John Kiriakou spent 14 years in the CIA as an analyst and counterterrorism officer. At one-point he was responsible for leading the team that found Abu Zubaydah, one of the highest ranking al-Qaeda officers at the time.
But Kiriakou’s career has become defined by a decision he made after he left the CIA. In 2007, he became the first CIA official to publicly acknowledge the agency’s use of waterboarding.
Five years later he was charged with disclosing classified information regarding the identity an undercover CIA officer. He admitted to this in a plea deal and served almost two years of a 30-month sentence. Kiriakou was released earlier this year and has since devoted his time to speaking out about the rights of whistleblowers and the state of torture in America’s ‘War on Terror.’
He speaks tonight at the UNC School of Media and Journalism’s Carroll Hall at 7:15 p.m.He'll be in Greensboro tomorrow afternoon, Fayeteville tomorrow night, and in Raleigh on Thursday.
Host Frank Stasio talks with Kiriakou about his career in the CIA and becoming an anti-torture activist.