Frank Anderson

Frank Anderson   ( spook)
Born	February 1, 1942  Chicago,  Illinois,  USA
Died	January 27, 2020 (Age 77)
Nationality	US
Alma mater	University of Illinois in Chicago
Senior CIA spook who oversaw Operation Cyclone,the arming of groups against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan  Middle East Policy Council/President In office 2009 - 2012 Preceded by Charles Freeman  CIA/Near East and South Asia Division/Chief In office 1991 - 1994 Preceded by James Higham Succeeded by Stephen Richter  CIA/Near East and South Asia Division/Beirut Station/Chief Dates unknown 1978-79?  CIA/Africa Division/Rabat Station/Chief In office 1985 Preceded by Frank Anderson Succeeded by Frank Anderson known date 1985. Not confirmed.

Frank Ray Anderson was a senior CIA spook who oversaw the last phase of Operation Cyclone, the arming of mujahedin groups against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

Education

Anderson was born in Chicago. Anderson served in the Army after high school and met a CIA recruiter while studying at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Career

He joined the CIA in 1968, eventually becoming the ranking American clandestine officer in the Arab world. He worked as Beirut station chief, and possibly also in Morocco.

Anderson helped maintain back-channel communications with the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Israel and the U.S. State Department deemed a terrorist organization. Anderson met frequently with Ali Hassan Salameh, whose work as the security chief for PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat made him a key CIA asset. Anderson was among those who believed that the CIA's relationship with Salameh had "brought the Palestinians in from the cold" and paved the way for the Oslo peace process.

Anderson supervised the agency's Afghan task force from 1987 until the war's end in 1989, with the CIA providing weapons and supplies for the mujahedin guerilla groups. By the close of the conflict, Anderson was arguing that the CIA should end its involvement in Afghanistan entirely — an opinion shared by the agency’s Langley headquarters

He was promoted to chief of the Near East and South Asia division of the agency's Directorate of Operations, its covert branch; and directed the agency's technical services division.

He retired in 1994.

Anderson was president of the Middle East Policy Council from 2009 to 2012.

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