Tweet
Who Else Is on the US spy Payroll?
http://powerwall.msnbc.msn.com/politics/who-else-is-on-the-cia-payroll-10428.gallery#!wallState=0__%2Fpolitics%2Fwho-else-is-on-the-cia-payroll-10428.gallery%3FphotoId%3D42782
With the death of Ahmed Wali Karzai (right), a half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, came rumors that the politically connected brother had been on the CIA payroll since about 2001. Though the CIA never confirms who they might be paying, we've rounded up a list of those who have allegedly collected checks from the U.S. agency over the years.
John Roselli
Roselli is one of various alleged CIA informants with ties to the Mafia, and among several who were recruited to aid in ousting Fidel Castro from Cuba. The Chicago mafioso, known as "Handsome Johnny," was heavily involved in Hollywood and Las Vegas in the 1940s and '50s. When Castro came to power in Cuba in 1959, the more
CIA supposedly worked closely with Roselli on Operation Mongoose, targeting Castro for assassination. The operation failed, and Roselli was later the subject of conspiracy theories regarding the assassinations of both John F. and Robert F. Kennedy.
Ngo Dinh Nhu
Ngo Dinh Nhu, younger brother and chief counselor to South Vietnam's first president, Ngo Dinh Diem, did not hold an official position in the fledgling country's government, but he did exert commanding power over the family's private army, ARVN Special Forces, which the CIA allegedly aided in forming. The regime and its forces
built a reputation of terror and corruption, and ultimately the U.S. supported a coup in which both brothers were assassinated
Gen. Dang Van Quang
South Vietnamese Gen. Dang Van Quang, special military adviser to President Nguyen Van Thieu (pictured) of the Republic of Vietnam, worked closely with the U.S. in Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975, when he was helped in escaping safely and relocating to America. Later, upon trying to reenter the U.S. from a trip to
Canada, Quang's visa application was rejected until 1989, when the U.S. cleared him of drug charges
Thubten Jigme Norbu
Former Buddhist monk and brother of the Dalai Lama, Thubten Jigme Norbu worked with the CIA to promote guerrilla warfare opposing the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Norbu helped recruit and train rebel fighters until the U.S. covert program ended in the 1970s. Norbu then became his brother's U.S. representative and a teacher
at Indiana University Bloomington. Continuing his dedication to a free Tibet, Norbu set up the Tibetan Cultural Center, built a memorial stupa for fallen Tibetans and led several walks for Tibetan independence
King Hussein of Jordan
King Hussein bin Talal had intimate ties to the U.S. during his turbulent 46-year rule of Jordan, even allegedly cashing in on the CIA payroll. Considering the incredible adversity that Hussein met while in power and the animosity he faced throughout the region, his longevity in control was often surprising.
Gen. Manuel Noriega
Gen. Manuel Noriega, former Panamanian dictator, worked with the CIA from the 1950s through the 1980s. Noriega developed a vast network for cocaine distribution, which was largely ignored by the U.S., who capitalized on his relationship to fund Nicaraguan contra revels fighting the leftist government. The relationship lasted
until 1989, when the U.S. invaded and sentenced Noriega to jail on drug-related charges.
With the death of Ahmed Wali Karzai (right), a half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, came rumors that the politically connected brother had been on the CIA payroll since about 2001. Though the CIA never confirms who they might be paying, we've rounded up a list of those who have allegedly collected checks from the U.S. agency over the years.
John Roselli
Roselli is one of various alleged CIA informants with ties to the Mafia, and among several who were recruited to aid in ousting Fidel Castro from Cuba. The Chicago mafioso, known as "Handsome Johnny," was heavily involved in Hollywood and Las Vegas in the 1940s and '50s. When Castro came to power in Cuba in 1959, the more
CIA supposedly worked closely with Roselli on Operation Mongoose, targeting Castro for assassination. The operation failed, and Roselli was later the subject of conspiracy theories regarding the assassinations of both John F. and Robert F. Kennedy.
Ngo Dinh Nhu
Ngo Dinh Nhu, younger brother and chief counselor to South Vietnam's first president, Ngo Dinh Diem, did not hold an official position in the fledgling country's government, but he did exert commanding power over the family's private army, ARVN Special Forces, which the CIA allegedly aided in forming. The regime and its forces
built a reputation of terror and corruption, and ultimately the U.S. supported a coup in which both brothers were assassinated
Gen. Dang Van Quang
South Vietnamese Gen. Dang Van Quang, special military adviser to President Nguyen Van Thieu (pictured) of the Republic of Vietnam, worked closely with the U.S. in Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975, when he was helped in escaping safely and relocating to America. Later, upon trying to reenter the U.S. from a trip to
Canada, Quang's visa application was rejected until 1989, when the U.S. cleared him of drug charges
Thubten Jigme Norbu
Former Buddhist monk and brother of the Dalai Lama, Thubten Jigme Norbu worked with the CIA to promote guerrilla warfare opposing the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Norbu helped recruit and train rebel fighters until the U.S. covert program ended in the 1970s. Norbu then became his brother's U.S. representative and a teacher
at Indiana University Bloomington. Continuing his dedication to a free Tibet, Norbu set up the Tibetan Cultural Center, built a memorial stupa for fallen Tibetans and led several walks for Tibetan independence
King Hussein of Jordan
King Hussein bin Talal had intimate ties to the U.S. during his turbulent 46-year rule of Jordan, even allegedly cashing in on the CIA payroll. Considering the incredible adversity that Hussein met while in power and the animosity he faced throughout the region, his longevity in control was often surprising.
Gen. Manuel Noriega
Gen. Manuel Noriega, former Panamanian dictator, worked with the CIA from the 1950s through the 1980s. Noriega developed a vast network for cocaine distribution, which was largely ignored by the U.S., who capitalized on his relationship to fund Nicaraguan contra revels fighting the leftist government. The relationship lasted
until 1989, when the U.S. invaded and sentenced Noriega to jail on drug-related charges.