Former CIA Agent Identifies World’s Most Dangerous Countries

According to a veteran of the US intelligence service, some regions of the planet are in such a state that normal life there is practically impossible. As an example, he cites a personal experience from a country where diplomats were murdered just a few hours after his arrival.

Years of Service and Global Exposure

Former CIA agent John Kiriakou, who served with the US intelligence services from 1990 to 2004, recently commented on the world’s most dangerous countries in an interview with LADbible. Kiriakou, who became Chief of Counterterrorist Operations in Pakistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, stated the answer isn’t simple – there are several high-risk areas. During his tenure, he visited over 70 countries.

“Almost All of Them Were Terrible”

“Almost all of them were terrible. I never got to the nice places,” Kiriakou admitted. He identified Yemen, Somalia, Gaza, Afghanistan, and parts of Pakistan as extremely dangerous locations. “You have to sleep with one eye open in these countries. You never know how quickly things can get worse,” he warned.

Yemen: A Stark Example

Kiriakou cited Yemen as a particularly striking example, having visited the country five times during his career. “Each of my visits was worse than the last,” he recalled. During his final trip, he and his team were only permitted to stay at one hotel in the entire country, which was surrounded by a 30-foot high wall designed to protect against bomb blasts.

A Deadly Ambush

“The day after I arrived, a group of South Korean diplomats arrived. On the way from the airport to the hotel, they were ambushed and all six were killed,” Kiriakou described. He further stated that a few days later, a team of South Korean intelligence officers sent to investigate the murders were as well attacked in the same manner. “Then South Korea simply closed the embassy and left. This is already a clear sign that it is an extremely dangerous country,” he added.

From CIA Agent to Whistleblower

After leaving the CIA, Kiriakou became a well-known whistleblower when he publicly discussed the torture practices used by US intelligence services. In 2012, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison for providing classified information to the media. He now appears as a public commentator on security topics, and his statements often spark debate.

Public Reaction and Historical Context

Public reactions to Kiriakou’s statements are varied. Some point out that many people in safe countries are unaware of their privilege, while others suggest that interventions by foreign intelligence services have contributed to the instability of regions now considered the most dangerous in the world.