Editing James Jesus Angleton (section)

{{short description|Central Intelligence Agency officer (1917–1987)}}
{{Infobox spy
| name = James Angleton
| image = James Jesus Angleton.jpg
| caption = Angleton c. 1960
| allegiance = {{USA}}
| service = [[Central Intelligence Agency]]<br>[[United States Army]]
| serviceyears = 1943–1947 (U.S. Army)<br>1947–1975 (CIA)
| rank = Counterintelligence (CI) Chief (1954–1975)
| operation = [[Operation CHAOS]]
| awards = [[Distinguished Intelligence Medal]]
| birth_name = James Jesus Angleton
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|12|9}}
| birth_place = [[Boise, Idaho]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|5|11|1917|12|9}}
| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| education = {{ubl |[[Yale University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) |[[Harvard University]]}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Cicely d'Autremont|July 1943}}
| children = 3
}}
'''James Jesus Angleton''' (December 9, 1917 – May 11, 1987)<ref name=EncColdWar>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: A Political, Social, and Military History|year=2007|volume=1|pages=79–80}}</ref> was an American [[CIA officer]] who served as chief of [[CIA Counterintelligence|the counterintelligence department]] of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] from 1954 to 1975. According to [[Director of Central Intelligence]] [[Richard Helms]], Angleton was "recognized as the dominant counterintelligence figure in the non-communist world".<ref>Helms, Richard (2003). ''A Look over My Shoulder: A Life in the Central Intelligence Agency''. New York: Random House. p. 275.</ref>

Angleton served in the [[Office of Strategic Services]], a wartime predecessor to the CIA, in Italy and London during [[World War II]]. After the war, he returned to Washington, D.C. to become one of the founding officers of the CIA. He was initially responsible for the collection of foreign intelligence and liaison with counterpart organizations in allied countries. In 1954, [[Allen Dulles]] promoted Angleton to chief of the Counterintelligence Staff. As chief, Angleton was significantly involved in the defection of Soviet KGB agents [[Anatoliy Golitsyn]] and [[Yuri Nosenko]]. Through Golitsyn, Angleton became convinced the CIA harbored a high-ranking Soviet [[Mole (espionage)|mole]] and engaged in an intensive search. Whether this was a highly destructive witch hunt or appropriate caution remains a subject of intense historical debate.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Newman |first=John M. |title=Uncovering Popov's Mole |publisher=Self-published |year=2022 |isbn=9798355050771 |location=United States |pages=2–3 |language=English}}</ref>

Investigative journalist [[Edward Jay Epstein]] agrees with the high regard in which Angleton was held by his colleagues in the intelligence business, and adds that Angleton earned the "trust of six CIA directors—including Gen. [[Walter Bedell Smith]], [[Allen W. Dulles]] and Richard Helms. They kept Angleton in key positions and valued his work."<ref>{{cite news|last=Epstein|first=Edward Jay|date=2007-07-14|title=Opening Up the CIA|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB118436115647966211|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=28 March 2014}}</ref>