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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 we'll be bringing you interesting talks with visitors,

with authors, with others who have something to do with the world of intelligence

and espionage.

Our guest today is George Cave.

George is a former colleague, someone I've known for many years.

He has a virtual legend in the CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency, in its clandestine service.

He has had a long association with the Middle East.

He is an Arabic speaker. He has served in senior positions, including as Chief of Station in the Middle East, and he has been an advisor to senior officials in our country about the Middle East for years up to and including the president.

So let me welcome you, George, and just to ask you right off the bat, how you came to join the agency?

That's a very interesting question because I was all set up for a career in the oil business.

And at the end of my junior year in college,

I met this gorgeous strawberry blonde.

And we decided to get married.

Now, Aramco wanted to hire me.

They, at the end of my junior year, I went out to Saudi Arabia with them as an intern.

And when I got back, they called me to New York and offered me a very good job.

But they asked me to delay my wedding.

...