Nada Bakos

Nada Glass Bakos is an American former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst and targeting officer who was involved in a number of notable counterterrorism operations during her career. She was part of a group of CIA analysts studying Al Qaeda and its leader, as portrayed in the 2013 HBO documentary, Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden. She also served as the Chief Targeting Officer in the search for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq and predecessor of ISIS. After 10 years, she left the CIA. She attended Montana State University from 1987 through 1991 and transferred to the University of Utah to finish her B.S. in international economics.

CIA career

In 2000, at the age of 30, Bakos joined the CIA as an analyst in the Counterterrorism Center. At this point, she met Gina Bennet, who had been analyzing al Qaeda for 20 years and was tracking bin Laden. Bakos' role at this time is portrayed in the PBS Frontline episode, The Secret History of ISIS, as well as the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden.She was part of the team of CIA analysts studying the relationship between Iraq, al Qaeda, bin Laden, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is the role that inspired Bakos' book, The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House. She chronicles her time as part of the CIA's analytic team studying Iraq before and during the Iraq invasion. The Targeter describes conflicts with the White House when their analysis faces push back, Iraq war zones, the inner workings of the CIA, the world of the intelligence community following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, working with US Special Operations Forces while tracking Zarqawi and other terrorists, and Bakos' personal view of female government leadership as well as what problems women face in male dominated career fields.

Post-CIA career After 10 years at the agency, Bakos made the decision to leave. In addition, she has been a commentator and resource for CNN, ABC, FOX, MSNBC, BBC, CBC, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and a number of other international and national media organizations. She is also a senior fellow in the Program on National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In the lawsuit, she argues that the CIA is infringing on her First Amendment right to publish unclassified information. CIA employees are required to submit their work for approval by the agency for the rest of their lives, however, by law, there is supposed to be a response provided within 30 days of submission. It was in fact revealed the laptop contained no evidence of Russian disinformation, and portions of its contents have been verified as authentic. On January 20, 2025, Nada lost all of her federal security clearances through an executive action issued by President Trump.

Published works The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House. Little Brown and Company. 2019. .

Awards 2018 Templeton Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute

In popular culture Instinct, TV series (2018–present) – Bakos was a technical consultant PBS Frontline: The Secret History of ISIS (Season 34, Episode 10) – Bakos portrays herself Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden (2013) – Bakos portrays herself