Summary
Highlights
John Kiriakou explains that the primary role of the CIA is to recruit spies, steal secrets, and analyze those secrets to inform American policymakers, focusing exclusively on overseas intelligence gathering. He clarifies that domestic operations fall under the FBI's jurisdiction, but acknowledges historical controversies where the CIA overstepped these boundaries, particularly before 1975, engaging in activities like experimenting on American citizens and surveilling civil rights activists. Legislation passed in 1975, following the Church and Pike Committees, restricted the CIA's domestic activities.
Kiriakou details his unusual transition from a CIA analyst to an operations officer. As an analyst, he focused on reading and writing reports, contributing to the President's Daily Brief. He describes the analyst role as highly intellectual but often tedious. Driven by boredom, he sought a more active role and found a counterterrorism operations position in Greece, which required both Greek and Arabic language skills—a unique combination he possessed, making him the ideal candidate.
Kiriakou elaborates on the art of recruiting spies, emphasizing the importance of identifying vulnerabilities such as financial debt or a desire for a better life for one's family. He illustrates the multi-stage "asset acquisition cycle" (spot, assess, develop, recruit), which often involves building personal relationships over a year or two. He highlights that while 95% of recruits are motivated by money, others seek revenge against their governments or are driven by a strong admiration for the United States. He also shares a personal anecdote of a creative recruitment tactic involving fabricating an accident to establish contact with a target.
Kiriakou confirms the CIA's active collaboration with Hollywood, revealing the existence of a dedicated office within the CIA's Office of Public Affairs for this purpose. He states that this ensures all portrayals of the CIA in films are pro-CIA, effectively serving as propaganda. He shares instances where he himself advised on scripts, correcting inaccuracies to align with agency protocols, such as relocating a clandestine operation from London to Brussels due to UK-US intelligence cooperation agreements. He also notes Hollywood's general ignorance about Muslim culture, as seen in scenes depicting people wearing shoes inside mosques.
Kiriakou recounts his experience during the 9/11 attacks, being at CIA headquarters as the events unfolded. He asserts that 9/11 was orchestrated by Al-Qaeda, not an 'inside job,' but criticizes the CIA for not sharing crucial intelligence about the hijackers with the FBI due to inter-agency rivalry and incompatible computer systems, a failure that cost thousands of lives. He also speculates that the Israeli Mossad, which he considers the world's deadliest intelligence service, likely had prior knowledge of the attacks and allowed them to happen, believing they would benefit Israel by prompting a strong US response against Muslim-majority countries.
Kiriakou discusses the significant influence the Israeli lobby (AIPAC) wields in US politics, spending millions to support pro-Israel candidates and unseat those who are not sufficiently supportive. He argues that this financial and political pressure creates a climate where questioning Israeli policies is often equated with antisemitism, despite many critics, including himself, being pro-American or pro-Palestinian human rights. He highlights laws designed to stifle the BDS movement, limiting free speech and public discourse on Israeli-Palestinian issues.
Kiriakou asserts that US policy towards Iran is deeply flawed due to American ignorance of Iranian history, particularly the 1953 US- and UK-backed coup that overthrew a democratically elected prime minister and installed a dictator. He states that despite CIA reports indicating Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons, political pressure and demonization continue to drive US foreign policy, aligning with Israeli concerns. He emphasizes that while he understands Israeli fears, this should not justify US military intervention against Iran.
Kiriakou describes his mission in Pakistan to find Abu Zubaydah, a high-ranking Al-Qaeda facilitator, in early 2002. Facing immense pressure and limited information, he mobilized a large multi-agency team and used innovative targeting methods, including analyzing metadata and observing local behaviors. The search led to a dramatic raid on a safe house in Fiselabad, where Abu Zubaydah was found severely wounded after a firefight with Pakistani forces. Kiriakou vividly recounts the chaos of the raid and the critical efforts to save Zubaydah's life despite his dire injuries.
Kiriakou details his 56-hour vigil at Abu Zubaydah's bedside, where he tried to persuade him to cooperate. He recounts Abu Zubaydah's initial willingness to cooperate with the FBI, providing crucial intelligence, including the identity of Khalid Sheh Mohammed as the mastermind of 9/11. However, due to inter-agency rivalry, the CIA took over, initiating 'enhanced interrogation techniques'—which Kiriakou identifies as torture. He reveals that Abu Zubaydah immediately stopped cooperating and was subjected to waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and the 'cold cell,' enduring severe psychological and physical trauma. Kiriakou's public disclosure of these torture practices led to his own imprisonment, reflecting his commitment to American values over illegal methods.
Kiriakou explains the origins of Abu Zubaydah's eye patch: not from the raid, but from a piece of shrapnel years earlier. More disturbingly, he reveals that while at Guantanamo, American officials surgically removed Zubaydah's already-blind eye, a war crime. Kiriakou champions Zubaydah's release and compensation, arguing that he was a peripheral figure, not a 9/11 mastermind, and has been imprisoned without charge for over two decades. He critiques the US government's use of 'national security' to dismiss lawsuits, contrasting it with the UK's legal accountability for its role in Zubaydah's rendition and torture.