Former CIA agent to speak about his time in prison for blowing the whistle on US torture of al Qaeda prisoners

ROCKPORT — John Kiriakou survived 23 months in prison by using what he learned as a government spy. On Saturday, October 7, at 3 p.m., at the Rockport Public Library, former CIA operative Kiriakou will speak about his life as a spy, the torture he witnessed at Guantanamo and his own life in prison following whistle-blowing charges. All are welcome, free of charge.

In what became a widely publicized international story, Kiriakou was accused of revealing top secret information when he confirmed the CIA’s use of torture on al Qaeda prisoners. He lost his job, his pension, his home and his savings during the court battles that followed.

Determined to get through the prison term unscathed, he vowed to survive intact. “The best way to do that would be to rely on what the CIA had taught me over the years,” he writes in his new book, “Doing Time Like A Spy.” Spies undergo rigorous training that, it turns out, serves them well in prison.

“It was my job to recruit spies to steal secrets and to run counterterrorist operations to break up and foil terrorist plots,” he writes in his new book. “Prison couldn’t be tougher than Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen…,” he writes. “The CIA taught me great survival skills” beyond breaking into houses, using weapons and surreptitiously gathering information. He learned how to survive, even thrive, amid the most dangerous people on earth. “I resolved to make the best of a bad situation.”

Kiriakou is smart, resourceful and a gifted storyteller with a sense of humor. He is open about what he’s seen and experienced, and he comes to the North Shore from Washington, D.C., prepared to share stories and insights about his experiences in the United States and abroad. He is author of two previous bestselling books, “The Reluctant Spy” and “The Convenient Terrorist.” He has been awarded the PEN First Amendment Award.

Caption:

Former CIA operations officer John Kiriakou speaks about his time as a CIA spy, and his conviction and subsequent imprisonment for whistle blowing at the Rockport Public Library on Saturday, October 7, at 3 p.m.