Editing Ted Shackley (section)

==CIA Career==
Shackley joined the CIA in 1951, recruited for his language skills and counterintelligence experience. His 28-year career saw him rise to Associate Deputy Director for Operations, one of the highest positions in the CIA’s clandestine service, overseeing some of the agency’s most controversial operations.

	1	Early Career and Berlin Station (1951–1961):
	◦	Shackley began as a case officer in Nuremberg, Germany, recruiting agents to infiltrate Soviet networks. By the late 1950s, he was posted to Berlin, a hotspot for Cold War espionage. As deputy to base chief William K. Harvey, he helped run the Berlin Operations Base, managing double agents and the Berlin Tunnel (Operation Gold), a CIA-MI6 effort to tap Soviet communications.
	◦	His work in Berlin honed his skills in covert operations and established his reputation as a meticulous planner, though he clashed with colleagues over his ambition and secretive style.

	2	Bay of Pigs and JM/WAVE (1961–1965):
	◦	In 1961, Shackley was assigned to the CIA’s Miami station (JM/WAVE), tasked with overthrowing Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba. He served as deputy chief under David Atlee Phillips and later as station chief (1962–1965), overseeing anti-Castro operations, including sabotage, assassination plots (Operation Mongoose), and the failed Bay of Pigs invasion (1961).
	◦	[[JM/WAVE]] became the largest CIA station outside Langley, with over 400 case officers and thousands of Cuban exiles. Shackley’s aggressive tactics, including raids and propaganda, earned him both praise and criticism. The failure of the Bay of Pigs damaged his early reputation but did not halt his rise.

	3	Southeast Asia and Air America (1966–1972):
	◦	Laos (1966–1968): Shackley was appointed CIA station chief in Vientiane, Laos, during the height of the Vietnam War. He directed the “Secret War” in Laos, managing CIA support for the Hmong militia led by General Vang Pao against the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese. [[Air America]], the CIA’s covert airline, played a critical role in these operations, airlifting supplies, troops, and operatives to remote airstrips.
	▪	Connection to Air America: As station chief, Shackley directly oversaw Air America’s operations in Laos, coordinating logistics for Hmong forces, search-and-rescue missions, and covert insertions. Air America’s pilots transported CIA personnel, including Shackley’s operatives, and conducted rice drops and medical evacuations. Allegations of Air America’s involvement in opium trafficking surfaced during this period, with some historians (e.g., Alfred W. McCoy) claiming Shackley turned a blind eye to drug smuggling by Vang Pao’s forces to fund operations. Shackley denied these claims, and evidence remains contested.
	◦	Saigon (1968–1972): Promoted to chief of station in Saigon, South Vietnam, Shackley managed CIA operations during the Vietnam War, including the controversial [[Phoenix Program]], which targeted Viet Cong infrastructure through intelligence, capture, and assassination. The program, credited with neutralizing thousands of Viet Cong, was criticized for human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings. Shackley’s deputy, Thomas Polgar, and operatives like Felix Rodriguez were key figures in these efforts.
	▪	Air America supported Phoenix operations by transporting CIA teams and captured prisoners. Shackley’s oversight of these missions solidified his connection to the airline.

	4	Western Hemisphere Division (1972–1976):
	◦	As chief of the Western Hemisphere Division, Shackley oversaw CIA operations in Latin America, including support for the 1973 Chilean coup against [[Salvador Allende]]. His tenure saw increased scrutiny from Congress, particularly after the Church Committee investigated CIA abuses in 1975.
	◦	Shackley’s involvement in Chile included coordination with anti-Allende forces, with Air America reportedly providing logistical support for CIA operations in the region, though its role was less prominent than in Southeast Asia.

	5	Associate Deputy Director for Operations (1976–1979):
	◦	Shackley was appointed Associate Deputy Director for Operations, overseeing the CIA’s global clandestine activities. His tenure coincided with the Carter administration’s push to reform the CIA, which clashed with Shackley’s aggressive approach. He was passed over for Deputy Director in favor of John N. McMahon, prompting his retirement in 1979.