Cohen Appointment Shows Rise of Financial Intel in U.S. Policy

The appointment by President Barack Obama of David Cohen to be deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency underscored the importance the administration places on financial intelligence matters, experts said.

Mr. Cohen, as U.S. Department of Treasury undersecretary of terrorism and financial intelligence, oversaw the department’s efforts to block illicit actors from accessing the global financial system. He traveled extensively, meeting with officials, banks and regulators across the globe to get them on board with U.S. counter-terrorist finance, anti-money laundering and sanctions policy. And he worked closely with people in the U.S. intelligence community, experts said, in which he gained a legal and technical appreciation of their work.

Read the full article in The Wall Street Journal.