▁of ▁Western ▁Asia ▁Category : F ish ▁of ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁Sea <0x0A> </s> ▁Richard ▁McG ar rah ▁Hel ms ▁( M arch ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁– ▁October ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁government ▁official ▁and ▁diplom at ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁Director ▁of ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁( D CI ) ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁Hel ms ▁began ▁intelligence ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Str ateg ic ▁Services ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency ▁( CI A ) ▁he ▁rose ▁in ▁its ▁ranks ▁during ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁Tr uman , ▁Eisen h ower ▁and ▁Kennedy . ▁Hel ms ▁then ▁was ▁D CI ▁under ▁Pres idents ▁Johnson ▁and ▁N ixon . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁professional , ▁Hel ms ▁highly ▁val ued ▁information ▁gather ing ▁( f av oring ▁the ▁inter person al , ▁but ▁including ▁the ▁technical , ▁obtained ▁by ▁esp ion age ▁or ▁from ▁published ▁media ) ▁and ▁its ▁analysis . ▁He ▁also ▁pri zed ▁counter int elligence . ▁Although ▁a ▁particip ant ▁at ▁planning ▁such ▁activities , ▁he ▁remained ▁a ▁ske ptic ▁about ▁cover t ▁and ▁par amil it ary ▁operations . ▁Hel ms ▁understood ▁the ▁bounds ▁of ▁his ▁ag ency ▁role ▁as ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁express ▁strong ▁opinions ▁over ▁a ▁decision ▁under ▁review , ▁yet ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁team ▁player ▁once ▁a ▁course ▁was