Indescribably painful

MOUNT AYR – With so much at stake, former CIA agent Jim Olson said it only takes a drink, a briefcase of cash or an evening with a woman to have it all collapse and put lives, innocent lives, at risk.

A native of Le Mars and now teaching in the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, Olson told the stories Monday how some American CIA agents turned on their own country. He was the featured speaker at the City State Bank Ag Seminar.

He served for more than 30 years in the Directorate of Operations of the CIA, mostly overseas in undercover operations. He was also Chief of Counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. He has written books about his career.

“I don’t like traitors,” he said. “People I know and trusted betrayed us. Their betrayal was close to me. It was personal. It was indescribably painful.”

Olson said America is hemorrhaging its secrets with technology and too many Americans can be bought.

“Let’s take a journey into evil,” he said.

In 1980, Olson met Edward Howard, a 28-year-old being trained by the CIA. He was a graduate from the University of Texas and had a degree in finance and had served with the Peace Corps in Peru.

“I thought we had a winner,” Olson said as he was chief of Soviet operations.

Howard was assigned to Moscow, Russia, in the summer of 1983 with his wife. Before he was to leave, Edward was asked to take a polygraph exam which he failed. Drug and alcohol use were revealed. His wife passed the test.

“He had a drinking problem,” Olson said.

Prior, Edward completed an assignment in Europe and was on a return flight home. A woman and child seated ahead of him were interrupting Edward’s sleep. When the mother and the child left their seat, Howard stole $40 from the woman’s purse.

“It shows a vindictiveness and pettiness that we thought was not suitable for someone who is going to be working in a position of trust for our country,” he said.

Howard was dismissed from the CIA.

Howard and his wife moved to New Mexico where he found a job in state government. He was also arrested in a bar fight and brandished a gun.

“He was burning with rage against the CIA and U.S. government. He wanted revenge and got revenge,” he said.

That fall, Howard contacted the KGB, the former Russian secret police and intelligence agency, and told them about what he knew about the CIA in Moscow.

Since Howard informed the KGB about CIA agents in Russia, agent Adolf Tolkachev was found arrested, interrogated, tortured and shot in the head.

“Tolkachev had served our country,” Olson said. “It was like a death in the family.”

The Soviets also learned how the CIA tapped a communication line within Moscow, a project Olson participated. That tap was dismantled.

Two years later, a Soviet defector explained a person was a former CIA agent working for the KGB. The description matched Howard. The FBI attempted to follow Howard in New Mexico, but his training was effective as he was not found there and left for Russia.

The KGB pampered Howard living in Russia with video games, American food, vodka and prostitutes as his wife did not want to live there. Howard’s dead body was found in 2002 in his home with a broken neck. Although a fall was reported as probable cause of death, Olson said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was probably tired of supporting Edward who had no value.

Aldrich Ames

Olson said Aldrich “Rick” Ames’ job in 1985 was to review Russian cases as he knew American agents. Ames had worked in Mexico City but was caught drinking too much and violating security procedures.

“Why we didn’t get rid of him I’ll never know but I certainly wish we had because we we have saved ourselves a lot of anguish,” Olson said.

Ames was found in Mexico City having a romantic relationship with an agent in Columbia named Rosario. Ames’ marriage would end in divorce and Ames was reassigned to Washington D.C. He brought Rosario with him. They would soon marry.

“It was not a marriage made in heaven,” Olson said. He called Rosario greedy and abusive and constantly criticized Ames even in public settings. His drinking increased.

During a social event of CIA agents, where Ames had been drinking, Rosario continued her criticism of him with his lack of advancement in the organization. Ames would later meet a KGB officer in Washington and sold him the names of 15 CIA agents in Russia.

“This is hard,” Olson said explaining the 15 named knowing how much was revealed from the transaction. “This was the lowest point of my CIA career,” he said.

For 10 years leading up to 1985, Olson said the CIA was confident about its staffing and knowledge of the Soviets.

“All of this came tumbling down because of Rick Ames,” he said.

Rosario had $20,000 a month credit card bills and Rick had a luxury home and car based on a payment from at least a $5.7 million from the Soviets. Olson said there was probably more money given.

“The Russians got more than 30 lives, people who worked for us who they executed,” Olson said.

Rick and Rosario were arrested in 1994 and convicted of espionage. Rick was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Rosario served four years in prison under a plea bargain and has since returned to Columbia suspected to be living on KGB funds already saved.

Clayton Lonetree

Olson met Marine security guard Clayton Lonetree in 1986 at a Christmas party. Olson suspected Lonetree to be watching him as the two spoke privately during the party. Olson said Lonetree was nervous.

“Mr. Olson, I know who you are,” Lonetree told him. “They told me who you are.” Olson interpreted they as the KGB.

Lonetree needed Olson’s help as he was scared of the pressure put on by KGB. The two agreed to meet the next day. Lonetree had sold classified information to the KGB and had been seduced by a U.E. Embassy secretary named Violetta who doubled as KGB agent.

“Clayton was an easy mark,” Olson said describing him as a discriminated Native American, abandoned by his mother as a child and struggled with relationships with women. As soon as the secretary started to flirt, “He was a goner,” Olson said.

Lonetree became a KGB spy and provided information about American Embassies and other facilities.

“A Marine security guard who goes bad can do devastating damage to national security,” Olson said.

Lonetree offered to become a double-agent, a strategy Olson appreciates, but Lonetree was psychological fragile.

“He was still emotionally attached to Violetta,” he said.

The decision was made to criminally charge Lonetree in a court martial. He was found guilty and sentenced 30 years in prison; a first for a Marine to be charged with espionage. Lonetree was a strong follower of Adolf Hitler.

Olson said Lonetree’s damage was minimal to the operation.

“What he did was bad, but it could have been a lot worse,” Olson said.

He served nine years and was released in 1996. He then soon proposed marriage to Violetta.

Olson said Lonetree was last know to be living in Arizona.

“I don’t hate Clayton Lonetree. He was not an evil person. He got in over his head. He betrayed our country. He admitted to his crime. He served without complaining,” Olson said.

Olson said the threats are still there today,

“Traitors are still out there. We haven’t caught them all,” he said.

Others have told him Russia and China probably have more spies in the United States now than during the height of the Cold War. The end of the Cold War did not end spies in the United States as he estimated 50 countries are watching the country. China, Russia, Cuba and Iran are probably the leaders.

“Numbers are accelerating,” he said.