Paul Topalian

Paul Topalian possesses over 30 years as an intelligence professional with nearly 20 years in the Asia-Pacific region.

He brings with him considerable firsthand multi-agency experience having served throughout the Intelligence Community, to include tours with the Department of Justice and overseas with the U.S. State Department. A former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, his senior military assignments led him to serve as: Staff Officer within the Director of Central Intelligence Representative's Office in support of the Pacific Command; Deputy Director for Operations at the Joint Intelligence Center - Pacific; Chief of the Operations Staff for the National Security Agency in Korea; Senior Intelligence Officer in the Department of Justice’s Office of the U.S. Attorney Hawaii; and as a member to the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force in Hawaii. His journey led him overseas to live in Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, and Hong Kong. Paul has a BA from Norwich University. His other degrees include a MA from the U.S. Naval War College and a MS from Salve Regina University. Paul is a proud recipient of the national-level Exceptional Intelligence Collector Award under the annual HUMINT (human intelligence) awards program and the intelligence community’s National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation for significant achievements in small team operations. He is the author of the 2016 book, "Tradecraft Primer: A Framework for Aspiring Interrogators." In it, Paul advances an integrated perspective for interrogation tradecraft guided by our nation's values and two underlying principles: Do No Harm - Respect Human Rights.