duty assignment was as Director of Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff. In 1995, he founded the first new US Navy Fleet in half a century, serving as the first Commander Fifth Fleet since the World War II era. Redd retired from active military service in 1998.

Following his military service he was the CEO of a high tech firm. He served briefly as the Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq before becoming the Executive Director of the President’s Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction in 2004.

An avid amateur radio operator, Redd was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in May 2008. He has won numerous amateur radio operator awards including seven world championships.

A native of Sidney, Iowa, Redd graduated second in his class from the United States Naval Academy in 1966. He currently resides in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

NCTC Mission: Lead our nation’s effort to combat terrorism at home and abroad by analyzing the threat, sharing that information with our partners, and integrating all instruments of national power to ensure unity of effort.

CQ Announces 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees

CQ magazine today announced its 2008 Hall of Fame inductees, welcoming 14 new members into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, three new members of the CQ DX Hall of Fame and two new members of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors those individuals, whether licensed hams or not, who have made significant contributions to amateur radio; and those amateurs who have made significant contributions either to amateur radio, to their professional careers or to some other aspect of life on our planet. The CQ Contest and DX Halls of Fame honor those amateurs who not only excel in personal performance in these major areas of amateur radio but who also "give back" to Amateur Radio in outstanding ways.

The 2008 inductees to the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame (listed alphabetically) are:

· Vice Admiral Scott Redd (Retired), K0DQ/A92Q -- Former Director, National Counterterrorism Center; Retired Commander, US Fifth Fleet; active contester and DXer.

Help Wanted: Why can't the president fill two top terror jobs?

The homeland security job is not the only key counterterrorism post the Bush administration is having trouble filling. As NEWSWEEK reported earlier this month, White House officials have spent months searching for a new candidate to head the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). The previous chief, retired Vice Adm. John Scott Redd, left for health reasons last October. Several highly experienced candidates have turned down invitations to become NCTC director. The center's widely praised acting chief, Michael Leiter, a former federal prosecutor and Navy pilot, is soon expected to be named NCTC's permanent director, though his nomination—which is subject to Senate confirmation—has not yet been officially announced.

Newsweek: For the Record

"Antiterror Help Wanted" (PERISCOPE, March 3) is correct in noting the National Counterterrorism Center as a "bright spot" in intelligence reform but wrong in two other respects. Let me set the record straight. First, I believe we are strategically safer as a result of having gone into Iraq. As I have consistently stated in congressional testimony and interviews, a major reason for our not being attacked since 9/11 has been our strategy of taking the war to the terrorists. That assessment clearly includes Iraq, which Al Qaeda considers a critical battleground. This security has not come without a price. My comment in the 10-second TV sound bite (lifted out of a 40-minute interview) that we were probably not "tactically" safer referred to the loss of life of the courageous members of our military due to Al Qaeda's action on the Iraqi battlefield. Second, the backhanded implication that I was forced to resign is pure poppycock. I left because I had to have total knee-replacement surgery on both knees, period. That decision was discussed with the White House and director of National Intelligence well before the airing of the interview. I left NCTC confident that a strong team with a strong leader in Mike Leiter was in place. The day-to-day performance of NCTC—and, indeed, the entire counterterrorism community—in keeping the country safe for more than six years is the story you should focus on.
Scott Redd, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Former Director, NCTC
Washington, D.C.

Antiterror Help Wanted

By Mark Hosenball | NEWSWEEK

Mar 3, 2008 Issue

In October 2007, National Counterterrorism Center director John Scott Redd, a retired Navy vice admiral, told a TV interviewer that the invasion of Iraq "probably" did not make the U.S. safer from terrorism. A few days later, Redd resigned, citing health concerns. Bush administration officials denied that Redd's departure had anything to do with his comments, and the post has remained vacant—which is odd, since the NCTC is one of the few undisputed bright spots of post-9/11 intelligence reform legislation. Since Redd left, the NCTC has been run on an interim basis by one of his deputies, Michael Leiter, a former Navy aviator and federal prosecutor whose leadership has won praise from intel officials and congressional monitors.

But until very recently, the White House has appeared reluctant to name Leiter as permanent NCTC chief. Instead, it spent months on a fruitless search for a higher-profile director, according to two government officials who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive matters. Several possible candidates, including military officers and CIA executives, turned the job down. Administration officials and Republican congressmen concluded that candidates were scared off by the prospect of the Senate confirmation process—especially since the job could be short-lived, with only a year left in the Bush presidency.

So why hasn't the White House offered the post to Leiter? One factor could be his political credentials. According to his official biography, Leiter, a Harvard law graduate, once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, a liberal Bill Clinton appointee. A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment; a spokesman for the office of National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell declined to comment. Just hours after NEWSWEEK first inquired about the NCTC position, however, one government official indicated that the White House may well nominate Leiter in the near future.

Book Report on Ronald Kessler’s “THE TERRORIST WATCH”

The public is aware of only the tip of the counter-terror iceberg. In 2007, there were 60-70 terror plots in US being investigated every day. Every morning in the NCTC at 8:00 AM the Threat Matrix involving these treats is evaluated. Vice Admiral Redd, NCTC, with his small group of representatives from all the security agencies prepares a list of 25-30, which list is further reduced to 10-20. These are brought into the daily video conference involving the President, Nat. Security Council, DHS, and Nat. Intelligence Director. In 2004 alone, the Justice Department reported 379 convictions related to terrorism.

The NCTC is a 10,000 sq. ft. facility built like a TV network control center with 32 large screens and 350 computer stations. They operate a web page for 5000 world wide intelligence analysts. They control the no-fly list, and they are available for instant communication country-wide access from police, customs or immigration officers having a suspicious incident involving a terror risk. Someone on the no-fly list, if stopped for a traffic violation, can be held for a surveillance interview. There are 400,000 names on the NCTC list of terrorist entities.

Kessler points out that a major concern of our all of counter-terror officials is the demoralizing effect of the attacks by the left leaning media. The effectiveness of the terror investigations depends to great degree on the assistance and cooperation of the public. To the extent that the left is successful in engendering suspicion of the counter efforts it will further damage our security. At the current level, even though less than 1% of the open tips actually have lead to a terrorist, they are a valuable eye on the ground that has been extremely important especially regarding the new home grown Jihadist threat.