Shortly After September 21, 2005: Former CIA Official Joins Blackwater

Rob Richer, formerly the deputy head of the CIA’s directorate of operations, joins the private military contractor Blackwater, becoming vice president of intelligence. Richer announced his resignation from the agency at the beginning of September (see September 2, 2005), but was still there later in the month (see September 21, 2005). According to Harper’s journalist Ken Silverstein, Richer joins Blackwater “immediately” after leaving the agency. Richer is close to Jordan’s King Abdullah (see 1999) and, after being hired, helps Blackwater land a lucrative deal with the Jordanian government to provide the same sort of training offered by the CIA. Silverstein will comment, “Millions of dollars that the CIA ‘invested’ in Jordan walked out the door with Richer—if this were a movie, it would be a cross between Jerry Maguire and Syriana.” One of Silverstein’s sources will say: “People [at the agency] are pissed off. Abdullah still speaks with Richer regularly and he thinks that’s the same thing as talking to us. He thinks Richer is still the man.” [Harper's, 9/12/2006]