[3][4] After leaving the CIA in 1991, Cannistraro worked as a consultant on terrorism and security issues for a number of corporate and government clients, including ABC News and The Vatican.
He moved to the Reagan NSC by the direction of CIA Latin American Chief Duane Clarridge, who supported Col. Oliver North.
[5] The Contra program was transferred in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan to the NSC,[6] and Cannistraro was made Director of Intelligence there later that year.
[8] In 1988, Cannistraro became Chief of Operations and Analysis at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center,[9] where he led the agency's investigation into the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie.
[10] He reported on the forged Niger "yellowcake" uranium documents as an attempt by some Bush administration supporters to link Iraq with nuclear weapons development in order to increase public support for the Iraq war), and on the related disclosure of the identity of CIA case officer Valerie Plame.