At CIA Headquarters David Blee

1 @ cia headquarters

1.1 near east division
1.2 soviet division
1.3 counterintelligence

at cia headquarters
near east division

he returned cia headquarters near washington, d.c. following six-day war in 1967, dci richard helms had appointed him lead cia s near east division, supervised espionage operations in region. 1 of major responsibilities tracking emergence of palestinian guerrilla groups, in hope of anticipating increasingly violent actions against western targets.

soviet division

in 1971 dci helms appointed blee head of soviet division. position blee later, under dci william colby, initiated significant policy changes in cia operations. in particular, soviet citizens volunteered information no longer assumed dangles or plants, species of double agent. such provocateur agents sent kgb infiltrate ( penetrate in spy talk) rival cia. instead, under blee, each defector volunteering information questioned, analyzed , appraised on bona fides particular each case. these substantial changes in cia method led departure of james j. angleton post chief of counterintelligence. angleton s influence had worked compel harsh, aggressive scrutiny of every putative defector soviet union.

angleton had enjoyed dominant role in cia. mid-1960s, however, convoluted analysis of soviet deception caused him become extreme. mandated rigorous suspicion of soviet volunteer probable fake defector under kgb control. avert danger of communist penetrating cia, in effect discontinue espionage against soviets. angleton s strident mistrust stripped agency of soviet informants, repeatedly denounced double agents.

furthermore, angleton became convinced that soviet mole--a hidden spy--had penetrated cia. angleton never able find suspected mole among cia personnel, several careers ruined. in meantime, angleton had tied cia in knots placing virtually under suspicion.

according former cia officer haviland smith, [blee] architect of program turned clandestine service on target against soviets after years of angleton. smith , other cia agents, particularly burton gerber , david forden, had worked innovate new generation of spy tradecraft. made success more american espionage activity in hostile, surveillance-heavy environment behind iron curtain. new gerber rules espionage in soviet block meant check out volunteer, don t dismiss him out of hand.

without ever igniting open confrontation angleton, blee identified select cadre of american agents untainted angleton s mole hunt , set them cultivating soviet defectors spy united states.

counterintelligence

he ended career in job long held angleton: 1978 until 1985 served cia s counterintelligence chief. blee remained innovative. 1 of first open channels of communication kgb in waning years of soviet union. according clair george, former d/ncs cia, blee had greater intellectual command of overseas operational activity officer ever knew.