Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cia

CIA: A Short History of Nearly Everything?

lukemeister — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:18:06 -0800

How can I learn about the history of the CIA? After hearing Bob Baer on Fresh Air, I've been reading Baer's books and became interested in the backstory. I started reading Legacy of Ashes, but even to me, a garden-variety lefty, it seems biased against the CIA. Any suggestions for a more 'fair and balanced' account?

Blowback

wilful — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:14:20 -0800

Have the US or UK Governments ever formally acknowledged or apologised for their role in the 1953 Mossadegh/Iran coup? Is there any general recognition amongst the commentariat about the how and why of Iran's suspicion/distrust towards the US and UK?

What nonfiction about spies should I read?

BT — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:48:26 -0800

What should I read to learn about espionage and World War II/start of the Cold War? I'm starting a project which requires me to learn about the clandestine intelligence services (in the U.S., Britian, Germany, Soviet Union, and elsewhere), specifically in World War II and in the early years of the Cold War. What little I have read is fiction (Le Carre, Littel, Furst). But I need to dig into factual stuff. The origin of the OSS/CIA and the evolution of the NKVD/KGB, how they worked during the war and especially from 1945-1950 or so. Both the lurid stories but also the basic facts of how the agencies were set up, operated, etc.

Ideally, I'd like to err on the side of narrative readability, but if it's truly authoritative but dry, I'm willing. What histories/memoirs/biographies should I have on my list? Novels are also OK, though as I said my real need is to get the facts, such as can be had. Legacy of Ashes is about the only one I'm certain I should get ahold of.

Response to: "If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about"

WetherMan — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:18:47 -0800

I'm getting pretty tired of hearing the line "if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about" in regards to what's happening right now in Washington. I've heard some long articulate responses to this, but what's a good one or two sentence response that succinctly points out the error in this line of thinking?

Will my army deployment make me ineligible for Peace Corps?

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 14:50:50 -0800

Does my involvement in information-gathering activities make me ineligible for Peace Corps? I was in the Army from 1997 to 2001. I was operationally deployed during the spring/summer of 2000. During my deployment, my unit engaged in information/intelligence-gathering activities. In fact, my unit was involved in two separate programs; one involved the CIA, one did not. I was involved in the program that did not involve the CIA, and never actively collected information. Rather, I edited situation reports sent to our headquarters from teams in the field. Does my involvement in this program, or the fact that my unit (but again, not me personally) had contact with the CIA make me ineligible for Peace Corps? If so, for how long? I've read the Peace Corps form relating to this topic, but it looks like there's some gray area. Anyone else with a similar military background applied to Peace Corps?

What are the 40 full "Moscow Rules"?

arimathea — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:25:31 -0800

What are the 40 full "Moscow Rules"? An abridged version of the Moscow Rules has been posted several times. There were apparently 40 original Moscow Rules, a set of guidelines created by the CIA to benefit them in their operations in Russia. Where can I find the full 40 rules?

Neocon Quote?

INFOHAZARD — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 14:35:02 -0800

Political Memory Hole Filter: Can you help me find the quote? Before the Invasion, some neocon (?Wolfowitz?) was quoted in a major paper complaining how the CIA was always wrong because they were too conservative in their estimates... My google-fu has failed me. Anyone have the link or the quote?

Some questions about Fitzgerald's grand jury

Gyan — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 17:20:35 -0800

So there's a grand jury that the special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has empaneled. 23 members, residents of Wahington D.C. Some questions. Are they anonymous?
Sequestered?
Paid?
How are they chosen, by jury duty draw?
Will they be subject to a gag order after their term expires?

"They said I fit a profile..."

speranza — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 02:55:42 -0800

How did MI6 and the CIA used to recruit? Before people could apply to join MI5/6 and the CIA, what recruiting methods were used? Did they just recruit from Oxbridge/Ivy League schools? How did they find the kind of people who would be most skilled as agents?

Can I get into grad school even though I screwed up in college?

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 18:33:49 -0800

Let's say I really- like really screwed up throughout college. Do I still have a shot to get into any grad schools? Due to personal circumstances (intense depression related to a nightmarish coming out experience with my parents that continued throughout college, and having made the absolutely incorrect choice of major), I only graduated with a 2.4 GPA from UCSD. Trouble is, I know I can do better.
Only now that I've been in the workforce for a few weeks have I realized just how important it was to get good grades. Many of the jobs I'm interested in with the CIA require a 3.0 GPA.
Is it too late for me? I'm not a slacker, I was just down on my luck for a few years during college, and I know if I got another chance I could do really well.

Military Intelligence

Happydaz — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 17:02:58 -0800

Military Intelligence: I've thought about joining the military for about six years. Now it seems that it might become reality. I'd like to become an intelligence officer because it seems like I'd use a similar skill set to what I do now (I'm a journalist.) But what branch of the service should I check out? Army/Navy/Marines/Air Force/Coast Guard? What about the CIA or NSA? Anybody know people in any of these branches? [more inside] I have a four-year degree, great test scores and a clean background, which I understand is required. Most of all, I'm looking to join to build better self discipline and learn leadership skills (I plan to return to the newspaper business some day.) From what I hear, the Marines are best at leadership/discipline, and the Navy has the best intel people. Any insights, anyone?