Milton Bearden

Milton Bearden   ( spook)
Born	1940  Oklahoma,  USA
Alma mater	•  Yale Institute of Far Eastern Languages •  University of Texas at Austin
CIA/European Division/Germany Station/Chief In office - 1994  CIA/Central Eurasia Division/Chief In office 1989 - 1992 Preceded by Burton Gerber  CIA/Near East and South Asia Division/Islamabad Station/Chief In office 1986 - 1989 Preceded by William Piekney During Operation Cyclone  CIA/Africa Division/Khartoum Station/Chief In office 1985 Preceded by Milton Bearden Succeeded by Milton Bearden Known in 1985  CIA/Africa Division/Lagos Station/Chief In office 1981 Preceded by Milton Bearden Succeeded by Milton Bearden Known in 1981

Milton A. Bearden was the CIA station chief in Islamabad from 1986 to 1989. and then chief of the CIA's Soviet East European division.

Career

"Bearden's early career was split between German-speaking Europe and Hong Kong where he conducted classic Cold War intelligence operations. During the early 1980's he moved to Africa to serve as CIA Chief in Nigeria and later in Khartoum, where he covered Sudan's civil war and the ultimate overthrow of the regime of Jaafar Nimeiri. It was in Sudan in 1985, that Bearden organized a secret airlift from the Sudanese desert to Israel of the stranded remnants of the Ethiopian Falasha Jews. For his work in Sudan Bearden was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Agency's second-highest decoration.

In the Spring of 1986, Bearden was selected by Bill Casey to take charge of the CIA Covert Action supporting a flagging Afghan Resistance. Bearden's assignment to the Afghan Resistance heralded a shift in American pollcy from minimalist support to the Afghan rebels-just enough to tie down the Soviet Army-to a policy of trying to win. For his service in Afghanistan Bearden was awarded the agency's highest decoration, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

In 1989, Bearden left Pakistan and Afghanistan to take command of the Soviet-East European Division of the CIA's Operations Directorate. During the next three years, he directed the CIA's clandestine operations against a decaying Soviet Empire. Bearden wound up his CIA career as the CIA Chief in Bonn where he worked with a newly reunified Germany in dealing with its Cold War legacy. Among his last official acts in Germany was his participation in the final departure ceremony of the Russian forces from Berlin on August 31, 1994"

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