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Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001

"Mike was in the fortress of Mazar-i-Sharif where Taliban prisoners were being held and questioned. Although these captives had given themselves up, their pledge of surrender -- like so many other pledges from the vicious group they represent -- proved worthless," Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet said in a written statement issued Wednesday.

He described Spann, 32, as "quiet, serious and absolutely unflappable" with "a dry sense of humor and a heart of gold."

"His brand of leadership was founded not on words but on deeds -- deeds performed in conditions of hazard and hardship," Tenet said. "Mike fell bringing freedom to a distant people while defending freedom for all of us here at home."

Spann joined the CIA in June 1999.

The CIA officer's presence at the riot was not officially acknowledged until Tuesday. His death was first reported by a Time magazine correspondent who witnessed the incident. The reporter initially presumed Spann to be an American special forces soldier.

Northern Alliance soldiers claimed Wednesday to have quelled the four-day riot, which began Sunday when a prisoner at the fortress -- headquarters to Northern Alliance commander, Gen. Rashid Dostum -- detonated a slew of grenades strapped to his body hidden under his clothes.

As recently as Wednesday morning Pentagon officials said the situation at the fort was still not fully in hand. The complex is riddled with caves and tunnels, providing ample places for rebellious al-Qaeda and Taliban to hide.

The CIA has an undisclosed number of operatives in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. They have helped with targeting air strikes and are in some cases embedded with opposition forces. They also operate unmanned aerial spy planes known as Gnat-750, a predecessor to the Air Force's Predator UAV, also in use there. A Gnat-750 was lost over Taliban territory in the early days of the war, leading to claims by the Taliban that it shot down a U.S. aircraft.

Spann is survived by his wife Shannon, an infant son, two young daughters and two sisters. He was the son of Johnny and Gail Spann of Winfield, Ala.

Spann's name will join a memorial wall of stars for those lost in service at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., spokesman Bill Harlow said.

Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

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