Mysterious Death of Ex-CIA Agent

(Manchester, England) American Alan Bel, 60, formerly an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency, died at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) from a heart attack after the function of his heart monitor was mysteriously degraded.

The alarm volume was reduced to a level nobody could hear. The cause is being investigated.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Bernard Clarke told the inquest that ‘on the balance of probabilities’ staff could have saved the 60-year-old if the machine had been working.

And Manchester coroner Nigel Meadows said a ‘serious failure’ of the heart monitor had contributed to the death of Mr Bel who retired from the CIA spy agency 30 years ago.

A Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) investigation was not able to establish who turned the alarm’s volume control off and when.

Mr Meadows has used new powers to write to the hospital and Spacelabs Medical, the company which make the machine, calling for a more thorough investigation of the case.

He has also asked for a review of all monitoring machines at the MRI and for machine maintenance to be properly recorded.

The MRI and company now have 56 days to respond.

Consequently, the machine manufacturer and hospital staff are under suspicion.

Strangely, the media reporting of this story has emphasized that Mr. Bel was a CIA employee even though he "retired" from the agency 30 years ago. It would seem that his employment with the CIA would by now be largely irrelevant to the substance of the story.

On the other hand, it's imaginable that Bel may have continued to secretly work for the CIA after he "retired" and someone wanted to silence him.

In any event, it's a mystery right now.