You're listening to the CyberWire Network, powered by N2K.

Hello. Hello and welcome to Spycast from the Secret Files of the International Spy Museum in Washington,

D.C. I'm Peter Ernest, the Executive Director of the Museum. I served for some

36 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, largely as what is called an operations officer

or a case officer.

Every month will be bringing you interesting talks

with visitors, with authors, with others

who have something to do with the world of intelligence

and espionage. world of Intelligence and Espionage.

My guest today is Melissa Malie.

I interviewed Melissa previously in her capacity as having been a CIA woman employee at a time when that was not easy and she made her way in then called the clandestine service.

She was engaged in operations. In fact, she was engaged in operations in one of the most challenging areas of the world

for anybody certainly for a woman and that was the Middle East.

I'd like to open this interview by referring back to your own experiences.

You were in the Cloutnesson Service, you were an operations officer or case officer you operated in the Middle East and you

dealt with terrorists and we are seeing that played out today in the most tragic of

circumstances and that's the recent loss of seven CIA officers at the

end of December in Afghanistan in cost. But I would like to ask you right now, what was your experience, your reflections on having worked in that

environment on the front lines against terrorists?

Thank you, Peter.

First of all, let me say it's a pleasure being asked here today to speak to you and your broader audience.

You know, when I heard about the deaths in Afghanistan of these seven officers I very much thought back to my time

...