Assad - Breaking cover: my secret life in the CIA and what it taught me about whats worth fighting for

I was always comfortable relying on Ms. Assads exceptional substantive expertise and commitment to her colleagues and our mission when we served together in an overseas war zone. Ms. Assads deeply introspective account of her CIA career, faith, and humanitarian work is an exciting read with firsthand insightful observations of the war-torn Middle East and valuable lessons learned, which readers will cherish.

DANIEL HOFFMAN

Retired senior CIA officer

Michele Rigby Assads Breaking Cover is an absolutely amazing read! It will grab your attention on every single page as you follow Micheles remarkable journey working as a spy for the CIA. Even as someone who spent three years undercover for the FBI at a Fortune 500 company during the investigation of one of the largest white-collar crime cases in US history, I was amazed at Micheles courage and perseverance as she fought terrorism in the most dangerous part of the world, the Middle East. I was especially touched at how she inspires us all. Michele Rigby Assad is a modern-day hero! Her book will inspire you to do more for your community, your country, and your society, and to live a life of significance.

MARK WHITACRE, P H D

Subject of the Warner Brothers movie The Informant!, starring Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre

The first time I met Michele, I was struck by her fashionista style, her quick wit, bright smile, and immense knowledge of the Middle East. She quickly proved herself to be a hard worker, a savvy ops officer, and an outside-of-the-box thinker. Her vivid descriptions of her life and travels with the CIA are very authentic, very personal, and a great read. The day Michele told me she was leaving the Agency, she explained that she felt a calling to do something impactful for women, and though she didnt know what that was going to be, she knew it would be significant. Her story is a riveting one. Although I can neither confirm nor deny that I worked with Michele, I can tell you she is a great patriot with a great faith who will continue to blaze trails wherever she goes.

FORMER COWORKER

Breaking Cover is an authentic and honest look into a world that operates all around us, but to which most are oblivious. Michele Rigby Assad masterfully shares the soul-baring tale of her life, from small-town Southern girl to fierce intelligence operative challenging evil face-to-face. This story is not a simple autobiography, but a story of how one individual walking in humility and faith, recognizing that life is not about her, and willing to risk it all to serve her fellow man changed and saved an untold number of lives. One thing is certain: Breaking Cover is just the beginning of Assads story. The best is yet to come.

SUSAN RICHMOND JOHNSON

Managing principal, The Ashcroft Group LLC; former chief of staff for management, US Department of Homeland Security

Bold, beautiful, and brave, Michele Rigby Assads Breaking Cover is a must-read. She grants readers rare access into what its like to spend over a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA through riveting accounts of navigating life and work as a woman in war zones across the Middle East. Michele also lets us in on a bigger secret: She never felt like she was the secret agent type. Her courageous stories of resilience, faith, and grace will inspire millions of women (and men) to press on despite self-doubt, and to keep moving forward even in the face of fear.

JENNY BLAKE

Author of Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One

Visit Tyndale online at www.tyndale.com.

Visit Tyndale Momentum online at www.tyndalemomentum.com.

TYNDALE, Tyndale Momentum, and Tyndales quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. The Tyndale Momentum logo is a trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Tyndale Momentum is the nonfiction imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois.

Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about Whats Worth Fighting For

Copyright 2018 by Michele Rigby Assad. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of soldier copyright by VikaValter/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of paper tear copyright by yasinguneysu/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Designed by Dean H. Renninger

Published in association with the literary agency of The Fedd Agency, Inc., P.O. Box 341973, Austin, TX 78734.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Scripture quotation on page 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Tyndale House Publishers at csresponse@tyndale.com, or call 1-800-323-9400.

This does not constitute an official release of CIA information. All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or any other U.S. Government agency. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. Government authentication of information or CIA endorsement of the authors views. This material has been reviewed solely for classification.

ISBN 978-1-4964-1959-0

ISBN 978-1-4964-1963-7 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-1962-0 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-1961-3 (Apple)

Build: 2018-01-17 16:57:24 EPUB 3.0.1

To my husband, Joseph: I wouldnt have done any of this without you by my side. Thank you for being my biggest advocate and believing in me when I didnt believe in myself. Thank you for teaching me so much about the world and pushing me to write this book I wish that every woman would have that kind of champion urging her onward and upward.

To my sister, Julie Clow, an amazingly gifted woman who is not only the coolest and most intelligent person I know, but my best friend from birth. I couldnt have gotten through this life or written this book without your constant encouragement. You inspire me daily.

To my parents, Judy Morris and Art and Crystal Rigby, who taught me the power of positive thinking from a tender age, prayed for me through the darkest of hours, and rejoiced with me in the best of times. You never held me back from pursuing my dreams, even when they took me to places far from home.

A number of names and biographical details in this book have been altered to protect the identities of CIA sources, agency officers, and others who could be adversely affected by being associated with former CIA intelligence officers. Though the specifics of operations have been blurred, I have done my best to retain the details of my experiences, while changing enough information to protect sources, locations, and methods.

Thankfully, I documented many of my overseas adventures for personal as well as work purposes. During my first deployment in 2003, I started keeping a journal and shared many of those stories with a small group of family and friends. Regarding the evacuation, I kept notes on the interviews conducted at Mar Elia Church in Erbil, Iraq. Furthermore, I was able to refer back to a bevy of e-mails and cell phone texts to remember dates and specifics of that effort. The names and some identifying details of the potential evacuees we interviewed at Mar Elia have been changed to protect their privacy.