Stephen Kappes

Stephen Kappes (1951-) has twice been the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; his retirement was announced in April 2010. His background was in the clandestine human-source intelligence and covert action side of the Agency.

He had resigned in 2004, over disagreements with Porter Goss, who was both the last Director of Central Intelligence and the first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Goss had been a CIA officer early in his career, but came to the CIA as a Republican congressman.

He joined ArmorGroup International in April 2005 and was the Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Directors from November 2005 to June 2006. Gen. Michael Hayden, who succeeded Goss as DCIA, brought Kappes back in 2006. Kappes agreed to stay under DCIA Leon Panetta. Goss's successor, Gen. Michael V. Hayden brought Hayden back in 2006 as deputy director.

Michael Morell has been named as Kappes' replacement. Morell comes from the analytic rather than the operational side of CIA. An article in Washingtonian Magazine questioned Kappes' role in intelligence failures, extraordinary rendition and torture incidents. It also mentioned his appointment, as a professional to back up Leon Panetta as Director, was Senator Dianne Feinstein's condition for voting for Panetta's confirmation.

Earlier career

From 2000 to 2002, he was Associate Deputy Director of Operations for Counterintelligence and served concurrently during part of this period as Chief of CIA’s Counterintelligence Center. He guided the Agency’s operations and technical programs against foreign espionage threats.

Kappes joined the Agency in January 1981 after having served as a Marine Corps officer since 1976. He was based in the Near East and South Asia Division until his promotion to the Senior Intelligence Service in July 1995. Mr. Kappes has more than 12 years of overseas experience with assignments in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Education

• Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine from Ohio University
• Master of Science degree in pathology from Ohio State University
• Languages: Farsi and Russian.