You're watching...
Former CIA Operative Mike Baker on the plot to kill the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
I'd I'd I got out.
But ten years ago and and started a business and it's essentially the idea was -- I got out with a friend of mine who was in the British service.
And we.
Both thought it was time to leave our respective service is trying to do something announcement film is restarting grow up and we were never home and so we we looked around some book we do the confuse some of our existing and skills and and that we set up global intelligence and security firm.
And it's that's been a good run.
-- distrustful Covert operations and you know it's it's -- and there's a lot of of there's a lot of hurry up and wait sometimes the -- of operations.
You spend a great deal of time planning and and assessing risk vs gain.
And you you waiting for that that moment for the operation to take place in and and that's that's the pay off residency excitement.
And and so I was inverted during very very good time I got in when President Reagan was was -- in power and administration and and and at a very very good run with the organization it's a terrific.
Agency December subjective well.
Although slow.
Plod along part of -- -- assassinated.
Saudi ambassador girl or what -- reported weaker.
Well.
In part you're right I mean because you know it's it's okay it's it's a Iran and their sponsoring overseas terrorism in on the was in force smack her -- -- say there's a surprise.
And have been doing this for decades -- and and and yet if there -- Planning an operation on our -- on our territory and in our nation's capital to take out the Saudi ambassador and probably the key foreign policy advisor to the king.
And it is.
It's the brazen tennis and it's a baldness which -- -- what it was which they've they've they planned this and decided they could carry it out you know regardless of what we may think of what impact it would have internationally.
Now -- that the problem I think with this is.
Much like many other attempted terrorist attacks over the the past ten years.
We seem to be developing this pat we disrupt -- we identify we prevent an attack.
And there's this in June period of of -- only got a simply this was gonna happen and then we learn something about the perpetrators.
And then the next reaction as they -- a look at this you know a can be you know serious because -- of the person whether it's underwear bomber or the Times Square bomber.
You know whatever it maybe you remember the Russians are picked up the Russians that was not terrorism the week we wrapped up ten Russians who were working for the -- the former Soviet Union.
NT FSB OK GB.
And the story -- -- became how hot one of -- us you know it isn't in completely missing the point.
Which was -- the Russians had invested so much time and resource into these individuals to do nothing but the spot opportunities and -- -- the -- And we do the same thing with the terrorist concerns so with this plot with the at the Iranian attempts to kill the Saudi ambassador.
We look at this this Texas based -- Ronnie and American.
And immediately all the press reports are talking to his neighbor saying what a -- areas and I can't remember way put his party's.
That's that's not the point you don't need -- sleuth the -- to carry out something like this nor are you gonna find him when -- recruiting for operations like this on refining.
Well the what He did was it in this guy is.
It very interesting back story not to get into the weeds and in after that terrific -- musical performance at a high don't -- -- you're listening audience a drop did not think.
But in in a nutshell tolerance of both of them are him -- -- amounted to have it go in a nutshell.
This individual.
Who moved to the US in the seventies live down and outside of Austin.
He is cousin is actually a senior commander in what's called includes force which is a part of the Islamic revolutionary guard.
-- force has for years and years and years Spence responsible basically for the trading.
And financing of terrorism overseas and -- very closely with Hezbollah they've been involved and of -- large number of overseas terrorist operations.
And so is this individual.
In -- months or.
Are about shop.
Move back to Iran He wasn't having much luck in and Texas again not not -- a big career.
And He moves back to Iran in -- gets in front of his cousin who's now a senior commander in the -- was.
And -- speculation -- nobody was there when these times it's taking place.
But to -- -- as an example 1992.
An operation was carried out enough Berlin Germany they killed for -- -- Kurdish insurgent leaders one was a translator.
That was eventually traced back by the German authorities and in us and others to -- head of the Iranian intelligence organization.
-- had knowledge of the president of Iran at that time.
So the -- that they would then you know continue to do this they were bombings in Argentina the bombings in Israel.
They've been involved in financing and and training and and arming.
Personnel that there are -- killing our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I mean this is not something new for that so.
Reflect automated summit on his -- Flynn novels don't know it does it does but the but that here's where the problem is you're absolutely right.
But then people read the Vince Flynn novels.
And the perpetrators the other they don't the other day assassins and their debt it's on the average Jason Bourne -- -- -- select know it lets loose or.
That's -- with this guy is now in and here's the operational rob.
Riady is when you're looking around for somebody to assist you in an operation like this automatically you know a not going to get a rocket scientist because of what we asking them to deal right.
So you're you're lowering the bar.
And the people that you're dealing with the people you recruited for either support or carrying out an operation of this sort they don't tend to be you know that the brightest ball.
And so you get what you get our economy and about about -- -- it yeah exactly and and so that -- here you -- here's another case this guy had opportunity He lived in Texas.
He was there was a a familiar relationship with that with a commander includes forest.
And you know they're off to the races but we look at -- we -- -- this guy couldn't be a how serious -- -- -- our bread is a good Carol wonderland it looks awesome.
These views -- -- to be a connection.
I don't know what we should expect a buyer or seller -- remembers your writer and water board Caroline Smith and ultimately a a phone finally outlook that -- -- -- southern the presence gonna set a hundred troops to Africa.
Yeah yeah this is -- lot of people by surprise but it -- Well.
That the White House said it's it's to further both our national security interest and our foreign policy interest.
We in fact of cents.
Troops in the past the Bush Administration cents some advisors and maybe a dozen or so.
During their administration to work with the -- military.
This organization that -- we're now out there working against the Lord's Resistance Army a very very bad organization basically sole purpose is to kill rape -- adopt children.
I horrible group they've been around for about 25 years.
They've probably -- over that period of time.
And abused and or killed or enslaved.
Constricted into their their their service about 6566000.
Children.
They've displaced upwards of two million people not just in Uganda but -- -- -- the -- -- Congo south Sudan.
And as a result of that the -- they are there are horrific group now.
Working against them doesn't further our national security interest I don't I don't see that but it's certainly is in line with how we would like to.
It -- in to operate at a -- we would gotten stuck in the tenure quagmire in Afghanistan you could argue that this is a better.
Use of our force overseas.
But it's it's an.
No it's it's not a bad thing I mean I agree personally with the the concept get out there would been doing this for a while it's in support of something that's been on the books now for a couple of years to try to take out the leadership of this this this this guerrilla group.
That has been causing so much mayhem and chaos and and violence and -- out there.
The but it's interesting again how it just sort of happened underneath the radar I think they should have been a little bit more up front about it.
-- probably don't mind.
All their -- rational -- -- has -- -- -- -- -- nothing I tell you want quick funny story.
We bend up and running with with my company diligence there's a bit of a marketing you know -- -- -- but we've been up -- -- for about a year or so.
And our primary -- was in London time that's where -- been living in and so.
We got not going to -- Wednesday in a couple of guys show up.
Ostensibly to talk to us about maybe some business while we you know we -- started -- -- -- -- -- -- come by for business.
So a -- a couple of French guys and and and supposedly businessmen.
And after about an hour so it was clear that -- that they weren't talking like potential clients -- and -- in the staring at these guys.
They're looking at me and eventually turns out that they had come from.
There -- organizations.
Apparently to look at us because they they thought somehow we were now running a one world government out of the diligence offices and they show me a wiring diagram a certain point later down the road -- we've gotten.
You know to -- And and this is a proudest moment of my intelligence career because they had -- way up on the on the the evolutionary food chain of the intelligence community you know leading essentially the organization did the agency and -- I stare at that at that a good got out -- admittedly be so stupid to think that they were put me in charge but it was it was a very proud moment I got a copy of that put in a friend put on wall was only time I was ever charged of anything our solar --
