In the Fall of 2003, Mark and I were both posted to Baghdad, spending our days and nights trying to find contacts that we could work into penetrations of the Insurgency. At the time, the enemy had temporarily coalesced into a nasty, potent force that was making it very difficult for our troops to accomplish their mission, not to mention the civil service folks that had arrived for the purpose of rebuilding Iraq. Normally, the hard-core terror networks like to keep their hands clean from association with local militias and armed groups, like the ones that constituted a big part of the Insurgency. As time went on, though, these groups started working together much more effectively. Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been sent to Iraq by Al-Qaida to create a new organization, Al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Rivers. Zarqawi had no qualms working with the various insurgent groups, which provided greater access to the different provinces of Iraq. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and suicide bombers were popping up everywhere, including Baghdad. At this particular time, travel outside of the Green Zone, the safety corridor established for civil servants, diplomats, etc., had become very difficult, not to mention dangerous. Regardless, the officers in my Branch were having success utilizing our network of contacts to locate freshly planted IEDs and notifying the military in time to prevent casualties. We had the authority to leave the Green Zone, which was a calculated and necessary risk, given that my colleagues were absolutely the best of the best, and there was a job to do. Social visits to Baghdad were out of the question, at least temporarily.
Every few months, I would return stateside to see our medical staff and my personal physician, and get approval to return to the field. This was an arrangement that was crafted by my close friend Gretchen, who was also the chief personnel officer for our Baghdad facility. After initially receiving the assignment, I didn't think I would be able to accept the job. As much as I wanted to go, and Baghdad needed competent officers, I couldn't see how the medical folks would sign on. Gretchen went to battle for me, and when all was said and done, she had put together a plan which was satisfactory to all, and in the end, worked perfectly. Gretchen is one of those rare personalities that you seem to meet more often in the halls of the CIA than in the real world. Brilliant, hard working, one-step ahead of everyone else, and funny as hell. She is known for her reputation, and for having the most beautiful, piercing ice-blue eyes you can imagine. If you needed help, and she thought the effort was in the best interests of all involved, Gretchen would go to bat. That being said, I would never want to get on her shit list, although I don't know that she's ever had one. She was damn good at measuring up people within five minutes of walking into her office.
On one of my return trips to DC, I went in to visit Gretchen and chew the fat. I was really excited when she told me that she would be making a short TDY visit to Baghdad, because Gretchen was a priceless cog in the big machine that kept the Baghdad facility well-oiled and productive. She wasn't someone, as opposed to Homeland's Carrie Matheson, who could just get up from her desk, pack away her Baretta, and fly First Class to wherever takes her fancy. Gretchen always had to deal with someone asking for something, so I was surprised and pleased to find out that she had arranged the time to come to Baghdad. Her trip was all about work, and she didn't get much sleep during her stay. Personally, I was thinking that Mark, his fiance, Gretchen and I could hang out in my hooch, playing games, drinking a bit of wine, and watching DVDs. Gretchen had other ideas. Besides the workload that would undoubtedly be waiting for her on arrival, Gretchen told me that she would just love to get out of the Green Zone. At first, I couldn't figure out how I could make it work. She was known to everyone, and her presence, or lack thereof, would have been noticed in our facility. I returned to Baghdad a few weeks before Gretchen, so when I returned, I brainstormed with Mark, and we eventually came up with "Operation Blue Eyes".
I wish I could say that Operation Blue Eyes was a great success, and Gretchen was able to buy three rugs at the local suq, and the original lamp containing Barbara Eden, but events didn't play out as planned. During Gretchen's first full night in the Green Zone, while the four of us were chatting in my digs, we had a mortar attack, during which the three veterans who knew the location of the bomb shelters, up and ran out of the hooch, leaving Gretchen to find her own way (I address the escapade in greater detail in my memoir, Mukhabarat, Baby). That experience encouraged Mark and I to shelve our original plan, given the heightened state of security. What was Operation Blue Eyes? Frequently Mark and I would have interviews with sources so sensitive that, utilizing disguises, we would bring the contact into the Green Zone for debriefing. We were going to create the illusion that we were returning a source outside of the Green Zone following an interview. The fun part would have been instructing Gretchen to don a man's wig, sunglasses, and a big mustache. In the real world, Gretchen is light complected and very feminine. This Op, which would have required an entire chapter in my book all to itself, contained other really fun details that I'm forced to keep to myself (including a "fake" Gretchen!). The truth is, we would have been obliged to break a few rules (oops!), and stretch the security issue too much for comfort, so this operation never saw the light of day. Regardless, it was great having Gretchen with us for a bit. She made every occasion funnier, brighter, and special. I don't think Gretchen was ever aware of the original Op- I had basically forgotten itself until today. But I assure you, no one would have appreciated the effort we made more than Blue Eyes.
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