James Jesus Angleton | |
|---|---|
 Angleton c. 1960 | |
| Born | December 9, 1917 Boise, Idaho, United States |
| Died | May 11, 1987 (aged 69) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Burial place | Morris Hill Cemetery 43°36′27″N 116°13′46″W / 43.60750°N 116.22944°W |
| Alma mater | |
| Spouse |
Cicely Harriet d'Autremont
(m. 1943) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Distinguished Intelligence Medal |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service branch | Central Intelligence Agency United States Army |
| Service years | 1943–1947 (U.S. Army) 1947–1975 (CIA) |
| Rank | Counterintelligence (CI) Chief (1954–1975) |
| Operations | Enigma Code Manhattan Project Operation CHAOS |
James Jesus Angleton (December 9, 1917 – May 11, 1987)[1] was an American intelligence operative who served as chief of the counterintelligence department of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1954 to 1975. According to Director of Central Intelligence Richard Helms, Angleton was "recognized as the dominant counterintelligence figure in the non-communist world".[2]
Angleton served in the Office of Strategic Services, a wartime predecessor to the CIA, in Italy and London during World War II. After the war, he returned to Washington, D.C. to become one of the founding officers of the CIA. He was initially responsible for the collection of foreign intelligence and liaison with counterpart organizations in allied countries. In 1954, Allen Dulles promoted Angleton to chief of the Counterintelligence Staff. As chief, Angleton was significantly involved in the defection of Soviet KGB agents Anatoliy Golitsyn and Yuri Nosenko. Through Golitsyn, Angleton became convinced the CIA harbored a high-ranking Soviet mole and engaged in an intensive search. Whether this was a highly destructive witch hunt or appropriate caution remains a subject of intense historical debate.[3]
Investigative journalist Edward Jay Epstein agrees with the high regard in which Angleton was held by his colleagues in the intelligence business, and adds that Angleton earned the "trust of six CIA directors—including Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, Allen W. Dulles and Richard Helms. They kept Angleton in key positions and valued his work."[4]
- ^ The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Vol. 1. 2007. pp. 79–80.
- ^ Helms, Richard (2003). A Look over My Shoulder: A Life in the Central Intelligence Agency. New York: Random House. p. 275.
- ^ Newman, John M. (2022). Uncovering Popov's Mole. United States: Self-published. pp. 2–3. ISBN 9798355050771.
- ^ Epstein, Edward Jay (2007-07-14). "Opening Up the CIA". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2014.