J. Vinton Lawrence

J. Vinton "Vint" Lawrence is a former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency officer,. Under the name of James Vinton, he worked for the CIA-owned airline Air America and was one of two U.S. CIA agents stationed in Laos from 1962 to 1964. Lawrence had a close relationship with the CIA-backed Hmong leader General Vang Pao in the U.S. war in Southeast Asia. Lawrence's CIA colleague in Laos was the notorious CIA paramilitary expert Anthony Poshepny (aka "Tony Poe").

Lawrence is married to National Public Radio reporter Anne Garrels. His letters to her during her time in Baghdad, Iraq, during the 2003 U.S. invasion of that country, are included in her book, Naked in Baghdad (ISBN 0374529035). He has toured with her and shared the podium with her during her book readings. Currently an artist by profession, he occasionally writes about U.S. foreign policy issues.