Robert James Woolsey Jr American politician Date of Birth: 21.09.1941 Country: USA

1. Biography of Robert James Woolsey Jr.
2. Early Life and Education
3. Political Career
4. Involvement in Non-Governmental Organizations
5. Views on Russia and Syria
6. In July 2006, Woolsey called for airstrikes in Syria.

Biography of Robert James Woolsey Jr.

Robert James Woolsey Jr. is an American politician, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (1993-1995), and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Freedom House. He is currently a trustee and consultant at CSIS and an advisor at IAGS.

Early Life and Education

Woolsey was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from Stanford University in 1963 with a Bachelor's degree. He then went on to complete his Master's degree at Oxford University in 1965 and earned a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School in 1968.

Political Career

From 1969 to 1970, Woolsey served as an advisor to the American delegation during American-Soviet negotiations on strategic offensive arms limitations in Helsinki and Vienna. From 1977 to 1979, he was the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Navy. In the years 1983 to 1986, Woolsey represented the United States in negotiations in Geneva on the reduction of strategic weapons. From 1989 to 1991, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the delegation on conventional forces and arms limitations in Europe.

In 1993, Bill Clinton appointed Woolsey as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. However, he resigned in 1995 following the arrest of CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who was working for Russian intelligence.

Involvement in Non-Governmental Organizations

Woolsey also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the non-governmental organization Freedom House. He is a member of various organizations, including the American Committee for Peace in Chechnya and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In 1999, Woolsey co-founded the joint venture Invicta Networks with former KGB Major V.I. Sheymov, who defected to the United States. The company specializes in technical information security.

Views on Russia and Syria

Woolsey has been critical of the Russian government and its President, Vladimir Putin. In an interview, he stated that Putin's regime is approaching a point where Russia could become a fascist state. He has also condemned human rights violations in the Chechen Republic and the restrictions on freedom of speech in Russia.

In July 2006, Woolsey called for airstrikes in Syria.