This is the Danger Close Podcast, beyond the books with me, Jack Carr.

Welcome to the Danger Close Podcast, an Ironclad original presented by Six Hour.

So my guest today is a dear friend, Fred Burton.

Fred Burton was with the diplomatic security service of the State Department, specializing

in counterterrorism for a career that spanned from the mid-80s up until really 2001.

He's the author of a book I go back to time and time again as I'm researching

characters for my novels trying to get inside the head of terrorists, particularly during this time

frame in the mid-80s with Hezbollah. But Beirut Rules, Ghost is another book of his that goes through

his time in the diplomatic security service, chasing shadows and under fire about Ben Gazi.

So, I can't recommend these books enough at a great time talking to Fred and without further ado.

Fred Burton is my guest today. I knew about Fred well before we were friends and I go to his

books often for research. Even if I lived through an event, remember it, have researched it in the

past. I always come back to these books because they're well, they're so well written first off.

And you had a hand in so many of these different events that were very impactful to me during a very

important time in my life. But how did this all start for you? So your official title was a

State Department, Duphamatics Security Services Counterterrorism Chief eventually or agents or

what is the official title? Sure, I'll give you the thumbnail sketch of my career.

When I graduated from basic agent training, I was assigned to what at that time was called the

Counterterrorism Branch. And I looked around the room, you know how it is when you're graduating

from these classes and there was another another agent that was also assigned there. And I kind of

eyeballed him and he eyeballed me and we're kind of looking at each other and we had no idea what

it was. And we show up in low and behold, there's three of us literally for the world within the

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