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Ronald Noble

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Ronald Kenneth "Ron" Noble is a prominent American law enforcement official. He is best known for leading the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly called Interpol. Interpol is a global organization that helps police forces from different countries work together. Noble served as the secretary-general of this organization for fourteen years. He held this position from 2000 until 2014. His leadership marked several historical firsts for the international agency.

2011 Global Congress 6th Combating Counterfeiting & Piracy Paris Ronald K Noble Secretary General INTERPOL
2011 Global Congress 6th Combating Counterfeiting & Piracy Paris Ronald K Noble Secretary General INTERPOL

Noble's career began with a strong foundation in law and economics. He was born on September 24, 1956, at Fort Dix, New Jersey. His father was an African-American master sergeant in the army. His mother was German. Noble graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1979. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration. Later, he attended Stanford Law School. He graduated cum laude in 1982 after serving as an editor for the Stanford Law Review.

Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon
Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon

Before leading Interpol, Noble worked in several important roles within the United States government. He started as a law clerk for Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. In 1984, he became an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In this role, he prosecuted cases involving drugs and corruption in Philadelphia. By 1993, he was appointed the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement. This position gave him authority over several major agencies. These included the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, also known as the ATF. He also managed the Customs Service Office of Enforcement and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang ribbon (from 1996)
Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang ribbon (from 1996)

During his time in the Treasury Department, Noble handled significant security investigations. He led the Waco Administrative Review Team to report on the ATF's actions during the Waco siege. In 1994, he investigated a plane crash that occurred on the White House south lawn. This crash was carried out by Frank Eugene Corder. Following this event, Noble worked on a White House Security Review. In 1995, President Bill Clinton accepted his recommendations. This led to the closure of part of Pennsylvania Avenue to vehicle traffic. This change was intended to prevent car or truck bomb attacks.

GC.OrdineS.GregorioMagno
GC.OrdineS.GregorioMagno

Noble's election to Interpol was a major milestone for the organization. On November 3, 2000, at age 44, he was elected secretary-general. He was the first American to hold this office. He was also the first non-European and the first non-white person to lead Interpol. He was the youngest secretary-general in the organization's history. His success led to two more terms. He was re-elected in Berlin during the 74th General Assembly in 2005. He was re-elected again in Doha, Qatar, during the 79th General Assembly in 2010. He finally resigned in 2014. He was succeeded by Jürgen Stock.

His tenure included moments of international scrutiny and debate. In 2012, journalist John Sweeney questioned Noble's endorsement of a Belarusian investigation. This investigation followed a bomb explosion in the Minsk Metro in April 2011. Noble had praised the professionalism of the officials involved. However, the credibility of the CCTV footage used was later questioned. In 2017, an Argentine judge made allegations regarding a potential cover-up. The judge claimed Noble was involved in matters related to the 1994 AMIA terrorist attack in Buenos Aires. Noble strongly refuted these claims. He called the report false, misleading, and incomplete. The NGO Human Rights Watch described the indictment as far-fetched.

After leaving Interpol, Noble moved into the private security sector. He founded a multinational consultancy firm called RKN Global DWC LLC. This company is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 2016, the firm planned a large project in Slovakia. This was to be a security printing plant in Banská Bystrica. The project was estimated to cost €89 million and create 1,200 jobs. However, the firm eventually withdrew the plan. This decision followed political opposition in Slovakia and uncertainty regarding the UK leaving the EU. Noble remains a highly decorated figure. He holds honors such as the Legion of Honour from France and the Hilal-e-Pakistan from Pakistan.

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