“Bob” is a pseudonym referring to the Central Intelligence Agency officer who served as director of human resources for the entire agency in the late 1980s and personally oversaw John Kiriakou’s recruitment and hiring.[2]
Bob worked out of an unmarked sixth-floor office in Rosslyn, Virginia, accessed through a hallway door with no name, an inner door secured by a large spin-dial bank-style lock, and a receptionist behind the inner door.[3] He is described as “6’6”, 320 pounds, loud, smiling — a ‘good old guy.’”[1]
Bob’s standard opening question to a candidate was “Have you ever betrayed a friendship?”[4] He routinely reported back to candidates after each stage of the agency’s vetting process — psychiatric interview, polygraph — with cheerful confirmation phrased identically across applicants: “You blew the doors off that meeting.” / “You aced it.” / “They’re fighting over you at headquarters.”[5][6][2]