Alan Fiers
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Alan Dale Fiers Jr. (born 15 April 1939)
Early life
Alan Fiers Jr. was born in Ohio to a family led by an evangelical Christian minister. He attended
Military service
Alan Fiers joined the
Central Intelligence Agency
Following his service in the Marines, Fiers went home to Indiana and earned a degree in physical education, readying himself to coach football. His coaching career was not to be; however, and by 1969 he was under diplomatic cover by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His postings included Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, followed by Karachi, Pakistan. By 1981, Fiers, whose alias in clandestine matters was "Cliff Grubbs", had risen to the coveted post of chief of station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While with the CIA, he was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Meritorious Officer Award and the Distinguished Officer Award.[4]
Iran–Contra Affair
In 1984 he had been picked to command a group involved in the agency's undercover war against the Communist government in Afghanistan, but it wasn't to be. Instead, he was given the job of Chief of Central American Task Force, with the primary mission of supporting the Contras. After succeeding Duane Clarridge, he assumed a major responsibility for support of the Nicaraguan Contras' armed opposition to the Sandinista's Soviet-backed, Communist government. In this capacity, Fiers became aware of Lt. Col. Oliver North's efforts to circumvent congressional limitations on aid to the rebel forces. Fiers was known for wholeheartedly supporting Adolfo Calero and Enrique Bermúdez against so-called reformers like Arturo Cruz and Alfonso Robelo. He clashed with the State Department's Elliott Abrams, who supported Cruz and Robelo.
Fiers became party to the Lawrence Walsh investigation. Walsh determined that Fiers had knowledge of North's activities, and participated in concealing it from congressional investigators. On July 9, 1991, Fiers pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from the Congress regarding secret efforts to aid the Nicaraguan Contra rebels.[5] in return for immunity from further prosecution.
He was sentenced to one year probation and 100 hours community service by US District Chief Judge Aubrey E. Robinson Jr. on January 31, 1992.
On December 24, 1992, Fiers was pardoned by President
Later life
Mr. Fiers retired from the C.I.A. in 1988, to join W. R. Grace & Company, a multinational concern, in Washington.
See also
References
- ^ Wines, Michael (July 30, 1991). "Washington at Work; Quintessential Spy Undone by His Own Loyalty". The New York Times.
- ^ "AWARD WINNERS & HISTORY" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ "EIGHT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ "Sequa Elects Alan Fiers A Corporate Vice President. - Free Online Library". Archived from the original on 2018-11-19.
- ^ "National Security Archive - 30+ Years of Freedom of Information Action" (PDF). www2.gwu.edu.
- ^ "Walsh Iran / Contra Report – Obtaining Copies". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015.
- ^ OSTROW, RONALD J. (1 February 1992). "Former CIA Official Fiers Is Sentenced: Iran-Contra: He must do community service for role in scandal. He had pleaded guilty to keeping facts from Congress" – via LA Times.
- ^ "Bush Pardons 6 in Iran Affair, Aborting a Weinberger Trial; Prosecutor Assails 'Cover-Up'". archive.nytimes.com.