Rating: 
Summary: Must read for those concerned with the security of the US
Review: Though Robert Baer's experiences in collecting intelligence will be of interest to those interested in spycraft, I'd like to focus on the changes in the CIA that Mr. Baer records in his book. Mr. Baer presents his observations of an institution that has been crippled by the presence of bureaucrats who lack the appropriate experience and are more interested in advancing their career than in learning the trade so as to be able to carry out the mission of the CIA effectively. His story does much to explain why the failure of the CIA to prevent 9/11, and should serve as a clarion call for aggressive reform in all levels of government.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for all Americans
Review: Having just finished this book (I couldn't put it down, btw),
I'm shocked by all the revelations put forth by the author.Being one of the last Arabic-speaking case officers, and
having spent most of his time in the field instead of
some dark cubicle in Langely, Baer takes us behind the scenes
of terrorism in the Middle East. And his central hypothesis,
above all else, is that Iran is the real sponsor of terrorism.
Though Baer couldn't absolutely prove it, the techniques he
used to form his premisis and conclusion seemed very solid;
so much so that I absolutely belive it. As I said before, most of the material in this book is
absolutely shocking. Some of which can be summarized via
quotation: 1. "...whether you're tracing 'Imad Mughniyah [a notorious
terrorist] or seeking to unravel the Iranian revolution,
a lot of the trails converge a the feet of Yasir Arafat." 2. "The Germans particularly wanted a reliable source of oil...
They also looked upon Iran as a promising market for their
Mercedes and other exports. To help woo Iran, Germany started
training its intelligence service, the Ministry of Intelligence
and Security...the Germans even provid[ed] surveillance training
to the Iranians. The French were no different." 3. "...a few Russian generals were smuggling tons of raw opium
from Afghanistan to Moscow on Russian military airplanes...it
was smuggled...from there all over the world, including the
United States." 4. "Whether it was Osama bin Laden, Yasir Arafat, Iranian
terrorism, Saddam Hussein, or any of the other evils that so
threaten the world, the Clinton administration seemed
determined to sweep them all under the carpet." 5. "Did Osama bin Laden act alone, through his own Al Qaeda
network, in launching the attacks? About that I'm far more
certain and emphatic: no...we had learned that bin Laden had
suggested to the Iranians...[they] join him in a campaign against the United States." The author also claims that Iran declared a secret war on the US,
but I can't seem to find the exact quote. Baer also paints a picture of a terribly mis-managed CIA. It
was so bad in the late '90's that we didn't have a single case
officers in the field in some parts of the world. I hope this
all changed on 9/11. I hope Bush was serious when he said his
administration would seriously overhaul the CIA. I hope the
CIA is serious about recruiting/grooming/rewarding valuable case
officers. I came away from this book having great respect for case
officers, especially Baer. And though this might seem
inappropriate, I consider him one of my heros. Truely. If
you're reading this Bob, realize that though the CIA may not
have appreciated your effort at times, know that us
average Americans truely appreciate your sacrifice. Thanks
for standing on the wall and protecting America.
Rating: 
Summary: Good read, good lessons
Review: I loved reading this book. Bob Baer has lived an amazingly rich life and in this book shares some of the lessons it has taught him. In this country (US) where most foreign policy decisions are back-page news stories, I appreciated his clear expression of the effects US foreign policy decisions have on individual lives and on seemingly unrelated US strategies and operations abroad. The book is also filled with personal anecdotes about one-on-one interactions with a very diverse range of international characters. Not only interesting, these anecdotes illustrate just how difficult is is (for CIA case officers, diplomats, international business people, etc) to effectively interact internationally while remaining true to one's own country's perspective/policies/etc. Most obviously, though, the book is an indictment of the bureaucratic, political organization the CIA has become over the last couple of decades. While Baer's observations often come across as Monday morning quarterbacking, they are also likely fairly on target and therefore worth reading. Frankly, I'd rather read a book with a point of view than one without. To summarize: a good read, a good story, good lessons.
Rating:
Summary: Robert Baer is a true American HERO!
Review: I'm going to try to keep this short. This book is amazing, it reads like a fiction spy thriller, WITHOUT the fiction. This book details the almost 25 year struggle of a ground level operative trying to report and do the right thing in midst of an career climbing blind bureaucracy. Not only are his travels fascinating but his work is exemplary. I truly hope we have people like this left in the intelligence world instead of egomaniac pencil pushers. If you want to have real fun with this book check out the dates and places (those that were unclassified) and cross reference them with some on-line international news data bases. I think you'll be shocked at what you find. I highly recommend this book not only for it's entertainment value (there is a part in the book where a drug dealer attempts to blow up Mr. Baer's house and a friend/contact of his gives him access to a Russian tank to flatten the drug dealers house in return), but for it's educational value. This book was a REAL EYE OPENER!
Rating:
Summary: Mandatory Reading for Americans
Review: See No Evil is a powerful and educating account of Baer's experiences and findings during his 21-year stint with the CIA. I strongly encourage those Americans who currently oppose any military action against Iraq to read this book. Then, maybe the invasion opposition can make an EDUCATED decision on their political stance. Terrific book!
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, Fascinating and Sickening
Review: From the moment I picked this book up I was fascinated by it. The story of this man who joined the CIA almost as a joke and grew to become one of its most experienced, knowledgeable agents is excellent reading. Want to know how the middle east works? Want to know just how corrupt governments can be? I was locked in to the stories of terrorists and sickened by the actions of my own government described in this book. Truth is always stranger than fiction (and better reading) and this book proves it.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Baer's Revenge
Review: Bob Baer has written a fascinating first person account of his CIA career. I found his exploits in the Bekka Valley and Beirut fascinating, and the episodes in Tajikistan particularly hilarious, if they weren't so deadly serious. More serious is his description of the deterioration of the Directorate of Operations and the coziness between the Clinton White House and the oil companies. None of this is particularly surprising since we've all read about it in the newspaper, but it's depressing to hear Mr. Baer's recounting of the events and how the politics managed to soil everyone that came into contact with it. Overall, this is a very easy read and I wished it hadn't ended so quickly.
Rating:
Summary: This is a MUST READ for all American Patriots.
Review: Bob Baer underscores the reasons we were blind sided in 9-11.
He gets a little preachy with the neccessity of human assets in the middle east, which is sorely lacking today. But he effectively shows how the past presidential administrations have allowed the CIA to decay and rust, while using it, wrongly so, for intelligence gathering on domestic political enemies of the administrations. He also shows the tentacles of big business getting involved in dangerous decisions that our presidents have to make.
This is an extremely easy read and a good page-turner.
Rating:
Summary: Last Cowboy.
Review: Robert Baer certainly is the last of a breed. Sometimes the book tap dances inbetween making him too much of a hero, and giving the respect his actions deserve.
Very Informative, and I don't envy Robert Baer's life. The only thing i could hope for is that this book containing his views about the future of the CIA and the need to rebuild it and for America to "reopen" it's eyes to terrorism inspires this nation to get on the ball. Robert Baer has taken great risks in his life as an agent on behalf of improving and protecting America, and in this book, he does it again as author.
Rating:
Summary: strategical weak points
Review: I think the USA have more than 200 million people. But this is the case -according to the author- that these powerful country have in the most strategic and hot points of the world only one, two or three trained men with the necessary skills for operating on dangerous or potentially enemy countries and grounds. Only these few people know the language and costumes of these areas, indeed particularly strange to the USA way of life as Middle East. This seems truly very dangerous because furthermore, it seems the enemy, though poor armed, surely know the USA much better (simply perhaps owing to the wide expansion of Hollywood cinema). The USA have no doubt a big war machine but... where to point the guns without reliable information? The potential theatre of war is too much big. The answer is of course for Americans only but the impression from out is the Spanish knew his Moslem enemy much better during the Reconquista of the whole Peninsula, a war that lasted the entire Middle Age against the Moslems in Spain, or the British had a better intelligence service in India and Middle East by the times of Lawrence of the Arabs or Rudyard Kipling. This is the gross impression an impartial reader gets if one has to believe this book tells the truth.
| 
