Reviews (Books & DVD) – Page 362 – Public Intelligence Blog

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: Blowback–The First Full Account of America’s Recruitment of Nazis and Its Disastrous Effect on The cold war, Our Domestic and Foreign Policy.

4 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us….,

April 8, 2000

Christopher Simpson

Very scary stuff. The bottom line is that for the sake of enhancing national security and national competitiveness, the U.S. Government, with approval from the highest levels, funded the wholesale introduction into U.S. citizenship of both Nazi scientists and Nazi participants in genocidal programs who were viewed in many cases as “essential” to our anti-Communist endeavors. The loss of perspective among selected senior intelligence and policy officials, and the long-term influence of this program on our obsession with Communism, give one pause.

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: Blond Ghost

5 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

Spend Money, Get Lots of Folks Killed, Lose Anyway…,

April 8, 2000

David Corn

Although Ted Shackley was a line case officer, this book is placed within the paramilitary section because his entire career encompassed a series of wars where the CIA played a very tragic and unproductive role. As Shackley's deputy in Laos is quoted on page 163, speaking on Shakley's accomplishments in Laos, “We spent a lot of money and got a lot of people killed,” Lair remembered, “and we didn't get much for it.” For those seeking to understand the bureaucratization of the Directorate of Operations, both in the field and in Washington, this is essential reading.

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: In Search of Enemies–A CIA Story

4 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

Clay Feet, Wrong Bullets, CIA's African War,

April 8, 2000

John Stockwell

By the former Chief of the Angola Task Force at CIA, this book is a classic on the Keystone Kops aspects of paramilitary operations as run by the CIA”s Special Operations Group within the Directorate of Operations, as well as the lack of contextual judgment that accompanies the CIA's decisions to “get into” local conflicts that are none of our business. Ammunition from the warehouses that doesn't fit the weapons in the field is just the beginning.

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: The Phoenix Program

4 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

We Can Learn From Our Murderous Mistakes,

April 8, 2000

Douglas Valentine

This is as good an account I have found of how the CIA got into the business of helping Vietnamese kill each other off one by one. It is a disturbing and valuable book, and I took from it several lessons: 1) CIA puppies with no military background, and military detailees with no law enforcement background, have no business getting into the gutter with foreign thugs; 2) if we support indigenous arrest, torture, and assassination programs they need to have some serious multi-cultural analysis and counterintelligence support lest we simply give one faction the means of killing off the other without regard to our interests; and 3) our general approach to interference in the internal affairs of other nations is corrupt and increases local corruption. We throw money at personalities rather than insight at institutions. We train and equip local units to inflict covert violence, and then wonder why the situation destabilizes further.

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: Friendly Spies–How America’s Allies Are Using Economic Espionage to Steal Our Secrets

4 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

Essential Reference on Our Allies Spying on US,

April 8, 2000

Peter Schweizer

One hundred billion dollars annually is one White House estimate of the cost to U.S. businesses imposed by economic espionage carried out predominantly by our allies-France, Israel, Germany, South Korea, and Japan being among the top culprits. Peter Schweizer was the first to really put this issue on the table, and he deserves a lot of credit. Neither Congress nor the Administration are yet prepared to take this issue seriously, and this is a grave mistake, for in the 21st Century information is the seed corn of prosperity, and our allies are eating our seed corn.

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: Comrade Kryuchkov’s Instructions–Top Secret Files on KGB Foreign Operations, 1975-1985

3 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

Core Reference for the Professional Researcher,

April 8, 2000

Christopher Andrew

Imagine the CIA clandestine mentality and U.S. bureaucracy, as operated by a Soviet-style controlled regime. This is an eye-glazing but very professionally put together testimonial to the fact that much of what the KGB did was pedestrian, pointless, very expensive, and as weak on understanding foreign countries as the US.

2000/04/082009/10/24

Review: Chinese Intelligence Operations

4 Star, Intelligence (Government/Secret)

The best current reference on Chinese intelligence,

April 8, 2000

Nicholas Eftimiades

Nick is an experienced sinologist who has worked at the Department of State, CIA, and DIA, and is also a naval reserve officer. His book is well-organized, well-researched, and essential reading for those who would understand how comprehensively the Chinese seek out scientific, technical, and military information in the United States, with a special emphasis on open sources of intelligence.