William Francis Buckley
William Francis Buckley | |
|---|---|
Buckley's CIA badge photo | |
| Birth name | William Francis Buckley |
| Born | May 30, 1928 Medford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 3, 1985 (aged 57) |
| Buried | |
| Branch | United States Army Central Intelligence Agency |
| Service years | 1947–1965 (Army) 1965–1985 (CIA) |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel (Army) Paramilitary operations officer (CIA) |
| Unit | U.S. Army
Central Intelligence Agency |
| Conflicts | Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | Boston University (BA) |
William Francis Buckley (May 30, 1928 – June 3, 1985) was an American intelligence officer, and was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station chief in Beirut from 1984 until his kidnapping and killing in 1985.
Buckley's cover was as a political officer at the U.S. Embassy. He was kidnapped by the group Islamic Jihad in March 1984, and held hostage and tortured by Aziz al-Abub. Hezbollah later claimed they executed him in October 1985, but another American hostage disputed that, believing that he died four months prior, in June.
He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and is commemorated with a star on the Memorial Wall at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.