"The Secret History of the CIA"

[H2O Man]

by Joseph Trento, was originally published in 2001. A second edition, with a little new information, came out in 2005. I bought it this afternoon, and have been reading it with some interest.

I have found a few clear examples of misinformation around page 263, regarding the DGI, but as the author quotes James Angleton , when talking about the CIA, "the truth is relative."

I find the approach interesting. In the new introduction, the author names Dick Cheney first, and then George W. Bush, as attempting to cover up intelligence "errors," and to keep the truth from the public about 9-11. The first half of the book seems to make a strong case that the business interests that developed the structure and goals for the CIA were not looking out for either democray or the United States as a whole .... which I think most of us already were aware of.

At the same time, his sources of information are primarily Angleton, Dr. William Corson, Robert Crowley, and John Sherwood, all of whom are characters that should be viewed with suspicion.

I'm curious if other DUers have read this book, and are familiar with the author? I'm posting this in GD, because it's not the book per say that I'm interested in, so much as the information as it relates to events that have occured since it came out in 2001.

A quote of interest: "Newly appointed CIA Director Porter Goss, who played the role of Agency cheerleader instead of providing oversight, is stuffing his DCI's office with political types instead of people who actually understand the intelligence business."

[Me.]

1. Haven't Read The Book

Though from your OP it sounds depressingly like what I thought. "Truth is Relative" could very well be the motto of this admin. Does it say what truth, exactly, they were trying to keep from the public regarding 9-11? Anything we haven't discussed here on DU or suspected. Not LIHOP I'm guessing.

[understandinglife]

2. "the truth is relative." -- not when you're an outed NOC and...

...a bunch of folk are dead.

Thanks for the OP and especially for the verification of what many of us suspected the day Goss' name was mentioned as CIA Director.

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us (a day to reflect on how anyone can justify killing a child: anywhere, anytime)

[Last Lemming]

3. Haven't read enough

to understand much about the inner workings of the CIA--but I've wanted to at least get some idea of game they play--any suggestions as far as where to start bookwise?

[H2O Man]

4. I think this book

is interesting. It covers the history of the agency in pretty good detail. I'm not sure if people realize that the CIA actually was started as a private agency, without even Truman being aware of it.

Most know that after WW2, Truman was deciding if the OSS or FBI should run the new IA. A private citizen, who was also a corporate lawyer with connections that would surprise few DUers, decided to make an agency outside of the government's control. Allen Dulles would then play his hand in such a way that Truman selected his private agency, rather than the OSS or FBI (both of which had been compromised).

Sounds almost familiar, eh?

[peacetalksforall]

5. I read most of first edition, especially the part about setting up Chile.

I highly recommend Trento's work.

I felt that it was well documented. It was easy to follow - how some in the U.S. government and the media went to work for ITT, Anaconda, Pepsico and banking by the manipulations of Kissinger, Colby, Harriman, and the lobbyists. Even Seymour Hersh and the NYT play a part. Treachery, betrayal, hidden agendas. A how-to of how the CIA betrays their own. A how-to of how the USA manipulated in that time period.

[H2O Man]

7. Yep.

The parts that deal with media manipulation are very interesting.

[Me.]

6. Given Goss Has Been Dismantling The CIA

Do you think it will survive, should it given this dismemberment?

[H2O Man]

8. Perhaps his role

is to make sure the agency works as a political tool only, and that it is reduced to allow the Pentagon to gain control of more intel territory.

[Octafish]

9. Trento's is a hell of a book.

Have you read where Angleton's biggest regret was not giving Allen Dulles and his "team" lie detector tests? The ommission was how so many NAZIs and Commies were able to infiltrate the Agency, along with the Government and society. The book is a must-read.


Paranoid shift

By Michael Hasty
Online Journal Contributing Writer

January 10, 2004—Just before his death, James Jesus Angleton, the legendary chief of counterintelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency, was a bitter man. He felt betrayed by the people he had worked for all his life. In the end, he had come to realize that they were never really interested in American ideals of "freedom" and "democracy." They really only wanted "absolute power."

Angleton told author Joseph Trento that the reason he had gotten the counterintelligence job in the first place was by agreeing not to submit "sixty of Allen Dulles' closest friends" to a polygraph test concerning their business deals with the Nazis. In his end-of-life despair, Angleton assumed that he would see all his old companions again "in hell."

The transformation of James Jesus Angleton from an enthusiastic, Ivy League cold warrior, to a bitter old man, is an extreme example of a phenomenon I call a "paranoid shift." I recognize the phenomenon, because something similar happened to me.

Although I don't remember ever meeting James Jesus Angleton, I worked at the CIA myself as a low-level clerk as a teenager in the '60s. This was at the same time I was beginning to question the government's actions in Vietnam. In fact, my personal "paranoid shift" probably began with the disillusionment I felt when I realized that the story of American foreign policy was, at the very least, more complicated and darker than I had hitherto been led to believe.

CONTINUED...

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/011004Hasty/011004hasty.html

[H2O Man]

10. "A week after the [9-11] attacks,

a young FBI agent came into my office at the Public Education Center. He was upset and full of frustration. He had been working the 9/11 case and was already running into political problems with his bosses. He was told not to follow-up any leads connecting the suspects in the attacks with Saudi officials, or with bin Laden family members living in the United States without clearing it with headquarters first. While he waited for approval, he watched key witnesses and even possible participants fly out of United States jurisdiction. The agent said early indications were that the CIA had deliberately withheld the identities of two of the hijackers who commandeered American Airlines Flight 77 and crashed it into the Pentagon. He was told that the CIA was 'protecting sources and methods.' The agent asked me if this sort of behavior between the FBI and CIA was something new. I explained that the problems he was encountering had haunted US intelligence for its entire modern history. I gave him a copy of 'The Secret History of the CIA.'

"The next time I saw the agent, some months later, the naivete' was gone. In its place was a more cynical attitude who could not wait to get back to chasing bank robbers and kidnappers and hoped he would never work again on a national security case. I asked him why. He said:'Because when you are chasing street criminals, thieves and robbers they are more likely to tell the truth than the people at the CIA or even my bossess at the FBI.'"

The part about the Nazi connections is documented beyond any question. It is of clear interest to those who are interested in the business and intel connections from the WW2 era, and how those led to the situation today. I thought of that when I commented on your thread yesterday.

[Me.]

11. Was Prescott One Of The 60?

allowed to pass his despicable legacy on?

[H2O Man]

13. This book does not

deal directly with Prescott. (I haven't actually finished it yet, so I should say not that I am aware of.) But I think that the book indicates that a significant part of the "greatest generation" was not particularly great, and he makes clear that the influence of US business ties to the Nazi machine created a serious problem once WW2 was over, and communism became the identified enemy of the state. The ties between the current president's family and German business seems, beyond any question, to have been a factor in American politics.

[thecai]

12. Corruption Investigations

Prior to 9/11, even the FBI was under investigation for corruption. On 9/12, those investigations ceased and the FBI were given more power. Go figure.

[H2O Man]

14. Serve and protect.

Makes you feel a little more secure, doesn't it?

[Octafish]

15. That's some brave agent there, H20 Man.

Discovering the nature of the beast is a most disorienting experience for hard-core Democrats, let alone the general population. It's hard to imagine what a change in world-view it must be for a talented agent of the FBI. And your description captured the moment.

Your acquaintance is to be commended for having the guts to read about the BFEE and learn they really are the nexus of the Military-Intelligence-Industrial Complex, the MAFIA and the NAZI Old Guard. There are many, many more like him or her throughout the Federal government. My proof? If there weren't we'd all be in Gitmo by now.

Here are a couple more tomes from Trento that brave, and loyal, FBI and CIA agents, and all real Americans who support, defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, might enjoy:



... and with Susan:



Can't wait to read it, and I bet the agent you met would enjoy it, as well.

Joseph Trento told Greg Palast the White House delayed investigating the hijackers before 9-11 and then sandbagged the investigation after 9-11.

Has someone been sitting on the FBI? 6/11/01

GREG PALAST:
The CIA and Saudi Arabia, the Bushes and the Bin Ladens. Did their connections cause America to turn a blind eye to terrorism?

UNNAMED MAN:
There is a hidden agenda at the very highest levels of our government.

JOE TRENTO, (AUTHOR, "SECRET HISTORY OF THE CIA"):
The sad thing is that thousands of Americans had to die needlessly.

SNIP...

TRENTO:
The FBI wanted to investigate these guys. This is not something that they didn't want to do - they wanted to, they weren't permitted to.

PALAST:
The secret file fell into the hands of national security expert, Joe Trento. The Washington spook-tracker has been looking into the FBI's allegations about WAMY.

TRENTO:
They've had connections to Osama Bin Laden's people. They've had connections to Muslim cultural and financial aid groups that have terrorist connections. They fit the pattern of groups that the Saudi royal family and Saudi community of princes - the 20,000 princes - have funded who've engaged in terrorist activity.

Now, do I know that WAMY has done anything that's illegal? No, I don't know that. Do I know that as far back as 1996 the FBI was very concerned about this organisation? I do.

CONTINUED...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/newsnight/1645527.stm

PS: Thanks for sharing that story, H20 Man. Made my day.



Here's to you and yours!