Station Chief#CIA
Chief of Station (COS, dt " station manager " ) is the official public agency official title for each resident of the CIA in a U.S. embassy abroad.
Order and Status
The item is regularly tested by experienced Operational Heads of National Clandestine Service semi -independent, the successor department of the Directorate of Operations ( Operations Department ) occupied. The chief of station is responsible for all intelligence issues in the host country ( area of operation ), but particularly for the management of human resources (Human Intelligence).
Normally he is legendiert as an employee of the State Department, often as a press, cultural or economic attaché, in any case, but in a function in which he is officially accredited and therefore enjoys diplomatic immunity. In allied countries, it is common that the relevant authorities whom it may concern, are informed about who is the COS of the U.S. Embassy. In more hostile host countries, there are even diplomatic contacts on intelligence level, but often someone will unofficially issued as COS, while the official who performs the actual corresponding function, a covert another location within the embassy staff on the holding, operating virtually double covered.
It may happen that intelligence and covert operations are carried out without knowledge of the COS in his area of responsibility. However, this is more likely in exceptional situations.
In the case of unmasking, or a documented activity of COS, which is incompatible with his official diplomatic function and status (if he is unmasked and caught in illegal intelligence operations ), it is declared persona non grata and expelled, since he is due to his diplomatic immunity can not legally be prosecuted. It is international practice that expulsions with this in mind, from the opposite side will be answered accordingly. In this case also diplomats are "unwanted person " explains completely independent of whether they have actually operated illegally or not. Care is taken usually on parity - if the state identifies a cultural attaché and two employees, then referenced by the other State as many diplomats in a comparable position in the country.
Known Chief of Stations
- Cofer Black: Khartoum, Sudan 1993-1995
- Larry Devlin: Congo in 1960 and 1961.
- Stephen Kappes: Moscow, New Delhi and Frankfurt
- William Nelson: Taiwan 1963
- Henry Pleasants, Bern, Switzerland, 1950-1956; Bonn, Germany, 1956-1964
- Thomas Polgar: New York, 1949, Saigon, 1972-1975
- Jose Rodriguez: Panama, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
- Theodore Shackley: Laos from 1966 to 1968, Saigon 1968-1972
- John Stockwell: Katanga in 1968, Burundi 1970.
- Andrew Warren: Algeria 2007-08 accused of rape.
- Richard Welch: Greece, 1975, killed in an attack by the Revolutionary Organization November 17.