Philip Giraldi is a former CIA case officer and Army intelligence officer with nearly twenty years of service overseas in Europe and the Middle East, specializing in counter-terrorism and terrorism cases. He earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in history from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in modern European history from the University of London. After his intelligence career, Giraldi worked as a security consultant and became a recognized authority on international security and counterterrorism. Since 2010, he has served as the Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest and is a founding and current member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). As a columnist, he contributes "Smoke and Mirrors" to Antiwar.com and "Deep Background" to The American Conservative, where he has become one of the most vocal critics of neoconservative foreign policy and figures such as Douglas Feith. His commentary on terrorism, intelligence, and security issues has drawn controversy, including accusations of antisemitism.