Robert Clayton Ames (March 6, 1934 – April 18, 1983) was an operations officer and Near East specialist for the Central Intelligence Agency.
On visits to Cairo and Jerusalem, Ames became interested in the Middle East and learned Arabic.
He was involved in the development of Operation Eagle Claw, a failed rescue attempt during the Iran hostage crisis.
[1] Ames was killed on April 18, 1983, when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the United States embassy in Beirut.
[3][4] CIA Director William Casey described the loss of Ames as "the closest thing to an irreplaceable man".