Former CIA Senior Official Floyd Paseman Dies

Floyd L. Paseman, 64, a retired senior CIA official who, in a memoir published in January, chronicled his long career in the clandestine service from field spy to division chief, died of complications from bone cancer May 7 at a hospice in Williamsburg. He lived in Lanexa, about 20 miles northwest of Williamsburg.

In "A Spy's Journey," Mr. Paseman traced his overseas tours in Asia and Europe from the 1960s to the 1980s, when he recruited foreign operatives to spy for the United States. Without giving specific names or countries, he detailed dealings with foreign government officials, journalists, KGB officers, drug smugglers and terrorists.

Over time, he developed a keen sense for spotting factors -- often money or ideology -- that motivate a potential recruit to become an asset to the CIA. Before he could make his pitch to a recruit, he had to establish contact discreetly. One way, he found, was to enter tennis tournaments for foreign diplomats.

There were moments of great peril, such as when he helped foil a Libyan assassination team targeting a U.S. ambassador, and in 1980, when he recruited an Iranian citizen to help him pinpoint the location of American hostages in Tehran.

Other episodes were simply funny. Once, a fake mustache he was wearing as part of a disguise slipped off his face and dropped into a mug of beer.

"He wanted to get his story in writing," said Mr. Paseman's twin brother, Lloyd. "He was a man with a tremendous amount of integrity and principle. He always stuck up for what he thought was best for the agency."

Floyd Paseman was a native of Eugene, Ore. He graduated from the University of Oregon and, through the ROTC program, received a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army.

After attending Communications School at Fort Sill, Okla., he was sent to Bad Hersfeld, West Germany, where he helped conduct reconnaissance operations along the East German border.

He left active military duty after three years but continued in the Army Reserve. He briefly worked as a market researcher in California before joining the CIA in 1967.

Mr. Paseman, who toured with his wife and two children, began as a Chinese linguist and case officer. On occasion, he clashed with a few supervisors and colleagues who he said lacked common sense.

After a series of promotions, he eventually rose to station chief in Germany and chief of the East Asian division at the CIA's headquarters in Langley.

He lived in McLean between assignments for about 30 years.

Mr. Paseman eventually entered a program that placed agents with universities. He taught history as an officer in residence at Marquette University in Milwaukee before retiring in 2001, after 35 years with the CIA.

A few months later, he took a position teaching courses on intelligence and U.S. foreign policy at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Mr. Paseman joined the speakers circuit as an authority on fighting terrorism. In his book, he analyzed the evolution of the CIA under the direction of the presidential administrations.

Mr. Paseman wrote that the agency suffered from poor information-collection capability after more than 800 operations-directorate caseworkers were purged from the CIA in the late 1970s. "This came back to haunt us terribly in September 2001," he wrote.

He settled in Lanexa, where he worked as an international security consultant.

Survivors include his wife, Jill Paseman of Lanexa; two children, Ashley Paseman of Syracuse, N.Y., and Adam Paseman of Woodbridge; three brothers; and a grandson.