Michele Rigby Assad – Former CIA Operative and Author

In this rare appearance from a former Central Intelligence Agency operative, Michele Rigby Assad details how she, as a young woman from small town America, went on to work in one of the world’s most misunderstood and dangerous geopolitical climates — the Middle East. Working across a handful of undisclosed locations throughout the Arab world, Rigby Assad shares the difficulties she faced while successfully infiltrating and gathering intelligence from terrorist cells known for their stern anti-Western beliefs. About Michele Rigby Assad: Michele Rigby Assad began her career in the government relations department of an international relief and development organization in Washington, DC, in 1995. After obtaining a master's degree in contemporary Arab studies from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service she joined the CIA in 2002 to work as an intelligence officer in the Directorate of Operations, the covert arm of the agency. Specializing in counterterrorism and counterintelligence issues, Rigby Assad worked in Iraq and other secret Middle Eastern locations. To date, Rigby Assad has lived in six countries in the Near East region and traveled to more than 45 others. Buy Michele Rigby Assad’s book Get off the X Produced by The Mob Museum. To watch episodes of this podcast, visit YouTube For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit insidethelife.org For more on the Museum visit themobmuseum.org This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum. This program has been made available by The Mob Museum for the private, non-commercial use of its audience. Such private use is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This program is subject to copyright protection, and those seeking to utilize the program or portions thereof, for anything other than private use should contact The Mob Museum at [email protected].