John Kiriakou is an American Hero.
Kiriakou joined the CIA in 1990 and became a Middle East analyst focusing on Iraq. Later, he became a counter-terrorism operating officer working in Greece, and after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks he was made Chief of Counterterrorist Operations in Pakistan.
Officials at the agency attempted to involve him in the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation program.” Quickly realizing that this was actually a torture program, which was illegal and immoral, he declined. He left the CIA in 2004.
In 2007, Kiriakou blew the whistle on the CIA’s torture program in an interview with ABC News. He explained the details of the program and named former CIA colleagues who participated. Bush’s CIA investigated Kiriakou for over a year, but declined to prosecute him.
Shortly after Barack Obama became president, Kiriakou was charged with espionage and faced 45 years in prison. Eventually, he was offered 23 months if he pled guilty, which he did.
Recently, I have been watching a number of interviews with Kiriakou, and have been fascinated with his frank and clear explanations and his amazing stories about the deep state. One of the best interviews I watched was with Jason Jones, a Catholic activist who has raised and distributed millions of dollars to regions decimated by US and Israeli military intervention. It was riveting, with the two sharing stories and comparing notes on their respective experiences.
On July 14, Kiriakou launched John Kiriakou’s Briefing Room. He describes it: I’m finally doing this my way. John Kiriakou’s Briefing Room launches Tuesday, 7/14, on YouTube, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Intelligence briefing for people who are done being managed.
Here is the first episode:
For the last few months I have become a John Kiriakou addict, and I watch or listen to everything I can find. This new show has helped satisfy my craving, and I urge everyone to consume it and the interviews that are available everywhere, starting with the list below:
Notable interviews with John Kiriakou:
Additional Links:
- John Kiriakou’s Website
- John Kiriakou’s YouTube Channel
- John Kiriakou’s Instagram
- John Kiriakou on X (Twitter)
- John Kiriakou Ted Talk
Eric Garris is Director and Co-Founder of Antiwar.com.
