KH601

“And Ye Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Make You Free”

My Life in the Central Intelligence Agency

By Richard G. Irwin

“KH601” is the astonishing true account of a veteran CIA covert operations officer who witnessed the rise of global terrorism first hand.

It is a fascinating, behind the scenes, riveting book that details some of the most successful operations in the annals of the Agency; stories told, until now, only within the hallowed halls of the CIA.  The book races from stories about the CIA supported Contra Program in Central America (including the only photographs ever taken of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) William Casey’s visit to Honduras in 1986), to the newly established Counterterrorism Center, to the first Iraq War, to the war in Bosnia.  KH601 paints a chilling picture of the rise of Al-Qaeda and the events leading up to 9/11, provides a firsthand account of CIA operations inside Afghanistan, and shares details of the worldwide plan to fight terrorism.  Enthralling and compelling, KH601 reveals, for the first time, the behind the scenes story surrounding the creation, initially, of the Office of Homeland Security soon after 9/11, the Homeland Security Council, and then the creation of the Department of Homeland of Security as part of the largest U.S. government reorganization in the past 50 years.

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We are pleased and proud to be working with Richard to edit and publish KH601.  His book brings to light details people outside the Central Intelligence Agency would likely never know about significant events that have had impact on our country over the last 28 years and about the men and women who played important roles in those events.

KH601 will be our 4^th book project under contract since launching our publishing venture in May of this year.  It will be published in January 2010.

About the Author

Richard Irwin is a former Senior Special Operations Program Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His 28 years of service with the CIA has provided him with extensive operational and senior management expertise in all levels of crisis management, special event planning, physical, technical and operational security, counterterrorism, personal and VIP protection, force protection, post blast investigation, threat and vulnerability inspections, and surveillance and counter-surveillance—domestically as well as internationally.  He served in several Central American and European posts, gaining extensive experience in dealing with foreign governments.  His skills in this arena were further honed through his work with US federal, state and local law enforcement departments and agencies.  These include the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council at the White House.  Mr. Irwin is fluent in Spanish, Italian, and French.

After distinguishing himself in Afghanistan following 9/11, Mr. Irwin was assigned to the White House at the direction of the Director of Central Intelligence.  There he served as the Director of Incident Management in the Office of Homeland Security for a year, until February 2003. Elevated the next month to the position of Director of Incident Management for the Homeland Security Council at the White House, he served in this capacity until May 2004. At the request of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Mr. Irwin was appointed Director of Incident Management for the Department of Homeland Security.  Six months later, he detached from the Department of Homeland Security, retiring from the CIA on March 31, 2005.  He immediately entered the private sector, assuming duties as Vice President of Alutiiq LLC—a company focusing its considerable management capabilities on providing quality services to the federal government.  He heads Alutiiq’s Homeland Security Division.  

Mr. Irwin’s journey with the CIA has taken him to 87 countries, giving him the opportunity to live overseas and to learn three languages.  He served eight DCIs, and, while at the White House, President George W. Bush.