CIA blocks former operative's memoir without citing specific classified passages

A former CIA operative who won a $5 million jury verdict against CNN over its Afghanistan evacuation reporting says the agency is blocking publication of his memoir. The operative submitted the manuscript for prepublication review as required. In a June 15 letter, the CIA's Author Review Office stated the book "cannot be published or disclosed as written" because it is "predicated upon sensitive information" covered by his nondisclosure agreement.

Review process The operative said the agency did not identify any specific chapter, page, word, or sentence containing classified material despite his requests for guidance. The letter directed him to delete all copies, including electronic files and hard copies, and to ensure co-authors, agents, publishers, and attorneys also destroy their copies.

The manuscript recounts his CIA career, work evacuating Afghans during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the legal battle with CNN.

Background on the case In January, a Florida jury found CNN liable for defamation over a 2021 report that claimed the operative illegally exploited Afghans during the withdrawal. The CNN journalist who reported the story was fired after the verdict.

The operative said a CIA media chief confirmed his employment to a journalist, which he argues shows the agency has already acknowledged his background publicly.