Atherton man named to Iraq intelligence probe Atherton man named to Iraq intelligence probe (February 18, 2004)

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

Atherton resident and Hoover Institution fellow Henry S. Rowen has been named to the president's commission charged with investigating U.S. intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly in the context of the administration's claims, used to justify the war, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

The White House announced the appointments of Mr. Rowen, 78, and Charles M. Vest, the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as the last two members of the nine-member panel on February 12.

A report from the panel is due in March 2005, although critics of the administration wanted conclusions revealed before the elections. A similar recently launched inquiry in Britain is scheduled to report results this summer.

Mr. Rowen, who could not be reached for comment, is traveling in China as a principal investigator with a Stanford University team examining the emergence and growth of high-technology entrepreneurial regions, his wife, Beverly, told the Almanac.

Mr. Rowen has held several government positions, including assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs in the first Bush administration. He is a member of the Defense Policy Board, a civilian advisory group to the Pentagon recently chaired by neoconservative Richard Perle. Mr. Rowen has written widely on international security issues.

"Harry Rowen is a terrific choice," said fellow Hoover scholar and Defense Policy Board member Martin Anderson in an interview. "He has a lot of experience on this particular issue and he is greatly respected."

Asked his opinion on whether the bipartisan commission would have vigorous debates and reliable facts to work with, Mr. Anderson said he has set up and has been a member of similar commissions, and that they do produce useful results.

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