Equal Justice and National Security

Posted: June 19th, 2020

By Brigham Bechtel

Brigham Bechtel served over 30 years in the United States intelligence community. A Navy veteran who spent time as an enlisted and commissioned naval cryptologist, Brigham retired from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2017, after over 26 years as a staff officer working as both an analyst and then in operations with positions as Chief of Station and of bases in south Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Brigham has multiple awards for his work including the Career Intelligence Medal, Meritorious Unit Citations for unit’s he led, and National Intelligence Award. Brigham works for Coverent and serves at Navigators Global as a Senior Strategist -Security, Defense, & Space. He is also the founder of Pelorus Consulting, LLC. He is a 1989 graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis Maryland and is a member of the Cosmos Club and its International Affairs Committee.

Brigham Bechtel is a former CIA Chief of Station. He now works for Coverent and serves at Navigators Global as a Senior Strategist -Security, Defense, & Space. He is also the founder of Pelorus Consulting, LLC.

OPINION — America’s promise of equal justice before the law for its citizens always had a positive impact on its national security interests, but now our domestic failings are hurting our global ability to protect the nation. The events surrounding George Floyd’s arrest and killing are so devastating they are displacing news surrounding a pandemic which continues to claim thousands. Images of American police officers and uniformed military in clashes with our citizens–in scores of cases as they peacefully demonstrated–are framed with ugly images of looting and violence by some who take advantage of our shared pain. Our national skeleton is out of its closet once again and on full display for the world–and the world is watching.

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