Summary
Overview
Former CIA officer John Kiriakou shares his journey from childhood dream to intelligence operative, revealing the inner workings of the Agency, recruitment tactics, and the often-overlooked reality of American surveillance. He discusses recruitment strategies, the psychology of espionage, the divorce-inducing nature of living a double life, and his own imprisonment for exposing CIA torture programs. Throughout, he pulls back the curtain on digital security vulnerabilities and government overreach that affects every citizen.
Becoming a CIA Officer: From Childhood Dream to Reality
John Kiriakou's path to the CIA began at age nine when he told his parents he wanted to be a spy. He strategically chose George Washington University for its proximity to power and rare Middle Eastern studies program. During graduate school, a professor revealed himself as an undercover CIA officer and recruited John on the spot, leading to a rapid series of tests and interviews that launched his intelligence career.
- At age 9, John told his parents he wanted to be a spy, setting his life course
- Applied only to George Washington University because it was two blocks from the White House and offered Middle Eastern studies
- Dr. Gerald Post revealed he was actually an undercover CIA officer and asked John if he wanted to be a spy
- Was directed to meet 'Bob' within 20 minutes, then summoned for testing at 8am on Saturday morning
- Bob called two weeks later saying John 'blew the doors off those tests'
" I was one of only four people in that brand new Middle Eastern studies program. "
" I'm not really a professor here. I'm a CIA officer undercover as a professor here, and I'm looking for people who would fit into the CIA's culture. Would you like to be a spy? "
The Cost of Secrecy: Marriage, Lies, and an 80% Divorce Rate
The operational demands of CIA work destroyed John's marriage as he was legally forbidden from telling his wife about his actual activities. He describes coming home smelling like garbage after hiding in dumpsters, receiving coded midnight phone calls, and disappearing for hours while his suspicious wife questioned if he was having affairs. The Agency's requirement to maintain cover stories and operational security creates an unbearable strain on intimate relationships.
- Despite being told not to tell anyone, John told his wife he was applying to the CIA
- Would come home from operations and could only say he did 'not a darn thing' when asked about his day
- Received coded midnight phone calls: 'the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain' meant meet at yacht club parking lot in three hours
- After hiding in a garbage dumpster all night, his wife asked 'what was her name?' because she suspected infidelity
- The CIA has the highest divorce rate of any government entity, upwards of 80%
" I get home and she'd say, how's your dad? Say, great. Would you do? Not a darn thing. "
" What was her name? The truth is, I had been sitting in a garbage dumpster waiting for a guy to drive by down the alley and throw a bag of documents in. And I stunk of garbage. "
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