John Kiriakou's Dead Drop S1E20 Changes
28 snips
Mar 23, 2026 A return from a Pakistan mission and the choice to take a domestic assignment to be closer to family. Tense clashes with a paper‑pushing supervisor and the fallout from her five‑report quota. Behind‑the‑scenes looks at briefings, counterintelligence work, and the hunt for high‑value Al‑Qaeda figures. Personal life shifts, long hours, and a decision to fight back against bureaucratic pressure.
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Meeting George Tenet At A Greek Festival
- John Kiriakou met George Tenet at a Greek festival and later recognized Tenet as deputy director when he introduced himself at CIA headquarters.
- That casual meeting set a long-running personal grudge where Tenet repeatedly told others Kiriakou "thinks he's better than I am," which Kiriakou recounts with specific encounters.
Director Picked His Toenails During Briefing
- Kiriakou briefed the director and others about operations while Tenet removed his boots and picked his toenails during the meeting.
- After the briefing Tenet loudly repeated the island/mountain insult in front of senior staff, making Kiriakou feel personally insulted.
Personal Insecurity Explains Public Demeaning
- Kiriakou frames Tenet's repeated public belittling as a form of sociopathy tied to Tenet's imposter syndrome and cultural insecurities about his origins.
- He links Tenet's behavior to Tenet's memoir claim of imposter syndrome and contrasts it with Tenet's brother's public success.