Tim Clemente

Timothy G. Clemente (born October 18, 1960) is an American counter-terrorism expert who has worked as an FBI Special Agent and SWAT team member in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He also ran a cover joint operation with the Department of Energy's National Emergency Support Team, which was tasked with protecting the U.S. from attack by rogue nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction. Clemente went undercover as a drug smuggler and took down members of the Cali Cartel working in narcotics and organized crime investigations in the U.S. and South America.

A 2011 Esquire profile by Daniel Voll described Clemente as “an excellent terrorist hunter".^[1]

Education

Born in San Francisco, California, Clemente earned a B.A. in International Politics from Fordham University in 1982. At Fordham, he competed in NCAA football, lacrosse, track and field, and rugby.

Clemente graduated at the top of his class from the St. Louis Police Academy. He won awards for his firearms skill, academic performance, and for Best Overall Officer, in addition to receiving field commendations for bravery and exceptional performance of duty.^[2]

Career

Police officer

Before working at the FBI, Clemente was a police officer in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was cited several times for bravery and excellent service.^[3]

FBI

As an FBI Special Agent in the 1990s and 2000s, Clemente worked as a counterterrorism expert and a SWAT team member, sniper, and tactical instructor. He carried out narcotics and terrorism investigations around the world. In the late 1990s, he was one of the FBI agents who worked on the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. On 9/11, he was one of the first FBI agents on the scene after American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.^[1][3]

Clemente went to Iraq for the first time in January 2004. A 2011 Esquire article described his close friendship with a former member of Saddam's police force whom Clemente trained in Iraq in 2004 to be a terrorist hunter and became, in the view of U.S. experts, “the best terrorist hunter alive.” The article depicted the two mens' activities in Iraq, hunting down and “turning” terrorists.^[1][3]

Military

After leaving the FBI, Clemente returned to Iraq in 2007 to serve as an adviser to the U.S. military. He spent eight months in Iraq working as an embedded Counter Improvised Explosive Device Investigator with the U.S. Army 3rd Corps. While in Iraq, he compiled a book of combat photos entitled Courage. In 2008, he worked as an adviser with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.^[3][4]

Hollywood

Clemente retired from active government duty in 2007. Since then, he has worked in Hollywood writing screenplays and serving as a consultant about law enforcement, counterterrorism, and the FBI on films and TV shows.^[1] He owns X-G Productions, Inc. and has written several episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles, two episodes of Lie to Me, and an episode of The Unit. He has also appeared on Criminal Minds and The Unit, performed stunts on Criminal Minds and Washington Field, and served as creator and producer of Washington Field, in addition to writing one of its episodes.^[5] He has also written for the shows Killer Elite and Blindspot. Since late 2015, he has been a staff writer and technical consultant for Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.^[3][6]

Clemente also works as an international consultant.^[3]

Professional activities

Teaching

Clemente has taught police officers, members of the armed forces, and university students.^[3][4]

Book

Clemente's book, Courage: A Pictorial Essay on Life in Iraq Today, was published in 2008.^[3][4]

HARAS

Clemente invented the Height Adjustable Rescue Assault System (HARAS), which is used by counter-terrorism agencies around the world. It has been called “the world’s first articulating vehicle-based tactical entry system."^[2][3] This system uses wide platforms and high traction stairways to ensure easy and safe access to elevated conveyances or structures.^[7]

Comments on anti-terrorism efforts

In a 2012 interview, Clemente criticized the legally required separations between the FBI and CIA, and between parts of the FBI, that in his view have greatly hampered the fight against terrorism. He also praised Israel's approach to airline safety.^[8]

Comments on Tsarnaev phone calls

During a May 2013 discussion on CNN of the possible role of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev's wife, Catherine Russell, in her husband's actions, Clemente disagreed with a fellow commentator, stating that “spousal privilege...ends when it comes to a conspiracy involving terrorism.” He elaborated: “if she only knew after the fact...and didn't tell the FBI or local police about him, that's one thing. If she knew about any element of the plot beforehand...now you're talking about a completely different thing. Because she may have contributed to this conspiracy...she loses that spousal privilege to not say anything.” Apropos of a telephone exchange between Tsarnaev and Russell, Clemente stated that national security investigators “have ways...to find out exactly what was said in that conversation. It's not necessarily something that the FBI is going to want to present in court, but it may help lead the investigation and/or lead to questioning of her.” Clemente's claim, that the government maintained records of private phone calls, attracted considerable media attention and commentary.^[9][10][11]

Comments on Muslim influx into U.S.

In a July 2015 interview, Clemente said that it was impossible for the FBI to cope with the influx into the U.S. of people from the Muslim world who may be terrorists or potential terrorists. He criticized the State Department for allowing students to enter the country without real vetting, and complained that laws prohibit investigation of such individuals unless there is “reasonable suspicion” of their motives for entering the U.S.^[12][13]

Reaction to President Obama on the terror threat

In an October 2015 article, Clemente rejected President Obama's statement that the major threat to America is climate change, saying that such comments “are more of a threat to national security than the climate ever could be.” Noting Obama's description of ISIS as a “JV team,” Clemente said that Obama “does not comprehend an actual 'threat' where he should see one.” Clemente added: “At a time when terror attacks are more coordinated, more sophisticated and more frequent, the president seems to surmise that everything is just peachy. If that’s not a threat to national security, I don’t know what is.”^[14]

Personal life

Clemente and his wife, Karen, have nine children:^[1] Sarah,Josh, Grace, Mariana, Mercy, Rodney, Kateri, Tim, Jr., and Gabrielle.^[15][16] Clemente's older brother, Jim, is also a retired FBI agent and Hollywood screenwriter and producer .^[17]

The The Catholic Herald profiled Clemente and his family in June 2016, discussing their involvement in WorkCamp, a summer camp focused on volunteer work. Their involvement began in 1996 when Clemente volunteered as a WorkCamp contractor.^[1][16]

References