---
category: Intelligence & Government
summary: Assistant Deputy Director of the DIA for technical affairs who headed the
  U.S. delegation at a 1979 Israel-U.S. intelligence exchange.
tags:
- Person
- DIA
- Israel
- Soviet
- Military
---

Dr. [Jack Varona](/people/jack-varona/) was the assistant deputy director of the [DIA](/organizations/defense-intelligence-agency/) for technical affairs. He was the head of the [U.S.](/places/united-states/) delegation at an [Israel](/places/israel/)-[U.S.](/places/united-states/) intelligence exchange conference in late September 1979.[^1]

[Varona](/people/jack-varona/) was criticized by [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/) for his indifference and lack of understanding regarding the [Iraqi](/places/iraq/) threat to [Iran](/places/iran/). He was more concerned with obtaining details about [Soviet](/places/soviet-union/)-made military equipment than with the urgent situation in [Iran](/places/iran/).[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.