Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer specializing in counterterrorism. He was named the chief of CIA counterterrorism operations in Pakistan in 2002.
Kiriakou talks to Business Insider about how the CIA recruits foreign agents to spy for the United States, their bunker raid tactics, and how they track and hunt terrorists. He goes into detail about how he captured notorious Al Qaeda members and how he survived an assassination attempt. Kiriakou also reveals the specific CIA training he went through to become an officer, such as training in weapons handling and defensive driving.
Additionally, Kiriakou was an early whistleblower on the CIA's torture program.
After retiring, Kiriakou has become a consultant and media commentator. He has written several books about his experiences in the CIA, as well as hosting weekly podcasts.
For more:
johnkiriakou.com
youtube.com/@TheDeepFocusShowPodcast
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - The Risks
06:15 - The Recruitment
12:12 - Secret Meetings
14:36 - Double Agents
20:06 - Evading Capture
24:02 - The Missions
30:38 - The Raids
32:23 - Interrogations
34:10 - The Torture
42:12 - The Fallout
44:13 - The Training
51:10 - The Future
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#CIA #counterterrorism #authorizedaccount
Insider's mission is to inform and inspire.
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How CIA Black Ops Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider
John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer specializing in counterterrorism. He was named the chief of CIA counterterrorism operations in Pakistan in 2002.
Kiriakou talks to Business Insider about how the CIA recruits foreign agents to spy for the United States, their bunker raid tactics, and how they track and hunt terrorists. He goes into detail about how he captured notorious Al Qaeda members and how he survived an assassination attempt. Kiriakou also reveals the specific CIA training he went through to become an officer, such as training in weapons handling and defensive driving.
Additionally, Kiriakou was an early whistleblower on the CIA's torture program.
After retiring, Kiriakou has become a consultant and media commentator. He has written several books about his experiences in the CIA, as well as hosting weekly podcasts.
For more:
johnkiriakou.com
youtube.com/@TheDeepFocusShowPodcast
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - The Risks
06:15 - The Recruitment
12:12 - Secret Meetings
14:36 - Double Agents
20:06 - Evading Capture
24:02 - The Missions
30:38 - The Raids
32:23 - Interrogations
34:10 - The Torture
42:12 - The Fallout
44:13 - The Training
51:10 - The Future
------------------------------------------------------
#CIA #counterterrorism #authorizedaccount
Insider's mission is to inform and inspire.
MORE AUTHORIZED ACCOUNT VIDEOS:
How Guantanamo Bay Actually Works
youtu.be/995R2j6386o
How Bomb Disposal Experts Actually Work
youtu.be/DncAoMvjeyo
How Mercenaries Actually Work
youtu.be/cX_DXJKZ48w
Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: businessinsider.com
Insider on Facebook: facebook.com/insider
Insider on Instagram: instagram.com/insider
Insider on Twitter: twitter.com/thisisinsider
Insider on Snapchat: snapchat.com/discover/Insider/2708030621
Insider on TikTok: tiktok.com/@insider
How CIA Black Ops Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider
