John L. Helgerson

John L. Helgerson has served as Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since February 2002.

Helgerson "has investigated some of the Bush administration's most controversial programs, including its detainee torture policies. In 2004, IG John L. Helgerson issued a report warning 'that some C.I.A.-approved interrogation procedures appeared to constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as defined by the international Convention Against Torture.'"

Helgerson's "recent inquiries into the CIA's handling of pre-9/11 intelligence and the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects, which have produced some damning results, have ruffled more than a few feathers within the spy community. CIA Director Michael Hayden, in particular, has not tried to hide his frustration with some of Helgerson's work."

Probe
It was reported October 11, 2007, that CIA Director Hayden had "mounted a highly unusual challenge" to Helgerson, "ordering an internal investigation" of Helgerson for "issu[ing] a series of scathing reports sharply critical of top CIA officials" and their role in "secret overseas prisons."

"The review is particularly focused on complaints that Mr. Helgerson’s office has not acted as a fair and impartial judge of agency operations but instead has begun a crusade against those who have participated in controversial detention programs."

Frederick P. Hitz, CIA Inspector General 1990 to 1998, said "the move would be perceived as an effort by Hayden 'to call off the dogs. ... What it would lead to is an undercutting of the inspector general's authority and his ability to investigate allegations of wrongdoing,' Hitz said. 'The rank and file will become aware of it, and it will undercut the inspector general's ability to get the truth from them.'

"But other officials described the probe as a chance to turn the tables on an inspector general who has been accused by some of his targets of treating career officers unfairly and letting personal biases undermine his objectivity."

"The CIA's review is being led by Robert Deitz, an attorney with long-standing ties to Hayden who was brought in to serve as a senior counselor to the director. Deitz, who served as general counsel at the National Security Agency when Hayden was director there in the 1990s, has assembled a small team of investigators to conduct the probe."

Profiles
Helgerson "received his B.A. degree in Political Science from Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He received an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Mr. Helgerson served in the late 1960s as a Research Affiliate in the University of Zambia in Lusaka. Before joining the CIA in 1971, he was Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati, specializing in International Relations. His academic publications were in the fields of legislative behavior and African politics. During his career at CIA, Mr. Helgerson worked primarily in the Agency's analytic components, focusing on the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. He served as Assistant National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, Deputy Director of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis, and Director of African and Latin American Analysis. In more recent years, Mr. Helgerson served as Associate Deputy Director for Intelligence, Director of Congressional Affairs, and-from 1989 to 1993-Deputy Director for Intelligence," his White House profile states.

On August 3, 2001, Helgerson was named as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council by then DCI George J. Tenet. At the time, Helgerson was serving as Deputy Director of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). "Helgerson is a career CIA officer who was assigned as Deputy Director of NIMA in March 2000. He began his Agency career as an intelligence analyst and later headed units responsible for coverage of Russia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America," the CIA's news release stated.

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External articles

 * Douglas Jehl, "C.I.A. Chief Seeks Change in Inspector's 9/11 Report," New York Times, November 2, 2004.
 * Douglas Jehl, "C.I.A. Report Finds Its Officials Failed in Pre-9/11 Efforts," New York Times, January 7, 2005.
 * Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball, "Assigning Blame. A top-secret CIA report recommends that an accountability board review ex-director George Tenet’s dealings with the National Security Agency prior to 9/11," Newsweek/MSNBC, August 31, 2005.
 * "Goss will not review Tenet's performance. Lawmakers asked for a review of officials responsible for Sept. 11," Associated Press (The Michigan Daily), October 6, 2005.
 * Jane Mayer, "A Deadly Interrogation. Can the C.I.A. legally kill a prisoner?" The New Yorker, May 14, 2005; see page 2.
 * "Rumsfeld Can Authorize Exceptions to New 'Humane' Interrogation Directive," Agence France Presse (Common Dreams), November 10, 2005.
 * Ken Silverstein, "The CIA 'Wehrmacht'," Harper's Magazine, April 19, 2006.
 * Timothy J. Burger, "A Media Mole Unmasked," TIME Magazine, April 24, 2006.
 * Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti, "CIA's monitor took polygraph over leaks," International Herald Tribune, April 25, 2006.
 * Ray McGovern, "McCarthyism: Mary and Joe," Antiwar.com, April 6, 2006.
 * Helen Fessenden, "CIA report on 9/11 due Labor Day," The Hill, August 8, 2007.
 * Joby Warrick and Walter Pincus, "CIA Finds Holes in Pre-9/11 Work. Agency Reluctantly Releases 2-Year-Old Document Critical of Tenet," Washington Post, August 22, 2007.
 * "CIA Missed Chances to Tackle al-Qaida," Associated Press (Military.com), August 22, 2007.
 * Mark Mazzetti and Scott Shane, "C.I.A. Internal Inquiry Troubling, Lawmakers Say," New York Times, October 12, 2007.
 * Ken Silverstein, "Sources: CIA legal official quit in protest over 'enhanced interrogations'," Harper's Magazine, October 12, 2007.
 * Nick Schwellenbach and Beverley Lumpkin, "The CIA IG's Independence Threatened," Project on Government Oversight, October 12, 2007.
 * Daniel Politi, "Beware of Watchdog," Slate, October 12, 2007.
 * Steve Benen, "The CIA goes after its own inspector general," The Carpetbagger Report, October 12, 2007.
 * Spencer Ackerman, TPMmuckraker, October 12, 2007:
 * "Today's Must Read"
 * "McConnell Mum on CIA Investigation of IG"
 * "Hayden vs. Helgerson: Who Has The Chilling Effect?"
 * "Reyes: Hayden-Helgerson CIA Feud 'Troubling'"
 * "Bush Crony Could Decide Fate of CIA IG" re Clay Johnson III
 * "Feingold 'Troubled' by Hayden-Helgerson Feud"
 * "Ex-CIA IG: Helgerson 'Extremely Fair'"


 * Walter Pincus, "Lawmakers Criticize CIA Director's Review Order. Congress Wants to Protect Investigator's Independence," Washington Post, October 13, 2007.
 * Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti, "Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Call for Investigation of C.I.A. Watchdog’s Work," New York Times, October 13, 2007.

External resources

 * John L. Helgerson, Wikipedia.