Assessments Dec 21, 2018 | 11:00 GMTDec 21, 2018
Security measures -- both obvious and hidden -- have evolved considerably from the era when a Libyan bomb brought down Pan Am Flight 103.
Biography
Fred Burton is one of the world's foremost authorities on security and terrorism. He oversees Stratfor's analysis of global security developments and consults with clients on security-related issues affecting their business assets or personal safety. He also guides the firm's coverage of situations involving terrorism, hostages, hijackings and plane crashes. Before joining Stratfor, Mr. Burton served as a counterterrorism agent with the U.S. State Department from 1985 to 1999.
During his 14-year career, Mr. Burton was involved in many high-profile investigations including: the search for and arrest of Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the first World Trade Center bombing; the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; the killing of Rabbi Meir Kahane and al Qaeda's New York City bombing plots before 9/11; and the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Raphel and Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.
Mr. Burton was deputy chief of counterterrorism at the Diplomatic Security Service, where he was in charge of preventing and investigating attacks against diplomatic personnel and facilities. While a Stratfor analyst, he was appointed to the Border Security Council and served as the Assistant Director for Intelligence & Counterterrorism at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Mr. Burton is the author of four books, including the best-selling memoir, GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent (Random House, 2008), in which he tells the story of his role in the fight against the burgeoning terrorist threat in the 1980s and beyond. His second book, Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice (Palgrave, 2011), follows his 35-year quest to solve the case of an Israeli diplomat assassinated in Mr. Burton's childhood neighborhood. Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi (St. Martin's, 2013), is a New York Times best-seller and provides the first detailed account of the infamous assault in Libya in September, 2012. Burton's fourth book, Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah's War Against America (Penguin Random House, 2018) recounts 1980s kidnapping and murder of CIA station Chief William Buckley in Lebanon.
Mr. Burton has been featured as a terrorism and security expert in numerous media outlets, including ABC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Show, NBC's The Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, NPR, Al Jazeera English, FOX News and the Financial Times. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the National Police Foundation's Center for Mass Violence Response Studies (CMVRS).
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Terrorism Trends and Tactics
- Supply Chain Threats
- Countersurveillance
- High Net Worth Family Protection
- Terrorist Organizations
- Industrial Espionage
- Travel and Hotel Security
- Border Security
- Domestic Hate Groups
- Kidnappings
Anthology
Select...
Assessments Dec 7, 2018 | 12:00 GMTDec 7, 2018
Former President George H.W. Bush's death brings back memories of a terrorist assassination plan and a renewed appreciation for the protection that never rests.
Assessments Aug 11, 2018 | 13:00 GMTAug 11, 2018
Thirty years ago, I was part of the U.S. team sent to Pakistan to help solve the mystery: What caused the presidential plane to plummet from the sky? The answer eluded us.
Assessments Jun 2, 2018 | 13:31 GMTJun 2, 2018
A massive blast in 2003 left 3 U.S. citizens working for the Diplomatic Security Service dead. None of the perpetrators have been brought to justice.
Assessments Apr 21, 2018 | 13:24 GMTApr 21, 2018
American law enforcement agencies are more than capable of protecting the double agent and his daughter, who were the apparent victims of a Russian poisoning plot in England.
Videos Apr 5, 2018 | 16:12 GMTApr 5, 2018
In this conversation, Chief Security Officer Fred Burton and VP of Tactical Analysis Scott Stewart examine the diplomatic expulsions and their consequences on business and security.
Assessments Mar 10, 2018 | 15:36 GMTMar 10, 2018
The sacrosanct bags borne by couriers are exempt from prying eyes, even when the cargo inside may be illegal.
Assessments Feb 9, 2018 | 16:07 GMTFeb 9, 2018
A domestic terrorist found a gap in the extensive security surrounding those games, offering lessons for future planning.
Assessments Jan 20, 2018 | 14:45 GMTJan 20, 2018
The bureau is making a new push to shake loose some leads in the attack on Pan Am Flight 73 over three decades ago.
Assessments Dec 21, 2017 | 09:15 GMTDec 21, 2017
The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 almost 30 years ago both tempers one's spirits and strengthens the resolve to keep fighting for justice.
Assessments Nov 17, 2017 | 16:51 GMTNov 17, 2017
The murder of a political activist in Amsterdam fits a pattern established by the country's intelligence service.
Assessments Oct 30, 2017 | 09:30 GMTOct 30, 2017
The recent release of previously classified documents related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination reveals just how far the conjecture surrounding his death reached.
