Blind Treason The True-Live Story of an American Spy Left Out in the Cold

On April 4, 1997, Lieutenant Commander Jack Daly and Royal Canadian Air Force Captain Patrick Barnes were photographing the Russian merchant vessel Kapitan Man in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, inside U.S. waters. A laser fired from the ship struck both men in the eyes. Their injuries were real and lasting. What followed was a second battle, fought against Daly’s own chain of command. The Office of Naval Intelligence released an image of the ship that forensic experts, including Kodak and the late Dr. Russell Kraus in sworn trial testimony, found had been altered more than 70 times. Decisions about the U.S. response were made at the highest levels of the State Department. FBI mole Robert Hanssen knew of the collection operation before it happened. The Department of Defense Inspector General recommended the Navy consider Daly for the Purple Heart. The Navy rejected the recommendation, and nearly three decades later it still has not been awarded. Written by a Naval Intelligence officer with fifteen years on the Soviet and Russian target, and cleared through prepublication review with zero redactions, Blind Treason lays out the evidence and lets readers draw their own conclusions. Foreword by Bill Gertz of The Washington Times.