Jose Rodriguez (intelligence)

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Jose A. Rodriguez, Jr. was the Director of the National Clandestine Service (D/NCS) of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. He was the last to serve as the Agency's Deputy Director for Operations (DDO) before that position was upgraded to D/NCS in December 2004.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Government service

Born in Puerto Rico in 1948, Rodriguez attended the University of Florida, earning both a bachelor's and law degree. He joined the C.I.A. in 1976 and served an officer under the Directorate of Operations in the Latin America division, assigned to work in countries ranging from Peru to Belize. Over time he was promoted to Chief of Station (COS) in Panama, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.[3] During the Iran-Contra Affair, Rodriguez was questioned by the FBI about his role in the scandal after allegations of CIA involvement emerged.[4] He later served as military attache to the U.S. Embassy in Argentina from 1994 to 1996. Rodriguez was then appointed Chief of the Latin America Division for the Agency's Directorate of Operations. His tenure was marked by a 1997 incident as he interceded in the drug-related arrest of an associate. According to the New York Times, he was later removed from his position and a report by the C.I.A.’s inspector general criticized Mr. Rodriguez for a “remarkable lack of judgment.” [5] He transferred to Mexico City in 1999 where he again served as Station chief.[6] In May 2002, Rodriguez was promoted to the post of Director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC).

In 2004 Rodriguez advised the organizers of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, including the chief organizer, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, on security matters and counterterrorism.

[edit] DDO appointment

On November 16, 2004, Rodriguez succeeded Stephen Kappes to become the Deputy Director for Operations.[7] Rodriguez continues in his capacity as the head of CIA clandestine operations, now as Director of the National Clandestine Service. In this expanded role, Rodriguez is the chief of all human intelligence gathering (HUMINT) conducted by the U.S. government, including outside agencies. On February 7, 2006, Rodriguez fired Robert Grenier, his successor as Director of the CIA Counterterrorism Center, for not being "aggressive" enough in combating terrorism.[8]

[edit] Retirement

On August 8, 2007, the Associated Press reported on Jose Rodriguez's upcoming retirement. The article mentions his Wikipedia entry having been made prior to the "decloaking" of his identity and that the entry contains "inaccuracies." He will retire on September 30, 2007 and will be replaced by Michael Sulick.

[edit] CIA torture tapes scandal

Rodriguez's record has recently come under scrutiny after a December 7, 2007 New York Times story reported he authorized the destruction of two 2002 CIA interrogation videotapes in 2005.[9] This was allegedly in defiance of orders from then-CIA Director Porter Goss, but he was never reprimanded.[10] The tapes reportedly showed two men held in CIA custody, Abu Zubaida and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri,[11] being subjected to a program of 'enhanced' interrogation techniques which included a procedure called "waterboarding". Critics allege these methods amount to torture and the tapes were evidence both protected by court order and the 9/11 Commission.[12][13] Historically, waterboarding, a form of water torture, has been prosecuted as torture by the United States, and viewed as a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Summoned by congressional subpoena, he was excused from a January 16, 2008 House Intelligence Committee hearing on a request from his lawyer Robert S. Bennett.[14] Rodriguez has requested immunity in exchange for his testimony on the tape recordings.[15] Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA Officer familiar with Rodriguez and the tapes, commented in a December 23, 2007 Sunday Times story that "(i)t looks increasingly as though the decision was made by the White House.” He also alleged it is “highly likely” that President George W. Bush saw one of the videos.[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vest, Jason. "Politicized espionage: Insiders fear that changeovers at the CIA will weaken the agency", The Phoenix, 2004-12-03. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. 
  2. ^ About the CIA. The Central Intelligence Agency (2007-06-13). Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
  3. ^ "Tape Inquiry: Ex-Spymaster in the Middle.", New York Times, February 20, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-18. "But Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., now the central figure in a controversy over destroyed C.I.A. interrogation tapes, fought back. A blunt-spoken Puerto Rico native and former head of the agency’s Latin America division, he had been selected by Mr. Goss months earlier to head the agency’s troubled clandestine branch." 
  4. ^ a b CIA chief to drag White House into torture cover-up storm - The Sunday Times
  5. ^ C.I.A. Official in Inquiry Called a ‘Hero’ - New York Times
  6. ^ Vest, Jason. "Destabilizing the CIA", The Nation, 2004-11-24. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. 
  7. ^ Diamond, John. "CIA plans riskier, more aggressive espionage", USA Today, 2004-11-18. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. 
  8. ^ Gellman, Barton; Dafna Linzer. "Top Counterterrorism Officer Removed Amid Turmoil at CIA", The Washington Post, 2006-02-07. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. 
  9. ^ C.I.A. Destroyed 2 Tapes Showing Interrogations - New York Times
  10. ^ Tapes by C.I.A. Lived and Died to Save Image - New York Times
  11. ^ Stonewalled by the C.I.A. - New York Times
  12. ^ The Man Who Ordered CIA's Tape Destruction, Jose Rodriguez Ordered Tapes Of Terror Interrogations Destroyed Without Telling CIA Director - CBS News
  13. ^ White House: Miers Told CIA to Save Tapes
  14. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/02/AR2008010201923.html?hpid=topnews
  15. ^ Ex-CIA Official May Refuse To Testify About Videotapes - washingtonpost.com

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Stephen Kappes		 CIA Deputy Director for Operations
November 2004–October 13, 2005		 Succeeded by
Upgraded
Preceded by
Initial Director		 Director of the National Clandestine Service
October 13, 2005–September 30, 2007		 Succeeded by
Michael Sulick