CHAPTER 2
CIA LEAK
O
n January 15, 1997, the Los Angeles Times published a front-page article
by renowned national security correspondent James Risen, entitled
“Bosnia Reportedly Told Iran of US Spy.”^1 Although the article did not
identify the spy by name, I was the CIA “agent” exposed to attack in 1995
because my Bosnian counterpart betrayed me to the head of the Iranian
intelligence service in Sarajevo.
I was shocked when I read the Times article, since the details of my
mission to and escape from Sarajevo were classified. While I felt relief that
at least my name did not appear in the article, it was clear that someone
inside the CIA had leaked classified information to Risen. Why? Appar-
ently for geopolitical motives: to lay the groundwork for the United States
to pressure Bosnia to expel the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS), Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Quds Force operatives from the country.
In fact, expulsion of the subversive Iranian agents was a precondition to
finalizing the Dayton Accords, which finally brought peace to Bosnia.^2
Curious about who’d leaked “my” story, I tracked down James Risen
and had a pleasant telephone conversation with him.
“Mr. Risen, I’m the CIA officer who was betrayed by the Bosnians to
Iran. Would you mind telling me who leaked my classified story to you? Just
between us, of course.”
“Yeah, right.”
It was worth a shot.
I then reasoned that since my secret mission was now public knowledge,
I should be able to secure approval from the CIA’s Publications Review
Board to publish my own (unclassified) version of what really transpired.
Chapter 1 is the updated version of my 2001 magazine article about my
Sarajevo adventure, entitled “Betrayal in the Balkans.”^337