'Chief of Station' Recalls Congo During Cold War

Fresh Air

Published March 13, 2007 at 11:00 AM EDT

Retired CIA field officer Larry Devlin was appointed CIA station chief in Zaire in the Congo in 1960, following the Congo's independence from Belgium. It was also a time when the Congo was a significant pawn in the Cold War.

Devlin has written a memoir about his experiences, Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone.

In January 1960, Congo's Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was assassinated, apparently for accepting assistance from the Soviets. Devlin insists that the CIA didn't participate in Lumumba's murder, even though the U.S. government had a plan to "neutralize" him.

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