Milton Bearden

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Milton Bearden (b. 1940) is a retired Central Intelligence Agency officer, author and film consultant.

Bearden was born in Oklahoma and spent his early years in the State of Washington, where his father worked on the Manhattan Project, and later moved with his family to Houston, Texas. After serving in the United States Air Force, he joined the CIA in 1964.

During his 30-year career with the CIA Bearden was a station chief in Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan and Germany. In Pakistan from 1986 to 1989, he played a role in training the mujahedeen in Afghanistan, and was later the chief of the Soviet/East European Division during the collapse of the Soviet Union. He received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Medal of Merit and the Donovan Award for his CIA service. He received the Federal Cross of Merit from the President of the German Federal Republic for his service in Germany at the end of the Cold War.

Since retiring, Bearden has written books based on his experiences, commented on current events, and appeared on television, including Secret Warriors (Discovery Channel), Covert Action (BBC), The Power of Nightmares (BBC2) and Heroes Under Fire (The History Channel). Although generally supportive of the CIA and its mission, he has also been outspoken in his criticism of US actions in the War on Terrorism. He was co-author of one book with James Risen (author of State of War, which is critical of the White House and the Intelligence Community). Mr. Bearden is a frequent contributor to the op-ed pages of the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal, and has contributed to Foreign Affairs and to the book about September 11, 2001, How Did This Happen?, published by PublicAffairs. He is a consultant for CBS News. He worked with Robert DeNiro on Universal Studios’ smash-hit Meet the Parents, and worked with DeNiro and screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Insider) on The Good Shepherd, released in December 2006. Universal Studios and DeNiro’s Tribeca Productions have optioned The Main Enemy as a planned sequel to The Good Shepherd. He also worked with director Mike Nichols on the film Charlie Wilson's War, released in December 2007.

As of 2003, Bearden lives in Reston, Virginia with his French-born wife, Marie-Catherine.

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