Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2025 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to To the Point

To the Point

The Mysterious Head of the CIA's Counterterrorism Unit

The CIA's campaign against al-Qaeda and the tracking down of Osama bin Laden have been led by a man who's a "collection of contradictions." A chain-smoker who spends hours on a treadmill, he's an enemy of Islamic militants – and a convert to Islam.

  • rss
  • Share
By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

The CIA's campaign against al-Qaeda and the tracking down of Osama bin Laden have been led by a man who's a "collection of contradictions." A chain-smoker who spends hours on a treadmill, he's an enemy of Islamic militants – and a convert to Islam. "Roger" is the first name of the cover identity of the agent who leads the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. He's the architect of "the company's" drone campaign and the "driving force of the Obama administration's embrace of targeted killing," according to Greg Miller, national security correspondent for the Washington Post.

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

  • KCRW placeholder

    Andrea Brody

    Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

  • KCRW placeholder

    Christian Bordal

    Managing Producer, Greater LA

  • KCRW placeholder

    Katie Cooper

    Producer, 'One year Later'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Greg Miller

    Washington Post

    NewsNationalPolitics
Back to To the Point