[ APPLAUSE ] >>> THIS MORNING, IN OUR SECRETS
REVEALED SERIES, THE WOMAN YOURE ABOUT TO MEET IS, AS THEY
SAY, BREAKING COVER.
THAT IS THE TITLE OF THE NEW
BOOK ABOUT HOW SHE WENT FROM A
SOUTHERN BELLE HOMECOMING QUEEN,
TO A CIA SPY.
>> IM FROM RURAL CENTRAL
FLORIDA.
BUT I HAD A PASSION FOR THE MIDDLE EAST.PASSION FOR THE
MIDDLE EAST.
I WORKED UNDERCOVER. I WORKED IN THE CLANDESTINE
SERVICE, WHICH MEANS I SPENT
MAJORITY OF MY TIME ABROAD IN
THE MIDDLE EAST.
I CANT SPECIFY MOST OF THE
PLACES I WORKED, I CAN TELL YOU ONE OF MY TOURS WAS IN BAGHDAD.
BAGHDAD AND A HOST OF OTHER VERY
DIFFICULT LOCATIONS, WAR ZONES,
AND A FEW PLACES THAT WERE KIDNAPPING AND CARJACKINGE
KIDNAPPING AND CARJACKING CAPITALS OF THE WORLD.
VERY DICEY PLACES.
OUR JOB IS TO COLLECT
INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THE PLANS AND
INTENTIONS OF THE TERRORISTS TO
STOP THE ATTACKS FROM OCCURRING.
THERE WAS SO MUCH INTIMIDATION
AND ANGST ABOUT WHETHER I COULD
DO THIS JOB.
AND OF COURSE, DEALING WITH
TERRORIST SOURCES WHO HAVE VERY
RADICAL IDEOLOGY, WAS A HUGE
CHALLENGE BECAUSE, AS A FEMALE,
THEIR OPINION, IN MILES AN HOURT
SHOULDNT BE WORKING OUTSIDE OF
THE HOME.
THE HOME.
ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT POSTINGS WAS BAGHDAD BECAUSE WE
WERE LIVING IN THE GREEN ZONE.
AND THE TERRORISTS WERE LOBBING
ROCKETS AT US.
AND SO, THERE WAS A LOT OF
SHELLING THAT WENT ON EVERY DAY. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE COMPOUND,
WE HAD TO TAKE LOW-FLYING
HELICOPTERS THAT SKIMMED THE
TOPS OF BUILDINGS.
THERE WAS THE FEAR THAT WE COULD
GET SHOT DOWN AT ANY MOMENT IN
TIME.
TIME.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PRAYING THAT
WENT ON IN THOSE MOMENTS. >> WERE JOINED BY MICHELLE
RIGBY ASSAD.
RIGBY ASSAD. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHOA.
>> WHOA. HOW DOES A SWEET SOUTHERN BELLE
HOMECOMING BALLERINA WIND UP A
SECRET UNDERCOVER CIA AGENT?
>> IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME
GROWING UP I WOULD DO THAT, I
WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED YOU AT
ALL.
ALL.
YOU WOULD -- I NEVER DREAMED OF WORKING FOR THE CIA. DREAMED OF
WORKING FOR THE CIA. I DIDNT REALIZE IT WAS A REAL
JOB.
JOB.
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN I WATCH THAT PACKAGE, THE FIRST THING ITHAT
PACKAGE, THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT WAS, SHE IS SO SMILEY.
HOW DO WE HAVE A SMILEY SPY?
>> IT DISARMS PEOPLE.
THAT CAN BE USEFUL.
>> YOU WRITE ABOUT THAT IN THE
BOOK.
BOOK.
SHE WRITES, ILL BET A LOT OF
PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO THIS.
YOU WERE BORN WITH A STRONG EMPATHETIC NATURE. A STRONG
EMPATHETIC NATURE. YOU WERE PROFICIENT, AS MANY
PEOPLE ARE, IN READING OTHERS.
YOU WRITE, THE TRAITS I
CONSIDERED AS WEAKNESSES WERE
STRENGTHS FOR THE CIA.
ESPIONAGE IS ABOUT SKOOLG.
PSYCHOLOGY.
PSYCHOLOGY.
HOW DID YOU REALIZE THOSE WERE GIFTS THAT YOU WOULD MAKE MONEY
OFF OF?
OFF OF?
>> WHEN I FIRST WALKED INTO THE CIA AND I LOOKED AROUND, IO THE
CIA AND I LOOKED AROUND, I LOOKED SO DIFFERENT THAN THESE
PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
AS A CLASSIC OVERACHIEVER, I
THOUGHT, IM GOING TO BE LUCKY
TO BE GOOD ENOUGH.
AND IT TOOK ME YEARS IN THE CIA
AND IT TOOK IRAQ.
WHEN I FINALLY GOT IN FRONT OF
THESE BAD GUYS, THESE TERRORISTS
AND GOT TO DEBRIEF THEM, I
SUDDENLY HAD THIS AHA MOMENT,
WOW.
WOW.
IM ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD AT THIS JOB.CTUALLY REALLY GOOD AT THIS
JOB.
BECAUSE OF MY EMPATHY AND MY INTUITIONF MY EMPATHY AND MY
INTUITION INTUITION, I FINALLY HAD THE
CONFIDENCE TO BE WHO I HAD
ALWAYS BEEN AND USE THAT IN
OPTIONS.
OPTIONS.
>> TO SERVE YOUR COUNTRY. YOU DIDNT MAKE A LOT OF MONEY
AS A CIA AGENT.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WERE AT
GEORGETOWN.
GEORGETOWN.
YOU WERE PROFICIENT IN ARABIC, MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES.ARABIC,
MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES.
AND YOU PUT YOUR RESUME IN THE CIA HIRING BOX AND THE NEXTTHE
CIA HIRING BOX AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU GOT CALLED?
>> I PUT THAT RESUME IN EVERY
JOB BOX AT THE TIME.
AND I JUST THREW IT IN.
THERE WERE LIKE 500 RESUMES IN
THAT BATCH.
THAT BATCH. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THREE WEEKS
LATER, A RECRUITER CALLED ME.
>> DO YOU TELL YOUR MOM, IM
GOING TO BE A CIA SPY.
ILL BE GONE FOR LIKE TEN YEARS.
WHAT DO YOU TELL EVERYBODY?
>> YOU CAN TELL YOUR FAMILY, AS
LONG AS YOU KNOW THEY CAN KEEP
THAT SECRET.
THAT SECRET.
AND SO, I DID TELL MY FAMILY. AND I THINK I SCARED THEM.LY.
AND I THINK I SCARED THEM. >> SURE.
>> SURE. >> AND THEN, I SCARED THEM
REPEATEDLY OVER THE YEARS.
EVERY TIME THEY HEARD WHAT THE
NEW TOUR WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE
WAS A LOT OF PRAYING GOING ON
FOR US.
FOR US.
>> THAT MEANS I COULD NEVER TELL MY MOTHER.ANS I COULD NEVER TELL
MY MOTHER.
SHE HAS THE BIGGEST MOUTH EVER.
SHE WOULD TELL EVERYBODY.
SHE COULD NEVER KEEP THAT
SECRET.
>> SO PROUD, RIGHT?
>> MICHELLE WAS NOT ALONE WHILE
FIGHTING TERROR IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
COMING UP, A REAL-LIFE MR. AND
MRS. SMITH.
REMEMBER THAT?