Rating: 
Summary: Deep Look Into Bureaucratization (Death) of US Spying
Review:
As a former clandestine case officer (now out from under cover with permission), leaving the Agency in 1988 after unsuccessfully chasing terrorists for a few years, I knew we were in bad shape but I did not realize just how bad until I read this book. The author, working mostly in the Near East (NE) Division of the Directorate of Operations, and then in the Counter-Terrorism Center when it was just starting out, has an extremely important story to tell and every American needs to pay attention. Why? Because his account of how we have no assets useful against terrorism is in contradiction to what the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) told the President and his top advisors at Camp David on Saturday 15 September. According to the Washington Post of 31 January 2002, page A13, on the 15th the DCI laid out an ambitious "Worldwide Attack Matrix" and told the President that the United States had a "large asset base" from its years of working the terrorism target. One of these two men one is closer to the truth than the other. In my judgement, I believe Baer has three-quarters of the weight on his side. This discrepancy warrants investigation, for no President can be successful if he does not have accurate information about our actual capabilities.
There are four other stories within this excellent book, all dealing with infirm bureaucracies. At one level, the author's accounting of how the Directorate of Operations has declined under the last three leaders (as the author describes them: a recalled retiree, an analyst, and a "political" (pal)) is both clearly based on ground truth, and extremely troubling. The extraordinary detail on the decline and fall of the clandestine service is one that every voter should be thinking about, because it was the failure of the clandestine service, as well as the counterintelligence service (the Federal Bureau of Investigation) that allowed 9-11 to happen...at the same time, we must note that it was a policy failure to not have investigated similar incompetencies when a military barracks in Saudi Arabia, two Embassies, and a naval destroyer were attacked, and it was clearly known in open sources that bin Laden had declared war on America and had within America numerous Islamic clerics calling for the murder of Americans--all as documented in an excellent Public Broadcast Service documentary. At a technical level, the author provides some really excellent real-world, real-war annecdotes about situations where clandestine reporting from trusted operations officers has not been accepted by their own superiors in the absence of technical confirmation (imagery or signals). As he says, in the middle of a major artillery battle and break-out of insurgent elements, screaming over the secure phone, "its the middle of night here". We've all known since at least the 1970's that the technical intelligence side of things has been crushing human sensibility, both operational and analytical, but this book really brings the problems into the public eye in a compelling and useful manner. At another level, the author uses his own investigation for murder (he was completely cleared, it was a set-up) by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and at one point by the Secret Service, to shed new light on the complete break-down of internal security processes within the CIA. At its lowest point, he is pressured by DO management with a psychological evaluation to determine his fitness for duty--shades of Stalinism! I know this technique, of declaring officers unfit for duty based on psychological hatchet jobs, to be a common practice over the past two decades, and when Britt Snider was appointed Inspector General at CIA, I told him this was a "smoking gun" in the 7th floor closet. That it remains a practice today is grounds for evaluating the entire management culture at CIA. There is a fourth story in the book, a truly interesting account of how big energy companies, their "ambassadors" serving as Presidential appointees within the National Security Council, and corrupt foreign elements, all come together. In this the spies are not central, so I leave it as a sidenote. In my capacity as a reviewer of most intelligence-related books within these offerings, I want to make it clear to potential buyers of this book that the author is not alone. His is the best, most detailed, and most current accounting of the decrepit dysfunctionality of the clandestine service (as I put it in my own book's second edition), but I would refer the reader to two other books in particular: David Corn's "Blond Ghost: Ted Shackley and the CIA's Crusades"--its most memorable quote, on covert action in Laos, being "We spent a lot of money and got a lot of people killed, and we didn't get much for it."--and Evan Thomas' "The Very Best Men--Four Who Dared: The Early Years of the CIA"--its best quote: "Patriotic, decent, well-meaning, they were also uniquely unsuited to the grubby, necessarily devious world of intelligence." There are many other books, including twelve (12!) focused on reform and recommended by the Council on Intelligence. The author is a brave man--he was brave on the fields of war and clandestinity, and he is braver still for having brought this story to the public. We owe him a hearing.
Rating:
Summary: MANDATORY READING (and a real page-turner !)
Review: As an american who lived in a communist country for a few years in the 90s, perhaps I felt extra sympatico with Baer in his tale, which by the way was an amazing read. Following the NY Times and other widely circulated papers can be frustrating when trying to understand the world in part because they -- for whatever reason(s) -- give two sides to every issue, however arbitrary. Bauer's job was to help in making sure at least US policy makers were not confused. He did this in many cases by presenting a single side: the one based on his eyes and one man's truth. One hopes that the CIA would view every issue using numerous such truths, which then feed into a single body that interprets and acts. Bauer's story is that based on his experience, CIA didn't seek the truth at all. Frustrating, considering that he was often in the best position to tell it and was eager to do so. In fact this body sounds more like a set of personal agendas that are driven by corruption and greed, absolutely no better than those upon which we're spying (Tony Lake and Amoco, etc.) -- much to the detriment of the US public. For many years the CIA was vilified for going beyond spying, and arrogantly strove to create political dynamics around the world, as with Central America, etc. Bauer illustrates that the CIA today is actually unable to spy, backing that shocking statement up with a date: September 11. An ironic point (on purpose?) is that Bauer repeatedly points out that many Arabs believe that there is a US conspiracy in place aimed to keep Iraq's government down but not out , even when while we mouth that its toppling is imperative. But Bauer's story, once heard, suggests this exactly. He also outlines for us a cabal of terror that is orchestrated by our "Arab friends" brilliantly and professionally, sometimes with our government's knowledge. It is a shocking book and a shameful story. I am sure that terrorists everywhere are reading this book of the CIAs inner workings, and it has probably already been translated into arabic; Bauer would probably guess that those in Washington responsible for protecting America haven't cracked it yet and won't. Thank you Bauer for at least a fleeting glimpse of your truth, one I know we rarely see. And thank you to the publisher for honoring the supposedly American characteristic we hold dear: knowledge and truth together. PS I have a funny web site that includes the word "osama." In the three weeks following September 11 I observed hundreds of hits originating from .mil, .gov, etc. from Virginia area (it is even possible to see exactly who those users/administrators are along w their phone numbers/addresses, I haven't tried but someone else could!). Some are repeats, meaning they already saw it doesn't have Osama's email address or whatever it is they're looking for, and they STILL come back. These are our researchers tracking down this killer?
Rating: 
Summary: Sheds light on our current state of intelligence
Review: When people need to look for answers on why there was so many lapses in the Iraqi intelligence look no further than "See No Evil". Basically the average American does not comprehend all the steps the government takes to keep us safe. Whether or not they benefit in the process; I don't care. Just keep my butt safe, we should take lessons from this book and 9-11 and do whatever it takes to keep the US safe at all costs. People are currently complaining about the economy, jobs, healthcare, education. Without great intelligence the next 9-11 attack might make our job searches irrelevant.
Rating:
Summary: A Definite Eye Opener
Review: I had figured for the last little while that our intelligence apparatus was in pretty bad shape. However, I never guessed that the things Robert Baer describes actually happened. As a former top-notch agent in the DO, Baer presents this book as a memoir but also in a way in which he exposes some of the blantant shortcomings of today's "PC" CIA. The book is especially prescient considering the attacks of September 11th. Baer seems to be making a subtle argument (without actually saying it) that had the CIA not transformed itself into a buearacratic quagmire the attacks may have been snuffed out before they happened. According to the events he describes and the situations he found himself in that certainly is a possibility. Another worthy read concerning the CIA and its shortcomings is Arthur Hulnick's "Fixing the Spy Machine". That book is less of a memoir and more theoretical. It would also be worth your while to go to BookTV.org and watch the "In Depth" program featuring the author. In the program he gives further insight.
Rating:
Summary: See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's
Review: In his explosive New York Times bestseller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA's efforts to root out the world's deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. A veteran case officer in the CIA's Directorate of Operations in the Middle East, Baer witnessed the rise of terrorism first hand and the CIA's inadequate response to it, leading to the attacks of September 11, 2001. This riveting book is both an indictment of an agency that lost its way and an unprecedented look at the roots of modern terrorism, and includes a new afterword in which Baer speaks out about the American war on terrorism and its profound implications throughout the Middle East. "Robert Baer was considered perhaps the best on-the-ground field officer in the Middle East." -Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker From The Preface This book is a memoir of one foot soldier's career in the other cold war, the one against terrorist networks. It's a story about places most Americans will never travel to, about people many Americans would prefer to think we don't need to do business with. This memoir, I hope, will show the reader how spying is supposed to work, where the CIA lost its way, and how we can bring it back again. But I hope this book will accomplish one more purpose as well: I hope it will show why I am angry about what happened to the CIA. And I want to show why every American and everyone who cares about the preservation of this country should be angry and alarmed, too. The CIA was systematically destroyed by political correctness, by petty Beltway wars, by careerism, and much more. At a time when terrorist threats were compounding globally, the agency that should have been monitoring them was being scrubbed clean instead. Americans were making too much money to bother. Life was good. The White House and the National Security Council became cathedrals of commerce where the interests of big business outweighed the interests of protecting American citizens at home and abroad. Defanged and dispirited, the CIA went along for the ride. And then on September 11, 2001, the reckoning for such vast carelessness was presented for all the world to see.
Rating:
Summary: How the CIA works, and used to work
Review: "See No Evil" is a crossbreed between a spy novel and a political memoir; Robert Baer, who served over twenty years with the Central Intelligence Agency, has compiled a rich history with his experiences in places such as India, Lebanon, Tajikistan, Northern Iraq, and Washington, DC. The end product has several attractions. For one, it gives a candid image of places such as the Middle East and Central Asia; Middle Eastern politics, for example, are defined by conspiracy theories and obscure links between different people and groups. Central Asia, on the other hand, is the epitome of no-man's land-a place where law and order simply do not exist. Anyone interested in those regions would get a very insightful account. While the "travelogue" is appealing, what is more interesting is Mr. Baer's presentation of how the CIA works. What kind of training do CIA agents undergo? How do they get the information they need? What kind of challenges do they face? What are the political obstacles they face? To all these questions, Mr. Baer has answers. But if there is a higher purpose in "See No Evil," it is to reminisce about the good old days, when the CIA was left to do what it was supposed to: gather information to protect the United States. Political correctness and timid politicians have watered down the CIA's job, Mr. Baer complains, putting too much emphasis on satellites rather than human sources. Today, the CIA could just as well be named the "Central Itinerary Agency," for sending people on vacations. All this has destroyed America's intelligence capacity. As the enemies of America prepare to attack, the intelligence community and, by extension, the political authorities have no clue. Unless the CIA is re-invented to invest heavily in human sources rather than technology, Mr. Baer reminds us, the homeland will never be safe, whatever else America does.
Rating:
Summary: HOW THE CIA WAS ONCE SUCCESSFUL AND A WARNING
Review: Robert Baer provides a very interesting read and and warning for the future. He shows us how the old CIA operators in the Operations Division were trained to gather intelligence from human sources, who most of the time remained on the American payroll for years. This is the way we won the Cold War. But now, Baer tells us, the CIA has been eviscerated and is a shell of its former self, more preoccupied with political correctness and telling senior leaders what they want to hear. The human agent has been replaced by total reliance on satellites, electronic eavesdropping and other technology we have had for many years, but which are no substitute for a human being. He calls the failure of our intelligence networks regarding 9/11 a disaster and makes a compelling case that if we do not go back to the human element of intelligence gathering, such tragedies will become more and more frequent. Anyone interested in our national security should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking, Memorizing, and Captivating in 288 pages
Review: One can not begin to surmount the anger and pain that had been felt at ground zero during the time directly after the notorious event had take place, but Baer puts the events into a light and provides the type of experience that very few people could attempt to offer. This wonderful firsthand account of modern American realities doesn't attempt to put forth a pretty picture, but instead presents a seemly viable truth of bureaucracy coming before the noble plans of what should have been done. Mr. Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides compelling evidence in regards to how Washington's bureaucracy disabled CIA from being able to face the source of the problem head on in an effort obtain diplomacy. Some might say that freedom comes at a price, but Baer unapologetically states that 9/11 didn't have to happen at all. That people shouldn't live in fear brought on by rage seeded out of religious fervor, and gives the reader a no BS, Bill O'Reilly-esque assessment. The literary composition throughout the book allows the novel to flow harmoniously with the central contention backed up by copious bits of unobstructed information. Amidst the reading I came to feel as though Baer was discussing the events with me in a colloquial sense and not attempting to come across as grandiloquent authors of late, notably Jared Diamond. Within the scope of 288 pages the novel clearly didn't attempt to elicit out what information the agent did have in an exhaustive piece, lending itself to a greater audience who could read appease their desire to finish a book day that, as I often do myself. The heresy of such epic proportions clearly is watered down and leaves an easy scapegoat in the impregnable government notably under the Clinton administration. The incredulous view that this novel attempts to take on offers people a rare chance to "think outside the box" as to the direct ramifications of one of the most iniquitous acts of the 21st century. In short, buy this book at the risk of informing, entertaining, and enriching yourself on the current state of affairs; take hold of this groundbreaking piece of work and you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Critical Examination from within the CIA
Review: The main point of this memoir is that the CIA today has fallen in love with technology and has all but abandoned the use of spies throughout the world. This change can be seen by observing the 21 year career of the author. This new emphasis on satellite technology could not come at a worse time. With the changing nature of the threats against the United States, this is not the time to forsake human contact with foreign governments for satellite photographs, a concern that is echoed by the author. The early part of his career provides for an entertaining read as you follow him throughout the middle east on various assignments attempting to recruit agents to learn about our enemies. The later part of the book focuses on his return to Washington where he learns of the politicalization of the CIA and his attempts to get his superiors to realize the mistake of the reliance on new technology. This is not a comprehensive history of the CIA, so do not expect to find that here. Instead, expect to find the fascinating story of one man traveling from Beirut during the bombing of the marine barracks (an attack which he became obsessed with solving)in 1983 to the current jungle that is our nation's capitol.
Rating:
Summary: What's NOT said tells the story.
Review: I feel Baer is an extremely qualified expert in this area and managed to write his story within the enormous constraints that his CIA career has bound to him. Not only was his story subject to review and edit (by the CIA) prior to publishing, but acknowledging too much can be just as dangerous. I feel that he has side-stepped some issues, either due to story relevancy or because he knew that they would never be allowed to be published. Other topics were explained away and left bobbing in the "it can't possibly be a conspiracy" ocean. Baer himself dismisses the "conspiracy theory" while making the best argument I've seen in years for one. (i.e; big oil-politics, etc.) That being said I think it is shameful and criminal that the US intelligence apparatus has fallen into the state of disrepair that it has. Immediatly after 9-11 the joint chiefs asked the relevant CIA representative "how many assets do we have on the ground in afghanistan ? The answer of course was "None". Although it is tantalizing to blame this lack of effectivness on Clinton I feel that Baer is evenly spreading the blame all the way back to the Reagan years. This would include the presidency of G.H.W. Bush who was once the director of the CIA, just prior to his being picked as a presidential running mate for Reagan. I feel this assessment is correct. I give this book 4 of 5 stars. I feel that there is more to tell and that Baer is capable of making two more books on the topics he covered here. I think he should write them, as a service to the taxpayers that have no choice but to fund these activities, and for the common good. Let it all hang out Bob. "Let the truth be told, though the heavens fall"
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