Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 8 minutes ago
Jeffrey Sterling, former clandestine CIA Case officer, holds a law degree from Washington University. He is a formerly imprisoned whistleblower, who denies the charges against him and is the author of Unwanted Spy: The Persecution of an American Whistleblower
What do you want this book to accomplish. I.E., what was your goal for this book?
Job as clandestine CIA case officer was to recruit spies and informants.
You say you were a different kind of whistleblower than Ed Snowden, Chelsea Manning or John Kiriakou
How were or are you different?
You’ve done some hard things in your life, but also things that you felt you had to do. How have you faced that process of taking the step, making the decision, crossing the threshold?
How has your experience changed the way you see the world, so that you now see through new eyes?
Charged that the CIA discriminated against you as an agent “I was told that I stood out as a big black guy speaking Farsi.” You write that your left left you alienated from the Black community..
Being a black CIA agent was, in some major ways an advantage for you?
Why did they train you to speak Farsi?
Did bringing the discrimination suit against the agency lead to you being charged with violating the espionage act?
Lack of support Iran Operation Merlin to slow Iran’s nuclear program Working with Russian scientist
Reminds me of how Bill Binny challenged the sensibility of a project he was aware of. Talks with James Risen at NYTimes—never disclosed to Risen—but Risen wrote about you. What did you talk with him about.
Risen was threatened by Eric Holder for refusing to identify his source. Were you the one he was protecting? Arrested in 2010, under Obama
What’s your take on Obama’s relationship to whistleblowers? Eric Holder ?
Sentence 42 months, Petraeus, got plea deal and no time
Released January 16, 2018 What have you been doing since then?
Jeffrey Sterling, former clandestine CIA Case officer, holds a law degree from Washington University. He is a formerly imprisoned whistleblower, who denies the charges against him and is the author of Unwanted Spy: The Persecution of an American Whistleblower
What do you want this book to accomplish. I.E., what was your goal for this book?
Job as clandestine CIA case officer was to recruit spies and informants.
You say you were a different kind of whistleblower than Ed Snowden, Chelsea Manning or John Kiriakou
How were or are you different?
You’ve done some hard things in your life, but also things that you felt you had to do. How have you faced that process of taking the step, making the decision, crossing the threshold?
How has your experience changed the way you see the world, so that you now see through new eyes?
Charged that the CIA discriminated against you as an agent “I was told that I stood out as a big black guy speaking Farsi.” You write that your left left you alienated from the Black community..
Being a black CIA agent was, in some major ways an advantage for you?
Why did they train you to speak Farsi?
Did bringing the discrimination suit against the agency lead to you being charged with violating the espionage act?
Lack of support Iran Operation Merlin to slow Iran’s nuclear program Working with Russian scientist
Reminds me of how Bill Binny challenged the sensibility of a project he was aware of. Talks with James Risen at NYTimes—never disclosed to Risen—but Risen wrote about you. What did you talk with him about.
Risen was threatened by Eric Holder for refusing to identify his source. Were you the one he was protecting? Arrested in 2010, under Obama
What’s your take on Obama’s relationship to whistleblowers? Eric Holder ?
Sentence 42 months, Petraeus, got plea deal and no time
Released January 16, 2018 What have you been doing since then?
