Clair George
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Clair Elroy George (August 3, 1930 – August 11, 2011) was a veteran of the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
's (CIA) clandestine service who oversaw all global espionage activities for the agency in the mid-1980s. According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', George was "a consummate spymaster who moved the chess pieces in the CIA's clandestine games of intrigue". After serving in Korea and Japan as an enlisted man in Army Intelligence, George was one of the CIA's earliest recruits. As such George challenged the traditional image of early CIA recruits. He was not a son of privilege and lacked an Ivy League pedigree. By many accounts, he developed a loyal following for his ebullient manner and courage working in some of the world's most volatile regions. After a highly decorated career lasting nearly thirty years, including dangerous assignments in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
and
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, George served for three years in the
Reagan Administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over D ...
as
Deputy Director for Operations The deputy director of the CIA for operations is a senior United States government official in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency who serves as head of the Directorate of Operations. The position was established December 1, 1950 and from Janua ...
. He was the third-ranking official at the CIA under
William Casey William Joseph Casey (March 13, 1913 – May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency ...
. George made headlines when he became the highest-ranking target of investigation and prosecution in the
Iran–Contra affair The Iran–Contra affair ( fa, ماجرای ایران-کنترا, es, Caso Irán–Contra), often referred to as the Iran–Contra scandal, the McFarlane affair (in Iran), or simply Iran–Contra, was a political scandal in the United States ...
. After a first mistrial, George was eventually found guilty by a jury on only two counts of making false statements to congressional committees investigating the Iran-Contra Affair. He was pardoned by President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
two weeks later along with others involved. The special prosecutor immediately thereafter moved to vacate the indictments against George altogether. After his retirement from the CIA, George continued to hold legendary hero status in the intelligence community and he was a successful consultant on international matters. He died in Bethesda at age 81 of cardiac arrest. His wife of 45 years, Mary Atkinson George, had died in 2008.Obituary of wife Mary George
/ref> She had given up her CIA career when they married.


Early life

Clair Elroy George was born Aug. 3, 1930 in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. His family moved several times, ending up in the western Pennsylvania steel-mill town of
Beaver Falls Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
, Pennsylvania, when he was 9. His father was a dairy chemist who worked for the
United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...
. George, nicknamed "Red" because of his hair color, was an academic standout, a musician (drummer) and president of the student council. He worked in a steel mill. Later he majored in political science and debated at
Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
, graduating in 1952. He was set to enroll in Columbia Law School when he joined the Army instead in the midst of the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. He learned Chinese and worked in counterintelligence. He joined the CIA after being impressed by agency officers he met in the Far East. In 1960, George married a CIA secretary, Mary Atkinson; she died in 2008. They had two daughters both born in Paris while George was assigned to Bamako, Mali.


Long CIA service

As the CIA's deputy director of operations for three years of the Reagan administration, the third-highest post in the spy agency, George was responsible for cloak-and-dagger activities worldwide. He reached this pinnacle after three decades of working as a spy around the world, specializing in recruiting foreign agents to spy on their own countries for the United States. After the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, George joined the CIA in 1955. Through cunning and mettle, he advanced through the ranks of the clandestine service, working in Cold War proxy zones in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. He went from Hong Kong to Paris, from Mali to New Delhi. The ''
Washington Post Magazine ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' in 1992 quoted a colleague as calling George "a top-notch street man" who operated in what spies call the "night soil circuit"—the less desirable posts of the world. George served as the CIA's station chief in Beirut when
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
erupted there in 1975. His successor would be kidnapped and assassinated. The following year he volunteered to replace the
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
station chief, who had just been assassinated by the
Revolutionary Organization 17 November Revolutionary Organization 17 November ( el, Επαναστατική Οργάνωση 17 Νοέμβρη, ''Epanastatiki Organosi dekaefta Noemvri''), also known as 17N or the 17 November Group, was a Greek far-left Marxist–Leninist urban g ...
over the United States' support of the
Regime of the Colonels In politics, a regime (also "régime") is the form of government or the set of rules, cultural or social norms, etc. that regulate the operation of a government or institution and its interactions with society. According to Yale professor Juan Jo ...
. This gesture, perhaps more than anything, brought him recognition as a dedicated officer willing to make his safety secondary to the needs of the agency. George returned permanently to Washington in 1979. He placed first out of 100 candidates in a promotions ranking and was put in charge of the agency's African division.
William J. Casey William Joseph Casey (March 13, 1913 – May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency ...
, whom Reagan had named director of central intelligence, appointed George to successively higher positions, among them as the CIA's liaison to Congress. He served later as deputy director from 1984 until his retirement in 1987.


Distinctions and medals

George was the recipient of three Distinguished Intelligence Medals from 1983 to 1988 and was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit.


Iran-Contra Affair

George was the highest-ranking CIA official to stand trial over the biggest White House scandal since Watergate: a White House-led operation to covertly sell weapons to Iran and divert the profits to right-wing Nicaraguan rebels known as the
Contras The Contras were the various U.S.-backed and funded right-wing rebel groups that were active from 1979 to 1990 in opposition to the Marxist Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction Government in Nicaragua, which came to power in 1979 fol ...
. The operation had been engineered out of the White House by Marine Lt. Col.
Oliver North Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. A veteran of the Vietnam War, North was a National Secu ...
, who served on the
National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
staff. North was then aided by CIA Director
William Casey William Joseph Casey (March 13, 1913 – May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency ...
. In September 1991, George was indicted on 9 counts, including making false statements to Congress. After the first court case ended in a mistrial, George was retried in the fall of 1992 on seven counts, resulting in being found guilty on two charges of false statements to Congressional staff. Before George was sentenced, President Bush pardoned him on December 24, 1992. along with several other former administration officials including former defense secretary Caspar W. Weinberger.


In popular culture

In the book and subsequent film adaptation of Charlie Wilson's War, Clair George is referenced in an argument between CIA case officer
Gust Avrakotos Gustav Lascaris Avrakotos (January 14, 1938 – December 1, 2005) was an American case officer and the Afghan Task Force Chief for the Central Intelligence Agency. Avrakotos joined the CIA in August 1962 and was posted to Greece in 1963. Followi ...
and Director of European Operations Henry Cravely, portrayed on screen by
Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produ ...
and
John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director widely known for his role as Roger Sterling Jr. in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award fo ...
respectively.


See also

*
List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States #REDIRECT List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States #REDIRECT List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States {{R from move ...
{{R from move ...


References


External links


Article about Jan Pottker events

Article about animal rights activists


* ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303527.html Obituary of Mary George, Clair George's wife {{DEFAULTSORT:George, Clair 1930 births 2011 deaths American spies Iran–Contra affair Military personnel from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania State University alumni People of the Central Intelligence Agency Recipients of American presidential pardons Recipients of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal