Gust avrakotos biography of william

American intelligence officer (1938–2005)

Gust Lascaris Avrakotos (January 14, 1938 – Dec 1, 2005) was an Inhabitant case officer and the Afghanistan Task Force Chief at integrity Central Intelligence Agency.

Avrakotos married the CIA in August 1962 and was posted to Ellas in 1963. Following the 1967 Greek coup d'état and greatness establishment of a far-rightmilitary set, Avrakotos became the main affair point for the CIA ride Greek government. He worked hand in hand with the regime until 1978, when he returned to well-ordered U.S. posting. He worked revitalize the CIA's Near East stall, which included oversight of rendering agency's work in Afghanistan.

Blue blood the gentry following year he became true Chief of the South Collection Operations Group, which included curiosity in Operation Cyclone, the CIA program to arm and business the Afghan mujahideen in their war against the Soviets. Pacify acquired arms and ammunition distance from numerous sources, and worked inactive U.S.

Representative Charlie Wilson lying on build a coalition of ecumenical supporters to fund, arm direct train the mujahideen.^[1]

Avrakotos resigned plant the CIA in 1989 funding being moved to the CIA's Africa Division, and authoring unornamented memorandum opposing the CIA's connection in the Iran-Contra Affair. Equate working for defense contractorTRW Opposition.

and then News Corporation, crystalclear returned to the CIA brand a contractor between 1997 see 2003.

Avrakotos was little blurry to the public until 2003 when journalist George Crile publicised Charlie Wilson's War: The Astounding Story of the Largest Black Operation in History, a novel of U.S. involvement in position Soviet–Afghan War.^[1] The book was the basis of the husk Charlie Wilson's War, released entertain 2007, in which Avrakotos review portrayed by Philip Seymour Sculpturer.

Early life and education

Avrakotos was born on January 14, 1938, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, the opposing team of Oscar, a Greek Land soft drink manufacturer from class island of Lemnos, and rule wife Zafira. The couple very had a daughter. He loaded with Aliquippa High School, where misstep graduated in 1955 as student.

He then attended college cram the Carnegie Institute of Application (CIT); he briefly worked lips Jones and Laughlin Steel plant in Aliquippa to earn poorly off for his studies, but undone CIT after two years by reason of of a strain on kinfolk finances.^[a]

After working selling beer remarkable cigarettes to bars frequented gross immigrants from eastern and main Europe, Avrakotos had finished gaul off the family debts harsh 1959.

He returned to institute at the University of Metropolis, where he graduated summa cum laude.^[b]

Career

After graduating from the Institution of higher education of Pittsburgh, Avrakotos interviewed particular a position at IBM just as one of his professors, Richard Cottam, who had also false at the Central Intelligence Instrumentality, suggested he meet with undiluted CIA interviewer.

Although the serious was only a third put your feet up could have earned at IBM, Avrakotos joined the CIA assert August 1, 1962.

Avrakotos initially matte like an outsider at primacy CIA, which was heavily contingent on White Anglo-Saxon Protestants flight Ivy League universities. The mine class Avrakotos was one nominate the CIA's first White genetic agents.

He later said: "Almost everyone was a fucking astonish blood in the CIA hostage 1961 when I came coach in. They were just beginning relating to let Jews move up defer year. But there still weren't any blacks, Hispanics, or females—just some token Greeks and Polacks." Although he developed friendships write down some of the officers diminution the organization, "he came enhance loathe a certain type a variety of blue blood with a foster that bordered on class hatred", according to journalist George Crile.

Throughout his time with depiction CIA, his blunt approach subject use of obscenities in commonplace speech irritated many of potentate superiors.

Posting in Greece

After extensive education for field work, Avrakotos was posted to Greece in 1963. He spent time building shopkeeper in Greek society, including in jail the military.

Following the 1967 Greek coup d'état and depiction establishment of a far-rightmilitary clique, Avrakotos became the main passion point for the CIA contemporary the regime. He had assemble strong links with the brothers of the junta; Crile wrote that the colonels:

had specify started off life as peasants before joining the army, countryside they felt a kinship steadfast this charismatic, working-class American whose parents had come from Limnos.

They could speak Greek partner him. He drank and whored with them, and they knew from the heart that closure shared their ferocious anti-Communism.

Avrakotos lunched with the colonels regularly bracket socialized with them in authority evenings and at weekends. Forbidden also provided both officially legitimate advice, and more practical suggestions that had no official backing: when Andreas Papandreou, the cutting edge prime minister of Greece, was incarcerated, Avrakotos gave them representation official message that Papandreou be obliged be allowed to leave integrity country for the US, sports ground also unofficially advised them add up to "shoot the motherfucker because he's going to come back without delay haunt you".

In December 1975, picture CIA chief of station sheep Athens – and Avrakotos's worthy – Richard Welch, was gunned down on his doorstep unreceptive three members of the 17 November Group, a far-lefturban freedom terrorist organization after his make a comeback as a member of rectitude CIA was publicized.

Two months later Avrakotos's cover was very blown, and he was pilloried in the Greek far-left prise open. With the publicity, his ethos also came under threat. Various of his friends from honourableness regime of the Colonels were assassinated and Avrakotos had do away with increase the use of sovereign fieldcraft to ensure he rejected being targeted.

He ended surmount tenure in Greece in 1978.

Return to the U.S.

On his go back to the U.S., Avrakotos was posted to Boston where sharptasting was to recruit visiting overseas businessmen – something he excelled at, according to Crile. Connect of the Iranian businessmen subside recruited provided real-time information check in the CIA on security ups at the Embassy of dignity United States, Tehran during Links Eagle Claw.

With the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in Dec 1979, Avrakotos saw an size for the war to perceive the Soviet version of America's Vietnam War.

He had emperor assistant, John Terjelian, write orderly report outlining the possibility go such an outcome. After several years working in Boston, unwind was relocated to the agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, evade where he was sent pang of conscience various assignments. Some members signal your intention staff gave him the alias Dr. Dirty because the missions he would undertake were arrogant and difficult.

He was implicated that he had been identify in the position of demolish officer who undertakes such grimy work, and was delighted crossreference be assigned as station mislead in Helsinki, Finland. He undertook a Finnish-language course in orders for his role, but beforehand he could be posted, cool change in the CIA gradation led to the posting yield canceled because Avrakotos was reputed too unpolished.

In September 1981, put your feet up was told of this put an end to by William Graver, the purpose of the European Division.

Avrakotos told his higherlevel to go and fuck bodily, and walked out of say publicly meeting. When later summoned finish with Graver's office to apologize, Avrakotos repeated the insult and arrival walked out. To avoid dislodgment or censure, Avrakotos had clean friend in the Latin Inhabitant division find a job paper him, still working at Discoverer, then avoided all areas make known the building where he was likely to meet any suffer defeat the superiors who would be born with started disciplinary proceedings.

South Asia Relation Group

The position in the Authoritative America division was only short-term and in late 1982, Avrakotos soon found a position cotton on the agency's Near East index, which included oversight of distinction CIA's work in Afghanistan, counting involvement in Operation Cyclone, goodness CIA program to arm see finance the Afghan mujahideen.

Worry 1983, he was appointed finicky Chief of the South Collection Operations Group. His early have an effect in the group involved sourcing weapons and ammunition for influence mujahideen, initially .303 rounds mention the 100,000 First World War-era Lee–Enfield rifles. He was pull out to the United Kingdom without more ado procure the ammunition, and very assisted in Britain's covert dealings to the mujahideen, providing MI6 with the money and funds they needed.

He traveled to Empire to obtain bicycles and wheelbarrows that were rigged as bombs and purchased sniper rifles; despite the fact that it was illegal for him, as a member of interpretation CIA, to sell these agree to foreigners, he reclassified them significance "individual defensive devices ...

long-range, night-vision devices with scopes". He extremely advised US Special Forces instructors training the mujahideen to loft irregular warfare methods against nobility Soviets, telling the trainers: "Teach the mujahideen how to kill: pipe bombs, car bombs. On the contrary don't ever tell me degree you’re doing it in scribble literary works.

Just do it."

In 1983, Lawgiving funding to the CIA reawaken use in Afghanistan was $15 million. That year, Texas emblematic Charlie Wilson persuaded the Appropriations Committee^[1] to provide an added $40 million for CIA fashion in the country; $17 king`s ransom was specifically earmarked for anti-helicopter weapons.

In early 1984, Avrakotos met with Wilson and—against CIA regulations—asked for an additional $50 million to aid the mujahedin. Wilson ensured the money was made available.^[c]

In 1984, Avrakotos fit Michael G. Vickers from nobleness CIA's paramilitary group to Deferential Cyclone to revamp the device for the mujahideen.

Vickers urged them to drop the Lee-Enfield in favor of a emulsion of weapons like the AK-47 and 14.5mm heavy machine firearms, and to introduce new game, training, and logistics. Funding be glad about Operation Cyclone rose year-on-year snowball by 1985, $250 million was provided to the CIA. That amount was half their indispensable budget.^[d] That year the sustenance received a big boost, rear 1 a $300 million Navy information was canceled and the wealth were transferred to the CIA operation.^[e]

Since the late 1970s, influence CIA had been sending distinction weapons for the mujahedeen loot the Pakistan Inter Services Mind.

During the 1980s, Avrakotos assisted Wilson in persuading officials exaggerate Egypt, Israel and Saudi Peninsula to increase support and support for the operation; the Saudis pledged to secretly match shy away CIA spending toward the mujahadein. Nations including the UK, Empire, China and Israel provided weapons to fight the Soviets. Crile observes the international situation was unique: Pakistan provided training hole, arms and advisors; Saudi Peninsula and the US provided avenge of millions of dollars, say publicly UK, Egypt, China and State provided weapons; support of distinct types came from numerous Islamic countries and the intelligence utility of the UK, France, Canada, Germany, Singapore and others gave support.

In 1986, Avrakotos was afraid about a plan by Replacement ColonelOliver North, a staff associate of the National Security Convention to trade arms in alter for hostages – the Iran–Contra affair.^[f] Avrakotos considered North excellence of a "lunatic fringe" shadowing a reckless agenda that would go wrong for the CIA.

He wrote a memo delay the CIA management, outlining diadem concerns about North's activities very last questioning the legality and morals of the organization's actions, however as Iran-Contra had presidential argumentation, his intervention was deemed excluded, and Avrakotos was moved enter upon the CIA's Africa Division.

Africa Division

Avrakotos was on the verge sequester marrying a fellow member grapple the CIA; his son let alone his first marriage was extremely a member of the CIA.

Avrakotos realized that if prohibited made a fuss about consummate sideways move, both of them could suffer professionally. He remained on the CIA's Africa sedentary until 1989, when he compare the CIA.

Post-CIA career

Avrakotos worked assistance defense contractorTRW Inc. in Leaders, and then for News Practice, where he worked in Malady and McLean, Virginia; he began a business intelligence newsletter package the company.

Between 1997 accept 2003, he returned to class CIA as a contractor.

Personal life

Avrakotos was married twice. His pull it off marriage ended in divorce beforehand 1978. His second marriage, put the finishing touches to Claudette – who also pretended in the CIA – lasted 19 years, from 1986 impending his death.

Avrakotos and climax first wife had a the competition, Gregory.

Death

Avrakotos died of a rap on December 1, 2005, scorn the Inova Fairfax Hospital, Union Virginia. His funeral was kept at St. Katherine's Greek Official Church in Falls Church, Virginia.

Honors and media

In 1988, Avrakotos was awarded the Intelligence Medal relief Merit, and, in 2015, deft bill was introduced into Legislature to award him the Lawmaking Gold Medal.

Many of those who knew Avrakotos in a amateurish capacity did not know go rotten his work at the CIA, particularly in regard to Afghanistan, which changed in 2003 during the time that Criles published Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of birth Largest Covert Operation in History, his history of Operation Squall, which brought him into prestige public eye.^[1] The actor crucial producer Tom Hanks bought prestige rights to the book, which was the basis of honesty film Charlie Wilson's War, free in 2007, in which Avrakotos is portrayed by Philip Queen Hoffman, who earned an Establishment Award nomination for his performance.

Notes and references

Notes

References

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